Tennis Ball idea

**SteveC** · 10-28-2006 04:38 PM

I'm pretty new to slalom, and since I live under, the land down under, the idea of shipping 'real' slalom cones across the globe is a bit nasty, anyhow.

I'm thinking of going with the half tennis ball idea, with the addition of cutting into them so they can go flat when you run them over

Anyone tried this before?
any nasty experiences with tennis balls..?

Cheers

**oldskool** · 10-28-2006 04:42 PM

havent tried that before but sounds like a good idea

**bpz** · 10-28-2006 04:47 PM

They will get stuck under your trucks, you will fall and you will get hurt.

**SteveC** · 10-28-2006 04:52 PM

Yeah I figured that could very well happen,
Thanks
Back to the drawingdoard

**Slim** · 10-28-2006 04:58 PM

Many things can be used to set up a slalom course. Before I got cones, we used to practice with aluminum drink cans, or even paper or plastic cups when there was no wind.

**bpz** · 10-28-2006 05:09 PM

Plastic soda bottles with a bit of sand or water in the bottom will work. Or go to a party store and get those cups everyone uses for booze at parties. Stack 2 or 3 together, tape them together at the base, and use those as cones.

**Brian Holden** · 10-28-2006 05:12 PM

the best is got to be the bits of "welcome home mats" that are carpet, cars can run them over, and you can run them over on your board, and feel where the cones are.

**3rddegreeburns26** · 10-28-2006 05:50 PM

Friend of mine used paper bowls. The are a bit wide, but he cut the rim off of them and they worked well. The only problem is they are basiclly a one time us if you run over them.

**Civ** · 10-28-2006 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Sofa King

They will get stuck under your trucks, you will fall and you will get hurt.

ill second that.

**Rustyfriend** · 10-28-2006 06:06 PM

also.......don't get walmart cones............the ones with slits on the sides so they are collapsable

those cones KILL you...too much pain

just save up and get the real deal

**msk** · 10-29-2006 12:44 AM

Another thing to consider when using things that aren't as tall as cones, is that techniques honed using them may not apply when actually racing with cones. I'm prone to clipping cones with my clown-sized feet, and have also hit them with my shins or knee pads when really leaning into turns. These are things I didn't find out when first practicing with cardboard disks, since those didn't stick up above my deck. But as I found out at my first race, my technique and real cones didn't mix too well. If real cones aren't available, I'd go with plastic bottles or tall plastic cups, anything that's about the size of a real cone...

**SteveC** · 10-29-2006 01:55 AM

Cheers all, It's a great resource, the 'fish.

I'm seriosly concidering handmaking them from plastic sheet
Kalibur style

**Rustyfriend** · 10-29-2006 05:17 AM

Originally Posted by msk

and have also hit them with my knee pads when really leaning into turns.

aha! finally someone shares that with me

it's annoying isn't it?

**SteveC** · 10-29-2006 05:53 AM

Hey, I just noticed thet cd's are almost the same diameter as seismic's cones!

Now all I need is lots of country and western...

Just kidding

**Anton Milioti** · 10-29-2006 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by SteveC

Hey, I just noticed thet cd's are almost the same diameter as seismic's cones!

Now all I need is lots of country and western...

Just kidding

i loled.

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**xxguitarist** · 10-29-2006 10:52 AM

i have some non-slalom-specific cones, and also use half tennis balls..
my cones are solid, basically a smaller version of the real things.
i've never had a tennis ball stop me, and i've had a cone get wedged in under my truck and stop me dead..

**Parallel Man** · 10-29-2006 12:56 PM

**msk** · 10-29-2006 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by Rustyfriend

aha! finally someone shares that with me

it's annoying isn't it?

My right kneepad got this one:

Smith Scabs (a bit slimmer than the couch cushions I had here) helped remedy that problem, as well as practicing with real cones...

**brainfartalerts** · 10-29-2006 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by SteveC

Cheers all, It's a great resource, the 'fish.

I'm seriosly concidering handmaking them from plastic sheet
Kalibur style

Why don't you consider making them out of something like 60 - 70 mm diameter PVC waste pipe cut to 150 mm lengths?

Cheap, quick, near indedstructable and your collection can be expanded easily.

Bonus, spray a length or two orange before cutting and you know have your two color set.

Double Bonus, check in with a plumber and get his drops for free. 10 minutes later you have more cones than you want to set out.

Upgrade, glue it to a knock-out using PVC glue and you now have an obstacle that will roll around in a circle when if you can knock it over - tried it after whiney f@#k$ complained about rolling off of the course when knocked over - don't care.

**nsc1120** · 10-29-2006 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Sofa King

Or go to a party store and get those cups everyone uses for booze at parties. Stack 2 or 3 together, tape them together at the base, and use those as cones.

thats what I use and it works fine for me. and you can get 100 cups for about 5 bucks