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| Interviews (12 Posts)
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Interview of Marcus Rietema, President of IGSA
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Manu Antuna
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On 4/26/2002 Leonardo Ojeda
wrote in from
(10.10.nnn.nnn)
An interview with Manu Antuna, by Leonardo Ojeda
1.-Hello, can you tell us your full name, age, and other info about your
life?
My name is Manu ANTUNA, i'm 37 and i'm married and father of 4 children,and
i manage a little company for 15 years.
2.-how and when do u got into the sport?
approximately five years ago a friend of mine came to visit me with a
longskate, i found the board interresting and it was reminding me
snowboarding in the same time, thus i decided to try. Believe me, the
begnning wasn't easy at all for me, i had never put my feet on any
skateboard in my whole life before! anyhow, i persevered until i'm able to
ride down my neighbourhood hills.
3.-its well know worldwide your sliding capabilities, are they a natural
gift or what?
I think i'm the first guy in the history of skatebaording riding a board
like an alpine snowboard and that naturaly came from my "heavy" past of
slalom snowboarder.
Actually, i would tell that when i was a beginner i had no other choice than
sliding , first for braking and then to control my boards in the corners to
get down the alpine roads . so i perfected this style not even knowing guys
like cliff coleman, stacy peralta and other big names of skateboarding who
were sliding as well.
Anyway That "manu's style" made stand up skateboarding change, that's
what is cool !
I remember three years ago nobody sled my way in the corners, i especially
remember at the g-games, last year was quite different 'cause almost
everybody had sliding gloves and knew how to use them perfectly!
4.-who are your day-to-day skateboarding friends?
i've two friends i made a team with and they are french guys named stephane
and fred, another good friends of mine are eli smouse, biker, darryl,pamela
and many other guys from the scene i love riding with.
5.-when and where do u started into racing stand-up?
6 months after my very beginning in the sport there was an event in the
alps, i think the first big event of "longboarding" in france, i went there
and i finished on the podium....which really suprised me cause i just came
for fun and principally to learn how to ride from other people!!!
6.-how do you connected to team dreggs, if u raced with them how come u dont
have a black- yellow flamed leather suit?
Very good question.
Actually Biker is a very good friend of mine since the beginning of my
carrier, i wanted to get into the team since my first race in usa but too
many stupid political problem prevent me from doing it, i just wanted to
know more about dregs before getting involve in the team.
Today many people consider me as a dregs rider cause i'm riding with the
sticker on my helmet, that's true in a way but i would prefer say i'm
biker's friend and that i'm promoting the brand through europe. In another
hand i'm managing EDI and team dregs europe.
7.-how many and where, have been the races you been?whats the best spot for
you?
I ran 57 races and won 17 and was on the podium on 46 that's for the
statistics.
the best spot ever is probably not known yet but at the moment my prefered
race track is probably the insane track we raced at the australian xgames
2000. For freeriding there's so many places i know and will know that i
can't tell you...
8.-talk about the present and the future of stand up racing.
Stand up sk8boarding exists for years and years and is almost as old as
skateboarding, with the up coming of extreme sports in the last 90's the
sport came a bit in front of the scene but today i wouln't say it's gonna be
a mass sport or that it will become olympic, it's a small sport which
probably going to remain small and keep on going for ever especially for
passionated people like us.
9.-why u decided to retire?
Because i felt the need to do something else, i came, i saw, i won, now time
has come for me to get back to other passions, but don't worry i will remain
active in the sport, first by holding edi and team dregs europe,then by
promoting the sport through some "freeride events" a kind of events i
develloped in europe, where everything is free, everybody can ride all day
and night long and where there's no matter of level, rankings etc... of
course people are free so they can race at each other if they want but the
goal is to ride not win !
My other "crusade" is just to ride the most beautiful roads around the
planet,meet new people, new friends, new civilisations and cultures and
ride, ride, ride....
I'd love to go to south america especially argentina and chile, actually i'm
preparing the trip with my two fellows.
10.-now that u will be out of pro racing, what do you think of your
opponents and who will be your favorite?
What a difficult question !!!
many peole improved a lot, and there's probably many new riders coming up on
the scene, in another hand with have the old and great values, like biker,
darryl, gary, todd, eli, mark and chaput who's probably the most determined
rider at the moment,for the euros the ranks are well known amongst the
riders, and guys like doudou, remy, roli, werner etc.. are really accurate
and potentially dangerous for the americans.
11.-besides the gnarly crash at the "campo race" that appears in "the
Monkey", is there any other crash u remember?
OH yes, probably the biggest i've ever had and which took me far from the
scene by the beginning of last year, luckily i don't fall often and am
pretty solid on my board, but the most you fall the best you learn.
12.-are you going to race again some day?
Why not, maybe in streetluge for the g-games and if they give me a wild card
i would probably accept to race this kind of big events....
13.-any last words?
Thanks Leo, hummm, my last words are pretty weir for a guy who competed so
much but i must tell the truth to everyone, I hate competition, i'm a
freerider, i just wanted to see what it was and as i succeded i went further
and further each time meeting new friends, knowing new tracks and countries,
but my real feeling goes to freeride, just because i consider skateboarding
as a life style and absolutely not as a competition sport with rules and
barriers.
whatever, the most important is to do what you want when you can and be
happy.
i love u all.
manu
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Paul Dunn
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On 3/18/2002
Dan Gesmer
wrote in from
(10.10.nnn.nnn)
PD Interview
By
Dan Gesmer
15 February, 2002
No doubt about it, Paul Andrew Dunn is a force in slalom skateboarding. From his early racing days in the 70’s until the newly-turned century, Paul has remained one of the fastest American skaters to blaze through cones. His fluid style and focused attack has remained as an enviable method by which to negotiate slalom courses. PD’s record speaks for itself: many regional victories, national conquests, and recently, a run of podium finishes for the 2001 season - and an amazing reputation for dominating races without any practice.
Paul “Damage” Dunn still wants to race - but after a disheartening fall -- and a 9th place finish at last year’s season finale, the La Costa Open, I wondered if he still has it in him.
I found that the flame still burns…
How were you first introduced to slalom, and to skateboarding in general?
Well, for slalom, it kind of happened by virtue of the fact that I was hangin’ around with Jack Smith… this was in about 1976. He had just returned from his first trip skateboarding across the country and I ended up becoming one of his groupies - I was a wide-eyed 15 year-old kid back then. When Jack started racing, I naturally followed him… He was the kingpin of our local skate scene, no doubt about it. A whole group of us would pile into the back of his ’67 T-Bird and go racing. We raced every weekend for years -- we were very into it.
As far as skateboarding in general, my first memory of my own board was a “shark,” a steel-wheeled classic, which my dad bought at a hardware store, that I rode in little circles in my neighbor’s driveway when I was 8 or so. Of course later on I had a Black Knight like most kids of my era… which brings back fond memories of the “clickety-clack” of sidewalk riding in those early days…the smell of Jasmine in the air on a summer afternoon…
Then, of course, I had a number of extruded fiberglass decks with open bearing wheels. One of them was a Wayne Brown Kicktail… One day our minds were totally blown when a guy showed up on a Santa Cruz deck, with Bennett’s and Road Rider 2’s with precision bearings. None of us could believe it! We spun the wheels with our hands and figured they were slow - there was no extended spin. But when we rode the board, it was faster and smoother! That really was a pivotal moment in skateboarding history - when that board came out…
Why did you choose to focus on slalom instead of another discipline?
I’m focused on slalom right now. But to be a good skater, you have to skate everything. For instance, my wife is interested in slalom - which is great - but I want her to be able to get on a board and be able to skate all kinds of different terrain. From early on, I was riding everything that I could skate. I skated ditches, pools, parks, banks, ramps, street - everything. We’d spend days looking for pools, even hiring planes to take us up in the air looking for empty pools to ride -- you know: skatin’ and spyin.’
The whole skate thing tied in really well with being a surf rat. Growing up where I did (Morro Bay) and living right next to the ocean, it was a natural thing for a bunch of us to be surfers and skaters. We had a really cool scene going. And speaking of surfing, I think that surfing really helped develop my pumping technique. Henry Hester would probably agree, when surfing fast waves you have to be able to accelerate in order to make sections of the wave, and working the wave for speed is very similar to a good flatland pump on a skateboard. I’m working on transferring this knowledge into a teachable format that can be replicated so that pumping will become easily taught to new slalom skaters.
Getting back to the reason I “gravitated” towards slalom, I guess I’d have to say that I always dug the racing thing - because it had an athletic element to it, it was timed with no judging involved, and I had a knack for it. But I was committed to slalom: when we all started riding for a local skatepark team, I would be the one out on the slalom hill while my buddies rode the clover bowl or the ½ pipe.
Describe your early experiences learning and racing.
Wow. Well, the first goal for me was to learn how to pump. Jack gave me a few leads, and I went into solitary… Just like decades later when it became obvious that I would have to learn how to Ollie. I just shut myself away, and practiced like a madman. I figured out how to pump effectively, and worked on developing an efficient style. We were always looking at pictures in the magazine (Skateboarder Mag), and trying to emulate styles - we didn’t have videos back then. For us, Bobby Piercy was the guy we emulated style-wise the most. We used to say, “Man, that was totally BP,” speaking in reference to his style…
But going down this road, I soon realized that I couldn’t possibly have his style and be as absolutely fast as possible. This is a hard thing to say because I never saw him race in person. But, in my world, he was what I wanted to be. I was obsessed. And it had a good sound to it: “PD, the next Bobby Piercy…” And so I kind of kept that concept in the back of my mind. I wanted to be BP. It was a direction that I gravitated towards - and since I wasn’t right in the La Costa scene, racing with Henry and the boys of SD County, I didn’t go that way. Had I lived down there, I’m sure I would have become “Totally Henry.” That’s just the way influences work. Jack had driven to Colorado a few times to race and to watch some of the ARA races there, and he always came back with exciting tales of the talent that raced there. We dug Tommy Ryan, BP, Conrad Miyoshi, Randy Smith, John Hutson, and, of course Bad H.
Back in 1978, when Henry came up to San Luis Obispo for a local race, Jack played a trick on me. He calls me up and tells me to come over to help him with a wheel problem or something. I walk into his parent’s house, and Henry Hester is sittin’ on the couch, all casual, talking to Jack’s parents. I started to shake. I tried to look away, but I couldn’t help but stare: Henry Hester was real, he was alive, and he was sitting on Jack’s parent’s couch!
What were your biggest accomplishments?
I started racing in local get-togethers and at small California events in 1977. Those times were probably critical in building my racing experience - because now I see a lot of guys who are potentially fast but need to build racing experience. I did well in California races - this is all from 1977 to ’80. There was a series of races that ran in the Central Coast called the ARA/West. It was about 7 races, and I took first overall in the series. Was on shop teams and a skatepark team… I wanted to go to an ARA race in Colorado, but the day before we were going to leave, I got in a car wreck. The dream was shattered…
My next big move in skateboarding was skating across the US with Jack, Bob Denike, and Gary Fluitt - that was the Summer of ’84.
Then, years later, I started racing down south with Beau Brown, Jim Korten, Steve Evans, Steve Sherman, and the some other guys down that way. Racing with them, I was able to see that I was right in there with ‘em. Korten had become something of a legend. He challenged me with some tight courses. I was riding some Turner cutaways, and I was forcing them through some tight gates - because Korten had this thing about setting 5 footers and less. Then he started racing me in the CASL Series, which allowed for a “Pro” division. I beat him in a few races, but he could take me in his tight courses that he set - probably because I refused to ride a board with a 16-inch wheelbase. He didn’t have a very good pump. Whenever a race required more pump for speed, I could take him.
One day, during the “Loretta Street Sessions,” races that occurred every Sunday in Oceanside from around ’87 to ’90, I met Bob Turner. I was riding “Ole Yeller” my yellow Turner cutaway that I had been riding since 1977. Bob said he remembered making the board and wouldn’t mind taking it in trade on a new Blackbird. I had no idea what a Blackbird was, but I was game to try one. A few weeks later, on that hill, we exchanged boards, and that was the last I saw of him until September of 2001-about eleven years! But that board, the one I call “Whole Lotta Love,” is still under my feet and STILL has some life left in it. It’s a totally amazing board.
Getting back to accomplishments, it was becoming clear at the time - the late 80’s/early 90’s -- that we needed a showdown to see who was falling where in slalom. So we had a race in Morro Bay and most of the heavies were there. This, of course, was our scene. We had no idea who was racing back on the East coast, or in Europe… So I don’t want to slight the guys back East who were racing then. It’s just that we never heard of them. But, at the time, Steve Evans, Korten, Beau, and myself were right up there. The day arrived and we had this guy from “up North” show. It was Gary Cross. The day had 13 racers or so, and to put a long story short, I won it, beating out Steve Evans in the final. Gary Cross was fourth, I think. A month or so before that race, there was a race in Virgina Beach that ran in conjunction with a Pro Vert contest at Mount Trashmore. I went, because, at the time, I was working for Vision. The Vision Pro team went, and I kind of went along as a chaperone. The contest was kind of a drag because the weather was wet and misty, and while most of the Pro Vert guys were down on the grass playing tackle football, we had a slalom contest. I felt like a geek, for sure. Simon Levene was in the country from England, and he ended up winning, and I took second. I suppose the weather was perfect for him -- as it was just like soggy Brighton Beach to him.
In the recent boom, getting third at the World’s was pretty intense. I had to battle my way up from qualifying around 9th place. I did very well, considering: I was having equipment headaches most of the day. Getting 2nd at the Golden Gate Park contest with basically no practice was cool; Winning the Cambria Double-Header overall was very pleasing, especially I finally took out Cross that day. Working my butt off to get 2nd overall at Donner was a tough battle, and it was a remarkable contest. I was bummed about slamming at the La Costa contest, but I’m glad that Mike Maysey did well.
What happened to you at La Costa?
I was in the second round of the finals - up against Richie Carrasco. Such a cool dude. I wanted to really come out and just amaze people with my time, so I went into our first race pushing as hard as I could - which was a stupid thing to do. I should have saved that maneuver for the last race. But I was a little jacked up and I ended up “over-pumping” a frontside gate and I found myself way over the fall line. I was never going to make it bake over to the backside gate, and I wiped out. It was a hard fall onto both of my arms. I broke a bone in my left wrist and bruised myself pretty badly in some other places. It was an amateur move that I should not have done - I was pretty ashamed of myself.
Describe your current profession.
Oh well geez Dan, don’t ya know: I’m a professional skateboard slalom racer. The money I make from this career allows me the freedom to skate everyday, to live under the freeway overpass, and to eat from the garbage at only the finest restaurants… Seriously, though: I’m involved in a lot of things that I thoroughly enjoy that all make a little money. I’m a biologist, working for a marine ecological firm. We do mostly marine studies for permitting purposes, environmental assessments and the like. This involves some SCUBA diving, a lot of boat work and such. My days in the laboratory are getting less and less, because I like to do field work. Along this path I picked up my US Coast Guard master’s license, so I often run a research boat to conduct ocean studies in California.
I play the bagpipes. I picked this up about four years ago, and I play a lot at Highland Games events, weddings, funerals and such. It is a great creative outlet for me, and I dig it. So when people ask me at parties what I do for a living, I tell ‘em I’m a Pro Biologist, Captain, Piper and Skateboarder. That usually gets people talking.
When and how did you become the Editor of Poweredge and SKATER Magazines?
Well, I was working for Vision in the late ‘80’s and things were not working out between the company and I… so I got very lucky and fell into a job with Poweredge. They needed help running the mag, getting things together and such, but mostly, they wanted someone to head up an in-line magazine. In-line skating was really coming on, and I knew something about it, but needed to learn more if I was going to run this mag. It was tough. Now, looking back, I think that Tom Peterson was the one guy who really helped me out. He was the one who warned me how screwed up the skating rink industry is in this country - how closed-minded they are - and warned me of the challenges. We traveled together and had some good times. The mag was actually doing pretty good, but then an investment group came in and bought us out. I saw the writing on the wall: they just wanted the name. They didn’t care about the people of Poweredge. So I bailed, and went back to Morro Bay, to start an in-line mail-order supply with Jack.
Based on that experience as an in-line gear distributor, what conclusions can you draw about how best to guide slalom, longboarding, and skateboarding in general toward a healthy long-term future?
For slalom, we need to have a place to participate. I’ve always mused that slalom depends greatly on the housing industry, because it seems that all the epic spots were roads in housing developments. That bothers me great deal. We need access. We need to be creative. To seek out schools, churches, whatever kind of place that allows a us to race on decent pavement. Slalom skateboarding is a sport that relies on external elements to allow us a place to recreate. That may be a very limiting factor in the “growth” of slalom skateboarding - if it is going to grow. Extending this out further, for longboarding and skateboarding in general, it all comes down to facilities. Skaters are getting a least some momentum with the general acceptance of skateboard parks in this country. I recently saw a list of parks in a skateboarding business mag - and the list was impressive.
Skateparks are being developed because the parent’s and kids are getting involved: going to city council meetings, speaking up, etc. Is it conceivable that a municipality would pave a slalom hill for a group of its cities participants? I wonder… you need to have enough of a voice. That’s how tennis courts get built. You get 100 tennis players together, and you make some noise at city hall. By noise, I mean petitions and the like.
If we want racing to be around, we’re going to have to nurture it a little bit. We have to grow more skaters, ones that are young and enjoy the sport. I can tell you, Team Turner is making this a priority. We want to introduce slalom to young kids. Because it is going to stagnate and die if it remains a sport participated by nothing but 30-somethings and older. This responsibility falls upon those that are skating now. Talk to people, show them how it’s done. Get your kids doing it. Make it fun for them - encourage them.
The slalom starter kit being marketed is a good first step. Let’s get ourselves into a mindset that invites new participants into the fray. The “more the merrier” is the mantra by which we should all be living by.
What do you have to say about the current slalom renaissance?
I’m surprised - yet I’m NOT surprised. When it comes down to it, racing is damn fun. It’s challenging. One can test one’s self against a timed result. That kind of reward is not generally available in skateboarding. Plus, in head-to-head racing the energy level is intense! Complete bystanders at the Morro Bay World Championships could not believe how exciting the racing was.
Many of us racers knew that slalom was cool, but many of the others weren’t willing to try it. Maybe now that they’re older and wiser, they are open to trying slalom. I have many guys come up to me and say that very same thing - that they would not be so into hardcore vert now, due to risk considerations, but they feel better about slalom skating.
Who or what is most responsible for this unexpected development?
Ahhhh… That’s a good one. I’ve heard more than one person claim that they were responsible for this newfound love of slalom. The way I see it, it’s the result of a set of circumstances: homegrown races, talent and product run in those races, and a forum to share the results. Credit goes to those who put on the events, the skaters who showed up, the small number of manufacturers for sticking with it -- and for Adam at NCDSA for creating a forum by which the word could get out. I really wasn’t skating slalom at all when I heard that the NCDSA existed and that people were actually running slalom races. That got my blood going. Then someone posted “What happened to Paul Dunn?” and the rest is history. And, interestingly, I think I’m faster now than when I was 10 years ago as a result of my intense, re-visit to the sport I love.
What about it delights you the most?
Couple of things: getting ready for races, and actually running them. When I posted a ripping time in qualifying for the tight slalom at the Cambria Double-Header, the actual run for me came in slow motion. And I remember being about 2/3 the way through the course and having this thought: “I love this…” That was my thought. So, that is a delight for me. That’s for racing. For non-race delights, I have to say that watching someone break a personal barrier is another - especially when it comes as a result of my advice. I try to help people as much as possible on hills. At Donner this year, I was all over this guy Scott from Santa Cruz. He had a board that needed some tweaking. I tried to get him up on a few little secrets to get his long-wheelbase board through the gates. And he was stoked to get a little help, post some better times, and generally make it through the course a little easier. Helping people is what it’s all about - it’s the Turner Way…
Okay, what frustrates you the most?
I’m not often frustrated by slalom skating. I’m rarely frustrated by my equipment. I’d have to say that hitting cones is the most frustrating thing for me. I’m striving for perfection. Hitting cones is less than perfect. So that’s what I’m after: no more cones. The fast European skate scene bothers me - in that, these guys are incredibly fast, and I haven’t figured it out why they’re so fast yet. But I will figure it out. One of these days I’m going to set up a series of boards just like they ride, and experiment with varying techniques, to emulate their style and pump. If you think about it, slalom can be reduced to the limits of physics… and I plan to do that in order to be as fast as possible without evaporating…
What goes through your head during a race, especially a dual race?
Good question. The mental game is very important in racing, for sure. You want to clear all obstacles from your mind in order to focus. Your amount of focus determines your destiny. I’ve gotten a set of very good performance standards from, believe it or not, playing music in public. When I’m ‘piping, I have to be performing, I have to be playing in tune, I have to “play the part,” etc. Racing is not much different. You have to know your equipment. You have to know what’s going to work and not work in a particular situation. You have to develop a relationship with the course - to know it, feel it, and to sort of groove with it.
I use a lot of mental projection techniques. Also, as many people have noticed, I’m very Eastern in my approach to the slalom game: the ritual in which I set up my boards, the mental preparedness aspect, etc. Slalom can very often be a very mental sport, so you have to have a good mindset.
For single-lane work, in addition to drawing the smoothest, fastest lines possible, I think about projecting my being only forward. I once lost a contest because I was racing on my heels all day long, and I was having girl problems. See how important your mindset is?
When racing, all of my energy is focused on moving my body forward, and as fast as possible. I think about every ounce that I have must be as quick as possible.
For dual races, it’s a different game. Step one is to qualify. How you qualify is optional. Once you’re there, then the mind needs to address new situations. Every opponent has to be approached individually. The goal is to beat the other racer, how you do that is for advanced students only…but there are a number of tools that a racer can use in order to accomplish the job. Psychology and reverse psychology, performance adjustments, equipment changes, and start & finish strategy, are all just a few examples of the tools found in my “finals” tool box. A prime example was the old “wait!” call at this year’s World Championships at Morro Bay. I was up against Chris Hart from Switzerland. It was our second race - I was getting tired, I was down after our first race by a couple of tenths, and so I needed an edge. I figured he might of never been introduced to the old “wait!” call on a starting ramp, so I opted to use it. Right before the starter hit the gun, I yelled “Wait!” and pretended to need a truck wrench to fix a loose wheel. Not only did it perhaps rattle my competition, but it gave me some time to catch my breath, and it sure made for great racing and on-the-hill commentary! Hester, of course, saw right through my scheme, but it didn’t matter, my call was for the Swiss guy. I beat him and advanced to race in the finals…
This is the kind of thing that you can’t use very often, because it is a light veil. I don’t want every racer next year to pull that one every other race. That would be obvious, and non-effective. Try it on me, and I’ll just call it on you and give you a laugh.
Another good example of mind-tweaking: John Gilmour did an excellent bit of work this year at the Cambria Double-Header. He was in the Porta-Potti and the finals were going to start. I made the poor decision to meet him at the top of the hill. So there I am, waiting for him, and everyone is yelling, “Hurry-up John!” See that puts the focus on him, and he was working it beautifully: he pretended not to hear, and strolled very casually up the hill. I finally saw what angle he was working on and so I left the box and went off to the side, and pretended to adjust my Gull Wings…
How do you feel about the courses that are currently being set and run?
From what I’ve raced, the courses are excellent. I would like some that are a little tighter, but I love being presented with a challenge: it only makes me work harder. From what I’ve seen, Andy Bittner sets the most interesting “Hybrid” courses around…
You have to remain flexible as a racer. Like I said, you should be able to skate anything. It may take a deep quiver and a depth of talent, but that’s what it’s all about…
How do you feel about the racers?
Whoa! We have some of the best people showing up for this “New Era” of skateboard slalom. The fact that you have guys like Brad Edwards, the venerable Don Bostick, and a guy like Chris Chaput, and Andy Bittner all on the same hill, is mind-blowing! The always hilarious Ritchie Carasco; the tripped-out Eric Groff; Mr. Quiet Chicken Deck; of course we have Henry, Cliff Coleman, Hutson, and relative newbies like Gary Holl, Terrence Kirby, Marc DuPaul and Mike Maysey… the list goes on. I think that next year’s heavies will be Cross, Mollica, Olsen, Evans, Kimball and SSS guys - but the Turner bros will be going full bore: me, Gilmour, Maysey, and a few new additions to the team that are going to blow minds.
Overall, I’m convinced that this past year has been one of the best for all concerned in skateboarding. The amount of stoke out there is amazing. I hope it contiues.
How do you feel about the revival of Turner, and about your role as captain of Team Turner?
I “feel” absolutely excited about it…You sure have a lot of “feel” questions, Dan…
I don’t know about “Captain” of the team… but since I’m kinda the oldest, I’m getting that rep, I guess, so I’ll assume that role… But let me explain: I’m sooooo stoked Bob is making boards again. Turner was destined to come back, to go into production again, and to win races again. My conviction is that any guy or girl who’s serious about building a good slalom quiver, should have at least one Turner board in their stable. If people are going to race with the desire to win, then they have to have something under their feet that feels good. Maybe not everyone is going to get that natural love feel from a Turner at first, but given enough time, they’ll figure it out. Be patient: Turner will be making more boards to suit a variety of courses and sub-disciplines of slalom skateboarding. And I hope to help them get down that road…
The Turner scene is fantastic because of our “Skunk Works” division. Bob loves the R&D that goes into making people faster. He craves it. The fact that Turner is back is good for the sport, just like the fact that Roe, Comet, Indiana, G & S, etc.etc. are in the game. Racers need selection, they need quality. As they say, it’s all good…
As captain, I am in charge of shaping the image, feel, texture, accessibility, and outward presence that our skaters are projecting. I should lead by example, and I hope I’m doing a good job at that… At Turner, we have an ethos, a plan, a way that we like to race, and a way to promote slalom. We like to win. In fact, we plan to win, but accept the consequences of not winning. We are humble in victory; gracious in defeat…
How do you feel about the plethora of slalom gear now being offered companies, old and new?
Did you say “plethora,” Dan?
Yep.
I thought so. Well, I don’t think that a “plethora” is being offered! From what I’ve seen, racers are getting by and making due. What’s eventually going to happen, is that the gear selection and availability will be market-driven, just like it is in so many industries. That’s just how it works. If we continue to have no more than a total of 200 slalom racers in the whole United States, why would a wheel company want to make a new 65mm wheel in four different durometers? That is not a market. In order for us to keep the sport growing, we have to get out and spread the word. We need to do demos, show videos, get on the tube, and such. But, things are getting better for us slalomers. My hat’s off to those companies who are sticking their necks out to produced new slalom gear.
Do you think the independent-suspension trucks favored by the Fat City Racing crew gives and unfair advantage?
To tell you the truth, I don’t think so. I can’t honestly say because I haven’t ridding them in many years. I tried a set back in the early 80’s but I rode them in the front and the rear, and, as I recall, ran ‘em in a tight course. Setting your board up with just one in the rear, and for use in a GS course, that seems to be the way to go - for them. Again, I need to ride one to really say. It is worth mentioning, that I took everyone out in a small GS with a Seismic front and stock Indy rear rig on my Blackbird at Cambria. And there were some good, challenging off-sets there on that course. What FCR has, besides those trucks, is talent. It’s the Tony Hawk phenomenon: Tony was winning contest after contest back in his early days riding a fairly basic, un-concaved board. He won on his talent alone…a lot of the winning on these trucks has to do with just plain old skill…
What factors influence your equipment choices for a particular race?
Well, obviously, some equipment works better in a certain situation than in others. For example, my “White Dove” board loves tight, technical courses at a good hill pitch. She’s set-up with old HPG split-axle Gull Wings and no risers, just two pieces of cardboard under ‘em. “Green Destiny” likes a little faster course with perhaps even more technical sections where the cones are farther off the fall line. I rode that board at the Donner Invitational this year in the dual slalom. That was the limit probably of its optimum functionality, but it did well. There was only 1/100 of a second between Cross’ best time and mine. If it’s a course that is just right for a turnable, pumpable set-up, I’ll usually go with one of my Seismic set-ups. When conditions are just right, they are the most pumpable…
On race day I walk the course, study the sections, figure out what board would “feel” right, and then try running the board that I think would work best on that course.
At one time, my slalom quiver was very limited: all I had was a yellow Turner cutaway. I rode that board, set up with a pair of Gull Wing HPG’s, for about 12 years! In fact, I recently realized that I’ve been racing -- off and on -- for nearly 25 years, and I’ve only been riding one deck. I never even TRIED another deck until a few years ago. I probably should have, because I would’ve been much better prepared for the European scene and the race in France that I went to in ’93 with Beau Brown, Roger Hickey, and John Gilmour.
What motivates you?
For slalom and racing?
Yeah.
From a personal perspective, making my times faster motivates me. Racing motivates me. When I hear that someone is fast, it makes me work harder. For example, when I knew the Morro Bay race was going to happen this year, I got pretty into it. I hit the gym, pushed out some squats, and did a fair amount of visualization work. John Gilmour played an important role in that motivation. When I see him blaze through a course, I try to make that a goal to surpass. I have to admit: I really like to win. I’m competitive. My parents didn’t make me play T-Ball where “everyone’s a winner:” I went out for junior football, and we took winning seriously. We cried in the huddle just before going up the middle for a TD. Winning is a prime motivator to make you better at anything…and losing makes you even MORE motivated.
Who do you look up to?
Who do I look up to… Hmmm. Well, I respect anyone that is trying as hard as they can. When I saw Henry come out, skate, then hit the gym for six months, work hard, drop some pounds, and get faster - THAT gets my attention. I dig seeing that. I look up to my slalom elders, those who went before us that really created the slalom scene. The early La Costa sessions, now legendary, are etched in the stones of slalom time, if you will. Those guys laid the groundwork: they ran through piles of rocks, square-bottomed road cones, wore torn-up Levi’s - the works. Tommy Ryan, Chris Yandall, Conrad, Henry… those guys are in my personal slalom hall of fame. Our web site has some great photos of those days. What a classic time…
What’s your deal with naming your boards - why do you do it?
For me, each board his an identity, it has a soul. The name won’t become a part of the board until I ride it a little bit, and until I develop a relationship with it. In fact, I try to create a relationship with my equipment - and with any course that I’m running. This convention started early in my association with Turner boards. It makes complete sense to me. The deck was shaped by a human, Bob Turner, and into that creation went his energies, thoughts, and skill. I treat my sailboat the same way: it was crafted over a period of weeks by skilled men in Bristol, Rhode Island, in 1968. In a way, that creation is part theirs and mine…And so the owner of a boat names it eventually, doesn’t he?
This naming thing falls right in line with my somewhat famous “drilling ceremony” that I perform with each un-drilled Turner. It’s a very involved process, but the results are spectacular…It all fits into my whole approach to slalom.
In order for slalom to grow and thrive, what is needed? More TLP type races?
That’s easy: more participants. At all levels. The TLP thing is good because it’s going to get slalom out in the open at a few cites - plus, hopefully, some TV time. So that’s good. Overall, you need to approach it like a hockey program. You have tots, juniors, etc. on up the ranks all the way to professional. That means that a certain amount of education and support - a slalom infrastructure - is needed. It doesn’t have to be a full-on Little League kind of thing, but it does need to be organized enough to help facilitate growth. With more participants, there will be more market demand. It doesn’t take a lot to be a slalom skater. You can have one board, and be set to have a fun time - if that’s as far as you want to take it. Historically, skateboarders have frowned on organizing itself. But you have to have a certain amount of organization just to exist. If we don’t get new skaters involved, we’ll stagnate. If we stagnate, we’ll die.
Do we need more or less tight, dual, GS, Super-G and/or Euro-style “Boarder-Cross” (a sort of obstacle slalom)?
I think at the professional level, we can have just about anything. If you’re pro, you have to be flexible. That’s why you never see me complain at races. If the race is going to be presented to the public, it should not be one that results in a bunch of DQ’s, blown-out cones, popcorn machine-type runs. That just makes it less polished as far as presentation goes.
For other levels, courses should be challenging but makeable for the bulk of the participants. Television-friendly events like boarder cross are marketable things that get people to watch, I suppose, and I don’t have any problem with that. I still think we should have a race that features an “over/under” tunnel/ramp object that permit riders to change lanes mid-course, then you’d have another “over/under” to return to your lane. That would be interesting…
What are the biggest obstacles to the long-term growth and stability for slalom, and how can we head them off?
I think I’ve already addressed these items, but I’ll admit that there are a number of activities that are all competing for a potential skater’s time. Your typical 14-year-old could be looking at choosing between basketball, soccer, baseball, BMX, video-games, skateboarding, etc. Then, if it’s a guy, when they hit 16 or so, they want a car. A car leads to more freedom - and girls. Many, many, many skateboarders - not the hardcore ones - will drop skateboarding when they get involved with their cars. Because skateboarding may have been a transportation/lifestyle thing for them when they were 14, but when they’re 18, it’s all over. Of course, if they are dedicated skaters, they keep their board in their car, and drive to the skate spot…
How can slalom attract more younger skaters?
They have to be able to try equipment that works for them in slalom. Get ‘em out there on slalom boards running cones. Not on their street sticks - ‘cause they’ll just get frustrated. Believe it or not - they’re going to have to learn how to turn. For most younger skaters, the concept of turning on a skateboard has been lost for about two decades! It’s amazing. Once a kid sees that it’s actually fun, then you’ll have to work on what I call “The Cool Element - TCE.” That means that they’ll need peers skating with them so that they can jam together. They can’t go at this totally alone. It has to be a group activity. That’s when we, as adults, have the most fun, when we’re all skating together. It’s like surfing: you always have the best time out in the water when you’re surfing with your buddies. When kids are skating together, then it could get more of a scene and TCE will kick in. Make sure that they become all-round skaters, not just slalom specialists. That’s the way to go. br>
What is the brightest possible future for that you envision for slalom? Should it be in the Olympics?
It certainly could be in the Olympics - but I happen to know that the process of campaigning a particular sport for the IOC is a long, involved process, and it takes a considerable amount of money. We can have plenty of fun without being “an Olympic Sport,” but I suppose if we were, it would funnel money into slalom skating programs via the USOC…
For now, the brightest possible future is a series of contests that would keep the pros busy, and a bunch of regional contests that would keep the up-and-comers busy. For now, it’s definitely a group thing with people of all skill levels participating, but eventually we’re going to have to get away from that. We’re going to need more smaller regional events once we get enough of a skating base out there.
What are your goals for 2002?
Well, I’m knocking on 41, so the first priority is to stay healthy. I took a pretty big slam at La Costa - and my arm is still healing. The second priority is to win every race I enter. To stay at the top of your competitive game, you have to come out and shoot for the top every time. After that, I want to remain involved in getting the word out to new slalom recruits as much as possible. Turner hopes to get in front of more kids for demos - so they can try slalom gear and try the moves. I’d like to expand on my new slalom coaching/teaching technique, which seems to be working well with my local scene. If I can get that together and make it duplicatable, then maybe I’ll take my show on the road…
How much longer would you like to race?
I think I have a few more years left in me - probably five or six years. When I feel like I’m making a fool of myself, then I’ll retire gracefully…
When you retire from competition, what role(s) would you like to play in the sport?
As I said just a minute ago, I’d like to teach and coach slalom. I’m certain that I can make anyone faster than they are now. I’d also like to put on a few contests - I’ll need to give back to the sport in some significant way. How about a series of slalom clinics held in remote, sunny locations? You’d fly in, get to your bungalow, and class would start in the morning, right after we all went surfing…
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Jim Norton
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On 1/3/2002
Andrew Wahl
wrote in from
(10.10.nnn.nnn)
Interview with a Downhill Skater: Jim Norton on the History of Skateboarding and Downhill Skating Scene in Cookeville, TN.
Andrew Wahl
Andrew’s Old School Skateboard Forum
http://communities.msn.com/OldSchoolSkateboardersForum
Who is Jimmy Norton? If you were a skateboarder living in Middle Tennessee during the mid to late 70’s, you probably either knew of him or of his namesake team, the Norton Skate Team. Located in Cookeville, Tennessee, Jim was the unofficial leader of the early 70’s skateboard scene in Cookeville. Jim was one of those old school guys who did all forms of skateboarding downhill, slalom, freestyle, and vert skating and doing all of them well.
Jim was a true innovator and entrepreneur starting a skate team with silk screened jerseys and decks to opening up a small skate shop in the back of a local athletic store all while still in high school!. Jim also had a decent halfpipe ramp in his backyard that we had many great sessions on.
I recently emailed him a bunch of questions on the early skate scene in Cookeville. Below is his reply. Still skating at age 40, Jim is now an architect and a happily married man living in Huntsville, AL. Anyone interested in learning more about downhill/slalom - drop Jim a line. Jim can be reached via email at jnarch@hiwaay.net
AW(Andrew Wahl): When and what age did you start skating? You were known as a pretty versatile skater - you skated anything from downhill to ramp skating. When you first started out, did you gravitate to any particular style of skating right away (i.e. ramp, freestyle, downhill, slalom, etc.) or did you just sort of try each style gradually? Also, who/what were your early skate influences?
JN(Jim Norton): The summer of 1975 was really the start. I was 13. Skateboarding was just that. We had not really evolved into any distinctions. The following summer was when things really took off. By this time we had been exposed to Skateboarder Magazine. We built our first ramp which was two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood placed end to end. We placed it along side the road and skated for hours. That was probably the highlight of everyone’s skating. We did do a lot of street riding and racing as well. Influences? Of course the riders in the magazine and one of our neighbors had lived in California. He showed us style. You know, stuff like where to put your hands, being smooth, etc.
AW: Cookeville, Tennessee is/was a small town and is not know for its skateboard scene, yet skating flourished during the late 70's and early 80's despite the absence of a local skatepark or any city/county facilities. Describe how the early skate scene in Cookeville got started. When did skating become "popular" in Cookeville and when did the boom go bust (in your opinion)? Who were some of the original skaters that you skated with, and at its height, how many skaters were there in Cookeville?
JN: At first it was just happening in our neighborhood. Some may claim we were the first to bring skateboarding to the town. By the fall of 1977 skating had become widespread and as you say Apopular.@ I would say this popularity and bust went hand in hand with what happened nationally. As far as the skaters, I cannot count all of them but some standouts were of course yourself, Roy Bell, Charlie Callis, Greg Stamps, Kenny Crossman, Rory Smith and Jeff Jones. Did I forget anybody?
AW: (response) Jon Eiche comes to mind.he had a good quarter pipe in his driveway. Also, Kenny’s friend Greg , who skated in the one-wheeler contest at Kenny’s ramp. Other guys that I skated with later (after you and Jeff Jones graduated high-school) include Paul Thompson, Brian Thaxton, Phillip Smith, and Todd Ratermann. Todd took some of the Get-a-Way skate park pics of me. Most of these guys - kids really - were not serious skaters but who were part of skateboardings early 80’s surge in popularity - maybe they were serious - but I doubt they were as serious as we were.
AW: You built a halfpipe in your backyard - what year was it built and can you give some details on how you built it and who helped. The Burton Bums also had a ramp - was your ramp built first? Describe who/what the Burton Bums were . My memory of them is that they were sort of our rivals - did they just skate their ramp or did they also slalom/downhill? Also, what were some of the other significant ramps and /or skate spots/hills in Cookeville and provide any relevant and/or interesting anecdotes on skating them?
JN: The halfpipe in my backyard was started in Spring of 1978. It started out being just 4= wide if you can believe it. We quickly realized that it must be 8= wide or we would roll off of it just fakieing! The second halfpipe was built in the fall of 1978 in the Burton area. We would get together and ride both. The great thing about the Burton pipe was that it had a roll in. Looking back, this might have been slightly ahead of its time. We had a friendly rivalry with these guys and we shared many types of skating. As far as other ramps, we rode a few quarter pipes scattered about. I had heard of other halfpipes being constructed but this was at the time many of us older skaters were moving on.
AW: While you were in high school, you opened and maintained the first skate shop in Cookeville in the back area of a small sporting goods store. How did that come about?
JN: All this came about with the purchase of my first Skateboarder Magazine. My Dad made me aware of the Adealer inquires@ in many of the ads. To make a long story short, I started a skateboard business out of my bedroom in 1976. I was able to move the business into a local Sporting Goods store during the Summer of 1978. It was a good experience learning how business worked.
AW: You also created a non-competitive skate team (Team Norton) that included mesh jerseys, T-shirts, and decks for the team members. Again, where/how did the idea to create a skate team come about. Who were the members of the team?
JN: Non competitive? I have to correct you here. Anything we had in Cookeville had to be created. If you were good enough to ride on a team there was no team. If you were good enough to compete there were no contests. We had to create our own skateboard environment. The Norton Team came about as a way to address this. The most difficult thing about the whole deal was what to call it. Despite accusations of ego, I decided to call it Norton as I was starting to tape, decorate and label blank decks with a Norton logo. Cookeville Skateboard Team or something of the sort just didn=t get it. As far as the competition, two contest come to mind. The team competed at the Tennessee State Skateboard Championships and brought home two fifth place awards and also in a One Wheeler contest covered by the local media. We did compete. The problem was just finding or creating contests!
AW: How did a pocket of downhill racers appear in Middle Tennessee?
JN: In the summer of 1976, all of my friends in our Cookeville neighborhood were skateboarding. There was this really great hill we would ride at night. I believe it was Woodland Avenue. Anyway, Woodland was about a half mile long. The top half was a gradual slope feeding into a much steeper slope with a 90 degree right turn at the bottom. Just about every night we would gather and race teams of catamaran. On some nights, we would race coffin style. Either way, it was a challenge and a thrill to negotiate that turn at the bottom while trying to keep or maintain a lead.
AW: Why did you ride at night?
JN: It just ended up being that way. Mainly traffic was at a minimum and it was more fun to race under the street lights.
AW:Was there any standup racing?
JN: No, not any real racing. The three and sometimes four team catamaran races were just hard to beat. The curve at the bottom of the hill could not be negotiated in any other way except by catamaraning or laying on your back luge style. The turn was just that sharp.
AW: Do you have any memorable experiences of these early days on Woodland?
JN: I was fourteen at the time and it was great to spend the warm summer nights racing skateboards with your friends. I remember the "cat" races the most and how the rider on the inside of the curve would literally have to lay completely back sometimes touching his shoulders to the pavement at 30 mph! If he didn't, then the team would slide off the road into the bushes.
AW: Any injuries or memories of anyone getting hurt?
JN: No, and this was before pads and helmets! I do remember one particular race where me and my teammate were in a dead heat with another catamaran team. Well, we hit the turn side by side and it came down to who could get the lowest and keep their line through the curve. Fortunately for us, the other team could not hold their line! I can still see them sliding off the road and tunneling through 15 feet of bushes! It took us about an 1/8 of a mile to slow down before we could run back and check on them. We couldn't see them but could hear them saying they were o.k.. We all started laughing. All in all, I can't remember anybody being hurt beyond your typical road rash.
AW: So how did things go from this style to standup?
JN: I believe seeing the Downhill Symposium in the 1976 Fall issue of Skateboarder Magazine had a profound effect. We learned of what was required to go fast on a skateboard.
AW: What do you mean "learn to go fast"? Elaborate, please.
JN: Well, just seeing the downhill pro's and learning about their equipment etc., really had an influence on the type of downhill racing we were doing. We started experimenting with long boards and finding the fastest wheels.
AW: Where did you do this "new" type of downhill? Was it on Woodland?
JN: No. Our high school drive (Cookeville High School) was called Cavalier Drive which was a very long, smooth and wide road virtually free of traffic. We started riding there every weekend doing everything from downhill and slalom to jumping over new 1977 Mustangs. If it would not have been for Cavalier Drive, I seriously doubt downhill would have existed in our area. It was just a great place to ride both slalom and downhill. It was our La Costa.
AW: How was this different from the early days of riding on Woodland?
JN: It was night and day. Mainly, those of us who were still interested in speed racing were older and therefore more serious. We had great interest in the technical aspects of making a skateboard fast. Also, equipment had changed drastically. We were using longer and wider boards, wide wheel base trucks and three inch diameter wheels. Intellect entered in.
AW: It sounds as if only those whom were serious about racing were participating during the days on Cavalier drive.
JN: Yes, we had assembled a small group dedicated to racing.
AW: Did you compete among yourselves or were there others to race?
JN: Mostly it was among ourselves as the nearest organized racing was in California. The biggest event occurred when we hosted a team from Hendersonville, Tennessee to compete on Cavalier Drive. We raced downhill, slalom, giant slalom and even high jumped! I do remember we were downhilling on boards in the 40" range and these guys were on boards up to 60" long! It was definitely two different schools of thought. We raced in a Guy Grundy parallel stance and they in a modified surf stance.
AW: What other memories do you have of racing on Cavalier Drive?
JN: Cavalier Drive was different than any other street racing. It was such a great hill! And, it was fast and free of cars. This was the first hill that exposed us to drafting on a skateboard. Unlike previous hills, you could ride within the slip stream of air from the rider in front of you. It was just like Nascar as you could ride right up on your opponents tail then quickly pull out and pass him. Sometimes he would be able to then draft you back and retake the lead. The prize of all drafts was a double draft. This is where you would catch one big draft of two riders when one pulled aside the other. With precision and a little luck, you could slingshot yourself to the lead. Oh yea, all this racing was at night too!
AW: Who were some of the other skaters/racers?
JN: When the dust had settled, there were three of us who seriously pursued downhill racing. They were myself, Jeff Jones and Rory Smith. All were from Cookeville. There were others but we seemed to pursue downhill more enthusiastically.
AW: Since Woodland lasted only during the summer of 1976 - how long did the racing on Cavalier Drive last?
JN: We started racing on Cavalier Drive in the Fall of 1977. The last time we raced was in August of 1990. The heyday was the late seventies and the early eighties.
AW: Was there anything special about this last race?
JN: I remember that last time because it was the weekend of my 10th year high school reunion. It was at night. Me, Jeff and Rory got together for "old time sake" as it had probably been five or six years since any of us had raced anything on a moving skateboard. It didn't take us long before we were once again drafting each other at near 40 mph. I also remember this because we had little brass plates engraved commemorating the event.
AW: So, August of 1990 was the last time you raced downhill on a skateboard?
JN: Yes, it was the last time I assumed a speed tuck on a moving skateboard. I guess the days of us riding on a weekly basis ended around 1984. Finishing college, marriage, etc. tended to change our priorities. We just kind of drifted away from it. I do know that the three of us were the last true downhill racers the area has seen.
AW: Were there any other hills worth mentioning?
JN: We searched out many hills but the ones we felt comfortable on were the safe ones. You know, free of traffic. There was one other noteworthy hill which was in an undeveloped subdivision. We raced there in the summer of 1982. Later on houses were built making this hill history. But, it was fun while it lasted! We called this hill the "road course." It started out with a slight slope, turned 90 degrees into a steeper slope and ended with a sweeping 90 degree turn leading to about an 1/8 mile of runoff. It was perfect! Fresh pavement, concrete curbs and lots of trees!
AW: Did this offer the same opportunities for fast racing as Cavalier drive?
JN: It was not as fast. I would say maybe 25 to 30 mph speeds. No longer could we really draft. The appeal of racing here was the use of smart racing. What I mean by this is having and executing a strategy each time you ran down the hill. Entering and exiting the two turns was a whole new avenue. Couple this with competing for the tightest line through a curve with two or three opponents and you have some intense racing.
AW: You have seen stand up downhill on the Gravity Games. The riders switch stances in the curves. Is this how it was done with you guys?
JN: No it was parallel stance the whole way.
AW: How did parallel stance work in the curves?
JN: Real good if....you didn't get into trouble or do something stupid. I remember one particular race where Rory was passing Jeff on the left side of the final right hand turn. I was trailing the field but had enough speed to pass Jeff. The only problem was that Rory was where I wanted to be. So I did the really stupid thing and tried to pass Jeff on the right side on the concrete gutter. I had this little strip of concrete between the pavement and the curb to try and pass on. So I went for it and immediately knew I had made a mistake! The board was impossible to control with half the wheels on concrete and half on asphalt. I started speed wobbling, bounced into Jeff and crashed us both! Today's riding style would have probably allowed me to squeeze through that gap. The Parallel stance had its limits.
AW: What was the level of equipment in these final days of downhilling?
JN: We were using wood boards about 9" wide by 34" long. Independent trucks were good as they looked aerodynamic and red Kryptonic 70 mm wheels were just the best on most surfaces. Earlier, ACS 650 trucks, UFO wheels, Powerflex wheels and Park Riders were also used.
AW: We talked earlier about pads and helmets during the early days of Cookeville skating. How about wearing safety equipment for downhilling? Was that a concern at all?
JN: Yes, for sure! Always gloves and long pants. Helmets and pads when things would be a little intense.
AW: Did any of you ever get hurt while racing skateboards?
JN: Never that I recall. We all experienced sliding down the road at 30 mph and the associated road rash but that was it. I skated for many years without anything remotely serious. In 1989, I was teaching a co-worker's kid how to ride a drainage ditch. I took my last run of the day and slammed causing a slight fracture in my forearm. That is all in 25 years.
AW: What about today? Are you or any of the others riding. Is there still any downhill racing going on where you guys left off?
JN: I learned of the old school movement and have once again started slaloming at age 40. It is difficult to find anyone to slalom with much less downhill race with. So, it appears as if downhill racing will be a part of history for me. I would love to downhill race again! I am sure the others would say the same. Downhilling has always been an unseen facet of the sport of skateboarding. I hope events like the Gravity Games will bring it into the mainstream. Maybe then, we will see others take our place.
AW: Any final thoughts on skateboarding as it exists today? The state of skateboarding today seems to concentrate solely on street style skating - i.e. flippy, technical tricks and doing massive rail slides and ollies down stair ways - especially in the skate mags of today. While vert, slalom and downhill are starting to enjoy a resurgence among the older guys who are getting back into skating or guys who never stopped, what is your thoughts on skateboarding today and what direction do you see skateboarding heading?
I find myself very interested in what is going on in downhill and slalom. So much in fact that have started riding my 20 year old Turner Summer Ski through the slalom cones again. I recently learned of the "Old School" movement of skateboarding and I like what I see. Otherwise, much of skateboarding leaves a negative impression. I hope skateboarding heads in the direction of hot rodding and drag racing. Fifty years ago, both were viewed as a public nuscience. A man by the name of Wally Parks came along and gave us what we have today. Mainstream appeal and acceptance. I hope skateboarding experiences the same vision and direction. Especially, the downhill racing. I really enjoy seeing this on the X Games and the Gravity Games. There is a lot of spectator appeal and that’s what we need.Thanks for making me aware of all the new things going on in skateboarding. It is great to be almost 40 and still being able to rip on a skateboard!
Thanks Jim for sharing your memories and providing a nice little history lesson on skating in Cookeville, TN.
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Marc DuPaul
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On 10/30/2001 David Hamm
wrote in from
(10.10.nnn.nnn)
If you follow long-skateboarding or slalom skateboard racing on the internet, it seems like Marc DuPaul's name & image are everywhere! Marc was already a high-profile player in the skate 'industry' before the recent Slalom genesis, but now his determination to be one of the best slalom racers on the West Coast has pushed him over the top and everybody knows that Marc Dupaul is 'one to watch'.
So just who in the hell IS Marc Dupaul? I hooked up with my friend for this interview to try and show the skate world what keeps this guy going..........
This interview was completed via fax & email over the 1st week of October '01.
Hamm: Marc, I know your life has been crazy the past 2 months. Can you touch on that?
MDP: Yeah, I bailed on SoCal, took a chance and moved to Mammoth Mtn. Just getting out of our place in HB, getting into the new place in Mammoth,and finding a job in Mammoth was hectic. Combine that with running up to Donner for the Fat City Racing Invitational and training for the LaCosta Open and you could say it's been 'crazy'.
Hamm: When & where were you deeded a life on earth?
MDP: Clearwater Florida, 1971
Hamm: So that makes you 30. Lets touch on growing up in Florida, what kind of things where you into?
MDP: BMX, Baseball & skateboarding
Hamm: What infuenced you as a kid?
MDP: Well, there were no video's back then, so I'd say the skate magazines and TV had a infuence on us back then. One time I went to a Supercross race in Tampa and they had a pre-race skate demo with Monte Nolder, Christian Hosoi & Mike McGill that was UNREAL! In terms of skating, that had a BIG infuence on me
Hamm: Skating since?
MDP: 4th grade. All the kids on the block got Veriflex's @ Toys-r-Us and we would ride them around for transportation. After a while we started doing 360's. A friend of mine discovered the standing slide, and we practiced that alot. Eventually we built a 1/4 pipe and I ate shit pretty good on it and I stuck to rolling, carving & turning after that.
Hamm: When & why did you move to SoCal?
MDP: At 17 I started surfing and completely FORGOT about skating. Since Florida is so HOT it is desirable to be involved in watersports. I always wanted to move to Huntington Beach(Surf magazine influence), so at age 26 I packed up and headed west to HB.
Hamm: How did you get involved with the skate 'industry'?
MDP: My roommate had a connection at sk8shop.com
Hamm: How did that lead to hooking up with Rene Bruce and 11/11 Distribution(note: 11/11 Distribution is the parent company to Longskate.com, PowerPaw,Equal,Logic,Vapor)
MDP: Rene came into my work often because we sold Fluid & Equal products. One day he gave me a set of Alluminators to 'test'. That got me interested in Longboards and I ended up working for Rene & 11/11.
Hamm: Is it possible to summerize what you did at Longskate.com & 11/11 Dist? Is there more to it than just shipping cool stuff to your friends?
MPD: Working at Longskate.com was amazing for me! Rene taught me every aspect of running a business. Everything from product design, to buying&selling, to manufacturing, to advertsing and accounting and EVERYTING in between. My expierence there was nothing short of an education.
Hamm: Hhhhmmmm, so its not all just skating & new product R&D huh?
MDP: When I went into Longskate, it was WORK. But there was entertainment value as well. Thats one of Rene's goals; to have fun while you work.
Hamm: Grateful for the opportunity Rene gave you?
MDP: Absolutely! THANKS Rene! Actually we continue to help each other and I am still an employee of 11/11 Dist. I'm just not as 'hands-on' and work on my computer up here in Mammoth.
Hamm: Beside racing slalom, what makes you tick?
MDP: Well, I just like riding. Be it Skateboard, Surfboard or Snowboard. I work hard and like to play(ride) hard.
Hamm: Enough of your personal file, lets talk about the industry. What would you say is the biggest mis-conception the average skater has about the industry?
MDP: Well, I see skaters caring more about being sponsered than just getting out and skating. These guys think being sponsered means "free stuff" and do not realize they have a job to do: Promote the Sponser.
Hamm: If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
MDP: I'd like to see more diversity and an acknowledgement of ALL forms of skating. There is too much segregation and when it comes down to it, its all skating.
Hamm: In terms of retail markets, what does the future hold for longboarding?
MDP: I think there is great potential for longboarding. I got hooked becasue it was so easy to get on and 'go ride'. People from all board sports appreciate riding time and longboards can be ridden just about anywhere
Hamm: So you do not think that longboard market has peaked?
MDP: Thats a hard question to answer. I believe there is still growth potential, but it depends on hows it marketed and what crowd that marketing is directed at.
Hamm: Do you feel the growth will come from complete's or performance parts?
MDP: I think both area's have potential. A rider will start with the complete and buy the performace parts after his skills develop.
Hamm: Where do you see longboarding in 5 years?
MDP: Again, thats a hard question to answer. Unfortunately it all depends on who markets what where.
Hamm: Its a very exciting time to be into slalom with all the new gear coming out, but I personally have concerns that the market will be saturated soon, manufacturers will have unsold inventory and pull out again. Are manufacturers making too much too soon?
MDP: I don't think so. Wheels wear out. There will always be a new deck or truck to try out, but we really do need all these new wheels. Every situation calls for a different wheel. When Gary Cross & Paul Dunn had 1st dibs on the prize pool @ GGP, they both grabbed wheels 1st. Everybody had thier eyes on those wheels.
Hamm: Will Slalom survive this time around?
MDP: I have no idea, this birth of slalom to me, re-birth to most, is all new and I have no way of knowing whats next. I do see negativity from time to time, but overall I think those who are slaloming now will remain slalomers for many reason. And there appears to be an 'interst' when a newbie see watches cone running for the 1st time.
Hamm: We're still talking industry here. Retail-wise, can slalom stand on its own, or is it a natural to market it with longboarding?
MDP: We all hope it can. In my opinion, the more races the better. If at least one person leaves each slalom race with a desire to give it a go, then it will survive on its own.
Hamm: Last industry question, see anything interesting at the big Action Sports Retail show that went down recently in San Diego?
MDP: We saw the Turner Downhill booth & hung out there all day.
Hamm: Lets talk slalom racing. Marc, you are making quite a name for yourself these days. Is it skill, determination, natural talent, or beginners luck?
MDP: All the above! I was fortunate to hook up with Sean Mallard, who is a walking skateboard encylocpedia and a great rider of everything he steps foot on. He worked with me on the R&D of the Fluid Stinger and got me started on the right foot. The expierence I gained with components & modifications in the short month was enormous to my understanding of what makes a slalom board work. One you figure out a board that works for you, your progress will increase substantially.
Hamm: I would very much like to congratulate you on what you've accomplished this summer. Bad H calls you his 'slalom grom', Don O'shei recently made numerous references to your progress in a recent NCDSA interview, and old pro's are coming out of the woodwork to call you Rookie of the Year. Are you stoked to be getting these types of Kudo's?
MDP: Absolutely! But I want to say that I have been kind of lucky. Being involved with Longskate.com and on TeamSSS has made it easy for people to recognize me. There are many guys that deserve as much, if not more attention & props for what they've done. Barret 'Chicken' Deck, Mike Maysey, Terence Kirby and Gary Holl are nust a few names that are also new to slalom this year and are racing very fast. Chicken kicks my butt everytime.
Hamm: To what can you attribute your racing success?
MDP: Arab lived less than a mile from me in HB. He was very determined to get our 'skill-level' up before the Morro race and pushed me very hard to get better&faster. He still does. And Richy Carrasco spent a lot of time on my riding. He's a slalom natural, but you gotta figure than anyone who can do 142 consecutive 360's has a balance abnormality.
Hamm: Any infuence you'd like to mention?
MDP: Yeah, all the Fat City Racing guys! That brotherhood has stood the test of time. Those guys showed up at Morro as if there was NEVER a break in slalom racing and kicked butt! The younger Swiss guys came & stayed a few days with me in HB and taught me alot. And, John Gilmour, who came out to a small West LA College race over a year ago with his Turner and blew my mind. He really opened up alot of eyes out here that this level of slalom exist.
Hamm: How has joining up with Team SSS helped you?
MDP: I don't know where to start. What we have is incredible, so much equipemnt knowledge and skating expierience IS what got me to where I am. Chicken kicked down the timing system and thats what made our 'Secret Slalom Spot' THE spot to race each other When you are able to time yourself its easier to see whats fast & what's not.
Hamm: Are you going to win the La Costa Open?
MDP: I'm gonna try! I can't say I'll win the whole deal, but I'll sure spank Maysey!
Hamm: Last question, what in the future for Marc DuPaul?
MDP: I never know the answer to that. 4 years ago I would have answered that question by saying I'm saving to buy a house in Florida. Thank God I did'nt do that! For now I'm in a new town and I'll try to make it through the winter. I hear its crazy up here at Mammoth. Right now I'm just holding my Gold Pass, waiting for snow...........................
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Gary Cross
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On 10/3/2001 Gary Holl
wrote in from
(10.10.nnn.nnn)
Gary Cross Interview by Gary Holl, September 28, 2001
INTERVIEW
HOLL: I know you skate pools and slalom, how many years have you been skating?
CROSS: 36
HOLL: Sponsors?
CROSS: Comet skateboards, Independent Trucks, Etnies Shoes, Ninja bearings, Daggers Sun glasses, Croakies, Cutting Edge Sports, working for N-MEN Pool service and riding for FAT CITY RACING.
HOLL: Slalom has seen a big turnaround since Morro Bay in June, why do you think the resurgence is taking place? And please describe what was going through your mind as you raced Maurus Stroble in the final two races to then be crowned the World Champion?
CROSS: The race at Morro Bay kicked it off. And the Internet has taken it 10 fold. Finals: 1st run- I can beat this guy. On the way up the hill, why did I double pump before the last section, I hadn’t done it all day. 2nd run- Pull out all the stops, I need the run of my life.
We have now seen several races, Morro Bay, GGP, Cambria among others. What was the best course? What was the worst course? What was the most memorable race?
CROSS: Best, GGP. Worst, Cambria TS (everyone there could barley make that problem). We haven’t had a race on a real hill yet. That’s when the fun will begin. Most memorable, The Dump Road Race (Dave Criddle making his comeback).
HOLL: The new Comet Gary Cross Pro Model Slalom board is out now, how did you decide what shape and material to use? Who came up with the Graphics?
CROSS: Wide = More control. Long = Faster. Material: I showed Jason and Jonathon at Comet Skateboards the flex I wanted and they hit it right on the nose the first time. The bamboo was their idea along with the graphics.
HOLL: I can remember looking at SKATEBOARDER Magazine and seeing pictures of slalom in the mid to late 70’s. In a recent issue of THRASHER Ben Schroeder wrote a story about Morro Bay, What did you think when you saw the story?
CROSS: Haven’t seen it yet.
HOLL: Fat City Racing Team member since?
CROSS: Back in the day.
HOLL: What is your oldest memory of slalom skateboarding?
CROSS: Racing around soda cans on clay wheels and doing four wheel drifts on the smooth cement behind Paul Clarks 4 plex.
HOLL: I know the one thing I really dislike about racing is standing around waiting for my next run, this can sometimes take one hour or more, do you find this to be a problem and can race organizers do anything to resolve this or is it all just part of race day?
CROSS: Patience young weed hopper. All the races I’ve had the pleasure to be at have run great. Except Hamm showing up an hour late. I think he was waiting to see if the cops hauled us off. Once the coast was clear he did a great job.
HOLL: Who should we keep an eye on as “up and coming” in slalom racing and why?
CROSS: Dillon looking fast at Cambria because he is not over 40.
HOLL: In what year did you enter your first slalom race and how did you do?
CROSS: The first big contest, back in the day. The Cow Palace in SF. They showed Five Summer Stories and had a fiberglass pool. The slalom ramp was massive, 40 feet wide, from the top of the arena on one end to the far side of the floor on the other. And it was steep. The run out was foam pads that you had to jump into. It was slippery and I had the wrong wheels for the dusty plywood surface. But, I did good in the high jump.
HOLL: Can you describe the back Independent Truck you use with the off-set axle. Who invented this and what do you think it does?
CROSS: How about those Giants? Think Bonds will beat the record?
HOLL: On race day how do you decide on the correct wheels to use?
CROSS: The best race car drivers are the ones that can go out on the track and tell the crew chief what the car is doing and what is needed to make it faster. “You have to try something you don’t like to know what you like”.
HOLL: The market now offers slalom decks and wheels, how can we get a new generation of kids to go out a buy the products and get into racing?
CROSS: Giant Slalom Races. Skateboarders see someone carving around cones and say “I can do that, that looks like fun”. Spectators see a GS race and can compare it to snowboarding or skiing. Beginners can make a GS course with out a special board, and soft wheels. At the time I thought Morro Bay was to loose. Henry and Jack are geniuses. The kids and the spectators loved it. They couldn’t get enough of it.
HOLL: You are the “World Champion”, what does this mean to you?
CROSS: I got First Place at the Morro Bay Race.
HOLL: Where will slalom skateboarding be in one year, two years, and five years?
CROSS: Hopefully going strong! We have the right people in place to help it along.
HOLL: Final thoughts?
CROSS: “lean left to go left”, skateboarding at its simplest.
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Henry Hester
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On 9/24/2001 Gary Holl
wrote in from
(10.10.nnn.nnn)
Henry Hester Interview by Gary Holl September 24, 2001
INTERVIEW
HOLL: How many years have you been skating and what is your first memory of
skateboarding?
HESTER: That goes back a few years. I was born in 1951. I started skateboarding
at about 8 or 9 years old. That was in the late 50s. Of course, we only had two
by fours with metal roller skate wheels at that time. My first slalom moment came
at the age of 12 in La Jolla, on Fairway Rd. I set up an obstacle course using
spray paint dots and rode that on a Super Surfer with clay wheels. It was a mini
GS with 8' spray marks set on a 4-5'offset, probably 25 marks long and good for 8-
10 mph. I did not know that cones existed in 1962-63. I've gone back to that
hill recently and I will try to post some photos on my site. It was fairly steep,
on a curve and impossible to ride today because cars go too fast.
HOLL: The new ROE Hester Model Slalom board will be out soon, how did you decide
what shape and material to use?
HESTER: Taking you back again, I had met Gareth Roe at Morro Bay. We talked a
little at Cambria the day before the race and kind of hit it off. He was down
from Seattle and I had worked as Sales Manager for Mervin Manufacturing, the
makers of Lib Tech and Gnu Snowboards, in Seattle. Anyway, a few weeks later we
had a little e-talk about how rad the Ick Sticks were. I always loved them.
Charlie Ransom and Steve Evans simply ripped on them in the late 70s. Doug Hitch
was thinking of making some Icks and I believe he and Gareth were in contact early
on. Gareth asked me to send a shape up to Seattle, as he wanted to put something
together, probably to get me off the couch. I don't really know. Remember, I
hadn't skated seriously in over 15 years.
Now, to "answer the question". I used the H-Bomb SC shape, as I couldn't find
anything I liked more. The shape was developed throughout the 70s. It was
widened from the early G&S Hesters and even the early SC Hesters. The length
remained at a typical 29". The design uses the familiar narrow tail design for a
few reasons. A narrow tail will detune the tail and actually work like a wedged
rear truck riser. This keeps things sane at high speed where a board can really
get sketchy. Also the narrow tail allows you to grip the edge of the rail with
the bottom of your shoe. Eric Groff and I were riding the other day and asked him
note my rear foot position after a run. While still "forward" in angle/stance, it
was almost half on the board and half off - feeling perfect to me. Of course he
said, "I could never ride a narrow tail." However... he saw how I was riding the
design and it probably made more sense after that, at least for my style of
skating. We'll post some photos of this stance on Roe Racing's upcoming site.
Everything else about the design it pretty standard (i.e. the nose shape).
The materials are Gareth's department. He initially started with bi-directional
glass. This produced an Ok ride but something was missing. TK, JG and myself
were all reporting plenty of pop but side-to-side reaction was a little weak.
Once Gareth hooked up Mike Olsen of Mervin Mfg and his super secret tri-axial
glass, things came alive, firstly for TK and then for me. We found the right
combo of fiberglass, foam and epoxy to produce boards that worked better than any
of us could ride. That was enough to put them into production and eventually, to
market.
HOLL A lot of time is spent debating how best to start a race. I know you're
working on several starting "gates" similar to those used in ski racing and luge
skateboarding. Why do you think we need this type of device and how can we assure
that the race community will have enough of these devices to use at every race.
HESTER: Well, dual slalom needs some sort of restraining device to allow for even,
fair starts. We all went through the arguments on this site about how important
the start should be. I can honestly say that I have had more dual skateboard
slalom starts than anyone in the USA. I've seen every contraption used and have
personally busted three wood and metal doors trying to get out of the box early.
Had I had a simple lock on my rear wheels, whether it was a push or pull start, I
would have not won so many races back in the day. It just makes for a totally fair
start.
Some of us in SoCal have determined that your start, especially a 15' push start
is the most critical component in your time. The next few races will use pull
gate ramps like Morro Bay. This will open up opportunities for skaters who start
mongo and have trouble setting their front foot quickly (me), skaters who can't
push fast (me) and skaters who ride more parallel like Bruce Brewington. As far as
the race community having access to starting devices, we have UPS. Anything is
only a day away. Plus, a simple bungee cord works well enough for regional
events.
OLL: Fat City Racing Team member since?
HESTER: 1976? John Krisik, a silent god in many of our minds, invited me to join
FCR about the time I joined Santa Cruz skateboards. I like the guys and their no
bullshit attitude. To see everyone complaining about the co | | |
