So You Wanna Be A Slalom Skateboarder?

[Wesley Tucker]

Chris,

I hope this meets your criteria for new slalom skate information? I originally posted this in March 2002 on NCDSA.com. It got some really good feedback from Ed Economy and Tasos reprinted it on his longboard skate site. YOU even responded favorably with the following remarks:

"On 3/5/2002 ur13 wrote in from 64.152.xxx.xxx: 
What is the prefered (proper) pumping technique (if there is such a thing). I understand the idea of keeping the upper body static (from snowboarding) but i find my strongest pumps come when I get my arms involved, my hips/shoulders are static for the most part and my power is transitioning to my feet via my legs and torso. But keeping your shoulder perpendicular to the ground heps to transition weight effectively to your edges (wheels on a skateboard)....

W. Tucker's post got me thinking about this. I do practive once in a while by isolating my arms, in my pockets...but once I get an arm swing into the mix it becomes THAT much more powerful."

Of course, Claude Reigner still thinks I'm crazy to advocate that someone should ride with their hands in their pockets, but all I know is the results justify the risks! Anyway, here's my contribution to beginning slalom:

Ok. Long post. Reading some of the recent posts reveals there are "kids" out there dying to learn how to race, pump and get faster. So for no other reason than I want to, here's a few pointers for the novices looking to get better.

1. First of all, racing is a lot like playing the piano: go slow at first, get your technique down and increase your velocity with practice and precision. All the speed in the world don't do you no good if you knock all the cones down and DQ! As ol' Euclid taught us 2,500 year ago, the shortest (and fastest) distance between two point is a straight line. Slalom, of course, is anything but straight. But the tighter, more precise and more consistently you clear the cones the shorter, and thus faster, your time is down the hill.

2. Set up a course some place and ride. Don't talk about it, think about it, write about it or watch some one else do it. Ride. Ride a lot. If you don't have any cones, there are hundreds of alternatives. Here's a quick and cheap way to make markers: get all the 20 oz plastic soda bottles you can find WITH A LID. Fill 'em half up with water or sand and screw the lid on tight. Instant course marker. Sure, you wouldn't use these in a race on ESPN, but they're certainly good enough for the driveway to get started. Don't use the excuse you can't slalom because you don't have any cones.

3. If you want to ride slalom, then start by setting up a course that's IMPOSSIBLE. Try 15 cones just four feet apart. "FOUR FEET? Are you nuts? That's less than twice the length of my board!" I know. You'll knock down a lot of cones. Do it anyway. Knock 'em down. Set 'em up again and knock 'em down again. Do it over and over and over. First, you'll knock down all 15. Then, maybe only 10, then 5. Before you know it, you'll be twisting and yanking and standing on your head but you'll get through most of them. Then do it again. Once you get to where you can go that 56 feet, you'll feel it in your legs, your back and your arms.

4. Once you get that incredibly tortuous short course mastered (one day? two days? a week? it's up to you) then set up your cones at a normal spacing. Try 25 cones at six feet apart. You'll fly so fast through them your momentum towards the end will make you miss. Guaranteed. You'll actually find yourself having to SLOW DOWN to keep a good rhythm. All of a sudden, you're slalom skating. It took you less than a week.

5. Here's a few quick points to remember: DON'T STARE AT YOUR FEET! Look up and down the course where you're going. BREATHE! Don't get half way down the course before you remember you've been holding your breath since the first cone. KEEP YOUR UPPER BODY STILL! Slalom racing is a matter of transferring momentum to your board and accelerating from cone to cone. If your arms and torso are flailing around, that's momentum not going down the hill. Maybe it works for Chaput, but you're not Chris Chaput. Consider practicing with a jacket or sweatshirt with pockets. Try riding your course with your hand in your pockets. Sure, it feels awkward, but it'll pay big dividends later.

6. Finally, (for now,) you don't need a $250 Turner to slalom. Don't forget, at the Hang Ten Nationals in 1976, Alva came in second place on a Logan Earth Ski (A big piece of wood with no flex, cutaways or rolls.) If you want to slalom, then what you have to do is get a board, get some markers, get a stretch of asphalt and ride. Posing never got anyone a spot on the podium. The more you ride, the faster you'll go. Then when you get the Roe, Turner or Cosmic, you'll just go faster. By then, though, you'll already know how to go.

I know there's probably eleventy million people reading this saying, "he's full of s#@!. I never had to do any of those things to go fast." And they're right. Then again, the people saying that have 10, 15 or like me, 25 years experience riding cones on hills. No need to reinvent the wheel for the people just tuning into racing. I say the best thing we can do is pass along what works and this kind of routine worked for me.

[Guest]

good one Wesley, I remember this post, I also remember around that time I finally broke a bad habit (from slalom snowboarding) that I had of keeping my leading arm static in front of my body (to knock slalom gates out of the way on a snowboard), I started to work on getting my upper body involved in my pump, something I am STILL tweaking to this day....I think your post here helped me realize some things!

What a difference 14 months makes!

thanks for contributing!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chris Stepanek on 2003-05-09 22:36 ]</font>

[Wentzle Ruml IV]

thanks foe the info.....im just getting back into slalom and digging it bigtime !!! i hadnt run any cones in like 20 years and went out a week ago and ran a course with joe iacovelli who came up to the cape from conneticutt and brought a bunch of boards for me to try and we sk8ed for 3 hours and i was totally hooked...im looking for sk8rs to train with in the area and am actually going to practice next weekend at a place in CT. where a bunch of people are going to be that can help me learn techniques etc...and try out other gear...ive had some companies that are willing to sponsor me which is supper cool..i hope to not let them down annd am looking to race at the race at da-farm on 8-02-03......peace O.G.Z.BOY......WR-IV

[Wesley Tucker]

Wentzle, I'm glad you liked the piece. I'll add one other thing since it sounds like you're going to start getting into it seriously.

I won't be silly and assume anything about your physical conditioning, but I will say there's an excellent chance you're going to feel some muscles you forgot about!

From what I experienced from my own return to racing after a 13-year layoff is there is a lot of stress placed on the lower back. A strong pump requires a strong back, some really good abdomenals and better-than-average cardiovascular conditioning.

In other words, your back will throb, your gut will ache and you'll be bent over double trying to catch your breath! And that doesn't even begin to address your legs and arms. I will, though, provide you with this bit of encouragement: I found no FASTER way to improve my stamina that riding cones. I got back into in February, 2002. I was dying and really wondering if a 41-year old guy can do this? By March, I was feeling pretty good and by May I was at the Gathering skating all day with little trouble.

Again, for all I know you're a rock who's spent the last 20 years in the gym. If, though, you do experience those occasional twinges, er, disabling cramps and body aches, don't be discouraged. The best way to work 'em out is to set some cones and ride through it. You will be glad you did!

[Adam Trahan]

Welcome back to slalom wentzle.

One of the good things about growing up skateboarding so long ago, reading about the zephyr/dogtown group was that you guys were all around skateboarders. You did it all...

Good to see you here and maybe we will be seeded for a race at the farm.

On 2003-05-25 09:06, wentzle ruml iv wrote:
thanks foe the info.....im just getting back into slalom and digging it bigtime !!! i hadnt run any cones in like 20 years and went out a week ago and ran a course with joe iacovelli who came up to the cape from conneticutt and brought a bunch of boards for me to try and we sk8ed for 3 hours and i was totally hooked...im looking for sk8rs to train with in the area and am actually going to practice next weekend at a place in CT. where a bunch of people are going to be that can help me learn techniques etc...and try out other gear...ive had some companies that are willing to sponsor me which is supper cool..i hope to not let them down annd am looking to race at the race at da-farm on 8-02-03......peace O.G.Z.BOY......WR-IV