ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

My thoughts about July 4th are pretty much the same...heat, crowds, and people trying to make it home in time to either beat the traffic make it in time for barbeque and fireworks at home.

It has been a fun time- I imagine I will be well enough to make it around for the race.

I still would like a race in great weather, on a good surface, with spectators in the center of the city- with restaurants and facilities.

So September 18th is the Hempfest in Boston Common- draws about 50,000 people- I can see it now. Black Leather Racing's premier party event. But dazed wandering spectators and skaters looking straight down at cones at 30mph isn't such a hot combo. A night Outlaw might be possible a full moon is 4 days earlier.


I flyer the Hempfest every year selling season passes to ski resorts to get my free pass. The weather is perfect every year....only very very small extremely low altitiude clouds. The weather (65-70 degrees) would be nearly ideal. There are a lot of longboards at the Hempfest. This event is heavily attended by the students.

The following day ,Sunday, the, 19th is the Jimmy Walk for Cancer- people walk the Boston Marathon or an abbreviated walk from Wellesley ma and end up at Copley place. 7,000 people walk- but I doubt we would be overrun as the finish line is about 1/2 a mile away. There are early morning church crowds then to contend with- and I think a noon mass- but it wouldn't be hard to divert them. If the rest of the family feels like doing the charity walk they can be finished after the qualification rounds.


BTW the July 4th venue has a rough surface that worsens everyyear. Facilities and food are not so close. Shade is limited....and it is almost always hot. The hill carries some speed. There is another hill that ends in a tunnel which would be great for a night race.

The Boston Common's longest widest (2-3 lanes) hill from the statehouse was repaved aout 1 year ago. It is very wide with a Starbucks at the bottom- I also think it would be easier to lure a few food vendors near to the course. Lots of shade from trees nearby. Furthermore there are several pitches of hills to choose from, Bicknell hill steepness, to anything in between. The Boston Common is in between Boston's chinatown and Newbury street restaurants.

Also I could likely arange for free passes to the Healthclub inside the Newest Ritz Carleton Hotel.

http://www.thesportsclubla.com/Clubs/te ... lub=Boston

It has a great snackbar that is cheap (Salmon for $6), a pool, sundeck, showers, massage, hairsalon, kiddie daycare (separate floor), 5 star restaurant, Spa, pilates...you name it. You'll be lucky if your wife even bothers to watch the race. The Club is a 4 minute all downhill skate from the hilltop right on the perimeter of the Boston Commons.


---Place your vote at top-------

JG--

you make a compelling argument, and I'm sold. I also think that the conditions would be better in the Commons as oppossed to the Mass Ave bridge underpass.
My only concern is the foot stop finish around so many people. You can start hauling some a** down that hill and it dumps right into a main entry point onto the Commons.
Nonetheless....I think it's doable and will be more fun.
Would this be considered outlaw?? I HIGHLY doubt that anyone is going to give us that walk way for a skateboard race. But you the man with charm, so who knows.

Also, I hope to play an active role in the event besides racing--if you need me

Hey, is there anyway we can get the kid who says "Zoom Zoom" for the Mazda commercials to be the announcer. That would be cool.

C'mon folks....July 4 has been fun, but who really wants to try setting up a tent on concrete and use wood boards to cover soft tar spots?

wow so far overwhelming support for Sept. race.....What if I schedule a Hempfest for July 3rd?

Just kidding- as for the stop area- we can either turn the corner and fence that off, or we could have impact bags (preferable) actually I am for the Boston Common race....but as I have always gotten 4th of July permission.... I would have to work harder to get NEW permission for the Boston Commons race.

I'm helping with the Charles River Skatepark... And hopefully they will throw me a permit for my assistance there as the commons falls within the same jurisdiction.

My hope is a race in the Commons would demonstrate the need for a dedicated hill for slalom in Boston. They can't complain.....our course on Memorial Drive has been running without accidents since 1989- and from this spawned the skate patrol safety org. as well as better skills for alll the skaters (developed off of streets with car traffic) that likely prevents injuries.


I'm also going to try and get a Soap box derby track built near the skatepark...

I'm very interested in the September races if not to race, at least watch and learn. I work in Somerville so if any help is needed in the evening the night before or day of I can get their pretty quick.

The hype over the Charles River park is very cool. I can't wait for it to be a reality. Hopefully I'm in one peice the year it is made. Thanks for working on that project I'm sure it will be great.

JG--

One thing I think that we fail to do in advance of any Boston race is get the word out to the general public.
Once we have dates and times nailed down, I would be willing to make up some flyers and go around to local stores (Blades, especially) and coffee shops asking to have the flyers hung.
I think that we should aim not only to encourage those who pass by to stop and watch, but to maybe even get some folks to come check out the event based on their own curiosity. Especially younger folks who hang out at Blades and other such stores. Maybe even posting some flyers at local skate parks.

Just some thoughts.

John, I vote for a September race too. On July 4th most people want to spend it with family. I got the holiday, 2 family birthdays, and a very pregnant wife all happening around that time.

The Common Hill is definately steep enough but I agree with Matt about the runout area. If we could rope off part of path along Charles st. that would be good or you will need to do some serious footbraking. I've haven't been to the hempfest but I imagine some slalom skateboarding will seriously blow some minds and its sure to attract a lot of college kids who might like slalom skateboarding. But we would need some very good monitoring or barriors to keep people from wandering into the course.

Also consider an outlaw race at the Arbortem, I'd love to see a huge top to bottom race at that hill.

Count me in to do some graphic design/poster designing. Lets do it soon and get the word out. If it looks professional it will go a long way to getting the city to consider a slalom area at the skatepark or somewhere in the city.

Also- John, do you absolutely need a permit to run the July 4th race? How about an outlaw race? They block off the street regardless if we have a race or not.

yes we do need permission- but they grant July 4th every year...they just won't tell us that we have it until about 2 weeks before.

John....I've said it over and over. You could not have a race on a worst day in a worst city in a worst time of the year. I'm not knocking Boston (I'm from NYC, ok so I am a little)...but July 4th in Boston is just a pain. Not only that that hill is one of those places that is cute and everything to race on once but not something i would actively go back to unless I had too.

Now September in new England rules...I would LOVE to see a race around that time......I would MUCh prefer that.

You know what would be really cool? A race at the Arboretum...not that that would ever happen.

So ya, September is MUCH better.

John - there is no race scheduled for the American Cup in September. The unfortunate cadence we have between races (or lack there of) is a result of throwing the cup together at the last minute, but I would love to see another East coast event make it into the Cup. September is perfect.
Would love to put this in stone for 2005 as well.
Gary

I will work to get it done.

I also would like to have an outlaw race in the Arboretum, but I think we need to involve a group of "HAahvard students" in slalom to make it happen

Almost any day in September would be great. The weather in September in Boston is about as good as it gets- anywhere for slalom racing.

Both Arborteum hill and the long wide pitch in the Boston Common hill lend themselves more to hybrid or tight slalom- there is a pitch suitable for gs but the slope is shorter.- speeds would be quite high- as this goes from the top of the statehouse and drops quickly.

The Arboretum is a great techSL venue if a good course is set. What I would like to do is set a couple of permanent courses at the Arboretum with the help of skaters to test . That way we can just drop the cones down and go race. A badly set course doesn't work on the Arboretum hill due to its changing pitch and surface and I would liketo avoid struggling to set a workable course on race day. So anytime anyone is willing to go- I'll set up a couple of courses and we can test them. I won't say which course is being used until race day.

Ben and I will come down to help preset and ride the course at the Arboretum. Let us know.

That weekend looks great to me, let me know if I can help at all. Anybody racing this weekend? I just got back from the Gathering and have the fever. I'm up for anywhere this weekend whether it be the Arboretum or Gloucester or both. Rye Airfield or Newburyport on Thursday evening too if anyone's interested.

John, I like the idea of a preset marked course at the Arbortem. Let us all know when this will happen.

Matt and I sessioned last Saturday in this sweet parking lot at this empty corporate building off 128 near the Milton exit. Good place for an Outlaw event, no traffic, cops, or people. You could do a tight 75 cone course no problem.

I wanna be an outlaw. Let's have a race. Let's pick a date.

So far the vote for July 4th is such that I should really just do the september event. 100% in favor of it.

So I will turn over the July 4th date to the kids who want to organize a kids race. I will arrange for the permits for them...and they are on their own.

The slalomspot crew wants to do it..I suggested a kids only race, but if you like to enter as an Adult you may- but no prizes for dusting 14 year olds.

We think the cut off age will be 25 for offical racing. Anyone can come get a time. And if there are enough adults we will make a class for adults but we aren't planning the adult race.

As soon as we get the permit and insurance settled we will make some more plans/ announcements.

John,
I would like to be able to make it. I wont be able to make the July forth race, so I casted my vote for sept.

is this race going to happen?

Ben,

I talked with JG about this. He sounded like he wanted to do something, but who knows.
If you find out anything keep us posted.

Is it going to happen JG?

You know-

I want racing to happen- but I also don't want to throw a race that isn't to the level of one I would like to attend.

I decided to check out the site for that weekend- talk to the DCR (Dept .conserv.rec.) and think it through. Temps are a little chilly right now. But skies are very clear/ blue.

I still want a competition on a better hill- with more prize money and sponsors. The slope of the Boston Common hill- the wide one that I was considering.....really isn't fast enough for anything other than Novice/ intermediate skaters.

If they repave some of the narrower paths- that could be a possibility.

There is a fantastic hill on the back side of the state house....but I seriously doubt we could ever get that closed off. Of course Beacon hill would also be great.

What I might consider is a ridiculously early race on a Sunday morning 5:30-7:30, outlaw, and on the back side of the state house. Set Edge to edge so it is stealth. A true screamer GS course. 30-35 mph.

So I am still going to have a competition (not this weekend)- but I am still in search of a good site. And I am in no rush to hold one. The competition schedule has been pretty busy- which is a good thing.

Gary Fluitt wrote:John - there is no race scheduled for the American Cup in September. The unfortunate cadence we have between races (or lack there of) is a result of throwing the cup together at the last minute, but I would love to see another East coast event make it into the Cup. September is perfect.
Would love to put this in stone for 2005 as well.
Gary

Well we did see a lot of racing this past weekend. Georgia, Antibes, and Cascade.
Cascade won't affect the coast- but Antibes and Georgia like do as Georgia is a good draw for DC and the South- and Antibes is a possible draw for any East Coasters. Racing every other week- can't a lot for some people (The women won't tolerate it).

Perhaps another good time would be Columbus day weekend- 8-11 of October- it ussually is warm, no rain, the days run short but since it is a 3 day weekend- it won't matter- though lodging in New England during Leaf color changing times can be expensive, yet still a possible draw for some of the racers families.

isn't that the weekend of worlds?

Why don't we just have a contest at Magnolia when the gates are closed? We could get the start ramps there and hold one on the main hill. Lodging would be significantly cheaper, and we wouldn't have to worry about permits etc.