Backwoods Blassssst! RESCHEDULED to March 13. Please read.

Wes Eastridge · Post by **Wes Eastridge** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:50 am

I know it’s short notice, but it’s either now or wait until November for this...

Backwoods Blassssst

When: Sunday, March 13, 1pm practice, 2pm race.
Where: F’nhead.
What: Single-lane timed GS. Outlaw.

This hill has never been slalomed on before, but we’ve ridden it and it should be a grand ol’ tyme. The pavement is very nice and the hill is steep/long enough to really get you going. It should be a screamer. It’s quite possible that you will be going over 30+ mph before you start to slow down at the runout. I bombed it on my DH board and it sure felt over 35 mph.

Those who have been to F’nhead during the winter know the deal - Those who haven’t need to know the following:
1. The bathrooms there are locked.
2. No businesses nearby for food, bathrooms, or supplies.
3. It’s a 3/4 of a mile skate from the locked gate to this race course.

This is truly backwoods, but it’s great as long as you are prepared.

As always, check up on this topic at least one day before the race for any changes in planning that could occur.

Edit: this race is moved back one day due to weather constraints. It was originally scheduled for Saturday, March 12, 11am. It has been rescheduled for Sunday March 13, 1pm.

Anthony Flis · Post by **Anthony Flis** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 12:44 am

NOOOO...I have festival next saturday and I cant miss it. I would love to hit it one last time before the park opens literally one week from today I believe. What do you guys think it would be like trying to ride the park with it open?

I am a little upset I am gonna miss this but hit it hard for me guys and if you are lucky I will send Danny in my sted. If you guys want to try riding it on Sunday I may be able to do that. I will see.

Danny Crawford · Post by **Danny Crawford** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 3:01 am

What are you thinking the course to be like? And its the easier hill, right?

I should be able to make it out for this one since the musical is that night!

Brian Gilbert · Post by **Brian Gilbert** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 3:17 am

sh*t i got work saturday , and a school trip sunday, man this sucks, have fun guys, i guess ill see you all at the park and ride soon.

Wes Eastridge · Post by **Wes Eastridge** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:05 am

Danny, It’s the backhill that curves to the right. It will be a GS course that probably requires a big GS board (you can borrow mine if you need it).

Bring your fullface helmet. If you get facial road-rash, your stage director will insist that you cover it with makeup and that probably won't feel very good.

Anthony, The park opens March 19. For your own safety, I can only suggest not skating those hills when the park is open to cars. I imagine that the boathouse could be a popular place. If you do go out there, PLEASE check it all out first and use good judgement in your decisions. I can imagine all kinds of situations and many of them involve you smaking into a car.

Live to ride another hill. OCC is always good for freeriding even when it’s open to cars - ride that instead.

Danny Crawford · Post by **Danny Crawford** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:43 pm

Would a 36" sector 9 be good with randals and flashbacks? Or would I want like an almost downhill setup like my DH race with downhill trucks and gumballs?

Luckily I'm in the pit band so nobody will notice me with a messed up face...I'll bring my fullface anyways.

Wes Eastridge · Post by **Wes Eastridge** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:14 pm

Danny Crawford wrote:Would a 36" sector 9 be good with randals and flashbacks? Or would I want like an almost downhill setup like my DH race with downhill trucks and gumballs?

The 36” board would be more appropriate, and a truckbase of at least 22” would be preferable, but the more you can change the components to slalom-specific ones, the better. I’ve seen people do well on the s9 tri-lam deck, but they had it setup with trucks that were more appropiate for slalom than yours and Avalons (or maybe they were Manx). Flashbacks might still be OK if they are grippy enough. If not, I can loan you something. If the deck is not drilled 2.5”, you might consider making sure that it is. Because it will then be much easier to change out stuff than with the nu-school hole pattern that S9 boards usually come with.

Brian [Morgan] · Post by **Brian [Morgan]** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:30 pm

Would have liked to get up there to skate and drop stuff off but will be in Kitty Hawk doing business this weekend.

I'll keep lurking and working on tracking you down.

Hope the event comes off well.

Brian

Wes Eastridge · Post by **Wes Eastridge** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 7:43 pm

Brian wrote:Would have liked to get up there to skate and drop stuff off but will be in Kitty Hawk doing business this weekend.

Ok, check you PM on the other site.

Everyone else, that was not Brian Parsons. Last I heard, Parsons WILL BE at the Backwoods Blast, setting the course and racing too.

Wes Eastridge · Post by **Wes Eastridge** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:42 pm

Because of the 50% chance of precipitation tonight, we are moving the race back by one day. It will now be Sunday, March 13. Practice at 1pm, race at 2.

If anyone made plans to attend but now can't at all due to Sunday commitments, I offer this: If the weather forcasters are wrong and it happens to be dry on Saturday, I will skate on Saturday with you at the race site. Just let me know sometime today.

Noah Heinle · Post by **Noah Heinle** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:24 pm

Mike Ohm · Post by **Mike Ohm** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:46 pm

50% chance on friday

0% chance on saturday

I don't think it will rain enough or at all to ruin the race on saturday. saturday will just be a little windy but we will be in the woods.

BRian, WesE???

Wes Eastridge · Post by **Wes Eastridge** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:18 pm

Brian and I talked yesterday and decided that if the forecast didn’t get better, we would reschedule the race to Sunday. That was for the benefit of people who might come from out of town, like Noah. The chance of rain for tonight has increased to 60%. The spot gets very little wind, due to the trees. But those same trees create shade that could prevent the pavement from drying.

Noah, is that a risk you would be willing to take?

How about other people who were planning to drive 90 or more minutes to get there?

Rene Hayden · Post by **Rene Hayden** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 12:13 am

60% chance of a snow shower tomorrow morning according to weather.com makes a Sunday race just fine by me. It's drizzling, unpredictable and generally crappy up in College Park at the mo.

Unless we are luging.

Old school luge.

With the blades.

Danny Crawford · Post by **Danny Crawford** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 7:14 pm

Yeah, I won't be able to make it tomorrow so you guys have fun!

Wes Eastridge · Post by **Wes Eastridge** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:16 pm

Brian Parsons,
Please check the message I left on your cell phone today. Thanks.

Anthony Smallwood · Post by **Anthony Smallwood** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 3:53 pm

WesE, I've got a question for you. Will my Bozi 36 be sufficient, or will the course be geared toward typical slalom boards? Thinking about coming out earlier to bomb the right side so I might as well race slalom if my board will make the course. If it's just going to be a longer version of tight, warn me now.

Mike Ohm · Post by **Mike Ohm** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 4:15 pm

Anthony, course will be more GS or Super G. We have boards for you.

Anthony Flis · Post by **Anthony Flis** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:27 am

So how was it guys?

Vlad Popov · Post by **Vlad Popov** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 2:43 pm

Crap as usual.

The hill is fast. The surface is great. The ranout is huge.

I'll let Parsons and others tell the rest

Anthony Smallwood · Post by **Anthony Smallwood** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 3:59 pm

Any pics of the course? I was a complete lame-o. After going out for a breakfast run, I realized that I was too hungover/still drunk to drive a skateboard or car. John O'Shei I'm not! He, of course, would have won the thing, all the while being well above the legal limit.

Slung cinderblocks w/ GSL instead. OUCH!!

Vlad Popov · Post by **Vlad Popov** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:17 pm

I'll try to post pistures by the end of the week.

The course was fun. The first 4-5 cones were tightish widish gates that demanded a lot of attention and the cost of fcking up in those gates was full seconds. It was followed by a pumping section of about 10 cones, and a nice long finish section (over 1/3 of the entire course) for tucking.

Earl was there with his Bozi and Insect.

Ok, I have to leave the rest for others, or there will be nothing else to tell.

Rene Hayden · Post by **Rene Hayden** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:06 pm

I, for one, am so fricking STOKED! I didn't eat it fully.

The slalom course was really, really fun and fast, just a little speed demon race. The day was beautiful, mild and warm, the sun peeking through the boughs, twinkling off the lake, and heating up the air with the smell of leather and lycra. With a slight breeze, the rustling leaves made Ohm's pre-run meditation seem positively zen-like. If the run was in a crappier setting, it would have been intimidating, but it was a beauty. The Personalities were there and in full effect: Vlad, Ohm, Parsons, Wes, and later, Earl.

As Vlad said, the tough part was nailing the top, and then it just opened up into a smooth, slicing run past the gates. Aero was key here, as I found out that air braking really did work, and that if you tucked after the top cones, you really did go a heck of a lot faster. It was pretty inspiring to see everybody step up, and run after run, shave off a quarter or a half-second off their time as they attacked the cones. I was a happy camper, secure in my slower but grippy wheels. I'd started off with tight trucks to compensate for the speed, but loosened them a turn so I could make it through the top.

Earl showed up about 3/4 way through the day, and by the time it took him to suit up, the elder statesmen decided to do some high bombing runs on their wee boards to see "how fast the hill *really* is." Wes, Vlad, Parsons, Ohm, all maching out like crazy people, especially Vlad, busted ankle, wobbly little 70's trucks and all. Too lazy to tighten my trucks, I took a mid-level go at it, and as I passed Parsons walking up the hill, experienced the worst wobs I have ever felt. Damn! Just as I was ready to bail, I listened to my inner Yoda, got some more wobs, and somehow made it to the run-out still on the board. 'Nuff said--I bombed no longer that day.

In summary: a fast, awesome, classic spot with a great surface and run-out. The hill seems a bit challenging, but it's nothing anyone who races at Gaithersburg couldn't handle, I don't think. DC/DC was a much hairier hill/course, in my opinion. Y'all missed some FUN!

Anthony Smallwood · Post by **Anthony Smallwood** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 6:39 pm

Sounds fun. Was it a race? Who drank from the cup??

Does anyone know when the park officially opens? I heard it was next weekend.

Mike Ohm · Post by **Mike Ohm** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 7:20 pm

Rene, I couldn't have said it better myself. Great to see all who showed to shake off the cobwebs. Parsons didn't have any, he took off right where he left off last year. He is fast and getting faster. Thanks WesE for the organizing. It's a tough job but someone's gotta do it. As LBK always says "plan it and they will come". Or was it "build it and they will come". Anyway, it was a great day I am sore as hell and in need of some new equipment.

Vlad, stop skating and heal up.

Rene Hayden · Post by **Rene Hayden** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 7:42 pm

Yeah, it was a racer's race.

I don't think anyone at the end really cared who was in what slot, but I do believe Parsons walked off with the fastest time of 20.2-something, overcoming Vlad's early posting (of course) of 20.4-something. Anyone remember?

Wes had the best time in the bombing trials at 16 seconds (I think)

I had the best imitation of somebody doing 4 ft. centers at 30 mph.

Thank you! Good night!

Mike Ohm · Post by **Mike Ohm** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 9:06 pm

After skating that hill, there is sooo much more potential for course setting. That hill is the best. Smooth, grippy, good runout. Just start the course at different spots on the hill. Next time we gotta have a leaf blower to clear all of the pine straw from the right side.

Oh yeah, don't forget to rent Napolean Dynomite.

Anthony Smallwood · Post by **Anthony Smallwood** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 9:34 pm

Next time??

Wes Eastridge · Post by **Wes Eastridge** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 11:04 pm

Everyone described the event the as I would. I had a good time and hope to race there a lot more in the future (too bad the gates open this Saturday though). This pavement is only rivaled by RFK racecourse, but the hill and setting makes it the fastest, bestest, "throw caution to the wind" slalom spot. It's still not perfectly perfect: The break in the trees below the parking lot invites the wind to enter and slow racer’s times somewhat. Not as bad as at the G-P&R though. The search is still on for a nice, east-facing hill.

Primary race: GS/Super-G.
Brian 20.349
Vlad 20.44
Ohm 20.64
Wes 21.49
René 22.73

Spur of the moment: Bombing from anywhere above the start strip.
Wes 15.194
Brian 16.05
Ohm 16.654
Vlad 17.24

Danny Crawford · Post by **Danny Crawford** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 3:42 am

What are the chances of like a night time race there? We would need to somehow light up the street. The only problem is I have no idea what the chances of getting busted are...

Rene Hayden · Post by **Rene Hayden** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 10:21 pm

pics pix picks pisks piks peex piix bics ???///????...????

Where is my little fotki?

Vlad Popov · Post by **Vlad Popov** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 1:45 am

I'll upload them this weekend.
Computer problems, sorry.

PS. Good job at keeping Noah away. He would have loved the hill.

Earl Cephas · Post by **Earl Cephas** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 9:15 pm

It was great meeting everyone! First time on that hill - and it does look scarier than it actually is - next time I may actually try to make some turns. Thanks for the lesson.

Rene Hayden · Post by **Rene Hayden** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:22 pm

Hey Earl,

It was really nice meeting you. too bad we didn't get more of a chance to skate it up. Next time, eh? Welcome to the crazy world of D.C. slalom. I hope you stayed a while and ran the hill.

Any word on the next event, my fellow DCers?

Somebody needs to plan some eventage.

....... fotki ? .....???

Wesley Tucker · Post by **Wesley Tucker** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:07 pm

Rene Hayden wrote:Somebody needs to plan some eventage.

Rene,

"Somebody?" Have at it. If it's scheduled, they will come.

Vlad Popov · Post by **Vlad Popov** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:59 pm

The rest of the Backdoor Blast

Rene Hayden · Post by **Rene Hayden** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:21 pm

Woo!

Everybody looks so intense!

Thanks Vlad.

But where's the pics of you?

Rene.

P.S.: Earl, there's a pic of you too.

Vlad Popov · Post by **Vlad Popov** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:11 pm

Here you go Rene

Rene Hayden · Post by **Rene Hayden** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:30 pm

Sweet....

Anthony Smallwood · Post by **Anthony Smallwood** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 1:02 am

Nice shots Vlad, and great style displayed by all. Parsons should be a BLR. Nah, way to nice...and clean!

Anthony Flis · Post by **Anthony Flis** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:49 am

Are we gonna have any races or any get togethers before the gathering? I would love to run some cones with everyone and I know danny is itching to give his board a real try too.

Join the ISSA 25 cone series. One cyber race every second month!

Regular sessions allow newbies to join our community and discover slalom racing.

Backwoods Blassssst! RESCHEDULED to March 13. Please read.

Backwoods Blassssst! RESCHEDULED to March 13. Please read.

hard to track down

Re: hard to track down

fhead

phenylketonurics

fhed

Eeeeepic!

fhed

Results

f

Peekchaz

THE pEARL

RAD!!!

Re: RAD!!!

DUDE!

good session