Yeah, it was the race truck. Mr. Maxwell pointed this place to us. The surface seemed fast, and the slope was ok for longer courses. You don’t want to overcook a TS course, it’s better to be pumping more for speed as opposed to trying to slow down.
I’m not sure any of us are good on super hills. I’m very interested in finding a good smooth and wide hill for practice. 30-40 MPH typo’ deal with widish cones to keep things slalomy. Never skated anything like that, and feel the need. Come the time to go to “higher” places, it would suck to suck.
The new PVD slalom truck has a lot of high-speed potential, I hear. People post 55 and 60 mph on them. My set-ups won’t be able to handle half this speed. As soon as I get the trucks, it’s a go.
Slappy, remember you mentioned some hill in Burke? Is it the one leading to the Kiser Soza building from your road?
D.C. Spots
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Vlad Popov
- Moscow-Washington
- Posts: 1543
- Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2002 2:00 am
- Location: Moscow, Russia
- Contact:
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Rene Hayden
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2003 1:00 am
- Location: Vancouver BC-Washington DC
Hey Vlad--
Sure, I'll ateskay any day. I'm mostly a longboarder/pool-bowler though, and I suck, just to clarify.
I'm presently located at 13th St. SE just off of pennsylvania near the Potomac Gardens projects and the SE Safeway. There are also some promising spots that I haven't skated yet. A cemetery in NE (prob. have to ask about that one), and Anthony Smallwood goes on on NCDSA about Anacostia as being the undiscovered mecca of D.C. downhill, so I am purely positive there is some gold there--there's some nice neighborhoods, hills, and parks. Just a matter of finding the spots and ignoring the stinkeye.
Looks like you were skating the racetrack, yeah? I like the parking lot better for slope and fun. Surface is pretty granular, though.
Sure, I'll ateskay any day. I'm mostly a longboarder/pool-bowler though, and I suck, just to clarify.
I'm presently located at 13th St. SE just off of pennsylvania near the Potomac Gardens projects and the SE Safeway. There are also some promising spots that I haven't skated yet. A cemetery in NE (prob. have to ask about that one), and Anthony Smallwood goes on on NCDSA about Anacostia as being the undiscovered mecca of D.C. downhill, so I am purely positive there is some gold there--there's some nice neighborhoods, hills, and parks. Just a matter of finding the spots and ignoring the stinkeye.
Looks like you were skating the racetrack, yeah? I like the parking lot better for slope and fun. Surface is pretty granular, though.
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Vlad Popov
- Moscow-Washington
- Posts: 1543
- Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2002 2:00 am
- Location: Moscow, Russia
- Contact:
Rene, thanx for sharing! Yeah, the RFK is good, we were going to set a course there, but it was too windy and cold. So Slappy set up his sail board instead, and we did some sail cruising. The pavement was 8 out of 10, as I recall, 88/92A wheels were sticking just fine. Even in below freezing winds. That place definitely needs to be explored and “utilized” more this year.
I don’t know how many “DC crew” (pardon the language) members actually live in DC. Most guys reside in Northern Virginia. It’s that just people from out of state confuse NoVa with VA and Southern VA. Fairfax County, for example, is/was in the US top ten, but it’s not as widely known as DC.
If the races are held in DC-which I wouldn’t mind at all-some of the guys will have to spend more time getting there then to G-burg. The northern invaders– yes, MD slalomers- yes…to think about it…it looks like most of us will have to spend more time getting there should the races be “pure” DC comps.
Where are you located? Do you want to hook up when they melt the snow and skate some of the good hills you mentioned?
Vlad.
RFK sailing. Note glass on the ground.
I don’t know how many “DC crew” (pardon the language) members actually live in DC. Most guys reside in Northern Virginia. It’s that just people from out of state confuse NoVa with VA and Southern VA. Fairfax County, for example, is/was in the US top ten, but it’s not as widely known as DC.
If the races are held in DC-which I wouldn’t mind at all-some of the guys will have to spend more time getting there then to G-burg. The northern invaders– yes, MD slalomers- yes…to think about it…it looks like most of us will have to spend more time getting there should the races be “pure” DC comps.
Where are you located? Do you want to hook up when they melt the snow and skate some of the good hills you mentioned?
Vlad.
RFK sailing. Note glass on the ground.
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Rene Hayden
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2003 1:00 am
- Location: Vancouver BC-Washington DC
No, not a new punk band, but a good name for one.
Hello all, I'm not technically a slalom skater, although I was at the Vans old school day thing and the park in Va. thang for a bit but had to leave before the real slalom started up--no slalom board yet (no dinero for me), but it was fun while it lasted--I'll bring my G&S longboard to the next D.C. meet, and hopefully can borrow somebody's stick at some point to try the "real deal".
Seeing as the Spring has sprung, (just skated two hours today hotdam) I thought I'd offer up some spots in D.C. proper at the behest of Brian P. for those of you who actually live in the city (SE in particular) and are looking for places to practice that are closer than Gaithersburg P&R. Mind I haven't been around since before the snow, so there may be salt, melt, frost heaves, etc.
#1 you may already know as Vlad I think set a 100-cone course there--the RFK stadium. Great place to skate once you sweep out the broken glass and random stadium crap. Left (North) parking lot is the place to be for me. The surface is a bit rough, but there is a nice semi-fast hill, and a wide variety of terrain, including different slopes, even banks! I was busted on the racetrack--right parking lot is no-go if they are setting up for shows. RFK's big enough that it's amenable for an outlaw or other race. Then, hey, the D.C. Outlaw could actually be in D.C.
#2 parking lot of D.C. general across from the stadium. bust factor: I doubt it, as long as you don't screw around with the usually one car parked there. Mostly skated at night and weekends. Similar rough terrain, runout is short. Choice of path: straight down or mellower around the islands has potential for course setters.
#3 the cream of the lot: the newly resurfaced lot across from Democratic National Club (?) on Ivy St, I believe. Beautiful slope, beautiful asphalt, wide open lot. Hot damn, this gets me salivating just thinking about it--it is BUTTER (I'm praying for no frost heaves). Bust factor: needs to seriously be respected if only for my sake--only skated it at night--it is a semi-guarded lot like most congressional lots, but the guard told me if he isn't there, I can skate away. The public street right next to it is pretty fun, too, although a little narrow a lot rougher. You can always go to skate the street and move to the lot if everything is kosher. Downside is the runout. the lot and street empty into a fence and a busy street, respectively. If you're longboarding or just cruising, the lot ends in a dip that you can drop into for extra speed, sort of like dropping into a wave. Nice, but maybe not ideal for slalom.
Merry Christmas,
Enjoy.
Hello all, I'm not technically a slalom skater, although I was at the Vans old school day thing and the park in Va. thang for a bit but had to leave before the real slalom started up--no slalom board yet (no dinero for me), but it was fun while it lasted--I'll bring my G&S longboard to the next D.C. meet, and hopefully can borrow somebody's stick at some point to try the "real deal".
Seeing as the Spring has sprung, (just skated two hours today hotdam) I thought I'd offer up some spots in D.C. proper at the behest of Brian P. for those of you who actually live in the city (SE in particular) and are looking for places to practice that are closer than Gaithersburg P&R. Mind I haven't been around since before the snow, so there may be salt, melt, frost heaves, etc.
#1 you may already know as Vlad I think set a 100-cone course there--the RFK stadium. Great place to skate once you sweep out the broken glass and random stadium crap. Left (North) parking lot is the place to be for me. The surface is a bit rough, but there is a nice semi-fast hill, and a wide variety of terrain, including different slopes, even banks! I was busted on the racetrack--right parking lot is no-go if they are setting up for shows. RFK's big enough that it's amenable for an outlaw or other race. Then, hey, the D.C. Outlaw could actually be in D.C.
#2 parking lot of D.C. general across from the stadium. bust factor: I doubt it, as long as you don't screw around with the usually one car parked there. Mostly skated at night and weekends. Similar rough terrain, runout is short. Choice of path: straight down or mellower around the islands has potential for course setters.
#3 the cream of the lot: the newly resurfaced lot across from Democratic National Club (?) on Ivy St, I believe. Beautiful slope, beautiful asphalt, wide open lot. Hot damn, this gets me salivating just thinking about it--it is BUTTER (I'm praying for no frost heaves). Bust factor: needs to seriously be respected if only for my sake--only skated it at night--it is a semi-guarded lot like most congressional lots, but the guard told me if he isn't there, I can skate away. The public street right next to it is pretty fun, too, although a little narrow a lot rougher. You can always go to skate the street and move to the lot if everything is kosher. Downside is the runout. the lot and street empty into a fence and a busy street, respectively. If you're longboarding or just cruising, the lot ends in a dip that you can drop into for extra speed, sort of like dropping into a wave. Nice, but maybe not ideal for slalom.
Merry Christmas,
Enjoy.