The need for a Global contest listing.

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John Gilmour
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Post by John Gilmour » Wed Apr 16, 2003 1:02 pm

Currently I have to check Ncdsa.com, Slalomskateboarder.com, fcrseries.com, the UK sites, and other various offshoots of personal websites to figure out the race schedule.

Has anyone compiled a complete list with contacts and travel info to share on this board?

I just know I should start booking tickets soon.

We really need a place with listings of all contests.

Jani Soderhall
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Post by Jani Soderhall » Wed Apr 16, 2003 3:19 pm

I was planning a contest calendar on this site, but on the "static" part, already a few months ago. However I was overworked and couldn't get around to it at that time.

Since then I'm not really sure how to do it any longer. I feel like you. I'm not sure I know all that is going on.

NCDSA Contest Calendar
I was also thinking that the Contest Calendar at NCDSA was quite accurate for the US contests, maybe it is not. It is is let it be the listing. However on the European side, it is all still unorganized with the lack or overall coordination. Leonhardt "Joe" has been quite active in emails trying to get all Europeans together, but little has been published here, with too few dates final.

What can we do now?
At this time I'm not sure how we should proceed. The first thing to do would be for each race organizer to publish their calendars and their events in their respective forums. Maybe labeled as [Calendar 2003] or [Announcement] similar to my posts in the European forum.

What's next?
Ideally we should provide a mixed contest calendar with all events, but I'm not sure how to coordinate this. All ideas are welcome.

/Jani

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Post by Leonardo Ojeda » Wed Apr 16, 2003 3:37 pm

A few years ago Chris Chaput used to have http://www.skaterelated.com in ther u coul dsee ALL the events month by month and those who had conflict between each other were highlighted to avoid any confussion.

i think that first we need to have one site so everyone can check ALL the events WORLDWIDE, and then when the organizers think really hard about the sport, can see if any event will conflict withthe one they organize

Leo

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Post by Adam Trahan » Wed Apr 16, 2003 6:01 pm

I think it is our responsibility to post ALL slalom skateboard contests due to our INTERNATIONAL scope. This is quite a difficult task though as we are making this site in our free time. It's all a donation.

The problem: Lack of information being submitted to http://www.slalomskateboarder.com This is compounded by organizers/racers not submitting dates and results to http://www.slalomskateboarder.com and by our "free time" donation of work here.

The solution: Actually do something about it.

#1. Drop the predjudice. http://www.slalomskateboarder.com is a non-commercial web site focused on slalom skateboarding that does not edit appropriate input. We are dedicated to promoting slalom skateboarding. Period. The faster we become a united force, more information and organization will follow.

#2. Contact race organizers and tell them why you like http://www.slalomskateboarder.com and the benefits (free) promotion of their race(s.) The site traffic reflects WAY more than 220+ registered users. Do you really think that is all that visits? I would be willing to bet that http://www.slalomskateboarder.com is the LARGEST by any statistic visited dedicated INTERNATIONAL skateboard racing web site on the internet.

#3. Know that you are a part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

http://www.slalomskateboarder.com is not going away. I believe that a "word of mouth" methodical approach combined with slow growth is a positive aspect of this site. We are less than a year old...

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Post by Joachim Leonhardt » Wed Apr 16, 2003 6:34 pm

Jani, you are right.

I want to have a SER-Series schedule for 2003, but too less races are confirmed yet.

As far as I understood the UKSSA (Chris Linford), they want to wait for a SER-Series - may be next year.

As I know we have the following European Races:

Paris, France: May or June
Grüningen, Switzerland: June (confirmed)
Brands Hatch, UK: ?
Eastbourne, UK: July (confirmed)
Berlin, Germany: August
Antibes near Nice, France: September (confirmed)

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Post by Leonardo Ojeda » Wed Apr 16, 2003 7:23 pm

LomasxtremE its confirmed on may 18th
a slalom, speedboard,slidestyle competition in Valencia, Venezuela

John Gilmour
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Post by John Gilmour » Sat Apr 19, 2003 1:34 am

Even potential dates and potential races in the "brewing process" are important for people to realize that a race may happen near them and give them appropriate time to practice and get ready to race.

Perhaps a section with a monthly listing could be set up and organizers could post tenative dates in the monthly listing area. So a thread for April, one for May, one for June and so on.

Once a date is confirmed it can get moved to a "Confirmed listing".

My hope is that events become "Annual events". This is ussually easier for the promoters since they have an idea of how to run a race and skaters know to look forward to a repeat of the race each year. But lets try and schedule them to make travel inexpensive and convenient.

My greatest hope is that some coordination is to occur about where the races are held so that some races occur nearby on sequential weekends.

I also hope the promoters take weather into account so that the racers aren't freezing, broiling, dying from humidity, getting blown away by winds, or hit with rain.

We can all look at the seasonal temps for our area and the likely rainfalls.

AS I have posted before it would be great to have Season openers and closers in the more southern climates and the events in the mid summer going on in the more northern cooler climes.

Certainly we would like to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Would anyone on the East coast be interested in a "proposed" schedule of race dates. Ie lets say it went roughly like this........

Available race dates for 2004.

Last week in April Miami
next week West Palm Beach 1.5 -2 hour drive(have the Florida events away from Hurricane season- and give Northerners wives and excuse to head for the sun)

Late May New York (not too hot yet- low rainfall)
Next week New Jersey Possible commute by train these two races would be ideal for those without cars or who do not want the added expense of a rent a car.(also since Paris is the same weather and latitude as NYC/NJ we could make this a possible3rd sequential race date. The plane flight from NYC or Newark is very cheap about $230.)

June
The Hamptons- I personally know we could host as many as 20 racers.

Early July Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts
Next week Nantucket Massachusetts $15-35 10 minute airline flight- ('Dem islands mon- sunny and light breezes).

August Maine or New Hampshire (coastal- only)
Next week Vermont???

September Da farm Connecticut
next week Boston 2.5 hour drive(all the College kids are back) Sunny weather clear skies.

late October
Washington DC
next week Virginia (folliage? -an attempt for us Northerners to stretch the summer/fall a little more)

In this way nearby racers would be able to host each other for each race. So you could have the NY skaters hosting the NJ skaters for a few days and then the NJ skaters host the NY skaters etc. Helping to keep the costs low.

Of course not all races need be back to back, but it would be nice to have some scheduled that way.

Notice I tried to incorporate Paris with the NYC trip. Certainly we could do a similar thing grouping the Boston or Connecticut dates with similar weather so a flight to Amersterdam or Germany could fit in with those dates.

If Europe was to schedule races in a similar conveniently geographical manner we could make changing competition continents nearly seamless.




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: John Gilmour on 2003-04-21 15:52 ]</font>

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Post by Guest » Sat Apr 19, 2003 1:51 am

John - I like your series. We DESPERATELY need a full blown series in the east. One that attacts euros and maybe californians (maybe, but who cares). The point is is that it needs to be and eastern series that takes eastern skaters to the next level without having to travel to california and deal with those style of courses (not that I have anything against it but there is ALOT more to slalom that fast grinding low tech GS courses). An east coast series could do this.

I'm not the one to organize it....I don't think John is either (conecpt guy). People in their local areas could organize races (GBJ/Brian P = DC, McCree/Scabs = FL, Tway/me/JG = NYC, TK/JG = boston/NH, wesley/Ricky = south east, Dave G = WV)....all could agree on a points structure and ruleset, proposed course styles for available hills and go nuts.

This is something slalom needs to grow (an alternative series to califonria) AND something eastern skaters need to raise the bar.....

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Post by Rick Stanziale » Sat Apr 19, 2003 2:15 am

I'm gonna take a page from Arab here.........ya'll are talking about it, but it already exists

Mississippi
St.Louis
West Virginia
Georgia
West Virginia

Announced, permitted, insured, timed and run by people who have already run races ('cept Goad and I got his back)

So come up with more text on the subject, and more excuses why you didn't show up at the next race.......

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Post by John Gilmour » Sat Apr 19, 2003 5:39 am

Rick that sounds like a midwest + Mid Atlantic series. We do need a coastal East COAST series.

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Post by Brian Morris » Sat Apr 19, 2003 5:50 am

Chris,

I'm already working something out for next year, a big *really* big event in North NJ. I still have to work some more stuff out with the town to get the permits, but I plan on having something large scale. Also, there is a few decent hills at my school that I'm working on closing to get a couple races during the summer. I know I'm kinda inexperienced in putting together races, but I think with my new locations, we can get everything from GS, GS-TS Hybrid, TS, and of course my favorite the Euro slalom.

Brian
On 2003-04-18 19:51, Chris Stepanek wrote:
John - I like your series. We DESPERATELY need a full blown series in the east. One that attacts euros and maybe californians (maybe, but who cares). The point is is that it needs to be and eastern series that takes eastern skaters to the next level without having to travel to california and deal with those style of courses (not that I have anything against it but there is ALOT more to slalom that fast grinding low tech GS courses). An east coast series could do this.

I'm not the one to organize it....I don't think John is either (conecpt guy). People in their local areas could organize races (GBJ/Brian P = DC, McCree/Scabs = FL, Tway/me/JG = NYC, TK/JG = boston/NH, wesley/Ricky = south east, Dave G = WV)....all could agree on a points structure and ruleset, proposed course styles for available hills and go nuts.

This is something slalom needs to grow (an alternative series to califonria) AND something eastern skaters need to raise the bar.....

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Post by Eric Groff » Sat Apr 19, 2003 8:25 am

UR wrote
". One that attacts euros and maybe californians (maybe, but who cares). The point is is that it needs to be and eastern series that takes eastern skaters to the next level without having to travel to california and deal with those style of courses (not that I have anything against it but there is ALOT more to slalom that fast grinding low tech GS courses). An east coast series could do this"

Young Chris-You will never get to the next level unless you compete with the next level. if you think you are gonna get to the next level racing open class bottom feeders like yourself, you got another thing coming.
had you been to the last 4 races on the west coast you probably would have been scared to run the courses, and if you did you would most likely have DQ'd from fear of speed.

There is more to slalom then east coast slow tech!

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Post by Rick Stanziale » Sat Apr 19, 2003 1:48 pm

East COAST series? I'm behind it 110%. So who's gonna step up and do the permit/insurance thing in D.C., Boston, NYC???

Please don't take my typewritten words the wrong way, these are meant to be words of ENCOURAGEMENT.

Dave Gale and Ricky Byrd have set the standard, let's grow this thing. When a true series evolves, I'll move the Georgia race to a location more convenient to the Atlanta airport (Athens is an hour from the airport - but a great venue none the less).








<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rick Stanziale on 2003-04-19 07:50 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rick Stanziale on 2003-04-19 08:00 ]</font>

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Post by Guest » Sat Apr 19, 2003 3:20 pm

*

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chris Stepanek on 2003-04-19 09:25 ]</font>

Wesley Tucker
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Post by Wesley Tucker » Sat Apr 19, 2003 5:23 pm

Getting back to the original intent of this thread, I do have a question about contest listings. Is it my imagination or did someone tell me that if you have a "pro" contest that involves cash prizes that NCDSA charges $100 to put up your contest on the calendar?

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Post by Rick Stanziale » Sat Apr 19, 2003 6:26 pm

Wesley, that is incorrect.

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Post by Wesley Tucker » Sat Apr 19, 2003 10:22 pm

On 2003-04-18 23:39, John Gilmour wrote:
Rick that sounds like a midwest + Mid Atlantic series. We do need a coastal East COAST series.
I think John is reading too much into this. I said this once before and was only half-joking: East Coast is anywhere I can drive to in one day. Whether it's Boston or Jackson makes no difference, it's still "east coast."

The "trouble" I see with a "real" east COAST series is terrain. Unfortunately, once you get south of DC, you have to go inland at least 150 miles to find a decent hill to skate. So unless John is actually talking about a "Northeast Coast" series to go up against a "Southeast USA" series, I really think we need to just agree that anything this side of the Mississippi River is "East Coast." That's a lot of land, but that's the breaks.

Another thing I would like to see is getting more "urban" with the racing. Taking it downtown, so to speak. Getting permits to race on a side street in Charlotte or Nashville in a valley of glass and concrete would be so much more advantageous than heading out into the country somewhere that's 20 miles from the nearest Holiday Inn (no jab at 'da Farm intended, but I think you know what I mean.)

Of course, I'm no idiot (despite rumors to the contrary.) I know that what I'm talking about can all be taken care of with just one thing: MONEY. Great big huge heaping gobs of cash would settle all our problems and we could all look forward to spectacular racing every weekend from Pascagoula to Providence.

In the meantime though, until that damned check gets here, I can still wax poetically about what I'd like to see in an East Coast race series: downtown streets, fast courses on good surfaces and destinations that have more reason for going there than just a few hours of racing on Saturday.

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Post by Eric Groff » Sun Apr 20, 2003 1:10 am

Wes wrote:
"In the meantime though, until that damned check gets here, I can still wax poetically about what I'd like to see in an East Coast race series: downtown streets, fast courses on good surfaces and destinations that have more reason for going there than just a few hours of racing on Saturday."

Wes we do that one weekend or more a month 12 months out of the year west of the Miss river, Maybe you should just move west?

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Post by Wesley Tucker » Sun Apr 20, 2003 2:11 am

No, you don't. You ride on mediocre surfaces in out of the way places on courses only Gary Cross could love.

Sorry, Arab. I've seen what West Coasters consider a "primo" race site. Avila Beach was good hill ruined by a lousy course in the middle of nowhere with the only spectators being a few passerbys and the racers' friends and families. Morro Bay was a decent course with a good crowd ruined by a sub-par surface on a very shallow hill. From what I understand everything came together well at Paso Robles. Unfortunately, it came together so far out in the wilderness that people are probably still driving to get home.

Hood River, La Costa, Catalina, JPL, WLAC and many other California race sites all have good things going for them. They also, based on reports, all have issues that make for less-than-optimum racing: La Costa and Catalina were held on hills away from the major metro areas, JPL and WLAC both need a serious face lift when it comes to asphalt and Hood River is in another small town. Even Golden Gate Park is off the beaten path when it comes to metro San Francisco. From what I read Breckenridge was a good race but in a small town with no real spectacular crowd draw. Even Gilmour's winning pants couldn't bring out a thronging mob!

Look at it this way, Eric: find a fabulous hill with a perfect surface that's located right smack dab in the middle of Century City or maybe downtown San Francisco. Then hold a slalom race with 10 or 15,000 people lining three city blocks to see all the action. I layed down three criteria, Eric:
1. downtown streets
2. fast courses on good surfaces
3. destinations that have more reason for going there than just a few hours of racing on Saturday.

Now answer me honestly: which race out west last year met all three of those criteria? And I'm sorry, Bud, I might be a hick from down home, but I really can't think of Hood River or Breckenridge as a "downtown" location.

Oh, about the invitation to live in California: thanks, but no thanks. I live where I want to live surrounded by the people I want to see and enjoy the lifestyle I want to pursue. I have no need to go looking for something better.

Besides, you can't see the 'Cocks play regularly if you're stuck in California!

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Post by Jack Smith » Sun Apr 20, 2003 2:59 am

All that from a guy who races in a bus station....just kidding.

Wes, you make a lot of good points. Now go make 'em happen.

Just because you stage a race in a metropolitian, downtown location there is no guarantee that you will draw large crowds.

Breckenridge had a great crowd. Was there a large crowd at the Red Bull Urban Waves event in NYC? I don't know.

In the near future I want to stage some races in larger cities, and have actually been doing some research along those lines. One thing I am finding out is that the bigger the city, the bigger the fees.

As you said in one of your posts, all it takes is money. I have been busting my ass to try and secure some large out of the industry sponsors. Sponsorship within the industry (slalom or skateboard) is very weak.
I actually had three companies and a team try to share the same vendor tent at the Bahne-Cadillac SlalomCross, seems none of them wanted to pony up the whopping $100 vendor fee (they wanted to split it four ways - $25 each ), which by the way went directly to the Paso Robles Spa and Hot Springs for use of the road.

I think you get the idea. Sorry for rambling.
Hope to see you soon.

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Post by Wesley Tucker » Sun Apr 20, 2003 3:23 am

Jack Smith said, "All that from a guy who races in a bus station....just kidding."

Hey, Jack, I did a head count that night at around 12:30 AM. We were still two hours from getting done. By my estimates of counting groups of 10 spectators, would you believe we had 300 drunks and half naked bar hopping women watching us skate? Not bad for an outlaw event thrown together under the worst of circumstances! And I can prove it wasn't all family and friends: the only locals were me, Tasos and Jimmy Burnham. Every other racer was from out of town and I think 66 was the only guy who brought family.

And the next day back on the beach, I would estimate we probably had 150 people watching Chaput do headstands on an Economy Longboard. All in all it was a decent crowd considering the adverse conditions.

As far as me "making it happen," I'd love to. What's more is I got a pretty good idea how to make it happen. Why don't I? Simple: right now I'm not motivated to do the organization thing.

Now, I know that sounds like a cop out. After all, I enjoy it when someone takes the plunge, why don't I get my feet wet and make a contest happen? Because as I said, right now I'm not motivated to make it happen (for reasons that go far beyond skateboarding that have nothing to do with this forum.)

So, a skeptic might ask, "who cares if you're motivated or not, do it anyway and make it happen!" That, my experience has taught me, is an ideal recipe for disaster. A promoter/organizer without the fire in his belly to make it happen will let "all the little things" slip by and then before you know it, all the big things fall apart. Next thing you know you have 50 racers coming in from out of town and everyone is pissed off because a half-assed race is perpetrating itself as an event and you've already paid your registration fee with no chance of a refund.

Not a formula for making slalom a better and greater sport, agreed?

I will someday do the deed and announce a race somewhere in South Carolina. Probably not in the Lowcountry, but maybe Columbia or Charlotte where there are real hills. I've done races before (earlier in the previous century) and I know what it takes.

Someday I'll do what it takes. Not now, though. And I feel a lot better not doing something half-assed as opposed to just "trying it to see what happens." That would be a weekend where no one would have any fun!


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wesley Tucker on 2003-04-19 21:24 ]</font>

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Post by Wesley Tucker » Sun Apr 20, 2003 4:13 am

Oh, one last thing on all this. Jack said that having a race in a big city metro area doesn't necessarily guarantee a big crowd. I agree.

Where I would add something, though, is how having races in big cities allows for more PUBLICITY and PROMOTION. And not necessarily the kind that costs money. Remember Paul and Dylan on the San Diego morning show promoting the Bob Turner Memorial? Didn't cost a dime, but only in a city with competing TV stations could you get that kind of promotion. Also, there are now at least two if not three "City Papers" in almost every major metro area. Those throw away things that cost nothing but every college kid and yuppie at happy hour reds while sitting at the bar? Free space for promoting a slalom race.

Big cities also provide numerous talk radio shows, sometimes sports-specific. Big cities usually offer college and university campuses. Big cities offer all kinds of ways to spread the word that cost little if no money, but of course take lots of time. (Again, the need for a MOTIVATED race organizer.)

So, Jack, I'll agree that a big city doesn't guarantee anything. But a big city provides a multitude of opportunities that you'll never find in a smaller venue. Sure, getting the street and the port-a-potty costs more. Then again, the opportunities for free advertising are as endless as your imagination allows. So I guess one cost could theoretically offset another?

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Post by Eric Groff » Sun Apr 20, 2003 5:27 am

WES
1. downtown streets:
What is the fascination with downtown streets? we are talking about 40 yr old balding fat guys racing skateboards, there is NO Market for that, Who in their right mind is gonna drop $100.000 to close a major metropolitan street for a weekend to watch old fat bald guys ride skateboards?, I'm in the entertainment business, Do you know what the labor cost alone would be to do an X-Games style event in a downtown area? Be glad we have people like FCR putting on Major Slalom races with the best racers in the world at some pretty cool sites.

2. fast courses on good surfaces:
You should have been at Elsinore, actually I dont think you could have made the hill at 30-35+mph parallel stance, How fast was it, Ask John Oshei, Dave Hegstrom and Bill Wahl, Ask the Florida guys? and the surface was brand spanking new.
3. destinations that have more reason for going there than just a few hours of racing on Saturday:
Elsinore again, thats Lake Elsinore with plenty of fishing and water sking, home of So Cal Moto-X, the race was at a public park that had clean facilitys and a Skatepark to boot, There was also about 10 other skateparks within 15 minutes any direction, including the new Upland Park designed by Salba.
Hood River- well its on a river, it is home to the largest contingent of parasailers in the US, along with plenty of boating, fishing, hiking, biking etc etc etc.
Catalina-Who cares that it is one of the coolest places to vacation in America on an Island in the Pacific, it was Catalina and we were racing there again 25 yrs later.
La Costa-The Holy Grail of Slalom skateboarding, you should only feel so lucky that you can step foot on these hollowed grounds let alone race there.
Tahoe-One of the most beutiful and busiest tourest destinations year round in America.
San Francisco-The city by the bay, Home of the Greatful Dead Kennedys. with more things to do then you can find time to do in a years time.
Morro Bay/Avila-Racing skateboards overlooking the Pacific Ocean, as far as the course on Sunday, talk to the East Coaster that set it. As far as saturdays course, you couldnt have gone any faster paralelel down that hill, so what are you complaining about.

WES it aint about the location, its about the racing, Elsinore had the best surface and the highest speeds to date, it is so far from a metropolitan area but who cares!!!! as long as we are racing, and that Venue/hill/surface was the best we have seen to date.

I could care less about location, what does location have to do with racing?

and as far as Paso Robles goes, it was Location Location Location, you could not have asked for a better venue, it was absolutely amazing. Go back a week on NCDSA and read the quotes from the people that raced there.

How many FCR events have you participated in?

I have competed in every race but 1 over the last 2 years, Jack,Don,John along with Steven King, Fluit, Hester, Skoldberg, Eric Lee and several others have givin us racing like never before. it is as big as it ever was. you can sit on the sidelines and criticize all you want, this aint about "Slow Tech" flat east coast racing.

This is the real deal!

If you think you can do better and draw the big names, then I'll be there, but at this point I aint no cherry picken sand bagger, and I wont waste my money to race against some yahoo bottom feeders.

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Post by Wesley Tucker » Sun Apr 20, 2003 9:51 am

So in so many words, not one race last year or this year had all three of my criteria. Sure, one race here had something good about it, one race there had something else, but not one that you mentioned had it all. Which of course is exactly what I said in the first place.

And one other thing, Eric: who gives a damn how many FCR events anyone anywhere has attended? What does that have to do with finding fast courses on good surfaces at a downtown location in a city that has great potential for having a good time?

If you don't want to race downtown and want to go out in the country, that's your business. Have at it. Don't forget, though, this all started when you said I could find what I wanted at least once a month by moving to California. Your own response shows that all I could find is a little something here and a little something else somewhere else now and then.

By the way, one last thing: maybe you're a balding fat guy no one wants to watch, but I happen to be a thin guy with all my hair who complete strangers compliment for his style and attack on a course. Could I have made the course at Elsinore? Beats me. Could I have made the course at Paso Robles? No doubt. Hell, Brewington did it. That means I could do it not only do it well, but competitively.

Besides, both races were push starts. I would have wailed on those hills!

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Post by Eric Groff » Mon Apr 21, 2003 3:28 am

"So in so many words, not one race last year or this year had all three of my criteria"

Your criteria!, who races for your criteria?, People will come up with all kinds of excuses not to race, I guess this criteria is your excuse not to have to race.

Some people use the "My Doctor said so" excuse, Some use the "Well hopefully business will get better and I can afford to race next year", then of course there is the standerd "My dog ate my slalom board" excuse, But the "My Criteria" thing takes the cake.

Cool, while you sit behind your computor screen reading the lastest results and checking out the pictures of the top racers in the world charging the fastest hills in the world with a 7 out of 10 surface 2.3 miles from a major metropolitan city, you can criticize the slalom events that are going on around the world, we wont have to worry about you taking up good practice and race time from those that want to race.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ARAB on 2003-04-20 21:29 ]</font>

Wesley Tucker
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Post by Wesley Tucker » Mon Apr 21, 2003 3:48 am

Yeah, my criteria. What I want to see in a race. What you said happens once a month in California but you were completely incapable of illustrating with any semblence of lucidity.

Eric, you argue like a woman. Since you are completely incapable of saying, "I was wrong," you just try and change the subject by saying I was wrong for saying it in the first place.

Fortunately, I recognize petulance and poor logic with no difficulty. Since you have nothing to say that really addresses what I'm talking about, there's nothing more to say.

Maybe you should spend some time hanging out at the beauty parlor? There's probably some hens down there who would recognize your tactics and appreciate your inability to remain coherent.

Eric Groff
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Post by Eric Groff » Mon Apr 21, 2003 5:45 am

Wes-We race monthly in the West, I thought thats what you wanted to do, But no..... you want me to do your hair nails and make-up so you look good, it aint about lookin good pal, its about racin, you can make up any excuse you want to not race, we will race anytime anywhere anyone, unlike yourself!!!.

Be sure to introduce yourself when you show up to my beuty parlor, I'll be happy to give you some race tips, not that you would need them since you dont race.

Eric Groff
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Post by Eric Groff » Mon Apr 21, 2003 5:48 am

What does WES, Brady and Dave G have in Common?

Excuses not to race!

How pathetic!!

Wesley Tucker
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Post by Wesley Tucker » Mon Apr 21, 2003 3:10 pm

And, of course, what started as a conversation about preferable slalom venues degenerates into Eric Groff just making a pathetic attempt to belittle me. Why? Because he didn't like my suggestions. Not that I said anything negative about California, not because I criticized any race promoters, just because I said things he finds disagreeable.

"What does WES, Brady and Dave G have in Common?
Excuses not to race!"

Once again Eric shows not only his judgemental attitude, but his ignorance. In 2002 I travelled over 13,000 miles (6,000 by air) to attend seven different races in seven different states, including California. At what point in that process have I made an excuse not to race? 2003 is still early and there's no telling where I'll be going this year to ride. Probably back to New York, maybe over to Georgia, up to Maryland once or twice and perhaps to Pennsylvania if Tway gets the Lake race together? Doesn't sound like a lot of excuses in that list.

So I made the statement I'd like to see some downtown racing on a good street with a fast course in some big cities and Eric decides I don't want to race.

Would someone, besides Eric, who is incapable of maintaining any sense of reason to his posts, explain to me at what point I said I don't want to race or don't like the races that are promoted?

"What do Eric and Saddam Hussein have in common?
Both are full of bluster, illogical rheoteric and neither have any victories to back up their judgemental attitudes. Oh, and neither of them are really Arabs."

Adam Trahan
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Post by Adam Trahan » Mon Apr 21, 2003 7:32 pm

There are two problems here, the important one to consider is a Gobal Contest Calendar.

The other problem is letting someone get you off topic.

Be a part of the solution, and the problem(s) will be minimized.

I am currently working on solutions to both problems.

John Gilmour
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Post by John Gilmour » Mon Apr 21, 2003 10:13 pm

I'm not 40 yet, I'm balding- last time I checked, and I'm not fat anymore.

People do stop to watch me race...even if I'm skating ALONE.

Wesley...
Reasonably speaking other than San Francisco-Californians don't walk. They drive everywhere...even to the end of their short driveways to check the mail (that being told to me by more than one source- Chris Chaput was one).

California cities don't have TRUE centers like most major cities. for instance Chicago, NYC, Detroit, DC, Hartford, Providence, Boston, Baltimore etc... all have true centers.

LA for instance is a huge spread out grid. Your only chance in California is to stage an event during ASR.

However the cost of throwing a race in an Urban center on good asphalt and a good hill should be about the same as throwing a contest in the middle of nowhere. Today is the Boston Marathon. 26+ miles of roadway are closed for the Marathon which lasts for over 7 hours. EVER ROAD ADJACENT TO THE MARATHON is closed to traffic. And to be sure there are spectators watching- lots of them- TV crews walking about, we would be noticed.

You don't need a permit to close a road that is already closed.

But lets keep this to talking about getting a complete contest listing...

I'll start two other threads. 2004 East Coast series and the steps requied to put on a successful race.

Gary Fluitt
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Post by Gary Fluitt » Wed Apr 23, 2003 10:28 pm

It's not as hard to throw a race as you might think. I had no clue what I was doing last year when I stepped up in front of the Breckenridge Chamber and spewed about how great slalom is.

You've got to be persistent, and organized. You've got to produce documents like "Road Management Plans" and "Residential Street Closure Warnings", and insurance permits naming everyone and their brother. It's not rocket science, it's just a lot of leg work. I will make all of my stuff available to anyone who wants it., just let me know.

On the subject of Venues - I love the big races, La Costa, Morro Bay, Breck...but lets not forget the importance of the little races. The little $25 local race that gets some kid stoked who then runs out and buys a Bahne and some wheels.
We can't have a ton of big money races without a lot of little regional races producing next generation racers. No doubt there is some kid in Breckenridge right now that's a junior ski racer, big quads, fast hips, and no fear, and if we get that kid on a slalom board and he learns to pump, no telling, he could be the next Bobby Piercy. Hell, he's probably Piercy's prodginy from what I've heard about that guy. We just have to give these kids a chance to race, and maybe not on our courses, just something for them. And we do this by providing regional races. lots of them. The $150 entry fee races are not the answer to grow the sport. Those races are great for us old farts, and for TV, but not dramatically increasing the racing population. I doubt if our FCR races this year have grown by more than 10%.
The answer is the little Rec center races that Jack use to put on all over central california in the 70's. That's exactly how Paul Dunn and I and bunch of other guys got turned on to slalom. I still have my little trophy from the 78' Surf n' Wear contest (where I beat Paul by the way).

That's all I want to say. Throw a lot of little races. The Grass Roots thing is very cool, let's keep that going. I think a consortium of regional organizations could get cheap insurance. We're forming a corporation in Colorado to become a 501(c) just for that reason. Barker is on a mission. We're going to grwo a really healthy little scene here in Colorado, and then we're going to come to your town and take all your tropies....

Eric Groff
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Post by Eric Groff » Tue Apr 29, 2003 5:19 am

"What do Eric and Saddam Hussein have in common?
Both are full of bluster, illogical rheoteric and neither have any victories to back up their judgemental attitudes. Oh, and neither of them are really Eric Groffs."

WES-I won more races before you even stepped on a skateboard then you will win in your whole life! If you ever find a hill that meets your criteria for racing(good luck) I'll race you switch foot for $100.00 , I hope you will come out of your excused retirement to race me.

John Gilmour
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Post by John Gilmour » Tue Apr 29, 2003 8:04 pm

And to make it fair- Wesley will also have to ride switch ..............parallel.

Henry Julier
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Post by Henry Julier » Tue Apr 29, 2003 8:36 pm

That would mean Wesley would be riding...

Wow I am slow.
what coast?

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Post by Troy Smart » Wed Apr 30, 2003 4:23 am

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Troy Smart on 2003-04-29 22:30 ]</font>

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