UPDATED!!

Here?s a quick report from the skaters at Gareth Roe?s West Coast Slalom Championship, the race with all the big guns and a 95-cone GS course that?s about a half-mile long! Saturday?s GS is done, and Sunday will be TS in downtown Hood River. Jason "Racer X" Mitchell" wins it! The weather?s been good, the skating world class and details are below.

The Super GS racers include GS honchos like Richy Carrasco, Chris Barker, Lynn Kramer, Gary Fluitt, Dave Pirnack, Chris Chaput, Brent Kosick, Clay Westling, Tiger Williams, Art Pryde, Jason Mitchell, Jonny Miller, Keith Hollien, Gareth Roe, Marty Schaub, Judy Oyama and Trish Erickson. That?s not even half the racers, and you can see that the field includes some of the fastest big-course chargers on the planet! The racing is a single-lane course, and racers will be scored off the best two of three allowed runs.

After Round One in the men's division, it was Chaput, Mitchell, CBark, Cbark, Fluitt and Carrasco. Chaput is fresh off a series of GS wins at Pump Station in San Diego and must have utilized ?muscle memory?: he arrived late and raced without any practice time on the track or his board! CBark was flying and the Brown Bomber charging with the intensity he always brings to the track.

Round Two featured some improved times, and a few spills. After a smooth first round, light winds began to pick up in the afternoon, providing a light tailwind for the racers. The CCMF himself, Jonny Miller swapped on a new set of rear wheels and promptly took a hard stack, and without elbow and knee pads! JM?s alright, but switched those wheels back out of his setup? Some of the leaders improved times in the second run, some didn?t. The La Costa Boys racing crew, including Clay Westling, Kevin Dunne and Tiger Williams are ripping it up, too. The Pump Station crew are bringin' it to GS!

For the final round of the Men's SGS, the organizers reversed the grid: the fastest guys on the hill would go last. Times for many racers improved, and then Jason Mitchell hit the hill with a blistering run. He let it all hang out and laid down a time to beat Chaput?s first run and bolt himself into first place. This set the stage for another classic showdown like had occurred at the Pump Station Crossover GS: would Chaput be able to charge the hill and surpass Mitchell again, or had Racer X outrun Chaput this time? The crowds were at the bottom of the hill, waiting as Chris Chaput bolted the gates and headed onto the course, but it was not to be: for the third race in a row, Chaput?s ?paper shoulder? dislocated, and again on the push start. A groan went up, the showdown was over without Chaput passing a single cone in his last run: Jason, ?Racer X? Mitchell wins the Hood River Super GS!!

The Womens' Super GS racing has been fast and impressive, as well. Notably, the Cascade Slalom Association supports the Womens' Division with podium money, three deep! Big Respect from Silverfish Longboarding on that, and that's as "it" should be... So, our 'Fish in the crowd phones in that Lynn Kramer was charging the course exactly as you'd expect if you've seen her racing this year! She led the Womens' Division flag to flag and called in to report that the "course was perfect!". Judy Oyama and Utah Trish filled out the podium, and finished within about a second of each other. Competitive racing, keeping the crowds cheering.

That's not all! There's a 12-and-Under Division and the apples don't fall too far from the tree: Mariah Fluitt wins the Super GS! She's got her Dad's skills on a skate (and, thankfully, her Mom's good looks)!

MENS' DIVISION, SUPER GS

First: Jason Mitchell

Second: Chris Chaput

Third: CBark

Third: Carrasco

Third: Fluitt

WOMENS' DIVISION, SUPER GS

First: Lynn Kramer

Second: Judy Oyama

Third: Trish Erickson

JUNIORS' DIVISION, SUPER GS

First: Mariah Fluitt

Special Thanks to our Silverfish Correspondents, proving the utility of cellphones and helping us all follow great racing! Sunday's TS course runs right in front of the Full Sail brewery, through the middle of downtown Hood River. Top marks to the City for supporting skateboard athletics, and here's hoping the doors on the "Hospitality Room" at Full Sail are open!