Where do you think Slalom is going?

[shapeshifter]

It's going.....................


Downhill.

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[Eddy Martinez]

As a promoter or race organizer and member of the Texas Outlaws we refuse to let our sport die. We have come a long way from the Cambria Outlaw races held in California. Our we a small family yes we are. But I look at it this way as long as we keep promoting the sport it will flourish. This year alone I saw alot of young faces at DHB. These bros were STOKED to be there and hanging with some of the older skaters. Traveling across the country cost alot. Sometimes local Outlaw races are the only way to go. I am grateful that I have met some really cool bros on the tour since 2003. Some race promoters go all out and spend and lose money out of their own pocket, does not matter as long as the racers leave happy and had a good time. Case and point I treat Karl and Da Weasle like brothers why? Because the are STOKED to be at the races, no negative vibes. Karl does not mind speaking his mind. And he wants the sport to advance and stay alive. I saw this kid by the name of Dukat at DHB. The kid had a smile from ear to ear. Adam Schwip is another example the bro is on fire. They said back in 2003 that it was our 15 minutes of fame. And yet here we are. The Canadians have proved to be a powerhouse. It is no longer the California guys that dominate the slalom scene. Jack Smith planted a seed and now it has grown like a wild vine and spread. The sport will not die as long as we do not let it. Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws.

[msk]

I think the average age is coming down. When slalom resurfaced several years ago, almost everyone that I was doing it with was in their late 30s to mid 40s. Even though we're now in our mid/late 40s, the average age at most of the races and sessions has gone down. Right now, it seems like most of the growth has been skaters in their 20s/30s, along with some of the younger kids. I'll bet that a significant percentage, if not the majority, of skaters at next week's Pump Station event will be at least 15 years younger than I am...

[Steve D.]

I've loved slalom from the first time trying it, I'm using a homemade board with crazy wedged short-board trucks and i have a hell of a good time.

[msk]

park slalom and GS/SGS are a couple areas I think young guys can get into this the fastest. it's getting them to attend slalom events in the first place that's hard -- but have them start in the GS courses where its about speed and wider carves. TS can be discouraging because it takes a lot more practice and patience to run clean.

I think GS might be a bit too extreme as well. The usual reaction I get from anyone who finds out I'm into slalom is "I could never do that. I can't handle going downhill that fast"

Hybrid is probably the most beginner-friendly form, outside of park slalom. A course can be set that isn't overly challenging, unlike TS, and the speeds aren't that much higher than what many skaters have already experienced. The last thing you'd want to do if you want more people getting into the sport is throw them down JPL with little or no experience at those kinds of speeds...

[EBasil]

It's growing, and will continue to do so as long as it stays away from the spandex-wearing kickflippers that Slim hangs out with in San Francisco (can you hear Bill O'Reilly now?)! While they stroke each other over their "skillsets", the sport just keeps picking up...much to the chagrin of the wannabe punks in their late 40's with the black tee shirts and a snarl on their lips.

In SoCal and diagonally across the nation up to New Hampshire, down to the steeps of SoFla and back across to the scene in the Pac NorWet, groups of generally older slalom skaters are putting on events that draw in young skaters and have generated a surge in popularity for the sport. Skaters interested in speed, persons of the opposite sex and FUN have been flocking to it, albeit in the small numbers one might expect at the beginning of a viral campaign. In many of those places, "slalom crews" comprised of much younger skaters are popping up, after the other events.

It's a form of skating that doesn't require a rail, doesn't die without something to vandalize, doesn't sound like someone's dragging a grate across the pavement and that almost anyone can do poorly enough to have a great time trying...and then getting better. If the population of kids crossing over to check it out on their pool-style or kickflipper boards at Silverfish Clinics in SoCal is any indication, things are looking up. (Yeah, we loan boards for the ones on kickflippers, and they come back every time).

As for the dude wondering whether to choose DH or slalom, choose both. In SoCal (and elsewhere) there's a lot of crossover. Slalom skaters race DH, DH racers have been hitting the slalom courses, and everyone's getting better and better.

[slickhare]

As for the dude wondering whether to choose DH or slalom, choose both. In SoCal (and elsewhere) there's a lot of crossover. Slalom skaters race DH, DH racers have been hitting the slalom courses, and everyone's getting better and better.

unfortunately i can only afford one. but you slalers seem like a fun lot, so i think i'll join ya

[pavedwave]

I think GS might be a bit too extreme as well. The usual reaction I get from anyone who finds out I'm into slalom is "I could never do that. I can't handle going downhill that fast"

Hybrid is probably the most beginner-friendly form, outside of park slalom. A course can be set that isn't overly challenging, unlike TS, and the speeds aren't that much higher than what many skaters have already experienced. The last thing you'd want to do if you want more people getting into the sport is throw them down JPL with little or no experience at those kinds of speeds...

yeah i was alluding more to the crossover DH guys, which we've seen a lot more of last year, that are already comfortable with speed and like big open GS courses. i wouldnt' encourage someone who's not already practicing to jump into something like Hood River GS... if its a full-on newbie to skating or someone who hasn't been on their board a long time, then we loosen our weekend hybrid courses up a bit, as we tend to run those tight/technical as well. if its any indication of growth, just a few years ago, at 36 i was the 'young guy' at many sessions and pleased to say i can no longer claim that!

[sAMOa]

a race is a race is a race! just need good areas for specators to watch and have some good m/c's that kick the spirit in high gear. and most of all .. promo promo promo promo . poor kids sitting on the bench for traditional sports. tsk tsk tsk

get a deck and help pave the way for another cool way to see a foot race!

the future is not about wishing it to happen. people need to get off their ass and see it through no matter how long it takes! :P

as the ranks contine to grow, it will reign!



cYa

[OldSkateGuy]

Slim, I agree with you regarding your statement that the world rankings would look a whole lot different if the best skaters in the world were racing slalom.

Don't get me wrong here, Hackett and Olson are friends of mine...but their impact on attracting new racers has been minimal. Mainly due to the fact that they have not put on that many park slalom events. I love watching and competing in PS, even though I suck at it. Park slalom is by no means something new, it's been around since the first skatepark era.

I also think that guys wearing all black, and leather that are Hackett's and Olson's age look just as silly as a guy their age wearing lycra. Do you really think young skaters think it's cool to see middle age men dressed either way? I feel the same way about when I see middle age guys decked out in leather "colors" riding Harleys.

I am currently organizing an event to be held within the next eight months that will be very much like the obstacle course race you write of. Four racers at a time, banks, jumps and even some cones. First place will be $5,000. More soon.

And yes, I have been known to wear a lycra top now and then...oh wait, it's capilene. And it's also white.

[Parallel Man]

Everybody has a foreboding dread that it's going to "die again" like it did in the late'70 and early '80s.

Let me assure you it's not.

There is a HUGE difference between now and then. What is it? THE INTERNET.

When SKATEBOARDER abandoned slalom to pursue four pages of continuous action shots of Steve Alba grinding the coping ONE MORE TIME, we were left in a lurch. You see, in the old days we had no way to communicate. Without SKATEBOARDER or WILD WORLD OF SKATEBOARDING there was no way to know about racers, races or racing. We were just sort of left out in the wilderness with no phone. Practicing alone can be fun and fulfilling, but you really need at LEAST one other skater to race. It's just the nature of the sport.

Ah, but now we don't NEED a magazine. We don't have to hope that D. David or Warren Bolster will like us. We can all type at will and ad nauseum to keep each other informed. Yes, I like CONCRETE WAVE and I like what Michael puts in it. We don't NEED CW, though, to organize a race, pass along racing tips or learn about what's new from a manufacture. We have the self-publishing world of RIGHT HERE. As opposed to the "old days" when the magazines generated stuff for us to talk about, now we generate stuff for the magazine to report. That, by the way, is the way it should be.

Even if all the websites disappeared tomorrow (they won't, but just suppose) we all still have all the e-mail addresses to generate online discussion about making sure everyone gets the word about a race. Websites like SF just make passing along that message easier.

For those of you who are new to this just take my word that things this time really are different. No, we don't have G&S, Sims or Santa Cruz's millions to make this work. What we do have, however, are just a few guys who can lay up some glass or wood, get access to a CNC machine for some trucks and contract now and then for a small pour of big soft wheels.

As long as that's happening and this Internet thing keeps happening, racing will go on. As a consequence, it will grow by default. It just can't help attracting more and more people who wanna race on skateboards.

Trust me.

[msk]

Sure, there will be some kids that are interested in traditional slalom, but maybe because it is less dangerous and requires less courage than what their friends are doing out in the streets and in the bowls these days.

"Less dangerous and requires less courage"? Some of the worst injuries I've seen have been from slalom, and happened to guys wearing a lot more protective gear than you'll ever see any street skater wear. Courage? Let's see how many kids I can take from the local skatepark over to JPL, tell them to *loosen* their trucks a bit, and then follow me down. The usual response I get from anyone about slalom is "no way, I could never go that fast down a hill"...

In fact, if it wasn't for Hackett and Olson and DP and the other pool skaters doing slalom, there would be many fewer people getting in to it over the last 7 years. But those guys make it acceptable to do slalom.

A lot of the younger kids I've seen get into slalom aren't even aware of BLR. I've found that the best recruiting tool is setting up a few cones in a skatepark parking lot, and letting the kids that gather to watch take a few runs. There have been times I didn't think I'd ever get my boards back so I could go home...

[SteveC]

You know. downhill. (with corners), Is arguably slalom with huge gates...
MS-Mega Slalom.
Or...I dunno, Pick an acronym

[Joe & Nick]

Yeah, what D0 said!!

1. Slalom is not exclusively about skating for me. Sure I love to skate, but it also gives me a chance to hang with friends I've made from all over the world. Sometimes I do well, sometimes I don't, but I always have fun.

2. Slalom or Downhill? I think it will increasingly be both. The Farm, Top Challenge, and Dixie Cup had both slalom and downhill races in 2006. I don't think you need to worry that one or the other will be going away soon.

3. Slalom going away soon? Between 2005-2006 the size of the sport's participants doubled. We went from being a bunch of mature guys, to all ages of men women and children. In the past two years the largest growth has come from high school and college. Slalom today is way bigger than it was in the 70's.

4. Death race? Boarder cross? SGS? Why not? If you have a good idea, throw a race. I went to a Death race in Montreal this weekend. Derek Smith threw a boardercross in MA this fall. I agree TS is techie and not where we will attract new riders. How about we have more longboard slalom races since all you weasles already have longboards?

5. The number of hits on the slalom forum? I'm the Mod and I don't do a great job of keeping it fresh. Business has had me out of the country a lot. I'm open for suggestions or help. I can drum up some guest editors if you want, like D0 did for board building. Unfortunately, slalom goes underground most places until spring, but still maybe a good time to prepare.

Regardless, go skate, go to bowl, downhill, slalom, whatever contests. Meet other skaters. Try their boards. Expand your horizons.

Joe

[Civ]

Hey Slim, how about chinese worker slalom, we could all go to where they make blanks in China and slalom around the workers, and tell them how much better people have it in America?. Just a thought.

[Momona Boe]

*unruly mob noises*

[Partyboypowell]

For you guys with your own "scenes" and races for all you to gather at, slalom is the best and biggest growing aspect of skating. Here in North-East England.... yeah. It's not really the easiest aspect to get into by yourself.

Aslong as people who like doing it do it, who cares.

[bara]

I dont like posting much anymore, but couldnt stay away from this one.....There are more 20-30 year olds in this sport than there were a few years ago....allot more...if you think otherwise, then your opinion is based on the bullsh!t you read on line and you probably havent attended (m)any events....same holds true for spandex, it's not common, but it gets allot of press...and lets get to that for a second....Mollica is the biggest charactor when it comes to spandex....He's also one of the gnarliest bastards on the circuit, fast as hell and down for anything.....he skates everything....and he wins.....he's over 40....he's got greys...and he can party most people under the table.....so if he wants to wear spandex, so be it.....hell, he's skated in a pink thong and butt ass naked too.....he's Kenny...he can do that...
Another thing that you'd notice is that for the large part, when talking about the older guys, is that they've changed allot too....there are more all-around skaters slaloming...most of the BEST slalomers also ride parks or DH....and they're in better shape than they were a few years ago....you have to be in shape if you want to get over the top in this sport...you have to train....It wasnt like that a few years ago,....it's changed....
Finally, and this took me a while to figure out, but i finally got it, you have to have a F*ck it attitude in slalom now, especially on a good GS......if you dont push it to the limit, you're not going to make the cut.
All the guys who say slalom is a foo-foo sport never REALLY got into it....when you crash in slalom, you pay a big price....how many of us had surgery last year?....how many blown out shoulders and knees were there?......and then how many people had to nurse some huge road rashes....this is a tough sport and it takes its toll.....
It will grow...but if it grows too fast or becomes too mainstream, that may be a bad thing

[HerBDerb]

Slalom is for the queers.

[marv]

If every "old guy" could get at least one new, young guy into it, than slalom would be huge. I think if everyone tried that, slalom would grow a lot.

Muttlips got me hooked on slalom, and my friend started up as well when i did.
There's two new racers right off the bat.