Slalom Tryout Sessions

[Chris Eggers]

Donald Campbell wrote in another thread "Slalom Skateboarding will be dead in a few years"
He may be right. If we are honest, we are all old, I mean most of us are, most of the guys and girls who skate slalom regularly.

I only see some activity of younger slalom skaters in Switzerland and some (2 or 3 in the US, haven´t heard of the 3DM´s anymore)

We urgently NEED yonger skaters to get into this. Most of the kickflipkids don´t even know that a skateboard can turn. How do we do this?
We have to offer classes. Simple as that. We have to supply boards to try.
Make slalom tryout sessions like the Italians and Swiss do.

I will do one near my house on June 17th.

I will post flyers in the skateparks, in the shops around town and on the local websites.

I encourage every enthusiastic slalom skater in the world to do the same. Let´s get it on!

Here is my example (in German):

Slalom Skateboarding

Schnupper-Session
Für Anfänger und Fortgeschrittene

Wann: 17.06.2006

14:00 Uhr – ca. 16.30 Uhr
(nur bei trockenem Wetter)



Wo: Ettlingen, Karlsruher Straße, am Ortseingang aus Richtung Rüppurr (Fahrradweg neben dem Glasgebäude)


Was: Boards und Slalomcones (Kegel) zum Ausprobieren sind
vorhanden
Instruktionen von Chris Eggers

Mitbringen: möglichst Pads (Helm)
und Spaß

Kontakt: Chris Eggers
sk8chris@web.de
Tel.: 0160/6932347

[Stefano Bellingeri]

Hi Chris,
keep it going!
A good news is that starting from last week there are 20-30 skaters, young, old, males, females, training in the evening at the Valentino's Park in Turin. Moreover, this sunday we'll have a regional slalom demonstration/race here in Piedmont region (at Cantalupa, near Pinerolo).
It seems that things are moving. Nothing personal against Donald (!) but hopefully he was wrong....
Come'on slalomers it is paybacktime!

CU in Paris
Stefano

[Chris Eggers]

WE have to prove him wrong. It is our task!
I really think it will be in his personal interest too. And in every other manufacturers also .......

[Karl Floitgraf]

[Erik Basil]

Try clinics. It's working in SoCal.

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/a ... 0013137641

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/a ... 7012013828

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/a ... 1192649605

etc...

[Joe Iacovelli]

Chris,

I have had success in a couple of areas;

1. Old guys - maybe contrary to your stated mission of youth, but it swells our numbers. Also all skaters regardless of age bring friends. Maybe the old guys will have young friends or kids.

2. Longboarders, schools and universities are good places to put up flyers.

3. Ski and snowboard racers. I'm having good luck lately with snowboard racers. You only have to get a couple and they recruit the rest. GS is particularly attractive to snowboarders.

And with any clinic, I suggest two parts. The clinic itself where you give a base understanding, practice, and coaching. Then part two where you set up the timer and have a race. Actually racing inspires competition amongst peers and motivation to keep trying.

A couple other items. Bring loaner boards and decent used gear for sale. Sometimes you can get a kick flip board to work with a couple bushings. Be prepared to give some small stuff away (bushings, wedges). A small prize like a set of wheels for the winner helps too.

Bring water and snacks. Once you have them, you don't want them to leave.

Be prepared to collect email and phone numbers. Handing out a flyer with your contact info and some description and directions, web site info, photo copied CW magazine pages.

Joe

[Tom Mangelsdorf]

Um ... I just posted this in the "My imagination of a slalom race" thread, but it fits here too! So through the miracle of cut-n-paste, here it is again:

It takes people like us to get it going ... I'm organizing a race in my town this June. Even the people in the skate shops around here are like, "Huh? A slalom race? Well, I guess we are seeing more and more people buying longboards." Sheesh! There are 3 skate shops in Madison, Wisconsin. The people that work at 2 of them had the reaction I just mentioned. The guy that owns the 3rd shop is really pumped. He thinks it's a great idea and is throwing in 3 or 4 decks and some t-shirts for prizes. Also the guys from chiXill have offered to come and host a clinic and bnring some goodies to give away too.

The first two shops I mentioned sell mostly popsicle-stick boards to the kick flippers, but have some Sec 9 completes for sale off in the corner. And actually, they have more floor space devoted to skate clothing than they do to skateboards. The 3rd shop is almost all skateboards. He has the usual short board selection, but he also has Sec 9, Landyachtz, Madrid, and Dreggs longboards as well as Randall trucks, Abec11, HAWGS, and Kryptonics wheels. And he sells Concrete Wave magazine. Clearly an enlightened individual.

IF WE CAN JUST GET PEOPLE TO TRY SOMETHING NEW - YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. RUN CONES FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND YOU ARE HOOKED FOR LIFE.

It takes people though. People willing to put the effort into getting a small local contests going. Hopefully the stoke will spread. I have received tons of support for my little contest from people all over Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. That is the other key - to support each other. If we start the fire and fan the flames, our time will come.