Help please!

[Mac Newman]

I am so new to slalom skateboarding, I don't even have a slalom board yet.

I live in south Louisiana, and it is flllaaattttttt. There are now hills within 70 miles of my house.

I have a few questions
- is there anybody out there from the BR area?
- are the slalom races that are held on flat ground?
- if so, re there any in south La
- Beginners setups?( I am a big guy)
- My driveway is about 100 feet long, is that enough room to get some good runs?

I read some old posts on cone placement, so I won't bother yall with that

Thanks guys, I know these are probably stupid questions, but I really would like to give these from of skating a try.

[Joe Iacovelli]

There is a crew in Jackson, MS.

Email Frank Henn, more info here
http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/f ... hp?t=38560

[Marty Schaub]

From one big guy to another, go with the Brown Bomber. Richy Carrasco runs sk8kings.com and will custom you an AXE board to suit your hieght, weight and conditions.

TRUST me. You can't go wrong with getting a complete from Richy & Maria.

The nearest contest to you would probably be the LUNA slalom jam in Mississippi. It's worth the drive to check the scene and the stoke.

Marty
Axe Army
Georgia Division

[Tod Oles]

Mac,

Learning to pump on flat ground will get you further ahead in the long run if you plan on racing... You'll get in shape faster and you'll have a good strong pump for when you do hit the hills...
Also, personalizing a board to take advantage of your weight and stature will really speed up the learning curve...

It really is a good time,

Tod

[Mac Newman]

Thanks guys for the info.

[Eric Brammer]

One thing to look for is Parking Garages.. Security is always an issue in those, but if you can find a good one, it might be worth hitting for a stealth session or two (bring donuts to bribe Security guards?). It may not be a 'hill' with all the variables in pitch, but at least Gravity will be tugging ya along.

As for training on Flats, definately Work It!
Cyber Slalom is a great means to guage your progress, as it sets a standard, and there are quite a few racers who've posted up times over on ncdsa.com.
Working on flats will give a super strong pump, and you'll likely have your footing position worked out (don't forget to use toeblocks!). Just beware that a good 'flatland' pumping board may turn out to be a bit squirrelly once you run it on a decent downgrade. Nothing that can't be fixed by adjusting/swapping out the truck bushings though. In course setting, keep things linear to get a good pump rythym going, put the offsets further down the course where you'll have momentum to play with. If you've got a location that's hassle-free, consider using paint dots to mark favorite courses. This makes for quick set-ups which means more practice time per session.