What's Up w/ Gathering for 2006?

Slalom Skateboarding in Washington, U.S.A.

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David Riordon
Posts: 264
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2002 1:00 am
Location: Denver

What's Up w/ Gathering for 2006?

Post by David Riordon » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:14 pm

Don't want to post out of step here with GBJ and his other organizers, but what is the news on this year's Gathering?

The Gathering has been such a blast over the years, no matter if the event is a "Big To Do" like it has been in the past or just a hang-out of friends/newbees/longboarders/slalomers/etc.

Any news would be nice. Has the site been reserved? John Dillon stepped up to the plate last year to help out GBJ and made the reservation for him.

Well, hope get to some final snowboard turns on Saturday 3/18/06 or likely Sunday 3/19/06. The last local slope open, Ski Roundtop, closes this weekend http://www.skiroundtop.com/ .

DR
lbk

Andy Bittner
GBJ
GBJ
Posts: 394
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 2:00 am
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

The 6th Gathering...

Post by Andy Bittner » Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:35 am

Dave, I have made no plans for a Gathering this year. I am currently working two jobs, seven days a week and probably haven't skated seriously in more than a year. Although I won't say they're over forever, for me, in many ways, the Gatherings have effectively served the purpose for which they were originally conceived. In the spring of 2001, nobody could really believe slalom skateboarding would really make a notable comeback, and hardly any of us knew any of the other dark-age, slalom nomads. I thought we should meet and get to know each other before we went after each other in a competitive environment, and I think the Gatherings contributed significantly to the cohesiveness of today's slalom world. As a result, slalom is more today than it ever was in the 70s, the slalom community is, for better or worse, dysfunctional or not, like a big family, and the calendar is loaded with excellent, highly competitive, yet friendly, race opportunities. So, between my own life struggles and a sense of having accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, I'm comfortable with my choice to let it go this year.

Having said that, there's nothing to stop anyone from throwing an event at The Gathering site, and I'm not going to tell anyone that maybe they should call it something other than The Gathering. Unfortunately, it'll probably be pretty tough to get a weekend rental in the Cardinal picnic area, this late in the season, but... if you throw it, they will come.
Last edited by Andy Bittner on Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

Anthony Smallwood
Posts: 308
Joined: Mon May 05, 2003 2:00 am
Location: Washington, D of C
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Gathering

Post by Anthony Smallwood » Sat Mar 18, 2006 6:19 am

Andy, Thanks for all of your efforts. I had a blast every time I attended. I also got to meet a bunch of really cool people.

And speaking of really cool people, I need Dave Riordan to call me 'cause I have some money for his really cool organization (surfrider)

David Riordon
Posts: 264
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2002 1:00 am
Location: Denver

Post by David Riordon » Sat Mar 18, 2006 6:26 am

GBJ,

Understood and well said. We, the slalom community at large including the international scene, owe you a big thanks for your "Gathering" concept, its' fond memories, and what it did in a major way of bringing about today's slalom. I also have not skated in over a year despite that there is still is an extended DC slalom crew running cones and despite that the Arlington Skatepark I helped get built is minutes away. Life has gotten more busy for me and along with the joys, there are life's emergencies to deal with. Maybe it is time to let the Gathering end out but hopefully somebody can come up with something similar to bring us back together periodically. GBJ, hang in there like the rest of us are doing and one day lets skateboard and throw back a few cold ones be it beer or sodas.

DR





OK, sniff, sniff, FOR THE REST OF YOU PUNKS, somebody pick up the ball from us old farts and get it going. I'm talking to the young guns like Nino, Arlington Eric, NOVa Bombers, and so on. What you going to do before they come for you? Blaa, blaa, blaa......





Anthony, can you get the $$$ to Darryl Hatheway or one of the DC Surfrider chapter officers http://dcsurfrider.proboards76.com/index.cgi or http://www.surfrider.org/capitol/. Haven't been able to keep up with the DC Chapter of Surfrider since my two year term of chairman ended last August.
lbk

Andy Bittner
GBJ
GBJ
Posts: 394
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 2:00 am
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

The Future, and beyond...

Post by Andy Bittner » Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:05 pm

Lest I give the impression that I am also, somehow, done with slalom, let me be clear and say, nothing could be further from the truth. I've been a dedicated slalom skateboarder for the past 36 years and I always will be. I watch the slalom forums daily, and I always have a board and some cones within reach, even though it seems I haven't ridden them for ages. Things'll get better for me, and then I'll be out there again.

Mike Cividino
Posts: 289
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2002 1:00 am
Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Post by Mike Cividino » Sat Mar 18, 2006 9:05 pm

let me take this chance to say a quick thank you to Andy. My very first into to slalom was the 2nd gathering, I had never turned around a cone before. I found out about the race online, decided I wanted to go and drove down by myself, 8hrs to the Red Roof Inn, met Wes Tucker and started the amazing slalom journey ive been enjoying ever since. I started out comepletely green and was totally welcomed into the fold....it was a nice feeling, to feel like you belong right away. I never would have thought id be racing for a sponsor just a few years later. Thanks again, and it would be great to see a race there again in the future.

Joe Iacovelli
Posts: 1089
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2002 2:00 am
Location: Bristol, CT

Post by Joe Iacovelli » Sat Mar 18, 2006 9:30 pm

Big thanks to Andy from me and Nick too. We've met some of our best friends at the Cardinal Puff picnic grove. I was telling the TX boys about it a couple of weeks ago. Wesley and Civ were the first guys I rode slalom with in 20 years.

I'd like to think the mantle of the Gathering has been picked up by the Farm series, the pump station clinics, in Co and in TX. It might not be as intensive as 2.5 days of love, but we are still fostering patient tutoring, set up advice, and good natured competition.

I agree with Andy that the Gatherings provided a foundation for the resurgence of slalom racing, certainly here on the East Coast, but farther afield too i think. We went back to our hometowns and started our own scenes. It's like the Moonies or some perverted pyramid scheme.

Perhaps we could have a one day race "mini-gathering"? Back it up against a Sunday Morning bank slalom race in Lansdowne. Nick and I would like to see you guys and I've got plenty of new kids to bring along.

Joe

John Dillon
Posts: 435
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2003 2:00 am

Thanks Andy!

Post by John Dillon » Sun Mar 19, 2006 1:12 am

I echo what lbk said about The Gathering. Andy, I remember the 1st one and trying out other people's boards while wearing velcro Vans shoes. I had a blast. You set the seed for slalom's rebirth and it has grown well. There are slalom events all over the place now and that's a great thing to see happening. As life evolves and some years we are able to be very active and other years we aren't as active, I, too, look to the future when I can be more active in the slalom community.....do look for more banked slalom events at Lansdowne this year! Peace!!

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