ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

Ramón Königshausen wrote:As we all know, the Special and Straight Slalom will take place in the flat. So please set up a course that is not too loose (I'd suggest 1.60m for STR Pros to be a guiding measurement).

I'm looking forward to skate in front of a big crowd and of what I've heard from the organizer is that there will be an infrastructre like there has never been one before....


rmn

Martin Drayton wrote:Ramon, shouldn't we get ISSA to suggest cone spacings or have the organisers Jani, Jean Sébastien (PSWC) and Pierre Samray (Antibes) make the decision? I still haven't heard full reports but there was talk of LOTS of cone spraying in the TS at Hannover.
1.6 meter = 5.249ft , did you want that centre to centre? Does't that seem a little extreme?
I'm sure a lot of the Pros practice tight spacings, myself included, but in the heat of competition in front of what sounds like a big crowd, we are going to get double figure cone counts. Personally I don't think that is much of a spectacle, watching people pick up little plastic cones all evening for a mostly non-skating public who I'm sure are more impressed by fast clean runs....as, lets face it, are most of us.
I would suggest 1.8m as a more reasonable distance that would demonstrate speed, precision and power. I counted 2 clean runs in the Pro qualifying at Paris from the PDF's, and 6 for the whole event (2 of them yours ) with a 1.8m spacing on a slope!
Is there any need to go this tight? What will it prove, with current equipment we could all buy GOGs/Rads and re-drill at 16-17" and do it....If its the general concensus, then fine...but lets just find out if it is first.
By the way, congrats on your results at Paris and Hannover....the young bloods are coming!

Vincent Berruchon wrote:I totally agree with you Martin, a few guys talk and lobby for what they like but organizers should be careful and not follow everything coming from a few in the forums.

Concerning Paris, our course committee noticed that 1m80 straight slalom = a lot of cones down. Perhaps we could do it again at 1m80 but we won't go less.
In Hanover, they follow and set tight at 1m80, but with a much longer slalom and not straight (and between sewer plates) and we could see some DQs because of cones (DQ limit set at 12 cones, I don't know which rules applies there) and some cones carnages.

Patrick Allan wrote:I also agree with Martin and Vinzzz... but then again, maybe I should practice a little more...

Ramón Königshausen wrote:
Who made it clean? - I assume it's those racers who practised well. Let's take Manuel Schaub as an example. He is 41st in Corky's current 4-year Pro Ranking (25th in PK's Ranking) If you go and look up his cone counts all over any race, he will probably be one of the racers who hits very few cones. -
How come?
He's been practicing. He's been running 1.50 straight on a flat surface. He's been running tough special slaloms.

Do you expect to come to a race and do well without practising?

No Ramon I do not and practise as much as my lifestyle will allow, but at 19 years of age I'll bet Manuel doesn't have to juggle with jobs, children, wives and possibly full-time employment as do the majority of the Pro level racers. Also are you saying that EVERYONE EXCEPT the 4 racers who ran clean is not training?

Ramón Königshausen wrote:Now I'm trying to answer your question: "Is there any need to go this tight? What will it prove, with current equipment we could all buy GOGs/Rads and re-drill at 16-17" and do it."

It is not a question of going tighter and tighter, but it's rather to have the level back on the top like it was ages ago. Have a look at this video for example. It shows Luca Giammarco and Daniel Ridoli racing on a slope. Cone spacing was 1.75cm. One cone was hit. The equipment was way behind what we have nowadays. But still you can win on that equipment what Luca well demonstrated last weekend. I couldn't win even though I had high tech gear on my skateboard....btw. my wheelbase is more than 17"

It's in the racers themselves and in their technique which you acquire by practising. And we can be glad too that there exists gear like GOG/Rads/Airflow trucks that ought to make it more comfortable to get through a course.

When interviewed at that period, Luca advocated riding your board EVERY day as he did, clearly this helps to be totally familiar with your equipment, but is it possible for everyone? Those guys WERE the young Guns of the era...single, mostly students etc. Oh, didn't Ridoli show at the 1st or 2nd year at Gruningen and couldn't make the course? I may be wrong, my memory isn't what it used to be...
Luca was riding at that level a very longtime ago and is a superb athlete with great muscle memory, and if I am right is NOT riding on his old equipment ut an Indiana deck (modern), 3DM wheels (modern-like you do) and Bennetts (?)-one of the turniest trucks ever built and currently being raced on again all over the world!

Ramón Königshausen wrote:Now, please don't come up and excuse yourselves like you wouldn't have the skill or motivation to practise. When I saw my rather bad result in Brixlegg's GS last year (I got something like 15th or so...) I went out and practised. I changed my style, learned how to dose the force on the wide cone spacings, and now I feel how it goes better. I feel much more consistant on longer GS courses...

I'm sure you are all eager to improve your technique and do better in tight slalom

.

You have commendably made big improvements and have the right approach to stay at the top long after old dinosaurs like myself are long gone. I saw my results at my 1st Pro race last year and am trying too to make improvements. I have skated everytime that I can since then, but that is not that many and I'm sure a lot less than you.
My point Ramon is that I'm sure that I am not alone in this. Furthermore is the current level of skill, commitment, eagerness present in most of the racers to improve? Yes, I'm sure it is. But is the opportunity there to do it? I can only speak for myself and the experience of the skaters that I ride with when I say no.
In most other sports the title Professional is usually reserved for those who ONLY do that sport and nothing else. Until that is the case with Slalom Skateboarding or it becomes the reserve of only those who have a vast amount of time to train (more likely as younger skaters improve and dominate completely) we are not at that point.

Ramón Königshausen wrote:Summing up:
1.80m in the flat is pure power. Pumping is the keyword. You wouldn't need a proper technique to win here.

If the course is technical and a well set offset course, not straight, then a proper techique is essential to win.

Ramón Königshausen wrote:1.50m in the flat is for skilled racers with a clean technique and mental strengh (concentration). Headless rushing through won't be possible.

Or by those who could choose a very short wheelbase and rush through "headless". Martin Sweeney used to do 4ft (4 feet = 1.219 2 meter) on an inverted 25" G&S Steve Cathey rocker inverted, it made it easy and fast.

I don't want to get ito a long to-and-fro with you Ramon, I don't want to keep you from your training either and I hear my 2 year old daughter getting up from her nap and I have to look after her.
Why don't we let the Organisers decide? See you in Grenoble, hopefully the noise of my bones creaking as I skate will be drowned out by the sound of my hitting cones....

Okay, good. I'll remain with what I've said. My one and only point is actually, since we are no real professionals and do not have to stick to a strict training programme, that I mostly practise what I like to practise. And for sure that's not Straight 1.80 on a flat surface. If I had to do that, I'd quit slalom skateboaring.

moaning and groaning, nolens volens accepting.

rmn

PS: Sorry, I have to be honest: I can understand, but I cannot agree. This demotivates me.

We agree to disagree, but just so you know, I don't ever do 1.8m straight on flat either, ask the guys I skate with! I don't practise straight courses with the little time that I have unless they are 5ft (5 feet = 1.524 meter).
Its hard Ramon, but I think you have to wait a little before there are more people at your level before we can raise the bar....just my personal opinion.
Stay motivated, you are obviously destined for great things, see you in Grenoble....however tight the cones are....