Many skaters have taken a chance to freeride the famous Maryhill Loops Road but it’s almost always a poach. After last year’s debacle at the Fairgrounds and a loony Mayor with an agenda and the willingness to mislead, the skate community came together here to support Goldendale and you wound up funding repairs to the skatepark in Ekone Park and a BBQ for the volunteers that drove out to work in the rain. Now, you’ve got a chance to freeride Maryhill with haybales, trucks and safety measures like you’d find at a race…but it’s all just a free ride! Check out what the Maryhill Ratz have going…
MARYHILL FREERIDE & DEMO DAYS!
March 28 & 29th, 2009
This will be a weekend of riding the most famous longboarding hill in the world. The event is open to the first 90 or so riders who sign up and pay the $105 (via PayPal). This is not a race and there are no prizes, spectators or camping --just a closed hill with hay bales, EMT’s safety workers and shuttles! The first shuttle starts at 9am and goes to 5pm. There will be 6 man heats spaced about a minute apart. We will try and get as many runs as possible each day.
Timeship Racing has stepped up to work with various manufactures to arrange some demo boards to sample throughout the day. This equipment will then be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the City of Goldendale to help with the creation of a concrete skate park. More details on this are to come. There are rumors that Timeship is bringing the Bungee, too!
There they go again - on Formula One's hollowed ground... Legendary Brazilian raceway Interlagos hosts some of the world's best slalom riders and the top Brazilian downhill racers for the second issue of the "GP Brasil de Skate Slalom e Speed" to be taken place next Friday (19th) and Saturday (20th). Skaters will have the chance to ride on the same smooth, recently repaved terrain which made Lewis Hamilton the youngest F-1 world champion ever, along with other activities all over the raceway. World Champion Jason Mitchell and Jake Phelps (Thrasher editor) are already in Brazil to feel the atmosphere - and to ride some perfect cement parks, for sure. Last year, Bob "Gnarl" Burnquist himself made a surprise appearance, got amped and even took a couple of runs; who knows who'll be the surprise skateboarding celebrity this year?!
It's a San Francisco tradition at this point: Purple Skunk's all skate jam event in Golden Gate Park. If you've got a skateboard, and you're in it for the fun, then you've either been to this, or should keep your eyes open for it in '09. Here's their report from this year's fest...
ALL Skate Jam - San Francisco Golden Gate Park
It was October 12th in San Francisco's historic Golden Gate Park. The day was made to order for the annual ALL Skate Jam hosted by Purple Skunk Board Shop, Plank Skateboards and Sk8Kings. 10 a.m. kicked off and blue skies, an occasional gust of wind, Metson Lake, a blocked off road, a slalom course, fun box, rail, Continental breakfast followed by handmade club sandwiches, snacks and drinks were provided, a wild and crazy bazooka t-shirt and cap toss and the "killer" raffle at the end of the day back at the Purple Skunk made for a GRRRRRRREAT day in San Francisco.
It's been proven over and over again: if you're willing to make an event happen, great things will follow. Brian Holden knew there was plenty of skaters and stoke in town, but not enough events. He made one. Chack it out...
The Colorado Push Race
Makin' it Happen!
After realizing that Colorado had no events to cater to the growing scene, I felt it was necessary to step in and make things happen. I wanted to have an event that would not limited the number of participants by skill level or discipline, but allow any skater to attend. The idea of a push race came to my mind, and I felt it would be a great event to have. Then, the Washington Park Longboard Jam and Clinic was born. I immediately started contacting as many sponsors I could with the event date only 2 weeks away. I managed to find 8 great sponsors to help me out.
With little than 2 weeks till the event, I started getting all of the information online to inform every skater to come check out the event. I posted flyers around Downtown Denver, and local skateshops in Littleton. As every day progressed towards the event day, the stoke became massive. I had over 30 participants signed up online, and had even more people drawn in from the flyers.
So these guys were doing slide tricks and it was a festival… BAM!” --Sgt. Sparkles.
Slidefest 2008, atop a dusty road in Oceanside Ca. Sliders from all over the world arrived to take part in the most important SlopeStyle competition in the world. Multiple States, Countries and Continents were represented under the heated sun on N. Loretta Street. The skills and styles on the hill differed just as much as the accents and attitudes. All skaters, however, shared one common thread, a dedication and adept skillset to utilize everything before them on this sacred gradient. This is slope style skating.
This would be the 4th Annual Slidefest. The first two I was witness of and the third, I missed due to being buried in 17’ of snow in Denver. The Slidefest I missed apparently was something to have witnessed, as Khiro Bob said it was “Gnarly” and he’s got a pretty good idea of what levels of gnar there are. A fast short straight into curves sent just as many people into curbs as got down the hill, maybe more. With certain complications that arose at the last location, Slidefest was moved back to the quiet and friendly canyon that Loretta is nestled in.
Events & Coverage 
