ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

Hurricane Emily is bringing lots of rain at times, each time a feeder band goes by. We are two hours away before it makes landfall, which is 12 midnight Texas time. Looks like Mexico will take the brunt of the hit. Drove home this evening rom work, 17 miles to my home. The wind was blowing about 50 mph at times. My town seems like a ghost town. C-Fav Brandon and I would dig hanging with you on Friday. I have to find out what time we check into the Hotel. Later Bros Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws.

Women....
The wifee is hedging on making the trip, which means that if i can switch to a room with 2 beds and room for a cot, i might have space for a person or two......the room is 275.00 for the weekend, so the math is easy...

Anybody out there still looking for a place to stay?

I thought it already had started.

CFav - Paypal sent me a message about an unclaimed 40 bucks to you - did you get it yet???

brandon,i need to go to paypal.been busy,will work it out.cf

Will have my cell phone on Friday # 1-956-793-7888. C-Fav we will buzz you when we pull into to town. Eddy Texas Outlaws.

Clifton has left J-Town and is trying to make STL by bed time. He plans on being in Chicago by noon tomorrow. The rest of us leave at 6:50am tomorrow and will hit O'Hare around 10:30am.

Can't wait!

Hey CFav....do you prefer paypal or cash on hand?

I hope Cash is ok cause thats what I'm bringing.

Next stop Chi town, Lido laid the money down and let it roll.

Leaving in the AM and into Chi town around noon. SIght seeing with the wife and daughter and maybe check out the hill late in the afternoon after we check into the hotel.

See you all there.

Rinaldi called me on his way down...bumper to bumper construction on I-94 westbound all around Jackson. Take a different route it you can thru Michigan. Either 75 to Toledo and west on 70/80 or 69 south thru Marshal to 70/80...not sure how 94 is west of Jackson, but it took Steve about 4 hours to get to the Michigan state border........that's almost twice as long as normal

I take 69 to Marshall anyway's leaving here in about an hour.

dudes,cash is cool as i am having trouble with paypal.if you paid with paypal,no worries as i will eventually get it straightened out.when racers hit towm,call my cell 773 793 3219 so i can capture your numbers and have them for communication.cf

CF,

I'm in......Been crazy round here....I'll call you later when I get the cell from my honeybunch...

Chris Favero and Chris Novatny
Thank you for your efforts in putting on an awesome race...

Leave it to the Freak bros. to take some crap from city officials and make it smell like a rose...i.e. catered lunch, BBQ, beverages, a beautiful view of Lake Michigan and an excellent hybrid course set by Thee Byrddog himself...( I maybe a bit biased on the last point Then cap it all off with some Iacovellian
moments on the streets of downtown Chicago and you have one killer weekend
Topped with a lemon of course........

There were some great showings by some newbies, Chris from Milwaukee (1st time racing) improved on every run and Ben Buckles is throwing the arms and getting that rear wheel rip...ahh,the magic sound of speed also, full props to Sarah Byrd for taking on the start ramps and cleaning the course numerous times...watch out big brother!!!

Alan, thanks for the deck, it goes great with my new purple shoes....

Later, Tod

A huge thanks goes out to Chris and Chris for running this race, I had a great time and so did Chris Barret my travelling partner. The first night there Chris and I got in to town but couldnt find Joe I and Eddy right away so we took our park decks and ripped the city streets and crowded sidewalks for hours. When we finnaly hooked up with the crew C-fav tooko us for a little tour by skate in the evening. Thanks for that, we both really dug it!. Saturday started interestingly with the bus not showing for over an hour....bastards!. Anyway we hit the race site and all was well after that. Ricky Byrd set a very nice fair hybrid that you needed to pump the hell out of. There was NO catching Tod on that course, his raw times we insane. I really liked the course and It suited my style and I managed a second place(yes I know it said third but im 90% sure I was just a hair ahead of Harms and about 2 tenths behind Oles.) I dont care if I was wrong but I think Harms knows too, and I was very very suprised that I beat him, but happy too, he has been a target for me for a couple years.

The second race was a 40 someodd cone course set 6 foot straight. The racers were bracketed based on the times from the first race. The elimination rounds were awesome, Some favorite runs were against Chris Bara( we talked the whole way down the hill) and Goad in the consi round for 3rd( yes Goad, all 3 runs were fun). Also racing head to head with harms, he go me but 4 tenths in the firts run and we were a dead heat in the second. All in all a GREAT race, I had so much fun watching everyone progress throughout the day. Keep your eyes peeled for Chris Barret as time goes by, this guy is gonna be fast before long.

The drive home sucked but thanks Joe and Brandon that helped the ride a lot!.

Peace out from the canukastanis!

Mike Civ:

Agreed, weekend could not have gone any better. Special thanks to Joe I and the Texas Outlaws!!!!

Thanks to the Freak Bros for putting on a great time. Thanks also to Stillboardin.com for putting up some goodies for us. I had a blast, Oles, Civ, and Harms ripped it. Thanks to Greg Faddel for shotting film and Bara for cone heading. Special thanks to the Lou Daggers for putting up with me. See ya next year!

Arrived alive last night around 10:00. Uneventful trip home. Was kind of fun, though, looking at the digital thermometer in the car telling me the outside temp was 102 in Tennessee. Glad we missed that completely Saturday.

Chicago is totally hip. I enjoyed every minute of my stay. I especially liked the part where CNOVA announced the bracketing and I was 15th and Eddy was 17th. That'll l'arn 'ya to start jabberin' online!

I completed my Blues Brothers 25th Anniversary tour and checked out Wrigley Field and The Mayor Richard J. Daley Plaza on Sunday. Got in to see the U-505 and was surprised to learn that last year they had moved it inside. I'm usually pretty good about knowing that kind of stuff. I skated down to the Field Museum Sunday morning and was hanging out on the steps cooling off and asked someone, "Hey, is the Science and Industry museum on the other side of Soldier Field? " They answered, "yeah, WAY on the other side. You're at 12th Street. It's at 57th." Well, I knew then I probably wouldn't be skating down to the Sci-Industry museum.

Did I mention the food? Every night I made it a point to try something different. Friday it was an English pub for some kind of chicken and Irish potato cake thing. Great. Saturday it was over to Exchequers for Chicago Deep Dish pizza. OK, but it didn't cause me to send a telegram announcing the greatest thing I had ever ate. I guess nothing can ever live up to the hype. Finally, an old friend of mine who lives in Bryn Mawr and I hit a little German place Sunday, Lachet's Inn. God, it was incredible! Warsteiner on tap, Sauerbraten so tender you almost had to eat it with a spoon and red cabbage sauerkraut that was as close to perfect as I've ever tasted. The locale is the perfect little neighborhood Hofbrauhaus where everybody knows your name. We got there at 6:00 and didn't leave til midnight. As Patrick said, "You know, we gotta be pretty hard core to eat this kind of German fare in this heat!" Perfect end to a perfect weekend.

I don't know how many of you will be farmin', but if you're there I'll see 'ya in two weeks. Then there's the Worlds', then West Virginia, then North Carolina . . .

To both the Chris's, way to overcome and persevere. Y'all did it jam up and I'm sure next year the crowd will be twice the size.

Oh, one last thing. I have to say I absolutely loved Chicago. It could be a completely fabulous place to live, work and play. My whole time there, though, I just kept repeating one word over and over: "FEBRUARY." Then my feet came back to earth and I would look forward to getting home.

No Jibber Jabbering here Wes ya ole wiley veteran. Hats off to you mi Amigo. Next time I will push start as well. That would even the playing field. There will be other races and we shall meet again O B oneKenobi. It was great, no it was awesome to be racing again. The Doc said after my knee sugery on May 8th that I would never be able to skate again. But there I was. It was a blast to see you and the rest of my extended family again. STOKED as allways Eddy Texas Outlaws.

Thanx again C-Fav and C-Nova for a killer race and a killer time! I'll be back. Mr. Joe "Kook"avelli, always a pleasure to skate with you. 2 Texans, 2 Canadians, and some guy from CT in one room....total blast. Check the microwave.

BTW - whoever took my new copy of Juice...you are a KOOK.

Texas Outlaws 4 Life!!!!

Just wanted to say thanks to the Freak Bros for putting together a fun weekend. This was really a Grass Roots race. Chris and Chris, thanks for your hard work.
It was good sittin down to talk with Clifton and Ricky,
Texas Outlaws...always good to see you again...Brandon, glad i had the chance to meet ya this time..
BenB, you're looking better already
The new guys too.....not one of you gave up.....kept going to the last cone and that's good to see.
Canadians making the long ride down ...
and Daggers everywhere....always a good time with you St Louigians....
Chiggy Chiggy Chainsaw gave Tod a bit of a scare there, hey?
Jon, i would have liked to get a better shot of you in the TS, but by the time my shutter clicked, you were always already out of the frame.
Tod...how you stay so under the radar is beyond me...
Joe I, your a trip, Wes T, always good to see ya..
And all the young guns...you're so determined it's impressive
All ages from kids to us old men. From being bumped around by the city to working around the weather, there were plenty of reasons why it could have bombed, but with the attitudes and the brother(sister)hood at the race, you just knew it'd all work out.

I'll tell ya what...you want a good image of brotherhood?....check this picture...THAT's what grass roots is all about...



(that's my best picture of the day)


and thanks again to Greg for never bitchin' about the worlds smallest hotel room...and always fun to ride with my fellow Detroiters too

Chicago's friggin awesome....sights and sounds....if you were there you know what i mean...


Another shot ....of the best damn photog in the biz..... next season Fadell will be back on the hill with a vengeance instead of behind the lense....cant wait to see the photobook for this year






And here's a link to Stillboardin Scotts video of Chicago....very cool vid Scott

http://www.stillboardin.com/video/chitown2005A.wmv

heres our (mine and civ's) combined pics of the trip

http://lsv.stylesunknown.com/directive0 ... icago.html

Chris and Civ,

Thanks for posting the pics.... Great to meet you two! say hi to Rob for me...

Scott Ward, Excellent vid, Thanks for taking the time to capture the festivities! Tod

Tod - you don't need them to say "hi", I am here.

Looks like you are continually getting faster - I spoke to Civ and he says that you and Harms are getting scary fast.

Thanks for giving Civ the check - greatly appreciated.

Hopefully, we will have a chance to race again this summer.

Keep working hard and say "hi" to the family for me.

All the best,

Rob

Rob,

I'll tell you the travels that check has taken sometime....Jeezus, I'm basically pretty stupid
to sum it up....Sorry for the delay.

Mr. Cividino is one hell of a racer!! and a very pleasant person to spend race day
with.......uhh, till he starts beating me anyway and I'm afraid that day's not to far off...
He definitely has technique to die for and to watch him I can't quite figure out how my times were faster???????

I'm starting to see some merit in a Masters Class.....hehe

Tod:

As one older guy to another - Masters is looking really good, especially when you see the skills and dedication of the younger riders.

I am already trying to Geritol to sponser me in the future.

All the best,

Rob

Without a doubt- SARAH BYRD ROCKS!!! RKR+Daggers, that's the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

Congrats on a race that seems to have gone off without a hitch- I really regret not being able to make it. Looks like I missed out big time.

Rob,

Thought it was Viagra?

CFAV & CNOVA

Had a blast. You guys are the best.

Matt Gandy

You are my hero.

Eddy

Nice rebound from surgery.

TOles & MOles,

Had fun hanging out with you guys. Watch out for the security guy with the purple clip board.

Joe

Hey TO....ta hell with these these 20 somethins...... i'm putting my cane down, gonna practice harder than ever, get a rhythm in my arms and gonna whoop some primetime ass next race.....

heh heh heh

think i'm kiddin?

Chicago was a blast. Toles and Moles a pleasure to meet you both. C-Fav and C-Nova great job and that because you had to deal with a thunderstorm lurking in the backgroud. Joe I riding that Exate around the 8 th floor of the Embassy Suites was AWESOME. Riding in the back of Cliftons pickup truck while it was raining was interesting. Eating cheessBurgers at Billy Goats Tavern was too much. KCR Bros you dudes are good people. RKR Crew I can feel the love. Daggers you bros allways make me smile. Canadians get some Visine will ya. WT this is the most attention you and I have ever gotten. Look forward to a rematch with you. Love you man. Sidlo where are you. Who stole Brandon JUICE Magazine?. And Brandon do not call Joe A KOOK Again. Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws.

CB,

It's all about counter rotation... I try to think about it like your snuffing a cigarette butt out with
the middle of the under side of your deck....if that makes sense?? I got tons of similes and metaphors....

Eddy, and the rest of the Tejas crew... you guys are all so tan

Eddy,

I really apologize about that sliding board remark.

You're probably more of a swing-set kind of guy?

Chris Bara: I like that- "gonna put my cane down..."!

Joe:

Don't need the Viagra yet - that is about the only thing that is able to stand up in the morning - it is the rest of the body I am worried about.

See you next weekend

Rob

I probably am a swing set guy, but I have to bring my game to a different level. The years are taking their toll on this body. But I do not plan to be a class C rider forever. I will practice hard. Being the guy with the slalom stoke is great, but having a game face is also good. Until we meet again I will see you bros on the start ramps, mano a mano. Just like to racers should. No Bullshit!!!! In Texas we have a saying " Shut the F3xk up and skate". And do not send me any emails that I am picking on anyone. Because I love this sport of ours more than some of you. A couple of years ago a dude signed the wrong scorecard at the Masters Golf tournament, he lost because of that. I guessed they had to follow the rules. He was in disbelief that he lost the Masters, but he knew that he had committed an infraction of the rules. He stepped up and lived with it the rest of his life.

More photo documentation:


A well mannered mob behind the start ramps...


The "Swag Master", Mr. Scott Ward, owner of stillboardin .com


Master of ceremonies, Chris Favero



I've been doing some training as of late testing some new setups.......

This one may need a little more rear steer dialed in



Later, Tod

I've found my next helmet. Watch for the fake football helmet at the next race!!!!