[March 25, 2008] From Staff Reports
The 2008 slalom racing season kicks off in a big way with the coming of spring. The 2008 Texas Cold Fusion Sizzler goes down March 29 and 30 in Austin, Texas. For the seventh straight year the Texas Outlaws put on this Prime event deep in the heart of Texas. Giant Slalom and dual hybrid racing fills the bill with some of the most fun nightlife available happening all over Austin after hours.
Johnny "Thriller" Miller is putting on a big race in a big way at Morro Bay, California. His April Fools Skate Race on April 5 promises to offer what can only be called the Mother Of All Start Ramps. Miller's Monster stands ten feet and will produce some incredible speeds at the top of the hill. Turri Road is a world-class hill and John O'Shei will be on hand to set a world-class GS course.
The Downhillbillies will hold their Beast Of The East Slalom Jam April 11 through the 13th with an outlaw race Thursday the 10th for everyone who can get into town. Billed as a "Giant Slalom Weekend," the DHBs have hills lined up from Mooresville to Winston Salem, North Carolina for all your big-turns pleasure. The hill in Mooresville is promised to rate about a 9 on the Pucker Factor while the site of the Worlds' GS, Bluegill, will host more racing on Saturday. Sunday will see the party move to the now-venerable Hobby Park hill for one of the DHB's classic jam sessions.
Also on the same weekend but a different continent will see the Pavel/G.O.G. Do-Or-Die Race held in Colonge AND Dusseldorf. Saturday will offer some tight and hybrid dual racing in Dusseldorf. On Sunday all the action heads over to Cologne for Pro and Open Giant Slalom. Not to be outdone by The Thriller Miller's monster in California, the G.O.G. crew promises and three-meter tall start ramp.
More transcontinental racing happens April 19th with events on both the East And West coasts. The Indian School Qualifier goes down in Albequerque. A course set in the legendary Indian School Ditch will be a chance for those without portfolio to get an invite to the Indian School Banked Slalom Race. At the same time in Atlanta, Woody's Halfpipe will host a hybrid slalom jam at the new DeKalb County Skateboard Park. John Karg reports the new park has a pristine new paved parking lot with plenty of slope and plenty of room. This will be both a race and an exhibition to conitnue fueling the growing slalom scene in Georgia and around the Southeast.
Finally, April slalom racing wraps up the weekend of the 25th in Greeley, Colorado for the UNC Spring Slalom Classic. Taking over from the U.S. Nationals run in Longmont, the COSS crew is putting together a full weekend of racing in the Rocky Mountain foothills. Dual Giant Slalom will be at the Windsor hill where the Nationals were run in 2006 and '07. Hybrid slalom will move to Greeley on Saturday and the tight slalom will be Sunday on the campus of the University Of North Colorado. There will be racing for all classes on CBark-set courses.
Whew. And that's just April. 2008 is already shaping up to be a banner year for international slalom skateboard racing!
[Feb 12, 2008] By Donald Campbell
Welcome to the 2008 season. Winter is still here and taking it's place, but that doesn't mean that skaters from all around Europe and America hold themselves back from traveling to new places, for getting together again and race. After finishing a very succesfull season last year, this season is awakening earlier than ever. Skaters from Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Greg Fadell from the U.S. and many more all came together for their first contest taking place in Cadwell, England. Cadwell is a motor race track with many steep hills and high-quality racing surface closed for a gravity sports weekend. Soapbox, longboarding, sliding, and Slalom was just a little part of the whole event. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and didn't apear to mind the cold weather at all. They were more busy being happy getting out their skatebards again and enjoying their first ride outside this year
