One Year Ago Today

[Wesley Tucker]

One year ago today Charleston was inundated by a tropical depression that was just this side of a hurricane. 5 inches of rain fell between midnight and 5 in the afternoon and most of it was on Folly Beach.

There was NOTHING good in the forecast. The only thing to anticipate was more rain. It was raining in the morning and it rained on me all the way from Summerville to front beach. When I got to the house Deb Gordon rented, it was filled with a crowd of rather despondent people wanting to race. The bright spot was some of the people gathered that day. It was a year ago today I met John Gilmour, Mollica, Robin and J.R. Lee. The two days before Saturday I had also got to know Chuck Gill, Paui Price, Mike Brooke, Rick Stanziale and I think Bobby and Danny Mandarino were around on Friday too. Of course, when I got to Deb's house, it was kind of quiet except for Chaput. He was talking. Two hours later we decided to go get something to eat and Chaput was still talking.

Around 3:00 in the afternoon, Tasos finally took the plunge and decided to move everything downtown to the Bus Terminal. The DC crew checked in, Sharon was in from New Mexico, a few locals showed up and the rest is history.

What a difference a year makes. I still wonder if all those Northeast guys (Gilmour excepted,) regret not making the party or still think it was a good thing to rely on the forecast?

Oh, today? Not a cloud in the sky, temps in the '80s and humidity around 60%. About where it always is in June 22 around here . . . except when we plan a skateboard race.

[Chuck Gill]

On 2003-06-22 09:44, Wesley Tucker wrote:
Oh, today? Not a cloud in the sky, temps in the '80s and humidity around 60%. About where it always is in June 22 around here . . . except when we plan a skateboard race.

And the next one will be....when? Howzabout another race in that beautiful bus terminal?

[Wesley Tucker]

Chuck, I had every intention of having an outlaw session back in November. The Georgia crowd, the DC boys and anyone else who was listening was hip to a weekend in Charleston and skating into the wee hours of the morning one night at the Terminal.

Unfortunately, everything got wayleighed when I went down with the shoulder problem and later in the year with my feet. Now, though, I'm about 80% back and skating fairly well. I'm nowhere near competitive, but feeling better about riding a board. So, after a year of delay, I'll probably propose the same thing again this fall. After it cools off and all the major comps are over, we'll come here to the forum, hash out a good date for everyone and just get it on after the Visitor's Center closes one Saturday. Heck, if anyone gets here a day early we'll hit it Friday also.

But that's for sometime later this year. In looking at my calendar, one good date for me is November 8 (the 'Cocks are on the road to Fayetteville, so there's no game that weekend.) The next two weeks are OUT as Carolina plays the Gators and Klempsun in Columbia. I'll be there. The following weekend is Thanksgiving, so that might be out depending on everyone's long weekend plans. Although from my experience I have learned that occasionally people do look forward to an excuse to get the hell out of Dodge after a two or three full days of family communing. Maybe getting away from it all to Charleston on Saturday after Thanksgiving wouldn't be a bad idea? Hey, it don't matter to me when it happens, I live here anyway!

So from where I'm standing, I might do something either November 8 or as late as December 6. Again, strictly outlaw, no promises, flat tight slalom on a perfect surface.

That's about the best I can do right now.

[Tom Thompson]

Now we're talking....there's really no excuse for us SE slalomers not getting together more often. For practice sessions if nothing else. Hollien is working to organize some Gainesville, Fl. sessions as we speak. We should all go. In Athens, GA., there is a great hill available that I've nicknamed The Hunn (Huntington) that is REAL long, smooth and of varying pitches to accomodate any type slalom course. I live bout 120 miles from there and travel to practice on it often. Athens crew, why are we not inviting other SE slalomers for slalom hodowns?? They're doing it in DC, the northeast, SoCal, Mississippi, Colorado, Mass, etc....

I'm a single parent and my budget is tight but I can travel within the SE for slalom sessions, outlaw races or whatever.

Wesley - just say the word and I'll be there.

[Patio Mendino]

I thought these posts I've made about the athens sunday slalom and stuff were to invite other slalomers to come ride and hang out. hmmmm....
Tom drives 120 miles and is one of the few to have shown up! We've got a handful of skateboarders in Athens, but no interest in slalom apparently.
and how many people live in the ATL? and nobody there rides slalom?
I post here, on the otter site, I put up flyers around town at the skateshops, restaurants, whatever bulletin boards I find.
but nobody seems to care.
well, two months till the Athens race, then I can get back to skateboarding and looking at the funny red board hanging on my wall.
p

[Tom Thompson]

oops! Scuse me Patio. Sorry bout the negative tone. You and Rick are doing y'alls part in north Ga. no doubt. And me? well I'm trying.

How bout we do one get together per month starting in South Carolina this month, Ga. in August(not the race), then Florida in Sept and so on??

[Tom Thompson]

oops! Scuse me Patio. Sorry bout the negative tone. I'm speaking more about the entire southeast US. You and Rick are doing y'alls part in north Ga. no doubt. And me? well I'm trying.

How bout we do one get together per month starting in South Carolina this month, Ga. in August(not the race), then Florida in Sept and so on??

[Ricky Byrd]

Don't get dicourgaged P@io!

You may one day get what you ask for and then you'll be searching for a "secret hill".

Slalom in Plain Sight!