Giant Slalom Racing At Exit 46 July 19

[Wesley Tucker]

Ok, I've been thinking about this and come up with an idea. According to the Contest Calendar, there's nothing scheduled in these parts for the weekend of July 19. They're racing at WLAC that weekend, but is anyone planning on heading that way from here?

How's this for an idea to spend a weekend: anyone within the sound of my voice all head for my Exit 46 hill in north central South Carolina? My idea is we get to the hill around noon and that will give us a good 7 hours of daylight to skate. The hill (once again,) looks like this:



My idea is that we open it up a little and run some real Giant Slalom. Take up the whole hill and run a single lane event strictly against the clock. Now, I don't know what you guys consider "Giant Slalom, but here's my idea of a good race course on a
big hill:



The scale to the right is marked off in one-foot increments. That's a 24-cone course over 320 feet (in case you're counting.) The cones are spaced from 6 to 20 feet with varying offsets. Hey, you can see it for yourself. No secrets here. Also, we can add cones to our hearts desire if everyone is up for more markers over more of the hill, which happens to be a 1/2 mile long from top to bottom.

For those of you who may have missed my eloquent salutations to this stretch of asphalt previously, here's the directions: find a map, find Interstate 77 between Columbia, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. Go to Exit 46 (exits in SC are by mile marker, so you can pretty well figure the distance. It's about halfway between each city.) Once you get to the exit, you can't miss the hill. It's the frontage road to the Interstate. Although it's pretty much a road to nowhere, there is a hunt club at the top of the hill. Occasionally, I've seen a car or two go up to the gate. But since I don't believe anything is in season in July, (except fish,) there's an excellent chance we'll see no one except each other.

I'd like to go ahead and maybe do this before September. After Labor Day, white tailed deer season is followed by Turkey season and there's a steady stream of Bubbas up and down the road coming and going from the club.

So, that's my plan. I'll probably go up that weekend and skate the hill whether anyone else does or not, but it would be cool to have a few folks to run with. I have no timer, but plenty of cones and I'll bring some fluids. One other drawback about the Exit is it IS IN THE MIDDLE OF NO PLACE, There's a convenience store at the next exit up the interstate, so going after any vittles means taking the car.

Anyone else up for some GS in three weeks? Sign up below and let's get a head count.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wesley Tucker on 2003-07-01 17:14 ]</font>

[Wesley Tucker]

OK. I SCREWED UP. I was thinking Ricky Byrd was wanting to race in Mississippi on the 12th. A quick review of the Events page shows Ricky wants to run a Grass Roots race on the 19th.

Unfortunately, you can't edit a topic headline. So it stays the 19th. BUT, if anyone thinks the 12th is better, that's cool with me. Or, if you want to hold off til the 26th, that's also fine. The only problem with the 26th is it's only a week before Da' Farm. I don't know who wants to hit the road two weeks in a row.

OR, if Mississippi is too far for most folks, we can still run on the 19th. I'm completely cool with any Saturday in July.

Just say so and let me know. Oh, one other thing: I don't have a timing system.