An article from the Barrie Examiner

**skategeezer** · 10-14-2009 01:55 PM

great place to skate...good article...

Boards built for speed - The Barrie Examiner - Ontario, CA

Keenan Domerecki, of the Barrie Longboarders group, can reach speeds of more thant 100 kilometres an hour.
Mark Wanzel photo

Boards built for speed

Posted By RAYMOND BOWE

Updated 5 hours ago

Forget skateboard tricks and twisted ankles. Longboarders are all about cruise control.
Keenan Domerecki, who oversees the Barrie Longboarders group on Facebook, says the club is merely a loose association of like-minded individuals.
"We're basically a whole bunch of people who like to go fast," says Domerecki, a south-end Barrie resident. "We all started out in trick skating, but many of us weren't very good. We just got sucked in to longboarding."
And, with several longboarders decked out in full leather protective gear and helmets, make no mistake. Speed is the name of the game.
Most of the riders in the group have reached speeds of more than 100 kilometres per hour, Domerecki says.
"I actually got up to 110 drafting (behind) my truck," the 23-year-old Domerecki says with pride. "It was actually not as scary as you think. My truck created a bubble, so there was basically no wind."
Barrie's geography is prime for longboarding.
"It's a good starter town," says Domerecki. "We're in a valley, right? I'm actually surprised it hasn't taken off like it should be."
In Barrie, some of the best riding locations include Ferndale Drive in the city's north end near the Sandy Hollow landfill; Prince Albert Way in the city's south end near the Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf; Mapleton Avenue in the south end; and a small run from Marshall Street to Innisfil Street near the Allandale neighbourhood.
It's getting late in the season, but longboarders will basically ride until the snow flies.
"We try to get out as much as possible," Domerecki said.