ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

I didn't get to run the course that was set-up after travelling almost out of the city to skate after a long day of work because, just as I get there and start skating up the street, some douchebag sprayed all our cones with his riced up mazda douche-coupe... THREE TIMES. Claiming the lives of 4 or 5 of Claude's cones I think. On the third round, we had picked up most of the cones, and I was walking up the hill, this car swerves into the oncoming lane (same car) and tries to run me down! as soon as he swerves back (I didn't move) I throw my board at his car hoping to truck f#@k his paint job (at that point I wasn't thinking of license plates) but unfortunately he was going a good click and I didn't hit him.

So we all go and grab a bite to eat at the local burger place, wondering if we should go to the police and if they would do anything about it. I'm a pretty mellow dude, and at this point I'm pretty much over the attempted vehicular manslaughter and just want to skate. Unfortunately almost everyone else (Dasha, Ramón, Eric and Elliot) are ready to call it quits except for Justin. Justin and I decide to mission out from the middle of nowhere, way north-east in Toronto, down Yonge St. to downtown. It was a wicked skate, until I hit a massive rock of salt at an intersection, ate it, and sent my board, (a Skurf that Rob had generously lent to me to get my wiggle on) straight into the intersection, watching in horror as a turning car slowly and painfully ran over it with both wheels, delamming the back end of the Skurf and bending the crap out of one of my axles on the brand new airflow that I had just procured 3 days earlier.

I'm not upset about the truck, (though I am about the board because it isn't mine and Rob lending his Skurf to me meant deal to me and I know he loves that board) just the whole night in general.

In the end though, me and Justin skated about 2 hours, pumping around talking and it was honestly some of the best skating I've done in ages.

Not sure if this is really the place to vent this, but there you are.

Claude if you read this, I'm sorry about your cones, I don't know what we could have done, some people are just epic assholes.

Oh, and I apologize for the run on sentences, I suppose it's the unintended bi-product of piss & vinegar.

Fruits of my labour:







- Z

There's a reason the 2nd Amendment is in our Constitution guaranteeing the freedom to bear arms.

I don't know who was in the Mazda but he should light a candle and say a prayer Keith Hollien or a couple of other skaters I know (not me, of course) weren't at the session.

Sorry, Zack.

That's hillarious Wesley, Justin and I were saying later on that night we wished Keith was there...

I should also say that the axle would have bent under the weight of the car regardless of any other circumstance and that Ramón was quick to help me out by piggybacking some axles on an order he had going through. In fact I'm suprised it wasn't bent way more.

Airflow gets a huge thumbs up from me!

Zack,

Have you removed the bent axle yet?

No I haven't, I'm a bit foggy about the proccess... something about getting a metric nut without a nylon lock, tightening it in and then using the torque to back out the axle. I'm just praying it backs out... yikes. In the meantime I'm going to put it to use coning my hotspots!

Well, removing those axles is not easy. When you grab a wrench and look at it you'l . . . wonder what the hell do I do next?

With my Splitfires I found the following works best:

1. Get TWO hex nuts with the same threading as the axle.
2. Get a lock washer.
3. put a nut on, washer then another nut.
4. Screw them together and squeeze the lock washer as tight as possible.
5. Unscrew the axle using a wrench on the "inside" nut and hope the outside nut binds tight enough so as not to move.
6. That should break the axle/housing junction and you can then screw out the axle.

Another way to do it since your axle is bent and thus ruined is to use a vice grip and tighten it into the metal to the point of getting some bite. Then unscrew.

I had a bad Split axle once (it was close to 9mm and no bearing would fit) and I screwed down a vice grip then used a table clamp to squeeze the vice grip into the axle. This was real afro engineering but was the only way I could get a grip on the axle. That did the trick.

Thanks Wesley! Now I just have to wait for that axle.. it's the first sun we've had in weeks and I'm itching to skate... I guess it just won't be slalom.

...or just bring the truck to me and I will do it for you. It couldn't be any easier

You should take advantage of that airflow customer service in town!

But well explained Wes....

rmn

Ramon,

You're still in Canada? I thought you were joining the Army?

Oh, wait. Now I see the connection . . .

Wesley Tucker wrote:There's a reason the 2nd Amendment is in our Constitution guaranteeing the freedom to bear arms.

I don't know who was in the Mazda but he should light a candle and say a prayer Keith Hollien or a couple of other skaters I know (not me, of course) weren't at the session.

Sorry, Zack.

Ummmm, yeah. Please, just once. POW!

Wesley Tucker wrote:Ramon,

You're still in Canada? I thought you were joining the Army?

Oh, wait. Now I see the connection . . .

That one made me giggle...

There's a nice road by my house, and I was thinking of distributing a "media package" to the residents explaining our plight, and asking if they would have a problem with us setting a course there during low traffic hours. Something like a cover letter, some video footage, and an explanation of why we can't use conventional "designated skate areas" i.e. skate parks to skate due to the demands of the sport as far as course, and space.

Anyone think it might have a chance? Most encounters (in fact all so far) with neighbours, have been positive. I always make a point to wave or say hello to anyone who gives a curious stare or looks even the slightest approachable, so I'm hopeful. Has anyone done something like this before, and would care to share some tips?

Wesley Tucker wrote:Ramon,

You're still in Canada? I thought you were joining the Army?

Oh, wait. Now I see the connection . . .

Yes, I am still with Claude, MB and Dasha.

No worries, I when I get off my army service (I'm not joining then, it's mandatory for every male Swiss citizen) I can take my rifle back home...a SIG-550...but acutually hope I won't need it since we're a peaceful country...

rmn