Slalom Racing: The Encinitas Open PDF Print E-mail
Written by Silverfish
Monday, 28 August 2006
The grand-daddy of all skateboard racing events is coming back to Southern California, on September 15th, 16th, and 17th. It's the 2006 La Costa Open, now renamed to recognize the new host city: the 2006 Encinitas Open Slalom Skateboard Race! Continuing the longest traditional race format in skateboarding, this event is for everyone: occasional slalom enthusiasts, stoked but casual racers, skilled, hungry and aggressive amateurs and the fastest professional racers in the sport. There are classifications for everyone, facilities for spectators, a cranking sponsor/vendor area and a set of race courses descending Saxony Road toward the beautiful Batiquitos Lagoon on the shores of the Pacific.
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The event is brought to us by La Costa Boys Racing, is sanctioned by the ASSA and is a "Main Event" for points. The race will be held on Saxony Road in Encinitas, CA, just south of La Costa Blvd. The race is open to all competitors, with several divisions: Open (A, B, and C-time permiting), Womens, Junior Boys and Girls (17 and under), Boys and Girls (12 and under), Novice Women, and Legends (50 and over). It's an international field for the upper divisions and the filed will be full of current & former National & World Champions: skaters from as far as the Czech Republic are registered, the leading Canadian slalom competitors will be skating... racers including Mike Maysey, Lynn Kramer, Jason Mitchell, Attila Aszodi, Richy Carrasco & Chris Yandall will be competing with Chris Barker, Kieth Hollien, Greg Fadell, Steven King, Tiger Williams, Trisha Erickson and Evan St. Clair. The best skaters in the world will be on the streets of North Encinitas !
It's an open field for the highest amateur classes down to the levels where we mere enthusiasts race, too: from old rippers like Cliff Coleman & the Carrasco brothers and stoked juniors like Robbie Lyons and Russ & Marie Weber, to everyone that's ever skated in a Silverfish/La Costa Boys slalom clinic, the racing will be fun, organized and awesome! Expect to see the Downhill Divas skate club on the slope, not to mention the contingent of IGSA speedboarders and lugers that have locked onto the stoke and skills that La Costa Boys Racing brings to events.
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This is a Giant Slalom (GS) and Tight Slalom (TS) event weekend. Friday, will be the Pump Station Outlaw, Saturday the Encinitas Open GS and Sunday the Encinitas Open TS. All qualifying will be on the day of each event.
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Racers will be grouped into A, B, and C divisions (probably 24 per division) for head to head races on Saturday and Sunday starting at 8am.
Friday the 15th will be the Pump Station Outlaw GS. Bring your bail money and your instincts to charge this famous hill, through one of Tiger Williams' challenging courses. Since this is an outlaw, special rules apply so that we don't ruin this location for all time, and we're skating during the "work week": the "pump station" at the bottom of the hill has employees in it. If you've been there before, you know what we mean, but please read the directions at the very bottom of this article.
Noon to 2:30pm: Half0Course GS for "C" Open, Women, Legends and Kids. Best of two runs. Practice at Noon, Racing starts at 1:00pm
2:30-6:30pm: Open GS, from the top. Best single run, with as many rounds as we can get in from 3:30 to 6:30pm
7:30 to ?? Poway Skate Park. It's open til 9 or 10pm. Helmets are Mandatory.
Saturday the 16th will be the dual-lane Giant Slalom. Racers will reach speeds up to 30mph and the course will be set so that anyone can clean it but so that the best in the world can absolutely rip it! Expect to see the speed, competition and gonzo-abandon that have marked the famous La Costa Boys Pump Station GS races, but with an even larger field. The run-out at the bottom of the race course is long and flat, by the way.
The Schedule for Saturday and Sunday is identical:
7am to 8am: Setup
8am to 8:30: Womens Novice and Kids classes: two timed runs.
8:30am to 10:00: Warm-ups
!0:00am to 11:30: Qualifying, Jrs., Legends, Women, Open
11:30 to Noon: Jrs. & Women, round of eight to final
Noon to 1:15: "B" class, round of 32 (placings 25-56)
1:15pm to 1:45: Legends class
2:00pm to 3:00: "A" class, round of 24
3:00pm to 4:00: "C" class, round of 32 or time allowing
4:30pm: Mandatory Clear Course and Site Cleanup
5:00pm: Site Permit expires.
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Sunday the 17th will be dual-lane Tight Slalom. With closely-spaced cones, "offsets" and direction changes, this racing is brutal, fast and photogenic. The pros will rip through this course at speeds that can be measured in terms of "cones per second" and yet stoked amateurs will be able to hunker down, get loose and clean the course, also. Don't be fooled, though: it's hard, skillful skating. Practice, practice, practice!
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Racing Classes and Fees:
OPEN CLASS: A, B, C and Women $100.00 (Women may register in any class)
JUNIORS: 17-under, $15.00
KIDS: 12-under $15.00
LEGENDS: 50-over $15.00
NOVICE WOMEN: $15.00
You may enter any additional class for $15.00. The Novice Women and the Kids will run on a modified, shorter course. You may sign up by email/paypal to:
Lynnibob@sbcglobal.netThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ; by mail with a check to La Costa Boys Racing at 4901 Morena Blvd. Suite 905, San Diego, CA 92117; or online, over at the NCDSA Contest Calendar. Inquiries may be emailed to
lynnibob@sbcglobal.net.This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
The Encinitas Open is also a fundraiser to support the YMCA Skatepark, also in Encinitas, California. The "Magdalena Ecke YMCA" hosts a killer outdoor skatepark, often seen in magazine photos and the location for kids' skate clinics taught by skaters including Encinitas resident Isabelle Caudle. The fundraiser will help maintain the park and will also be used to market slalom to the skaters there. The YMCA crew will have a booth at the Encinitas Open, and the La Costa Boys Racing Team will accept donations on their behalf before or during the event.
The Encinitas Open is brought to you by La Costa Boys Racing Team, with help from: Pocket Pistols, Skaterbuilt, Abec 11, Asphalt Playground, Bell Helmets, Biltins, Bones Bearings, Concrete Wave Magazine, Downhill Divas, Fibreflex, GFH Boards, Gravity Skateboards, Ick Sticks, Khiro Skateboard Products, Pink, Pleasure Tool Bearings, Radikal Trucks, Retro, Silverfish Longboarding.com, Sk8kings, Timeship Racing, and Tracker Trucks.
Local Sponsors include: Leucadia Electric, Western Trucking, Hi-Way Safety and Encinitas Surfboards.
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Lodging: the La Costa Boys have set up some Hotel Deals and Recommendations for you, all in the City of Encinitas. Bring your family to enjoy San Diego's north coast!
Days Inn: Moonlight Beach
133 Encinitas Blvd * I-5 & Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024, US
Phone: 760-944-0260 * Fax: 760-944-2803 * E-mail:
gm.diencinitas@pinnaclehotelsusa.comThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
2-3 miles from the race. Mention "La Costa Open Skateboard Race" for $85 group rate.
Complimentary Continental Breakfast
Guest Rooms feature AM/FM Clock/Radio, In-Room coffee, Hairdryer, Safe, Iron&Board, Remote Color TV w/HBO, CNN, ESPN, NICK, Cartoon Network
In-some rooms there are refrigerator, microwave
Heated Outdoor Pool, Sundeck, Laundry Facility
3 Blocks from Moonlight Beach and Old Town Encinitas
No Pets Allowed
Econo Lodge Encinitas
410 North US 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
Reservations: (760) 436-4999
Fax: 760-943-9321
This is about 2 miles from the race.
Getting There: From I-5 South: Exit on Leucadia Blvd. and continue west to Coast Highway 101. Head south at the light. The hotel is 1 mile on the right.
Rate Range: $69 for 1 bed, $79 for 2 bed. Say you want the "La Costa Boys Racing" promotional rate.
In Rooms: Cable TV. Iron & Ironing Board.
Other Info: Self Parking Available. Pets Allowed. Fully Air-Conditioned. Non-Smoking Rooms Available. Smoking Rooms Available. Complimentary Breakfast. Pool.
Holiday Inn Express (will be Howard Johnson)
607 Leucadia Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024
Hotel Reservations: 1 888 HOLIDAY (888 465 4329)
Hotel Front Desk: 1-760-9443800
About 1 mile from the race.
Near Beach
Pets Allowed
Outdoor Pool
Complimentary Breakfast
High-speed Internet Access
Whirlpool
On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities (washer/dryer)
Kids Eat Free
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Directions to Pump Station: From Encinitas (20-30 minutes), take 5 South, to Carmel Valley Rd. Turn left and follow detour signs to 56 East, to 15 South. Exit Mercy Rd/Scripps Poway Parkway. Turn left at the bottom of the ramp. Turn left at Scripps Highland Drive and park in the Chili's/Courtyard parking lot. Walk/skate back toward the freeway, and down Cara Way. PLEASE, NO PARKING ON CARA WAY, EVEN IF YOU"VE DONE IT BEFORE. THIS IS AN OUTLAW RACE. Although we have never been kicked out, we have never raced on a Friday.
Directions to Saxony Road: Take I-5 or Highway 101 to La Costa Ave. Travel about .7 miles east. Turn right on Saxony and look for parking attendants. Please fill up Saxony before parking on Quail Hollow, as we are trying not to impact the neighborhood. Please do not park on Saxony south of the race course.