Cone Spacing Question

[Cole Dano]

A small group of us started slalom skating last fall. We have all been skating one way or another for a long time before that though. I am totally shocked at how hard it is for me to get the feeling of timing the cones. Pumping is OK with no cones, but once there is a cone in front of me speed cuts in half and a shower of spraying cones ensues.

I'm sure its a matter of practice. What i'm wondering now is what are 'typical' cone spacings?

I'm running a Kebbek Pierre Gravel TS. Rts in front and a Kaliber (like Airflow) in back. We seem to always go for 6 foot spacing here.

Is this tight tight, medium tight or so easy you can all do it blindfolded tight?

[Michael Stride]

Cole, a good rule of thumb is to do 6 pigeon steps( putting your shoe down, then another footsted butting to that) between the edge of the cones in a straight line.

This willgive you a reasonablespacing that you should be able to make.

We recently helped someone enormouselyby getting her to place the cones where she was comfortable. After she made the runs on her course we moved the conesin by 30cms. Until she did it again. Then we did it again.

Onceyou are confident at a spacing of about 1m80, the experiment by offsetting. Move the cones out by a cone width initially. Or f you move them out by more, lengthen the cones didtance a small amount too.

6 foot is what I would call medium. Some may call that tight. Remeber it is easier for someone who can do tight to do mediun/hybrid and giant than for the other way round. it doesnt sound like your too faroff.

BTW that front truck should be an 'X'not the 'S' stable?In any case replace the bushings with white Khiros.

[Pat Chewning]

Cole,

I suggest that you might try looking several cones ahead of where you are turning. Looking directly at the cone you are steering around can cause problems. You need to be looking several cones ahead -- like maybe 4 cones or so (even more as you go faster).

That might help a bit.

-- Pat

[Cole Dano]

Thanks, we had a session yesterday and after our resident slalom machine gave me some advice i finally got the feeling for how to turn and the cone spray went from every other to just one or two. Your right Mike its an X in front, it was a typo.

Just out of curiosity, what is the tightest spacing people run or is there one?

[Marcos Soulsby-Monroy]

Cole Dano Posted: 02 Jun 2007 20:19 Post subject:

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Thanks, we had a session yesterday and after our resident slalom machine gave me some advice i finally got the feeling for how to turn and the cone spray went from every other to just one or two. Your right Mike its an X in front, it was a typo.

Just out of curiosity, what is the tightest spacing people run or is there one?

The tightest I will personally run is 5 feet and usually only on a cyber type set up (25 cones straight on the flats) But at the Texas Sizzler the tight tech course set had several cone less than 5 feet and at a pretty good grade. But most people I know run 6 feet or wider.

[Eric Brammer]

Cole, It's good to work on several spacing 'styles' so that , first, you don't get bored, and second, you've got a handle on how to attack different courses. Everyone sets up a little different (even in Cyber slalom), but the 'tight' definition has usually been under 2-1/2 meters. Not many actually use cones spaced tighter than 5 ft. in competition, but I've seen it, and if you're not ready, it'll suprise you just how tight that is. So, I'd say you're doing well if you're putting 4-12 cones down within a practice course that make you squeak in just under 6 ft. apart, but be careful of the entry speed, and don't make offset that're too wide while going 'tight'.

Speaking off offsets, they're a great means of 'speed control' mid-course, or a nice means to gain a pumping rythym on flatter or top sections. They're not so good if just tossed in on a pitch to 'shake things up' (so they'll do That certainly), as on steeps, they can lead to bad slides if they're too far outside of the fall-line. My 'rule of foot' for creating makable offsets is for every foot to one side, there should be 3-4 feet of downhill spacing. So, cones at 6 ft. downhill from another shouldn't be offset by more than 1-1/2 feet or so. If you use this rule for Chincanes or 'lane changes', add a few extra feet to the 'downhill' part of the equation. You can judge this for yourself, and tarmac traction/speed vary from place-to-place, so take this as my experience. You may be able take on bigger offsets if you've got a nice surface to play on.

Steepness dosen't affect things as much as one might first think, as once you start darting thru cones, your speed is going to stabilize with your ability level. Just beware that on steeper pitches, you can end up with a 'defensive' technique that scrubs speed as needed. The opposite is true with riding on flatter terrain, where you'll end up generating speed with your pumps. Best thing to do, is mix it up if you can. Pick 2-3 hills with differing pitches, just to get the hang off pumping to generate speed, scrub speed, and use both tactics on race day as needed.

If you're lucky enough to have a hill with changes in the pitch, use that feature to create 'zones' along the hill that work different skills. [Hint; No straight/tight lines on steeps; and no huge offsets on the flats]. A feature like a Gilmourian Curve is a great thing to put in where the slope is changing. Offsets put in just after the hill steepens will help contain speed. Lane-Change or Chicanes are nice where you have a little speed built-up, but are coming into a flatter area. Straight-line cones placed on a diagonal are good for working pumps on flatter sections. Mild, consistent Offsets, in rythym, are nice on moderate-to-flat pitches too, and can let you get the 'deep-end' of your pumps figured out.

In marking a good, steadily-sessioned skatespot, use water-soluable "sidewalk" chalk for temporary courses, as that'll be less offensive than regular blackboard chalk. If you've got a favorite course-set, and/or want to be able to 'speed-set' a course without pacing it out every time, go with a Flat, Dark-ish (greens,browns,blues do well) spraypaint to make 'center' dots (not circles! You want these to be unobtrusive to casual passers-by) that discretely mark where your cones will go. This can speed set-up times greatly, but beware that if on Public Land or in an 'outlaw' zone, this permanent marking can be detrimental if it offends the powers-that-be. A great marking tool, btw, is two short sticks with small brads protruding at one end, tethered together by string that's a good 8-9 ft. long, but marked light/dark in segments every other foot. Stick one rod into the tar, tap with your board to 'set' it, unfurl the string a # of feet, mark the next cone spot. Best used with a buddy-system, so you can leapfrog past one another while setting up.

[Hans Koraeus]

Have a look under the "Gates" section. For example in this topic you have a cone distance diagram that is quite interesting...

http://www.slalomskateboarder.com/phpBB ... .php?t=469