Keith’s account of going to Max’s session in RI with photos from Max’s flickr. Max and Brian Peck are about to start their cross country journey to Cali where they will be residing for some time.
Pat Schep’s, Chris Sheehy’s and my travels to RI started out on a very wet and slightly weary Saturday evening. We got in the car, and started what was supposed to be a 3 hour drive (according to google maps). Not once did it stop raining, and not once did the wiper blades in our car slow down from the highest setting. Through Connecticut it was slow going, and 2 or 3 times we had scary occurrences. Once, we were splashed by a car next to us, throwing water over the car, and making us feel submerged for 2-3 seconds. The amount of water on the windshield was insane. Another time we hydroplaned for a few hundred feet.
Where: SC Botanical Gardens in Clemson, South Carolina
Time: Registration begins at 11:00am
Cost: $5.00 for competitors and free for spectators
Rules: Helmets are required to compete and anyone under 18 must have a parent present to sign a waiver agreement.
Detailed Info.
Garden Ride 09 is the first official event hosted by Clemson Stoke. The event will include various forms of competition and provide a great environment for skaters of all ages and skill levels to come skate. The main competitions will be a Push/bomb and slide competition. Other various mini-events have been planned as well.
The main events are the Push – Bomb and the slide competition. The push – bomb is a push race through the South Carolina botanical garden. It will be held on a closed access road that winds through the gardens interior. There will be three routes based on the skill levels of the riders.
Advanced – the advanced course will be the most challenging both technically and physically. Riders will push through a 2.7-mile long course while negotiating two 30+ mph sweepers and 3 exhausting uphill sections. This course is not for the faint of heart. Racers will have to maintain a good pace while simultaneously tucking speedy sections in order to take the win. Helmets, slide gloves, and advanced skills are required to race this route. Staggered 2 person starts.
Intermediate – The Intermediate route is designed for riders who are skilled, but may lack the experience or aggressive and fast-paced nature of the advanced riders. Their route will be 2.4 miles long and include 2 winding hill sections where speeds over 30mph can be achieved if ridden in a full tuck. This course will be very fun and slightly less exhaustive than the advanced route. Staggered 4 person starts.
Junior – This route is designed around the needs of the junior rider. The entire course is1.7 miles in length and will include two hill sections where riders can expect speeds around 20mph. This route will only be open if junior riders (15 years or less) are present. All start at once.
The companion event to the push-bomb will be a slide competition. This event is open to any rider who wants to compete. There will be two classes (intermediate and advanced) and any type of wheel or board is acceptable. In an attempt to be both fair and sneaky riders will be judged by an unknown panel of fellow competitors throughout the competition. Judging criteria will be technical ability, style, and creativity. There will also be riders giving lessons to anyone who wants to learn how to slide. Helmets and slide gloves are required to compete in this event and pads are HIGHLY recommended.
The mini-events may include (but are not limited to): longboard limbo, longest slide, longest manual, highest ollie, and hottest mom. The small events will be based on input from group members and contestants. They are intended to provide a carefree form of competition (and free entertainment) for everyone to enjoy. Small event prizes will be considered for the highest placing individual in each event.
Any questions can be directed to clemsonstoke@gmail.com
Come out to the Pumpkin Carve event hosted by Carolina Skate in Columbia, SC. It is being held on Wheat St. in front of the Blatt PE center and will involve a slide competition, ground trick competition, and slalom race. We have the entire parking lot along with the road adjacent to it to ourselves. We will have manufacturers and local skate shops there, as well as a few other school clubs. Bring your helmets, slide gloves, and boards and come out to compete.
Article – Keith Rebhorn
Video – Michael Braun
Pics – Max Dubler
On October 10th, 2009, over 250 skateboarders of all types descended upon what may be the most treacherous race course in history. The obstacles ranged from cross traffic, to pedestrians, to busses stopping short, to cracks/gaps in the pavement, to road construction, to the occasional skater that didn’t quite know not to step on his/her wheels. The saying that organizers of this event like to use is “You may die” and in fact, this saying holds true.
The Broadway Bomb was quite the experience, all starting on a Saturday morning. We departed Hoboken by Path train and ran into a skater or two on the path train, then after meeting up with some friends, we hopped on the subway, and took the 1 train uptown to 116th St. Me, Pat Schep, Daniel McDonald, and Chris Buono all got to street level 5 minutes before it was go time. We met up with the rest of the group and said our hellos to old and new friends alike.
Then, the race began, and a testosterone driven pack of 200+ skateboarders ran/skated up a hill to get onto Broadway, and once there, the race began. Pushing through New York City was something unimaginable. We held up traffic, cut off pedestrians, almost got ran over a few times, and a few people got their boards broken. Some people took this race seriously while others were just hanging out, having fun skating down Broadway.
We blew through intersections yelling at pedestrians and cars “Don’t do it!” We didn’t want them to cross and hit us, or us hit them. (Trust me, hitting vehicles is just as bad as a vehicle hitting you). It was awesome to feel the power of 200+ people barreling through NYC on longboards. This race is as much about winning as it is making a point of alternative form of transportation.
After the race ended, we got kicked out from hanging around the bull because they were shooting a movie/tv show and we were “in the shot” so we all decided to head over to the East Side park where the burgers were being made. After hanging out there, and seeing the skogging samoan do his thing, we decided to peace out, grab some delicious pizza, and then skate around looking for Pat Scheps car. He forgot where he parked, so we skated through lower manhattan guessing which way his car was. It was awesome.
After spending the hour looking for Pat’s car, we drove across the Brooklyn Bridge and skated watchtower until about dark. After that, we piled back into pat’s car, and made our way to one of the after-parties at Ned’s house. At Ned’s, we were hanging out, drinking some beer, and trying to have 6 people skate a 4 foot wide mini ramp at once. This was the epitome of skateboarding for me, and it was beautiful. A bunch of people with 1 thing in common, were all in one random place, doing the one thing they love. There should be some pictures/video coming from the mini-ramp.
We eventually made it back to Hoboken, where we watched some TV until about 2am, then caught 4 hours of shuteye. We got up at 6am to make it over to the style session up near Cloisters. It was awesome waking up that early and skating from 7am until 10 for the style session. People were laying down big tricks, and it was awesome. I managed to land a few big drop knee standers. Unfortunately my wheels don’t love me, and it seems that I have almost destroyed another set. After the style session, a few of us headed out of the city, and skated some gnar in white-plains, and then in another spot in NY state. I had tons of fun, and recommend that everyone get to the bomb at least once.
This has been an awesome year so far! It’s unbelievable how many events have been put on and how many skaters have shown up! I’ve been so stoked to be a part of this growing community and see so many people from so many backgrounds become friends even though there was previously nothing that would have ever connected them. The progression of riding and level of events has been absolutely amazing. So, as the weather starts to turn and we’re about to get beaten down with the elements take a minute and check out these videos from all the events we’ve had on this side of the country since January. (If I missed something send me the link!)
This article is in the most recent issue of ConcreteWave magazine and you can read it here! Jason’s inspiration for this article started during the Buffalo Bill race in Goldendale Colorado while driving around with Kevin Reimer, Graham Buska and Anthony Flis as well as input from Justin Dubois. Check it out!
If you didn’t know, Jason Salfi is the man behind Comet Skateboards, now based in Ithaca, NY. He has thrown out more boards for events on the east coast than any other company and has even attended and raced in a lot of those events. He’s a ripper and an awesome guy who supports our community more than anyone. Show them some love at www.cometskateboards.com
We eventually made it back to Hoboken, where we watched some TV until about 2am, then caught 4 hours of shuteye. We got up at 6am to make it over to the style session up near Cloisters. It was awesome waking up that early and skating from 7am until 10 for the style session. People were laying down big tricks, and it was awesome. I managed to land a few big drop knee standers. Unfortunately my wheels don’t love me, and it seems that I have almost destroyed another set. After the style session, a few of us headed out of the city, and skated some gnar in white-plains, and then in another spot in NY state. I had tons of fun, and recommend that everyone get to the bomb at least once.