Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 12:37 am
Select photos from Jeana Justice and Lee Ann Blevins
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss42 ... om%20Race/
So we had a good day of skating. It got a little damp but it was a good day.
We got out to the hill and set up. People started slowly trickling in. The start ramp was late coming in. And it looks like the rain was moving in early.
So we were about to start the practice and just do this a push start race when the Tolleys drove up with the ramp. We put the ramp together real quick and started letting people get some practice runs in. Then I felt the first rain drop.
So we go straight into racing and trying to get times in for everybody. No racer's meeting or anything. Just jump in and try to get some times in. As we ran the drizzle picked up and all we could do is try and run as fast as we could while the road got less and less dry. We got through the line up once and it was my turn to go. The road was about half wet but I figured I had to put it down becuase this might be the only chance I would get. I laid down the frastest time of the day. We kept going until the road was just too wet. No one was going to better their times.
The drizzle ended and so we just did some bombing while we waited for the road to dry. Just guys acting like kids. Skating on the wet roads as fast as we could.
Some guy came through and parked at the bottom of the hill and started dumping buckets of something on the side of the road. He gave us the stink eye as we passed. He split and then the cops showed up. Seems they got an anonymus call complaining about us. Then the dumper guy drove through again and just stared at us as he passed. but the cop was cool and said if the people weren't brave enough to leave their name he had no problem with us.
So by then the road had pretty much dried and we started skating again. A few guys improved their times before the drizzle picked up again. Most everyone got their three runs in and we called the hybrid a race.
At this point Bobby "The Stoke" Thomas was pushing that we go ahead a do a tight even if we had to do it in the rain. So we set a tight course on the wet street hoping the road would dry up again. No such luck. The rain came a little harder and things got real wet but that didn't stop Bobby. There's just no stopping the Stoke. So he ran the tight in the rain. He used the start ramp and ran the tight course. You could just hear the water coming off his wheels as he went. He ran two runs and called it quits. Dennis Blevins got video of it.
So we called it a day and I handed out the trophies. Being the Kentucky Derby and Derby Day at that. So I had some Derby specific trophies. Novelty Jockey helmets. Everyone loved them and all racers got one. No two alike. The #1 trophy helmet was the same colors as the winner of the Oaks race on Friday, purple and gold.
Everyone seemed to have a great time despite the rain. Hopefully we can make this an every year thing. Thanks to everyone that came out and special thanks to the cop for letting us skate.
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss42 ... om%20Race/
So we had a good day of skating. It got a little damp but it was a good day.
We got out to the hill and set up. People started slowly trickling in. The start ramp was late coming in. And it looks like the rain was moving in early.
So we were about to start the practice and just do this a push start race when the Tolleys drove up with the ramp. We put the ramp together real quick and started letting people get some practice runs in. Then I felt the first rain drop.
So we go straight into racing and trying to get times in for everybody. No racer's meeting or anything. Just jump in and try to get some times in. As we ran the drizzle picked up and all we could do is try and run as fast as we could while the road got less and less dry. We got through the line up once and it was my turn to go. The road was about half wet but I figured I had to put it down becuase this might be the only chance I would get. I laid down the frastest time of the day. We kept going until the road was just too wet. No one was going to better their times.
The drizzle ended and so we just did some bombing while we waited for the road to dry. Just guys acting like kids. Skating on the wet roads as fast as we could.
Some guy came through and parked at the bottom of the hill and started dumping buckets of something on the side of the road. He gave us the stink eye as we passed. He split and then the cops showed up. Seems they got an anonymus call complaining about us. Then the dumper guy drove through again and just stared at us as he passed. but the cop was cool and said if the people weren't brave enough to leave their name he had no problem with us.
So by then the road had pretty much dried and we started skating again. A few guys improved their times before the drizzle picked up again. Most everyone got their three runs in and we called the hybrid a race.
At this point Bobby "The Stoke" Thomas was pushing that we go ahead a do a tight even if we had to do it in the rain. So we set a tight course on the wet street hoping the road would dry up again. No such luck. The rain came a little harder and things got real wet but that didn't stop Bobby. There's just no stopping the Stoke. So he ran the tight in the rain. He used the start ramp and ran the tight course. You could just hear the water coming off his wheels as he went. He ran two runs and called it quits. Dennis Blevins got video of it.
So we called it a day and I handed out the trophies. Being the Kentucky Derby and Derby Day at that. So I had some Derby specific trophies. Novelty Jockey helmets. Everyone loved them and all racers got one. No two alike. The #1 trophy helmet was the same colors as the winner of the Oaks race on Friday, purple and gold.
Everyone seemed to have a great time despite the rain. Hopefully we can make this an every year thing. Thanks to everyone that came out and special thanks to the cop for letting us skate.