Smart, Troy - USA [RIP]
Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2012 6:22 pm
I am creating this racer profile for one of my best friends and a truly humble yet determined racer Troy Smart. Troy isn't the self agrandising type so sometimes you just have to do these things for your friend.
I'm going to start off this thread by telling you I met Troy in 2002, he had started slalom skateboarding in the Hamptons and he loved it. I have coached many people in slalom skateboarding and most have been cautious, progressing slowly and surely as I tell people to do to avoid injury. Troy is made of tougher stuff and embodies the 1970's skateboarder notion of "Go for It!" I have never seen anything like it in my 40 years of racing. His knees were TOTALLY shot even beofre he started racing- but it never seems to slow him down.
When teaching I always set a course that is appropriate for the ability levels present. I also set another course that scares myself to push myself (if it scares me...it might terrify a beginner) . Troy took this to heart. In all my decades of teaching slalom, running slalom courses serving thousands of people, no one has ever gone for it like Troy. A humble, respectful, helpful man, who in his first year of slalom built the best ramps the East Coast has ever seen, not because he wanted them (as Troy knows I think slalom should not be ramp based and he liked push starts like I did) but because other slalomers that welcomed him wanted them. He toiled over these ramps- for weeks and they are like fine furniture- "SMART RAMPS" , he is the most selfless guy I ever have ever met- someone I am truly proud to call my best friend.
I would help coach Troy- and then help him get over race day anxiety that all racers face- I only regret not being there when he won races to see him shine- he worked hard at it...often skating alone in the cold....just waiting for races to be with his friends.
Here is an excerpt from NCDSA. He did not post much- but this made me understand how much Troy appreciates his friends, please post Videos of his races and your interaction on this thread. Korky if you can post race results that would be great. This is a page just to be posted about his contributions to slalom as a racer- a sport he loves the most.
I knew Troy only for a few weeks when he wrote this- I had just returned back to Boston from the Hamptons when he posted this.
On 8/26/2002 Troy wrote in from 24.185.xxx.xxx:
I love slalom!!
From my introduction to the sport at "The Gathering II", to my first race at "DA FARM"!
Having John Gilmour live 5 minutes away! Noah and UR 13 close enough to make the trip a couple of times.
How much better could it get? I'm one lucky Knucklehead! (if I can call myself that. Is there dues involved? Where do I get my T-Shirt?)
I gotta say something here though.
A couple of guys said to me at The Farm that It must be nice having Gilmour live so close and skateing with him.
Well, yes and no.
Yes, it's good in that he's a great teacher and all but....
The place where we skate here has basically two hills. One is not so steep and the other is. (Shady lane falls somewhere in between them).
JG likes the steep hill and sets these tight, meandering, fast, flesh eating, but puckering, totally unmakeable (except by him), courses from HELL!!
"If you can make this, you can make anything" he says.
The problem is, I can't. But I gotta try because after all, he's only here for the summer. So I do, and I go down hard, and I get up and do it again.
So then I decide to show up early for a session and set the course myself on the not so steep hill. John pulls up and I say "Course is already set John, let's skate this for a while". He says, "thats great but I'll set one over on the steep hill too". "Yea....ok (mumbling under my breath) you f$%king a**hole.
So I skate his course, butt fully puckered, scared out of my mind, praying that I don't slam like I know I'm going to.
Then I go down hard. Get up and do it again.
Its not "Camp Gilmour", it's "Boot Camp Gilmour".
I have developed ulcers anticipating the next session.
I have constant road rash.
When the phone rings I wince.
This is what its like living 5 minutes from John Gilmour.
But you know what?? Bring it on!! Because if the day ever comes when I can go into one of JG's steep hill courses hot, and come out hotter is the day you all better watch out!!! (note that I said "if").
Thanks John.
I wanted to thank you at "The Farm" but was too wrapped up in trying not to screw up and chasing my kids around.
By the way, not much mention of JG's blistering runs at Da Farm. More than a second faster than anyone else!
While I'm in the thanking mode: Thanks TK and Tway for putting on a great race. Thanks Noah for going out of your way to always say some encouraging words (we should all do this). And thanks to everyone I've ever met in slalom. It's rare to have a great sport filled with such great people.
I hope I did'nt go over the top and ramble on too much.
Had a three martini lunch.:}
That was the summer I won the 2002 Longboard World Championships and Troy was the only guy I trained with... getting me out there running cones. I owe a lot to Troy, I wouldn't have won it without him.
I still wouldn't reccommend Troy's strategy- to ANYONE- even though it made him the fastest progressing slalom skater I have ever seen. I know I couldn't endure the slams he took- and believe me those were some pretty spectacular twisted slalm sliding road rash falls- with more determination spilled on the course than even blood--and there was blood...my empty first aid kit in my Mercedes is proof. He would be ripping through a course well beyond anything that would be set at a pro or world championship race...and somewhere in there...a few cones from the end- at top speed- something might go horribly wrong- and he'd go down. AND THEN he'd get up- bleeding. And walk up and go for it again- even harder. He's not wreckless- in fact extremely level headed- pure determination. I think a part of his determination was to catch up to his new found pack of best friends- with guys, friendship is best when you are all on the same level.
I'll never forget the look I had on my face when he made one of those super fast ultra tech courses I set... and if you think my expression of seeing him make one of my personal courses (which I rarely see anyone make)...you should have seen his face- better than any Olympic athlete moment.
That's why I love skating with Troy.
I'm going to start off this thread by telling you I met Troy in 2002, he had started slalom skateboarding in the Hamptons and he loved it. I have coached many people in slalom skateboarding and most have been cautious, progressing slowly and surely as I tell people to do to avoid injury. Troy is made of tougher stuff and embodies the 1970's skateboarder notion of "Go for It!" I have never seen anything like it in my 40 years of racing. His knees were TOTALLY shot even beofre he started racing- but it never seems to slow him down.
When teaching I always set a course that is appropriate for the ability levels present. I also set another course that scares myself to push myself (if it scares me...it might terrify a beginner) . Troy took this to heart. In all my decades of teaching slalom, running slalom courses serving thousands of people, no one has ever gone for it like Troy. A humble, respectful, helpful man, who in his first year of slalom built the best ramps the East Coast has ever seen, not because he wanted them (as Troy knows I think slalom should not be ramp based and he liked push starts like I did) but because other slalomers that welcomed him wanted them. He toiled over these ramps- for weeks and they are like fine furniture- "SMART RAMPS" , he is the most selfless guy I ever have ever met- someone I am truly proud to call my best friend.
I would help coach Troy- and then help him get over race day anxiety that all racers face- I only regret not being there when he won races to see him shine- he worked hard at it...often skating alone in the cold....just waiting for races to be with his friends.
Here is an excerpt from NCDSA. He did not post much- but this made me understand how much Troy appreciates his friends, please post Videos of his races and your interaction on this thread. Korky if you can post race results that would be great. This is a page just to be posted about his contributions to slalom as a racer- a sport he loves the most.
I knew Troy only for a few weeks when he wrote this- I had just returned back to Boston from the Hamptons when he posted this.
On 8/26/2002 Troy wrote in from 24.185.xxx.xxx:
I love slalom!!
From my introduction to the sport at "The Gathering II", to my first race at "DA FARM"!
Having John Gilmour live 5 minutes away! Noah and UR 13 close enough to make the trip a couple of times.
How much better could it get? I'm one lucky Knucklehead! (if I can call myself that. Is there dues involved? Where do I get my T-Shirt?)
I gotta say something here though.
A couple of guys said to me at The Farm that It must be nice having Gilmour live so close and skateing with him.
Well, yes and no.
Yes, it's good in that he's a great teacher and all but....
The place where we skate here has basically two hills. One is not so steep and the other is. (Shady lane falls somewhere in between them).
JG likes the steep hill and sets these tight, meandering, fast, flesh eating, but puckering, totally unmakeable (except by him), courses from HELL!!
"If you can make this, you can make anything" he says.
The problem is, I can't. But I gotta try because after all, he's only here for the summer. So I do, and I go down hard, and I get up and do it again.
So then I decide to show up early for a session and set the course myself on the not so steep hill. John pulls up and I say "Course is already set John, let's skate this for a while". He says, "thats great but I'll set one over on the steep hill too". "Yea....ok (mumbling under my breath) you f$%king a**hole.
So I skate his course, butt fully puckered, scared out of my mind, praying that I don't slam like I know I'm going to.
Then I go down hard. Get up and do it again.
Its not "Camp Gilmour", it's "Boot Camp Gilmour".
I have developed ulcers anticipating the next session.
I have constant road rash.
When the phone rings I wince.
This is what its like living 5 minutes from John Gilmour.
But you know what?? Bring it on!! Because if the day ever comes when I can go into one of JG's steep hill courses hot, and come out hotter is the day you all better watch out!!! (note that I said "if").
Thanks John.
I wanted to thank you at "The Farm" but was too wrapped up in trying not to screw up and chasing my kids around.
By the way, not much mention of JG's blistering runs at Da Farm. More than a second faster than anyone else!
While I'm in the thanking mode: Thanks TK and Tway for putting on a great race. Thanks Noah for going out of your way to always say some encouraging words (we should all do this). And thanks to everyone I've ever met in slalom. It's rare to have a great sport filled with such great people.
I hope I did'nt go over the top and ramble on too much.
Had a three martini lunch.:}
That was the summer I won the 2002 Longboard World Championships and Troy was the only guy I trained with... getting me out there running cones. I owe a lot to Troy, I wouldn't have won it without him.
I still wouldn't reccommend Troy's strategy- to ANYONE- even though it made him the fastest progressing slalom skater I have ever seen. I know I couldn't endure the slams he took- and believe me those were some pretty spectacular twisted slalm sliding road rash falls- with more determination spilled on the course than even blood--and there was blood...my empty first aid kit in my Mercedes is proof. He would be ripping through a course well beyond anything that would be set at a pro or world championship race...and somewhere in there...a few cones from the end- at top speed- something might go horribly wrong- and he'd go down. AND THEN he'd get up- bleeding. And walk up and go for it again- even harder. He's not wreckless- in fact extremely level headed- pure determination. I think a part of his determination was to catch up to his new found pack of best friends- with guys, friendship is best when you are all on the same level.
I'll never forget the look I had on my face when he made one of those super fast ultra tech courses I set... and if you think my expression of seeing him make one of my personal courses (which I rarely see anyone make)...you should have seen his face- better than any Olympic athlete moment.
That's why I love skating with Troy.