South Carolina State Championships - December 2005?

[Wesley Tucker]

For some strange reason that is completely beyond me, 66 put the "South Carolina State Championships" on the Contest Schedule. He penned it in for "mid-December" and called for a giant slalom.



I know he's thinking about a fast GS race at Exit 46, which is cool by me. Anyone who doesn't know about this hill and it's environs, just read around the Down South forum and you'll learn all you'll ever want to know about the place.





Although for the most part racing seems to wind down in October, that's not a real requirement down here. We got decent racing weather right up through New Years. About the only real COLD days we get are in January and February.So racing in early or Mid-December is completely doable. I'd be more concerned about it getting dark early than worrying about a chill factor. If we did race on this hill, it would be an EARLY START in order to get in as many runs as possible before sunset around 6:00.



So, who'd want to race late in the year on a really fast, decent surface GS hill? The surface IS NOT "butter smooth" but more like "racing fast." Much better than Washington Street in Athens but a much harder and consistent asphalt. It's an old road (25 years) that's enjoyed very little traffic.

Log in to the poll and let me know. If 25-30 people say they'd want to make the trip and ride, then I'll make it happen.

P.S. We're also going to race sometime this fall at Hobby Park in Winston Salem, NC, but that's another event entirely. We got lots going on down here.

[Marty Schaub]

Tuck...

Seven yes's so far. Time to plan this shindig because once the Hillbillies get involved you'll have a bunch of folks.

Looking ahead I would say the 3rd/4th or 10th/11th. After Thanksgiving dies out and before XMAS heats up.

[Marion Karr]

Well, considering I don't have any hair to wash...I guess I will show up....Seriously, I'm down and the DownHill Billies will be there in force!

I love that freakin HILL! It's where I got my start! LOL

[Christopher Bara]

Hey DHB's....what's the closest airport and how far is it from this hill?

[Wesley Tucker]

Chris,

Charlotte NC's Douglas International is the closest. It's a big airport and a USAir hub. Probably could get VERY cheap connection from Detroit. The Airport has a direct connect freeway to I-77 and from there it's 51 miles straight down the interstate to the hill.

If I make a decision about doing this thing (probably in the next month or so,) I'll post all the particulars. Just remember: it's ISOLATED. The two closest towns are Columbia, SC and Rock Hill SC, both about 30-40 miles drives. But I can guarantee you lots of cheap motels, cheaper gas than you're buying now and more bar-b-que than you could eat in a month!

There are some highway roadside motels closer to the hills at exits up and down I-77, but don't plan on any extravagent nightlife if you stay in one of those. These are strictly "park-it-sleep-hit-the-road" type places.

[Christopher Bara]

Thanks Wes.....actually you forgot about something else that y'all will have down there that be nice to see.

December
Detroit

It'd be nice to see blue skies and green trees right about then

A couple days in the sun goes a long way thru a cold winter

[Marty Schaub]

Hey Wes,

IF? As you can see this will offer a respite to our bretheren from the great white north of us. I can't see anything better than a contest on a fast hill during a period of time when slalom is in winter slumber for most.

Remember...... If you set up cones....They will come....

(My apologies to Mr. Costner)

[Wesley Tucker]

Marty,

Yes, IF.

Let's not forget we are talking about several cars and many skateboarders converging on a spot in the middle of nowhere, SC. Now, it's easy to say, "let's get together and jam this Sunday" and have me, 66, you, NCL and maybe two or three cars show up and skate.

BUT, when you start talking about an "event," that means lots of cars, lots of people and lots of commotion. Next thing you know, Deputy Do-Right for the first time in my 26 years of going to this hill decides to check it out and arbitrarily shuts us down. That ain't happening if I can avoid it.

Fortunately, Parallel Drive is in an unincorporated part of the county. So no towns to deal with. BUT, I still ain't planning on holding a race until I get up to Winnsboro (the county seat) and talk to the sheriff. As you know, in most southern counties, he's the MAN. I have a good feeling he'll be cool because he probably won't care. But giving him a heads up and letting him know what's going down on HIS street will be important. Let's not forget, though, there's the off chance he could always say "hell no," and we're shut down. So, as I said, when enough people say they'll come and I know it's worth all the trouble to make the call, I'll do the leg work and get it squared away with The Man.

Don't panic, though. This is MAY. I'm talking about an event in DECEMBER. If I don't get it onto the Contest Calendar until July, that's still a full five months to sign up.

Thanks to everyone wanting to come and skate my hill. I guarantee you it'll be a trip. I mean, really, a trip.

[John Dillon]

then we could also celebrate my 44th B-Day!What a way to celebrate than by doing slalom?

[Keith Hollien]

Wesley,
I would come if you have so kind of ok. My last race I know of is W. Vir., so I am hoping to make it to N.C. & S.C. this fall. Keep us posted.

Keith, Teams Radikal & Pocket Pistols.

[Marty Schaub]

Wes,

Well you got Keith and when one Radikal fellow comes, more will follow. Time to visit the MAN......

I bet you can get Carrasco just by promising him good Barbaque......

[Marion Karr]

Big Mart,
The November race at Hobby Park will feature BarBQ North Carolina style! And there is a killer place not too far from Exit 46 in SC for the December race. You boys might be hitting both Carolinas this late fall! We are working on the dates for the November race and I think Tucker has the December race figured out.

[Tom Thompson]

Count me in Tucky Tuck.....er.

[Marty Schaub]

Marion,

You'll just have to remind me which Carolina I am going to when....

You know they all look the same to me.....

[Wesley Tucker]

A quick update:

As of yet, NOTHING IS DEFINITE. Nothing has changed as far as planning, discussions with the local constabulary or any sort of itinerary for an event.

In St. Louis, though, 66 was kind enough to inform me his wedding anniversary is the weekend of December 3/4. Since we can't possibly imagine a race 'round here without that bastard, it is definite that IF a race is scheduled it will be the weekend of DECEMBER 10th/11th.

I was leaning that way anyway as it's the weekend dead center between Thanksgiving and Christmas. A week earlier would have been too soon to getting over the four-day weekend and any later is getting too close to Christmas and all that mall madness everyone considers an imperative.

So, here we are six months out and it's safe to go ahead and pencil in the second weekend in December, the 10th/11th, for a Giant Slalom race at the Exit 46 hill in South Carolina.

Also, PLEASE REMEMBER: THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RACE AT HOBBY PARK IN WINSTON SALEM IN EARLY NOVEMBER. These are two different events. Please do not confuse them. They are probably five weeks apart and 134 miles from each other. Two races, two different months, two different places, one in CAROLINA and the other in Winston Salem.

P.S. If YOU have a conflict with December 10th, that's the breaks. 66's pronouncement, though, was just the impetus I needed to go ahead and made a decision one way or the other. Since I was already leaning toward the 10th, it made it easier.

[Marion Karr]

December 10th and the 11th work for me! It's on my calendar and the DHB's will be ready to go! Dude, the last 4 local sessions have been slalom focused! DHolt, Jaybird, SST, Mac T, and Rookie, have all caught the slalom bug! These boys are going to be fast!

By the way, there are two Carolina's! North Carolina and then the other one.

The North Carolina DHB race will be the weekend of Nov. 5th and 6th.

[Wesley Tucker]

I just got home from a round trip to Exit 46 and I'm both bummed and really ecstatic. The SC Highway Department is doing LOTS of work on that stretch of I-77 and it looks like they are including the frontage roads. (At least as far as Exit 46 up from Columbia. Beats me what's going on farther up the road towards Charlotte.) I had told the Downhilbillies I was going to session there today at 1:00 and all were invited to come down and bomb a radical long downhill stretch and run some GS cones.

Anyway, when I came up the interstate and looked over on the hill, I noticed the road was really WHITE instead of the off-orange color it usually is. Also, I noticed lots of what appeared to be tire skid marks all over the hill. As I turned onto Parallel Drive, I immediately noticed something was wrong. The hill was covered in loose gravel! I went on down around the corned and headed for the hill, but it didn't get any better.

I parked my Avalanche where I usually park (did I mention got new wheels? Still got the Z-28, but added something new to the livery,) and got out to check the surface. Sometime since the last Hillbilly Jam (June 30th) and today, the state has come in and STRIPPED the road with the Road-Tec machine, filled in the deep cracks with wet tar and covered the road with pea gravel. All the lane stripes and reflectors are GONE. All the pot holes at the other end of the hill are GONE. The street is laid bare and looks like it's ready for NEW, CLEAN FRESH BLACK TOP!

The only thing that has me concerned is IF the state will follow through with finishing the job in a timely manner. Will it stay like this through the summer? The fall? The winter? Are they a bunch of cheap lazy dumbasses and done with it or will they be back next week to finish what they started? No way to tell without visiting the hill occasionally for a follow-up.

As soon as I got to the hill this morning (around 11:30,) I immediately got on the cel and tried to call ANYBODY who skated to go to DHB.org and post the cancellation notice. No need to go if you can't ride the hill. I got 66 on the phone in Jawja, but he was in his car and away from the computer. Brian Parsons was unavailable, probably catching up on his honeydo list after a week on the Continent. Marion finally called me back after I paged him around 11:45 and he posted the notice. That's about the best I could do. I'M NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE! Something like this is always "skate at your own risk" and the hill was fine three weeks ago. How was I supposed to know THIS was the week the State would finally start improving this road after 25 years? But I guarantee you that when this road is back up to snuff, it'll be KILLER. It was GOOD with the old asphalt and with new it'll be FABULOUS!

I'm leaving for Chicago Thursday and will be returning Monday. I'll probably be driving through the SC Midlands late at night. If I feel OK and am up to it, I'll detour off I-26 and go up I-77 to see if anything got done this week. I doubt it, but I'll look. The good news is that once the State gets the asphalt spreader and steam roller up there, they can do it less than a day. It's 3/4 of a mile and then dead ends. All they have to do is JUST DO IT. Oh, and let's hope when they redo it they'll realize how silly it is to put reflectors on a frontage road to nowhere. We really don't need those things in the middle of OUR HILL!!

So the word is that a December 10th Race at Exit 46 is temporarily SUSPENDED no matter what until it's determined the road is rideable again. Then again, though, I'm really happy because the one thing that's troubled me is how the hill has deteriorated since I was skating there once a month back in the '80s. Knowing there is a good chance it'll be back to "normal" by what I remember is so cool.

All I can say is I'll get up there as often as feasibly (and economically possible) to keep an eye on things. As soon as I find out it's good to go, then I'll follow through on all the things I mentioned in this topic a couple of months ago. Let's hope for the best.

[Wesley Tucker]

A quick update:

I have not been up I-77 since July and was planning on making the trip next week to check out the hill.

Fortunately for me, a good friend from here in Summerville had to make a round trip to Virginia this week and was more than happy to check it out for US.

Bad news: no change. Still gravelled.

Good news: paving crews are still working on I-77 all along the route from Columbia to Charlotte. So no need to give up hope. With a little luck, they'll still get around to paving Parallel Drive some this autumn and maybe we can still squeeze in a race in December.

[Marion Karr]

Road by Exit 46 on the way back from Hilton Head yesterday and it is still gravel. No sign of equipment along that stretch.

[John Dillon]

A slalom race in SC is the perfect way to celebrate my birthday on Dec 10th, but I have to be back home for work on Sunday Dec 11th...hmmmmmmmm.

[Wesley Tucker]

JD,

I'd love for it to go down, but I don't think it's going to happen on this hill. We can't race on pea gravel and I have seen no indication at all of the State Of South Carolina getting anywhere near the hill with fresh ashpalt and a steam roller. All signs of road work that I saw last summer have evaporated. The medians are clear of any machinery or orange "Road Work Ahead" signs just about the whole length of I-77 in South Carolina.

Oh, well.