ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

Please post your comments on this virtual slalom course challenge.

Since this is competeing...albeit remotely...names that come to mind.

In my backyard slalom challenge
Neighborhood slalom challenge
No travel required slalom race

All of those are pretty weak.

But I think there should be a name that truly describes the fact that we are all competeing on our home turf on identical courses.

John, I dis agree. I think since the competition is Internet based, the name should reflect that. I like the way things look as it stands but this is not for me to decide.

In the spirit of who did what. I think Neil should have the honor of making name.

Please remember, I am not the final word on this and it is open to discussion. Vlad, Gareth? What do you all have to say?

what about InterNETional Slalom race?



_________________
love to ride, ride to live, live to love
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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Leonardo Ojeda on 2003-02-28 14:05 ]</font>

Nice 1, Leo.

I don't particularily care if I get naming rights or not. The only name I can come up with other than others already suggested is Standard Solo Slalom (SSS). Solo slalom competition, according to a set of standard courses. No net required.

Neil, I like your name actually. It is a "standard" so to speak that one can performance measure against. I am going to let this ride a bit an see what sort of interest it gets. Gareth and Michael Dong have set up a course and have said they will post, Vlad has some interest and well, let's see how this plays out.

Neil, I like your name, I like the metric measurement and the INTERNATIONAL aspect. I am not sure what you mean by a "net" not required, as we are a "network" of slalom enthusiasts here and there...

I am ready to finalize, are you guys?

On 2003-03-03 11:27, Neil Gendzwill wrote:
I don't particularily care if I get naming rights or not. The only name I can come up with other than others already suggested is Standard Solo Slalom (SSS). Solo slalom competition, according to a set of standard courses. No net required.

By "no net" I meant that this sort of competition is not restricted to isolated people posting times on a website. It could also be used for competition where people are grouped together, similar to what Andy did with the Gathering last year. If you set some standard courses, then people can practice the hell out of them at home, and then when they get together run the same courses. When you're together in the same spot all the variances in the home setups are out of the picture as you're competing on the exact same surface, pitch etc. Yet having the standard courses would enable people to get in good practice before the real event. So I see SSS as dual-purpose - one is to allow people to compete virtually, the other is to provide a framework for in-person competition.

Hey, how did I magically become a moderator?

I'm not sure the SSS is the best name for this challenge. The best slalom team on the planet uses SSS. Out of respect I'd say let that be theirs.

But I do have an idea for a logo for this challenge. How about cones flying between two computer screens like that file download image that you see when downloading files. Or you could get more detailed and have little cones between the two screens and have a little slalomer skate through them from screen to screen. Just a thought.

Tag, you are it Neil. It's no big deal, if you don't want me to do this to you, just say "uncle" and I will remove you. I can't think of a better person to do this since it is your fault (idea)

I like SSS. Personally, I think that the SSS here would definately be complimentary and if those guys have a problem with it, they better speak up for themselves and they better do it quickly.

Anyway, will give it a while before we finalize the forum, the "rules" and will see if Neil G calls uncle.

Best Regards,

adam

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rene Carrasco on 2003-03-11 05:07 ]</font>

This is not a problem Rene. Although I believe it is a good name, I will concure with the two of you.

Respect that is earned is good.

Respect that is demanded is not.

Best to you all.

adam

OK, how about ISS then - International/internet solo slalom?

...or ISSA

Internet Slalom Skateboard Association

Well, something like that.



It is starting to catalyze...

Ups isn´t ISSA already taken too?

A parody on SSS and ISSA and the "Virtual Slalom Course"

Perhaps the best thing to do is to take a look at the forum name and it's description and see if we can leave it like that.

There was a couple of people who expressed interest in posting the times from last weekend and this has not come to fruition as of yet.

I will put together the rules and finalize the announcement in a few days.

Why not vote for the possible names?

Here's another idea.

You could look at all the courses documented for this purpose as a sort of "template slalom courses".

So when you want to run some slalom you set your course according to one of the existing templates.

You run it, take the time and voilà!
You just did some "Template slalom".

S.S.I.C.= stander slalom internet course?

Hey Adam,
Where can I get the details on the cone placement ect.ect.

I've always enjoyed how slalom is so organic and site specific. It's hardly a discipline that needs be reigned in by artificial constraints. Lay down your tape measures, close your eyes and take the first step beyond........

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rick Stanziale on 2003-03-25 06:48 ]</font>

Gentlemen,

We need to have a "set of rules" in which to run this "virtual course."

May I ask again what the course measurements are?

I am requesting them to be submitted in the METRIC system. Post your course measurements on this thread and we will decide collectively.

Once I receive measurements, then we will proceed to vote if necessary.

What I have marked at Manassas Vans Park in addition to the US GS 25X6 ft current version is the following:


1-meter long start push box. Only one foot is required to be anywhere in the push box. Board can be anywhere behind the start line. Timer starts at crossing the start line.

5 meters to the first cone. Unlimited push.

1.7 meters between the cones

30 cones.

Middle of the last cone is the finish line.

This course is only a couple of feet longer then the existing format.

I have made a 1.7 m stick at home and the course marking took less then 15 minutes.


Advantages over the 25X6:

• Truly international format
• Tighter cone spaces will call for TS board set ups, GS on flat is a torture
• More cones, virtually same course length.
• No need to pump to the finish line after the last cone.
• More space to push into the course.

Vlad.

Vlad, one question:

the distance of 1,7 mts (5,1 feets i belive) its measured from:
a) Top of cones
b) base of cones
c) spots on the road


leo

Cone - Cone

Middle-Middle

Cones- no more then 14 cm in diameter. Or is it no less then? I forgot!

Vlad, what about using same as for the 100 cone rules version 1.2.

100 cone rules ver 1.2
-------------------------------------------
1. 100 straight "full sized" cones, timed from the middle of first cone to the middle of the last cone.
2. Cone penalty 0.1 sek for each "cone hit".

- "Full sized" = Minimum base diameter 5" (12,7 cm) and minimum hight 8" (20,32 cm).
- "Cone hit" = Fallen cone or outside base circle.
-------------------------------------------

Hans, 0.1 second penalty is a good rule. Point one second will kill only the top slalomers (fastest slalomers in this particular discipline to be exact and overly-politically correct), which in their case will equal to disqualification. Most people will benefit from the rule and be encouraged to continue even it they hit a cone or two. Or three.

Timing from the first to the last cone is also no problemo.

I’d take any format. It’s up to Adam Tee to finalize the rules on his site (evil smile). If the Evil Adam bans me here, I want you to know - I cared. (sarcastic evil smile)


I have marked this course at out local Vans park, have ordered a $225 Roe board to help me beat the current Cyber Slalom record and start posting times in the TS Virtual slalom, then - KABOOM!- 13 employees are fired from the park, there is new management and new rules along with it. Slalomers are no longer welcome at (by) the park. Liability issues, you see. We were using a strip of concrete outside the park, and the park doesn’t want to take any responsibility if we get hurt or hurt someone there. I don’t know how long it will take for me and others in DC to find a good flat spot for Virtual Fun. I think a series of 5 or 6 tennis courts are needed. So far, I only found 2 and 3.

Vlad.

Please supply the directions for the 100 cone virtual course and I will put it in the rules.

I think this is a good idea to include the 100 cone course.

Thanks for your help.

Ok, turner cones fall on this category?

now i have to mark all my cones at the middle.

good

leo

I just put down the virtual slalom course used in "the other" forum. I tried my best (even though it was on wet asphalt) but my best times ended up around 11 sec. My self confidence got broken in pieces. The best guys had times well under 9 sec. I was just about to quit slalom skating.

But luckily before I put my Turner in the trash can I went for a last look in this cyber slalom section to see if anyone else had got the same problem. No one had, but I started to get a clue of what I did wrong and maybe I'm not the only one. I understood that you was only aloud to put down your foot inside the start box. Since it is quite small this means you only get one push. And with one push you gotto have some mighty strong legs or a motorboard to get near those best times.

But what I have seen in some posts here I understand that you might be aloud to push up to the first cone. Please tell me this is so!

And by the way. Why not use the same course and rules as in the "other forum"? Then we automatically solve the problem of people who can't participate if they are banned in the "other forum" and vice versa.

Let's fight for the right for everybody to cyber slalom!

Corky,

Push to the first cone (and little beyond). Enter on the toeside, so you could push in deeper. It's usually 3 good pushes....that decide the outcome of this Cyber torture.

Let's do the KKK Cyber and a new Cyber this year. Like 36 at 1.7 or something. 1.5?


PS. 9.2s is possible with one push.
PPS. Where are Luca and Matsukevich?

That's better. With 2 pushes I shaved off a second to around 10 sec. With 3 pushes I shave off another second to about 9 sec. But I have a hard time getting 3 good pushes in.

It's true as you say that it is very much how good a pusher you are that decides the outcome. I think it would be better to decide 2 or 3 pushes in the rules. Or why not as many pushes as you want. Either way you turn it it still becomes more of a pusher competition than a pump competition. A startramp would have been better but not very practical though.

9.2 sec with 1 push! :eek: It was slightly downhill wasn't it?

I agree it would have been interesting to see what Luca and someone like Matsukevich would have managed in this course.

It also says in the rules that if it's not flat you should run it in the two directions and get the average time.

I think this is a good idea in general even though you have flat surface. I noticed this last time that the wind is as much a factor as a possible slightly downhill slope.

But it does get much harder because you have to nail TWO very good runs. One in each direction.

Anatoly is 46 years old. If Ridoli makes a come back I think this discipline will be his. But I don't know what shape he's in right now.

Luca's is a high-end skater. Using his set-up as it is will get him nowhere. Wider trucks are faster on this course. His are almost Mid-Track width. Going with 130 mm isn't as silly as it seems. I did 8.3 on 127mm trucks no problem.

Corky, we need to come up with a Euro version of this thing. 36 at 1.7m (1.6, 1.5?) or something...Timed at the first and the last cone. 5 meter push-in from a 1 meter box. Or something.

There are usually 2 or 3 extra good attempts out of 15-20 that you have during one session.

The best attempts are usually sequential. So, skating in 2 directions on 2 "hot" runs is not as hard as it seems. The difference would be in hundreds, not tens. We're talking physiology here, as it is a MAX performance exercise. So most people will be very close in the number of "hot" runs, approach, strategy, ect.

Sure, I'm all for a Euro version. But I'm not a tight freak so I would go for 1.80m. But why not have have multiple versions. 6 foot, 1.80m, 1.70m, 1.60m. Then people can choose the distance that matches best their skill and board setup. 1m box and 5 meter to first cone would be great. Than I could probbaly fit in those 3 good pushes, hehehe.

It would be great if we could handle times and result lists with the php forum software. Jani starts to get a hang of it. Let's see what he thinks.

What's in a name? Plenty. I don't think of any course that I set on asphalt or concrete as "virtual", "cyber", "internet". It's real. We're only going to run in it one country at a time and so I don't think of it as being an "international" course. What is the general/majority makeup of the members of this website? If there are more people with access to yard-sticks than meter-sticks then don't use meters.

Vlad, 6 foot is a good spacing for both beginners and experts. There aren't that many TS specific boards in existence. An extra 14.8" in the start is no big whoop. More cones isn't necessarily better - it's just more. You can put the last cone on the finish line of any course, but if you do, certain timing systems will have issues with it.

What I see happening is that this is perhaps the first of many courses that SlalomSkateboarder.com posters will create and run. It doesn't need to be a single "here-all end-all" type of course. It just needs to be decent, easy to set, easy to remember and easy to time.

In the past I had been a card-carrying member of M.I.C.E. (Make It Complicated, Einstein). More recently I have adopted the K.I.S.S. philosophy (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

Since this is course would be the first, I'd just call it "Course One" or "Course 1". The acronym could be "SSC1" for Simple Slalom Course #1 or Slalom Skateboarder Course #1 or Short Slalom Course #1...

We used to run the course two different ways. One from the start box and one with an unlimited push. Then a couple of guys suggested that the unlimited push version was "dumb" and/or "pointless" and it was pulled.

Once a course is set and there is a timing system in place, why not run it both ways? Those who don't care about one style or the other don't have to run it that way.

I liked both.

Well, no serious Cyber Slalom has been happening here since it’s been banned by the Vans park management early this year. But the new management might allow us to skate there again.

More cones (I feel) will make it a different exercise as the outcome with 25 cones is decided in the first five cones.

The only reason for more cones and 1.7 m. was to get more Europeans to do it, but it seems that 40-cones at 1.8 m is a hit at Riders.net. I don’t know the rules as their standings/discussions are only posted in French.

Unlimited push version would be interesting too. Gilmour will be happy I’m sure. :extra wide smilie:

Vlad,
Let Me know if you'd like me to help lobby the people at Vans.

I know I'd go more often if I could Cyber SL (or whatever )

Q

I think Jeff is at the regional manager level in his negotiations.

Please help if you can.

Vlad,
Which Jeff (we have so many)?

I started a thread/petition in the DC forum, go "sign" it.

viewtopic.php?t=1423

Q

OK here's my pocket change re the naming.....

Flatland Slalom
Flatline Slalom
Solo Slalom
Self Propelled Slalom
Zero Incline
Runway Slalom
Push & Pump
Leveline

No copyright exists and you have full permission to use without paying royalties!