The Rapid Movement Skateboard Marathon!
This past weekend Michigan was rocked by The Rapid Movement Skateboard Marathon, a 26.2 mile distance race and weekend of skateboarder driven mayhem. Approximately 75 racers showed up to participate from across the country, making it the second largest longboarding event in Michigan, and hands down the most competitive field of riders Michigan has ever seen. The event was organized and laid down by BKS team rider Chris Preville, in collaboration with fellow members of Go Green Longboarding and other supporters of the Michigan scene, including Smokin Mad Love. Chris Yandall and the IDSA also came through with tremendous support. The course had great pavement and killer scenery, winding through lakes and forests. The weather was solid, with exception of the 20+ mph headwind that circled through the trees and fought racers for most of the course, keeping riders in tight packs and world record attempts in check. Action Board Sports and other volunteers came up big, providing water and support to racers all day long.
In the men's division, Jason and Robin McGuirk battled it out the entire way, with Andrei Hippix close behind fighting the wind all by himself. "It was almost impossible to sprint away from each other in such a strong headwind, so we stayed neck and neck until the end" says Robin. Eventually Andrei caught up and it was a dead heat heading into a pretty fast corner, where Robin and Andrei collided with less than a mile to the finish. "I landed on gravel and slid down the hill a bit as my board went down the hill 50 feet or so. Andrei was still higher up on the hill at the corner, got his board quickly and pushed down the hill past me as I was running down to get my board" Robin said. Jay escaped the crash and maintained his lead, taking home the victory and remaining undefeated in Michigan push races. When asked how he felt after the race, he said "fuckin tired". It would have been great to see a sprint finish at the end between these three. Jay says it would have been really close.. "Andrei was closing in on me again at the end" he admits. Leunam Segura and BKS rider Nathan Moore came in at fourth and fifth a few minutes later, followed closely by a tight pack of five more.
Men's results - Top Ten:
1st- Jason Yerke (BKS) 1:39:22
2nd- Andrei Hippix 1:39:31
3rd- Robin McGuirk 1:40:32
4th- Leunam Segura 1:47:33
5th- Nathan Moore (BKS) 1:51:19
6th- Drew Vandegrift 1:53:07
7th - Devin Rosema 1:53:28
8th- Tyler Finses 1:53:39
9th- Derek Yerke (BKS) 1:53:53
10- Alex Bolen 1:54:06
In the women's division, Viv Lin broke out to an early lead, but her day was abrubtly ended with a violent crash in the same area where Andrei and Robin later crashed. Top contender Danielle DeJesus and a handful of others, including Theseus Williams (who was somewhere in the mens top 5 at the time), showed true skate community spirit as they stopped to assist their fallen comrade. Annah Rowe of Bustin Boards led for most of the remainder of the race, falling tragically only a few hundred yards from the finish line. Right on her tail, Ana Carolina picked up the pace and seized the opportunity, passing the other Annah on her way to victory. These women kicked some serious ass, finishing higher than most of the guys!
Women's results:
1st- Ana Carolina
2nd- Annah Rowe
3rd - ? waiting on official results
Many Michigan owned skate companies were in attendance including Action Board Sports, Bees Knees Skathletics, Bustin', Smokin Mad Love, Rey Trucks and Get Longboards. A new bar has been set for kick ass events in Michigan. A killer time was had by everyone who attended, and the party here is only gettin started!
pictures included below taken by Chris Yandall
In the men's division, Jason and Robin McGuirk battled it out the entire way, with Andrei Hippix close behind fighting the wind all by himself. "It was almost impossible to sprint away from each other in such a strong headwind, so we stayed neck and neck until the end" says Robin. Eventually Andrei caught up and it was a dead heat heading into a pretty fast corner, where Robin and Andrei collided with less than a mile to the finish. "I landed on gravel and slid down the hill a bit as my board went down the hill 50 feet or so. Andrei was still higher up on the hill at the corner, got his board quickly and pushed down the hill past me as I was running down to get my board" Robin said. Jay escaped the crash and maintained his lead, taking home the victory and remaining undefeated in Michigan push races. When asked how he felt after the race, he said "fuckin tired". It would have been great to see a sprint finish at the end between these three. Jay says it would have been really close.. "Andrei was closing in on me again at the end" he admits. Leunam Segura and BKS rider Nathan Moore came in at fourth and fifth a few minutes later, followed closely by a tight pack of five more.
Men's results - Top Ten:
1st- Jason Yerke (BKS) 1:39:22
2nd- Andrei Hippix 1:39:31
3rd- Robin McGuirk 1:40:32
4th- Leunam Segura 1:47:33
5th- Nathan Moore (BKS) 1:51:19
6th- Drew Vandegrift 1:53:07
7th - Devin Rosema 1:53:28
8th- Tyler Finses 1:53:39
9th- Derek Yerke (BKS) 1:53:53
10- Alex Bolen 1:54:06
In the women's division, Viv Lin broke out to an early lead, but her day was abrubtly ended with a violent crash in the same area where Andrei and Robin later crashed. Top contender Danielle DeJesus and a handful of others, including Theseus Williams (who was somewhere in the mens top 5 at the time), showed true skate community spirit as they stopped to assist their fallen comrade. Annah Rowe of Bustin Boards led for most of the remainder of the race, falling tragically only a few hundred yards from the finish line. Right on her tail, Ana Carolina picked up the pace and seized the opportunity, passing the other Annah on her way to victory. These women kicked some serious ass, finishing higher than most of the guys!
Women's results:
1st- Ana Carolina
2nd- Annah Rowe
3rd - ? waiting on official results
Many Michigan owned skate companies were in attendance including Action Board Sports, Bees Knees Skathletics, Bustin', Smokin Mad Love, Rey Trucks and Get Longboards. A new bar has been set for kick ass events in Michigan. A killer time was had by everyone who attended, and the party here is only gettin started!
pictures included below taken by Chris Yandall
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Organizer and MC, Chris Preville, ready to get the house rockin!
Ana Carolina holdin it down on the turn.
Draft Pack.
Top 10! 
Robin's Road Rash
The morning after.
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Racers Meeting
Mogeley (Nick Harrington) playing in the jungle!
Jay holdin it down for Michigan!.
The Women's Champ... Miss Ana Carolina! 
Bustin' master of stoke Annah Rowe and daughter Brooklyn Dallas work the crowd into a frenzy tossing her second place prize into the pit of skaters! 
A warehouse was rented out for the late night afterparty (a.k.a.: PrevillePalooza). Preville made sure to keep an eye out for terrorists.
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Lookin forward to the next one!
p.s.- Look out for some Yerke girls to be competing soon. ;)
p.s.- Look out for some Yerke girls to be competing soon. ;)
Taylor tears it up at the Clemson Death Race and Slide Comp
1st in the race, third in the slide jam. congrats brother! article coming soon...
Slalom St. Louis X
article coming soon...
Texas Sizzler!
article coming soon...
Madness in the Mitten 4!
story coming soon. It fuckin rocked. again. Jay remains undefeated on course. 100+ racers
Derek defends title at the 3rd annual Garage Bomb Circuit!
posted by: Jason 11/14/2011
Congrats to my younger bro Derek for winning the garage bomb circuit for the second straight year without even skating a garage all year!!!! he kicked my ass as well as nearly forty others to defend his title. Good job to other bees riders who came out as well - Jared Davidson, Andrew Joseph Burgess, and Brian Mulhern.
Congrats to my younger bro Derek for winning the garage bomb circuit for the second straight year without even skating a garage all year!!!! he kicked my ass as well as nearly forty others to defend his title. Good job to other bees riders who came out as well - Jared Davidson, Andrew Joseph Burgess, and Brian Mulhern.
Adrenalina World Championships in Florida! - Jay takes third!
posted by: Derek 11/10/2011
After his fourth place finish in Texas, Jay decided to step up his training and head to Florida for the world championships. It paid off as he battled neck and neck with Paul Kent and Jeff Vyain, the two most respected distance skaters out there, for nearly 3 of the 4 laps. After losing their draft he fell back a little and earned a decisive third place finish as well as a nice $2500 check to go along with it. Huge thanks to Adrenalina for giving my brother and other dedicated distance pushers a place to shine, and big ups to Jeff and Paul on the tie for first!
After his fourth place finish in Texas, Jay decided to step up his training and head to Florida for the world championships. It paid off as he battled neck and neck with Paul Kent and Jeff Vyain, the two most respected distance skaters out there, for nearly 3 of the 4 laps. After losing their draft he fell back a little and earned a decisive third place finish as well as a nice $2500 check to go along with it. Huge thanks to Adrenalina for giving my brother and other dedicated distance pushers a place to shine, and big ups to Jeff and Paul on the tie for first!
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Jay takes fourth at the Adrenalina Skateboard Marathon in Plano, Tx!
posted by: Derek 10/25/2011
He lost his board in NYC, lost his third place position and any accompanying cash he may have won, which led to him missing out on the Puerto Rico event as well. It didn't stop him from making it to Texas though and all of his training started to pay off, as he snagged 4th place and the $1500 prize that went along with it. He looks to improve on his performance in a few weeks down in Hallandale Beach, Florida at the World Championships. Go Get em!
He lost his board in NYC, lost his third place position and any accompanying cash he may have won, which led to him missing out on the Puerto Rico event as well. It didn't stop him from making it to Texas though and all of his training started to pay off, as he snagged 4th place and the $1500 prize that went along with it. He looks to improve on his performance in a few weeks down in Hallandale Beach, Florida at the World Championships. Go Get em!
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Great weekend at Southern Fried Cone Fest #6! BKS wins 1st in all 3 events
posted by: Derek 09/30/2011
Huge thanks to Lenny Poage and the the rest of the area locals for putting on one of our favorite events yet again! Story coming soon.
also see
write-up in Concrete Wave "ISSA report" slalom section
www.slalomskateboarder.com (few stories down on front page)
Huge thanks to Lenny Poage and the the rest of the area locals for putting on one of our favorite events yet again! Story coming soon.
also see
write-up in Concrete Wave "ISSA report" slalom section
www.slalomskateboarder.com (few stories down on front page)
Adrenalina Skateboard Marathon - NYC
posted by: Derek 08/15/2011
Crazy weekend! Adrenalina hosted the first marathon of their 2011 world tour in New York City, so we decided to make the trip out. 26.2 miles of carnage amongst the fastest skaters in the world, competing for a $30,000 prize pool. We arrived in the city thursday night and met up with the Mike D and the rest of the crew above the Bustin' shop, where we chilled and eventually crashed out. The next morning we took the ferry over to the island with mike to check it out. After booths were setup and the trade show truck was unloaded, we headed into the city to for a little skate. Skating in NYC is iNsAne. You own traffic and flow seamlessly with it. After a long day we finally got a little sleep and Jay had hopes of winning the event, but after breaking through the pack and pulling into third place 4 laps in, He fell out of nowhere and lost his board into the New York Harbor. The whole 2 mile path has a fence around it that prevents this, with the exception of an area about fifty feet long where, it just so happens, Jay fell. Pretty disappointing but there will be more to come. I ended up finishing 29th out of the 150 or so racers. The next day we went to a slalom jam under the manhattan bridge, where the cops joined in their bikes. Finally hit the road after hangin for a nights. NYC is a "must-do" for all push skaters. Huge thanks to fellow Go Green teammate Mike Dallas of Bustin' boards for putting us up and showing us around the city. You rock mike!
Crazy weekend! Adrenalina hosted the first marathon of their 2011 world tour in New York City, so we decided to make the trip out. 26.2 miles of carnage amongst the fastest skaters in the world, competing for a $30,000 prize pool. We arrived in the city thursday night and met up with the Mike D and the rest of the crew above the Bustin' shop, where we chilled and eventually crashed out. The next morning we took the ferry over to the island with mike to check it out. After booths were setup and the trade show truck was unloaded, we headed into the city to for a little skate. Skating in NYC is iNsAne. You own traffic and flow seamlessly with it. After a long day we finally got a little sleep and Jay had hopes of winning the event, but after breaking through the pack and pulling into third place 4 laps in, He fell out of nowhere and lost his board into the New York Harbor. The whole 2 mile path has a fence around it that prevents this, with the exception of an area about fifty feet long where, it just so happens, Jay fell. Pretty disappointing but there will be more to come. I ended up finishing 29th out of the 150 or so racers. The next day we went to a slalom jam under the manhattan bridge, where the cops joined in their bikes. Finally hit the road after hangin for a nights. NYC is a "must-do" for all push skaters. Huge thanks to fellow Go Green teammate Mike Dallas of Bustin' boards for putting us up and showing us around the city. You rock mike!
St. Louis Slalom 9
posted by: Derek 06/01/2011
The slalom season is in full swing! Memorial Day weekend marked the 9th year in a row for the St. Louis Slalom, making it the second longest running slalom race in the world! (soon to be number one unless the organizers of The Farm race decide to hold their race again). Sanctioned by the ISSA as a Main event, a strong field of 42 racers from across the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain converged for a weekend of killer races, barbecues, and all around good times. The races themselves were a great success, featuring a fully updated leaderboards as well as custom trophies for the winners of each class, courtesy of Jeff Goad. A few new faces to the slalom community were present, including Team Cosmic, a young group of racers from Michigan making their ISSA debut. The newer racers all did well negotiating the courses, showing lots of potential, while top pros battled it out for the first place honors. Midwest legend Jonathan Harms won the hybrid event and eventually the overall title, while England’s Paul Price won the tight slalom after an epic dual lane battle with Harms. In the woman’s division, multiple time world champion Lynn Kramer edged out Joyce Wheldrake of Canada for the win in both the Hybrid and Tight. Aside from the awesome racing, the presence of well known slalom characters such as Jeff Goad, Bobby Thomas, Eddy Martinez, and many others, helped ensure the stoke was at all time highs throughout the weekend. As the events came to a close, the racers were showered with schwag from the sponsors, including: Pavel, Radikal, Surf-Rodz, Seismic, Old Man Skate Cartel, Pleasure Tool, Bees Knees Skathletics, Khiro, Sk8Kings, Fullbag, Deaf Skateboards, Entropy Skateboards, KHVT, TimeShip Racing, Gravity Skateboards, Concrete Wave Magazine, Skate [Slate] magazine, Mile High Skates, and Venom ...Thanks guys!
The slalom community is like a big family, where all sporting good vibes are readily accepted into the tight knit group. You can show up knowing nobody, and leave with more friends than you can count on your hands and toes. Thanks to larger events such as St. Louis, as well as a rise in local grassroots events, the sport really seems to be growing. I’d encourage all skaters, new and old, to give it a try at some point. For tips, articles, and discussion, be sure to check out the forums at www.slalomskateboarder.com. Also, if you’re a racer and you’d like to see where you stack up against the best in the world, check out www.slalomranking.com.
Huge thanks to the St. Louis Daggers for hosting an awesome event year in and year out. Events don’t just happen. They take a lot time, money, and effort on the part of organizers in order for the rest of us to come out and have a great time. Nine years in a row the Daggers have done this, cementing their place as a top level event and laying groundwork for the rest of the community to build on. You guys rock!
The slalom season is in full swing! Memorial Day weekend marked the 9th year in a row for the St. Louis Slalom, making it the second longest running slalom race in the world! (soon to be number one unless the organizers of The Farm race decide to hold their race again). Sanctioned by the ISSA as a Main event, a strong field of 42 racers from across the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain converged for a weekend of killer races, barbecues, and all around good times. The races themselves were a great success, featuring a fully updated leaderboards as well as custom trophies for the winners of each class, courtesy of Jeff Goad. A few new faces to the slalom community were present, including Team Cosmic, a young group of racers from Michigan making their ISSA debut. The newer racers all did well negotiating the courses, showing lots of potential, while top pros battled it out for the first place honors. Midwest legend Jonathan Harms won the hybrid event and eventually the overall title, while England’s Paul Price won the tight slalom after an epic dual lane battle with Harms. In the woman’s division, multiple time world champion Lynn Kramer edged out Joyce Wheldrake of Canada for the win in both the Hybrid and Tight. Aside from the awesome racing, the presence of well known slalom characters such as Jeff Goad, Bobby Thomas, Eddy Martinez, and many others, helped ensure the stoke was at all time highs throughout the weekend. As the events came to a close, the racers were showered with schwag from the sponsors, including: Pavel, Radikal, Surf-Rodz, Seismic, Old Man Skate Cartel, Pleasure Tool, Bees Knees Skathletics, Khiro, Sk8Kings, Fullbag, Deaf Skateboards, Entropy Skateboards, KHVT, TimeShip Racing, Gravity Skateboards, Concrete Wave Magazine, Skate [Slate] magazine, Mile High Skates, and Venom ...Thanks guys!
The slalom community is like a big family, where all sporting good vibes are readily accepted into the tight knit group. You can show up knowing nobody, and leave with more friends than you can count on your hands and toes. Thanks to larger events such as St. Louis, as well as a rise in local grassroots events, the sport really seems to be growing. I’d encourage all skaters, new and old, to give it a try at some point. For tips, articles, and discussion, be sure to check out the forums at www.slalomskateboarder.com. Also, if you’re a racer and you’d like to see where you stack up against the best in the world, check out www.slalomranking.com.
Huge thanks to the St. Louis Daggers for hosting an awesome event year in and year out. Events don’t just happen. They take a lot time, money, and effort on the part of organizers in order for the rest of us to come out and have a great time. Nine years in a row the Daggers have done this, cementing their place as a top level event and laying groundwork for the rest of the community to build on. You guys rock!
Go Green Longboarding/BKS monthly slalom session!
Our goal is to provide a venue for Michigan (+other) slalomers to kick back, have a good time, and share common interests. Nothing too competitive or serious or anything, though we'll probably have a timer for people to compare different setup combos, see improvement, etc... New skaters are encouraged. We will have plenty of setups (BKS+other) for people to try. Bring your friends and come out for a great time!
Prospective Dates: around one o'clock - Sunday 05/22, Saturday 06/11, Saturday 07/16, Saturday 08/20 (subject to change)
Locations TBA, but will always be in Lansing.
Stay tuned on the facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109906932422225
Prospective Dates: around one o'clock - Sunday 05/22, Saturday 06/11, Saturday 07/16, Saturday 08/20 (subject to change)
Locations TBA, but will always be in Lansing.
Stay tuned on the facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109906932422225
Upcoming Events- St. Louis Slalom
Happy to announce that we'll be heading down to St. Louis, MO again on Memorial Day weekend for the St. Louis Slalom! Hosted by the STL daggers, it's become the longest running slalom event in the nation, drawing riders from around the world. This year it has been sanctioned a 'Main' status event this year by the ISSA, well deserved in our opinion. Always a fun time for all. Check it out and try to make it down!
http://www.ncdsa.com/contest_registration.asp?ContestID=503
photo by: Scott Spaeth
rider: Deron Rehma
http://www.ncdsa.com/contest_registration.asp?ContestID=503
photo by: Scott Spaeth
rider: Deron Rehma
WMLB Poker Run Recap
posted by: Derek 06/01/2011The West Michigan Longboarding Club hosted their second annual poker run this weekend, and a sick time was had by all. 30-40 riders converged for the 5 ish mile run along a beautiful trail, and each rider received cards as they passed certain checkpoints. The random draw left me with a 10, 7, 3 and doubles of the 5 of clubs. Not a winning hand. Plenty of prizes were to be had as the WMLB guys received support and schwag from Bustin' Boards, Smokin Mad Love, Drop Thru Magazine, Malibu Skateboards, Bees Knees Skathletics, C R Boardworks, Go Green Longboarding, M.I.L.F crew, and Kracked Skulls. Later that day we skated some of the sickest spots Grand Rapids has to offer, including one that I've been hearing about since the day I started skating. So much fun. My helmet undoubtedly saved my life, so make sure you wear your buckets when you go out. After all the action we relaxed for a while, thumbed through the newest issue of Concrete Wave, and mowed down some ridiculously good rice Krispie treats courtesy of Jon and Blair of Smokin Mad love and Drop Thru Magazine. That night WMLB/Go Green member Chris Preville had a killer birthday bash at his place with live singers, a DJ, some pool, bitties, and barbecue meat treats. Smiles were everywhere and the community spirit was endless. Huge thanks to West Michigan Longboarding for hosting! Great event. edited 06/07/2011
For more info on the Poker Run and growth of the Michigan scene, check out the Bustin' blog write-up from michigan native Mike Dallas:
http://blog.bustinboards.com/?p=3265
For more info on the Poker Run and growth of the Michigan scene, check out the Bustin' blog write-up from michigan native Mike Dallas:
http://blog.bustinboards.com/?p=3265
Official fan page up and runnin'!
The Bees Knees Skathletics official fan page is now up and running. Stay up to date with us and the rest of the skathletes on facebook!! Also, feel free to add our existing friend page to send messages, etc...
Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bees-Knees-Skathletics/10150092509895034?sk=wall
Friend Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000889872959
Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bees-Knees-Skathletics/10150092509895034?sk=wall
Friend Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000889872959
Madness in the Mitten 3!
56 riders made it out setting a new attendance record for the event, despite it's worst weather yet! Jay managed to snag his third consecutive title, and the rest of the team riders also performed very well, with 5 finishing in the top 10. The stoke was unstoppable and the scene here is really blowing up! Thanks to everyone who made it out!
Write up and full results - http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/Events/madness-in-the-mitten-3.html
Also check out Mike Dallas' recap on the Bustin' blog. - http://blog.bustinboards.com/?p=3023
04/28/2010
Write up and full results - http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/Events/madness-in-the-mitten-3.html
Also check out Mike Dallas' recap on the Bustin' blog. - http://blog.bustinboards.com/?p=3023
04/28/2010
New Team Riders!
We're proud to officially welcome Andrew Joseph Burgess and Jarod Scott Davidson to the BKS crew! Check out their rider profiles on the Team Riders page! 01/15/2010
Madness In the Mitten 3
Michigan's premier push and slalom race is back for a third year, and we can't wait. Saturday is a 4.1 mile push race with a few bridges to run over and patches of true skater pavement. After that we have a slide jam, kick it for awhile, and then go out for a nighttime garage tour. Sunday we have outlaw Hybrid and tight slalom events. The push race is a test of will and guts. And lungs. Jason was the victor in MIM1, and MIM2 featured a tie between Jason and team rider Bill Ris. Despite a cold snap in the weather last year, 43 people showed up to race and about 10 others to ride along. Plenty of other sponsors to be announced! Check out the event on facebook for more info. Over 100 'attending' so far!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=196355053708972
Look out for more events from BKS and the rest of the Go Green team!
03/21/2011
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=196355053708972
Look out for more events from BKS and the rest of the Go Green team!
03/21/2011
Jay and Bill in Ionia
An afternoon slopestyle session in Ionia with Jay and Bill at a fun little spot. 12/04/2010
Garage Bomb Circuit #2
The garage Bomb Circuit is a series of races through our favorite local garage here in Lansing. The event was a tremendous success, with about 20 guys showing up to throw down. Lots of energy. Team riders held it down taking the top 5 spots. Jay won the first year, but stayed home with the flu, so we ended up in a heated battle for first between the top 4 or 5 guys. I was fortunate enough to pull off the win, but it was neck and neck every race. Props to the MSU longboarding club for hosting!
11/28/2010
11/28/2010
Kentucky fried!
The Southern Fried Cone Fest has cemented its place as one of our favorite races. After an awesome experience last year, we decided to hike down again. We came in the first night and went out for a little cruise in West Virginia, followed by a late night jam session at the hill right across the border. The Tolley family was gracious enough to take us into their home for the weekend...Awesome people tip to toe, and their entire town has dreamworthy terrain. Thanks again for taking us in guys! Saturday brought tons of festivities. Lenny was awesome on the announcers mic once again, as 30 somethin racers showed up from across the nation to compete. The cool thing about skate events is even though you are competing, everyone is extremely friendly, helpful, and community oriented. It's all about fun in the end. That aside, there was some intense racing. Ethan White, recently featured on MTV's Nitro Circus won the Hybrid slalom, while Jonathan Harms and Steve Pederson duked it out in an epic race for the tight slalom title. Dinner and good times we're had that night, and Sunday brought the monster GS hill and another great day of skating. Smack in the middle of the Poage landing Days Festival, the Southern Fried Cone Fest is a very well run event and Lenny and crew did a tremendous job again this year. Can't wait for the next one.
09/29/2010
09/29/2010
Custom Productions - Mid West Steez
sweet videos by michigan native Blake Loughran -
St. Louis or Bust!
7:30 Pay for Gas, Leave Lansing
8:00 Return to Lansing to pump the gas that we already payed for, leave again
12:00 Arrive in Chicago, start looking for cheap parking
2:00am Still looking for cheap Parking, Some guy tells us to head west on Adams for awhile
2:30am Park vehicle in the ghetto a few miles out of the city, approached by two security guards who say "you're not from around here are you?" and advise we spend as little time as possible in the area.
2:31am start kickin to union Station with luggage, can't find it now
3:15 am Arrive at Union Station to find the doors locked until 5:00
3:30am sleeping on the sidewalk, woke up for a bit to pee on a pillar and watch over stuff
5:00am realize Chicago is Central Time Zone and we have another hour of waiting
5:00 am(CST) - enter the station, got some McD's and brief nap, people watched for a few hours. Not alot pretty ladies riding the Amtrak in the morning...
8:15 went outside to bus stop
9:00 Board da bus
2:30 get off da bus
2:45 Kick to Tower Grove with luggage in Tow.
3:30 Ask two "Bloods" if there's any bathrooms. They laugh and point at the trees. Chilled for awhile.
4:30 Jack in the Box!
5:30 ish Started friday night Jam. Lots of people look faaast.
8:30 end the Jam, got some food as a group. Can't remember the name of the place but they had damn good fish n chips. Chatted with everyone for awhile (Dave Larson is one cool cat).
10:00 Steve P and Keenan gave us a ride and put us up in their hotel room. You guys rock!
8:00 Woke up, went to IHOP with steve and Keenan, and then off to the race
10:00 ish arrive, start sweeping course
12:00 ish Race began, great course, better competition.
6:00 Race ends.. JBH, Steve P!, Lou Statman, and Paul Price take the top four spots. Jay 7th, me 10th
7:00 Barbecue at the Turkish Pavilion, Chris Doan (Gorilla Biscuits) entertains by skating through dirt and up a curled tree stump that had a picnic table for stalls and stuff next to it. GnaRly stuff!
11:00 leave with Steve Lewis to go ride garages and see the city. Met up with a few other guys and had a ball. Jay hit his helmet on a support beam, and woulda been headless if he was a foot to the left were the beam came down lower
12:30 am 7-11 nachos!
1:00 am shower, Chill with Steve, watch him grip his new BKS deck, Hit the hay (Jay lets me sleep in the more comfortable spot for the first time in my life!)
7:30 Get up and start tinkering with setups
8:30 Steve provided some cereal, then showed us his 'dirtsurfer' and all the other cool toys he has out in his garage.
10-ish Second race begins, Jay outqualifies me by a few thousandths of a second again for a sweep on the weekend :( . After a few tight races, I win the 'B' class and he loses to Harms in the 'A'.
5:00 event ends, Tons of schwag to go around. gave a deck to Sasha Goad for the effort she put forth all weekend.
6:00 Cfav gives us a ride home instead of the Megabus. Way more comfortable, no offense megabus. We learned alot about him, the history of slalom, and life. Thanks Chris!
11:00 Return to dark and densely populated ghetto streets to find our truck is still in tact :)
11:30 Got some Gyros in the city before leaving.
4:00 (5:00 EST): Arrive home, ramen noodles, sleep coma.
06/02/2010
8:00 Return to Lansing to pump the gas that we already payed for, leave again
12:00 Arrive in Chicago, start looking for cheap parking
2:00am Still looking for cheap Parking, Some guy tells us to head west on Adams for awhile
2:30am Park vehicle in the ghetto a few miles out of the city, approached by two security guards who say "you're not from around here are you?" and advise we spend as little time as possible in the area.
2:31am start kickin to union Station with luggage, can't find it now
3:15 am Arrive at Union Station to find the doors locked until 5:00
3:30am sleeping on the sidewalk, woke up for a bit to pee on a pillar and watch over stuff
5:00am realize Chicago is Central Time Zone and we have another hour of waiting
5:00 am(CST) - enter the station, got some McD's and brief nap, people watched for a few hours. Not alot pretty ladies riding the Amtrak in the morning...
8:15 went outside to bus stop
9:00 Board da bus
2:30 get off da bus
2:45 Kick to Tower Grove with luggage in Tow.
3:30 Ask two "Bloods" if there's any bathrooms. They laugh and point at the trees. Chilled for awhile.
4:30 Jack in the Box!
5:30 ish Started friday night Jam. Lots of people look faaast.
8:30 end the Jam, got some food as a group. Can't remember the name of the place but they had damn good fish n chips. Chatted with everyone for awhile (Dave Larson is one cool cat).
10:00 Steve P and Keenan gave us a ride and put us up in their hotel room. You guys rock!
8:00 Woke up, went to IHOP with steve and Keenan, and then off to the race
10:00 ish arrive, start sweeping course
12:00 ish Race began, great course, better competition.
6:00 Race ends.. JBH, Steve P!, Lou Statman, and Paul Price take the top four spots. Jay 7th, me 10th
7:00 Barbecue at the Turkish Pavilion, Chris Doan (Gorilla Biscuits) entertains by skating through dirt and up a curled tree stump that had a picnic table for stalls and stuff next to it. GnaRly stuff!
11:00 leave with Steve Lewis to go ride garages and see the city. Met up with a few other guys and had a ball. Jay hit his helmet on a support beam, and woulda been headless if he was a foot to the left were the beam came down lower
12:30 am 7-11 nachos!
1:00 am shower, Chill with Steve, watch him grip his new BKS deck, Hit the hay (Jay lets me sleep in the more comfortable spot for the first time in my life!)
7:30 Get up and start tinkering with setups
8:30 Steve provided some cereal, then showed us his 'dirtsurfer' and all the other cool toys he has out in his garage.
10-ish Second race begins, Jay outqualifies me by a few thousandths of a second again for a sweep on the weekend :( . After a few tight races, I win the 'B' class and he loses to Harms in the 'A'.
5:00 event ends, Tons of schwag to go around. gave a deck to Sasha Goad for the effort she put forth all weekend.
6:00 Cfav gives us a ride home instead of the Megabus. Way more comfortable, no offense megabus. We learned alot about him, the history of slalom, and life. Thanks Chris!
11:00 Return to dark and densely populated ghetto streets to find our truck is still in tact :)
11:30 Got some Gyros in the city before leaving.
4:00 (5:00 EST): Arrive home, ramen noodles, sleep coma.
06/02/2010
Video from recent Michigan events.
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BKS riders hold down the home turf at Madness in the Mitten II
BKS riders claim 8 of 9 podium spots! 48 racers showed up and it was a blast! Video above. Check out the Go Green Blog for Official Madness in the Mitten Results and Write-up: http://www.gogreenlongboarding.com/blog/
Podiums:
Distance race Hybrid Slalom Tight Slalom
1. Bill Ris and Jason Yerke 1. Derek Yerke 1. Jason Yerke
2. 2. Jason Yerke 2. Derek Yerke
3. Jeff Vyain 3. Peter Croce 3. Peter Croce
Podiums:
Distance race Hybrid Slalom Tight Slalom
1. Bill Ris and Jason Yerke 1. Derek Yerke 1. Jason Yerke
2. 2. Jason Yerke 2. Derek Yerke
3. Jeff Vyain 3. Peter Croce 3. Peter Croce
BKS riders earn top spots at Michigan Garage Bomb Circuit
The circuit was a series of three intense races through East Lansing's best parking garages. Twelve riders competed, including two from Cleveland, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Jay won the event, I took second, and Peter Croce came in third. After the event we all stopped at seven eleven, holla'd at some bitties, and then went to another ramp for a little Banshee Bungee action.
11/28/2009
11/28/2009
Go Green Longboarding featured on www.skateslate.com
article courtesy of Matt Livingston and www.skateslate.com
Out on the crappy streets of central Michigan holds one of the only Midwest skate teams. Go Green Longboarding, started in August of 2006 by Alex Kwiecinski, now has 14team members, mostly located in the Lansing and Detroit area. Go Green prides itself on its multi-faceted members.
In order to be considered for the team, skaters must prove some form of proficiency in slalom, sliding, and long distance pushing, with downhill slowly creeping into the mix. Two thousand nine has been a great year for Go Green, with members at Wiggle War IV, the Chicago Cone Crusher, the Waterford DH Outlaw, and the Southern Fried Cone Fest. In addition to the Waterford Outlaw, GGL threw “Madness in The Mitten”, a 4-mile push race and slide jam in April. Two thousand ten looks unstoppable for them as they try to further grow the scene in Michigan by putting on races and regular sessions (psst…look out for some sanctioned slalom races and downhill outlaws.) Holler at www.GoGreenLongboarding.com if you’re ever in the mitten!
Out on the crappy streets of central Michigan holds one of the only Midwest skate teams. Go Green Longboarding, started in August of 2006 by Alex Kwiecinski, now has 14team members, mostly located in the Lansing and Detroit area. Go Green prides itself on its multi-faceted members.
In order to be considered for the team, skaters must prove some form of proficiency in slalom, sliding, and long distance pushing, with downhill slowly creeping into the mix. Two thousand nine has been a great year for Go Green, with members at Wiggle War IV, the Chicago Cone Crusher, the Waterford DH Outlaw, and the Southern Fried Cone Fest. In addition to the Waterford Outlaw, GGL threw “Madness in The Mitten”, a 4-mile push race and slide jam in April. Two thousand ten looks unstoppable for them as they try to further grow the scene in Michigan by putting on races and regular sessions (psst…look out for some sanctioned slalom races and downhill outlaws.) Holler at www.GoGreenLongboarding.com if you’re ever in the mitten!
Tom and Pete spreads stoke at Ancaster Outlaw
Write up courtesy of team rider Tom Risk
To everyone who made the race (me and peter) we fucking rock. Big props to Peter for making it into the semi finals and taking 3rd in his heat (so 5th or 6th place overall in a field of 42) and he was the only rider on Indys, and one of maybe 5 on topmounts.
To everyone else who didn't, you missed out on one of the most insane sundays ever. Hopefully once we find all the photos and videos you'll get a little better understanding of what went down.
Started driving at 5am for canada, stopped a couple times for poo, timmy H, and meet the canuks. Rolled into Snake rd at 9 for an hour session, pete and matt went down simultaneously in the wet, pretty gnar.
Meet up at Kerns for the kerns road attack at about 10. 45 person chinese downhill on a 45-50 mph road. Full tuck the whole thing with a couple sweeping corners. Blow 3 stop signs, avoid traffic. 3 minute run. Cops waiting at the bottom. Let us do it all again
Headed to the outlaw spot, sweet tech course. 3 push into a slow left, pick up speed, left 90 into an immediate double apex right hairpin a.k.a. crash corner. People went down in almost every heat. Then about 2 minute of pretty flat leg burning tucks to a right 90 finish. Cops eventually showed up there too. Moved the semi finals to a new hill, ran it in the dark. '
Go Green represented hard. Got mad love on the bees knees GS board i brought.
To everyone who made the race (me and peter) we fucking rock. Big props to Peter for making it into the semi finals and taking 3rd in his heat (so 5th or 6th place overall in a field of 42) and he was the only rider on Indys, and one of maybe 5 on topmounts.
To everyone else who didn't, you missed out on one of the most insane sundays ever. Hopefully once we find all the photos and videos you'll get a little better understanding of what went down.
Started driving at 5am for canada, stopped a couple times for poo, timmy H, and meet the canuks. Rolled into Snake rd at 9 for an hour session, pete and matt went down simultaneously in the wet, pretty gnar.
Meet up at Kerns for the kerns road attack at about 10. 45 person chinese downhill on a 45-50 mph road. Full tuck the whole thing with a couple sweeping corners. Blow 3 stop signs, avoid traffic. 3 minute run. Cops waiting at the bottom. Let us do it all again
Headed to the outlaw spot, sweet tech course. 3 push into a slow left, pick up speed, left 90 into an immediate double apex right hairpin a.k.a. crash corner. People went down in almost every heat. Then about 2 minute of pretty flat leg burning tucks to a right 90 finish. Cops eventually showed up there too. Moved the semi finals to a new hill, ran it in the dark. '
Go Green represented hard. Got mad love on the bees knees GS board i brought.
Jay and I travel to Indiana for the Epic International Skate Festival
On September 25th my long time friend Tyler Eckels drove Jay and I to the Epic International Skate Festival. The event was held at Bethel College (Mishiwaka, IN) by Peter Metzger of the Chicago Longboard Society.
It was wet and crappy out at the start, but as event time approached things started to dry up and the sun started showing itself. There was quite a bit of Midwest slalom talent present, including JBH, Jeff Goad, Bobby Thomas, Dave Harris, The Tolleys, The Beavers, tons of CLS'ers, our good buddy Mike Akinson, a few others. The concrete paths we're still wet for the first event, hybrid slalomcross, and it made for a lot of fun with a wipeout here and there. I ended up 5th and Jay 6th.
The next events were the slide competitions. There were about 10 entrants for each, including the Team Funkapotamus guys, a few other CLS'ers, JBH and Goad. Jay won the soft wheel slide by crowd vote while I ended up second. The Hard wheel slide went the other way, with myself winning over Jay and the Campos brothers in the finals. After that we went and got some grub with Mike A. before rounding up again for the freestyle and tight slalom events.
Bethel College native Daniel Jones took home the first prize for the freestyle event, while Jay and I rounded out the top 3. I actually tied with Sal of Team Funkapotamus for 3rd and 4th, but came out ahead in a tiebreaking game of RoShamBo. The event rounded out with the tight slalom. I won my first few rounds, but ended up losing to JBH in the semi's. Jay advanced through his side of the bracket for an exciting final but JBH came out ahead, as he does in all Midwest slalom events. The event was sick amounts of fun and Peter Metzger did an awesome job hosting, finding sponsors, and packing five great events into one day. We hope to see an EISF 2 next year!
09/28/2009
It was wet and crappy out at the start, but as event time approached things started to dry up and the sun started showing itself. There was quite a bit of Midwest slalom talent present, including JBH, Jeff Goad, Bobby Thomas, Dave Harris, The Tolleys, The Beavers, tons of CLS'ers, our good buddy Mike Akinson, a few others. The concrete paths we're still wet for the first event, hybrid slalomcross, and it made for a lot of fun with a wipeout here and there. I ended up 5th and Jay 6th.
The next events were the slide competitions. There were about 10 entrants for each, including the Team Funkapotamus guys, a few other CLS'ers, JBH and Goad. Jay won the soft wheel slide by crowd vote while I ended up second. The Hard wheel slide went the other way, with myself winning over Jay and the Campos brothers in the finals. After that we went and got some grub with Mike A. before rounding up again for the freestyle and tight slalom events.
Bethel College native Daniel Jones took home the first prize for the freestyle event, while Jay and I rounded out the top 3. I actually tied with Sal of Team Funkapotamus for 3rd and 4th, but came out ahead in a tiebreaking game of RoShamBo. The event rounded out with the tight slalom. I won my first few rounds, but ended up losing to JBH in the semi's. Jay advanced through his side of the bracket for an exciting final but JBH came out ahead, as he does in all Midwest slalom events. The event was sick amounts of fun and Peter Metzger did an awesome job hosting, finding sponsors, and packing five great events into one day. We hope to see an EISF 2 next year!
09/28/2009
Crew heads to Kentucky for some good ole' southern hospitality
With a little money and a lot of skateboards, we all decided to head for Ashland, KY to see what Lenny Poage and The Southern Fried Cone Fest were all about. Jay, his wife Danica, Al, myself, and our buddy Lance Pollo all piled into Jay's van for what would prove to be an awesome weekend.
As we reached our destination we still had no place to stay. Tom and Pete drove down a few hours before us, and we were kind of hoping they might be able to snag us a spot in someones backyard. As usual, they exceeded expectations and directed us to 1998 David Tolley and his son Evan. Dave was gracious enough to offer us up a couple couches and a fold out bed in his beautiful West Virginia home about 15 minutes away. In a larger than life move, Cincinatti Chris Booth had hitchiked all the way from his home in Ohio, boards in hand, and he too ended up at the Tolleys with us. That night we all kicked back, shared stories, and learned why 1998 Tolley was called 1998 Tolley (he got knocked out cold after topsiding at the 1998 Dixie Cup). We woke up a beautiful southern breakfast prepared by Dave and his awesome wife Marla, and then got ready to rumble.
Plenty of great skaters showed up, including Karl Floitgraf, BP (Brian Parsons), Marty Schaub, and lots of other long time slalomers. We all made the A group, but none of us cracked the top 4 in Hybrid or Tight. Lenny Poage kicked ass at announcing with a booming voice, huge personality, and plenty of jokes. Karl also did a great job filling in while Lenny was racing and taking breaks. Spectators were abundant for the slalom race, as the event was part of Poage Landing Days, an annual summer festival held in Ashland, Kentucky started by Lenny's ancestors. After the events we grabbed some food and spent the night kickin back with Karl and up and coming female slalomer Ivey long, before heading back to the Tolleys.
The next day was the GS and was certainly the fastest slalom course any of us had been on to date. The clouds were moving in, but everyone got to lay down a few runs. Lenny was forced to wear a pink fairy costume and carry a wand throughout the race, after violating the 'first cone rule'. It was hilarious! BKS team rider Peter Croce carried over some of his DH skills and podiumed in the very competitive field with a third place finish. Way to go Pete! After that we all headed home sore and satisfied.
The event was a blast and we'd like to thank Lenny for doing such a great job putting it on. We also thank Dave, Evan, and Marla Tolley for their good ole southern hospitality. You guys always have a home in Michigan!
Be sure to check out next years SFCF if you get a chance!
09/28/2009
As we reached our destination we still had no place to stay. Tom and Pete drove down a few hours before us, and we were kind of hoping they might be able to snag us a spot in someones backyard. As usual, they exceeded expectations and directed us to 1998 David Tolley and his son Evan. Dave was gracious enough to offer us up a couple couches and a fold out bed in his beautiful West Virginia home about 15 minutes away. In a larger than life move, Cincinatti Chris Booth had hitchiked all the way from his home in Ohio, boards in hand, and he too ended up at the Tolleys with us. That night we all kicked back, shared stories, and learned why 1998 Tolley was called 1998 Tolley (he got knocked out cold after topsiding at the 1998 Dixie Cup). We woke up a beautiful southern breakfast prepared by Dave and his awesome wife Marla, and then got ready to rumble.
Plenty of great skaters showed up, including Karl Floitgraf, BP (Brian Parsons), Marty Schaub, and lots of other long time slalomers. We all made the A group, but none of us cracked the top 4 in Hybrid or Tight. Lenny Poage kicked ass at announcing with a booming voice, huge personality, and plenty of jokes. Karl also did a great job filling in while Lenny was racing and taking breaks. Spectators were abundant for the slalom race, as the event was part of Poage Landing Days, an annual summer festival held in Ashland, Kentucky started by Lenny's ancestors. After the events we grabbed some food and spent the night kickin back with Karl and up and coming female slalomer Ivey long, before heading back to the Tolleys.
The next day was the GS and was certainly the fastest slalom course any of us had been on to date. The clouds were moving in, but everyone got to lay down a few runs. Lenny was forced to wear a pink fairy costume and carry a wand throughout the race, after violating the 'first cone rule'. It was hilarious! BKS team rider Peter Croce carried over some of his DH skills and podiumed in the very competitive field with a third place finish. Way to go Pete! After that we all headed home sore and satisfied.
The event was a blast and we'd like to thank Lenny for doing such a great job putting it on. We also thank Dave, Evan, and Marla Tolley for their good ole southern hospitality. You guys always have a home in Michigan!
Be sure to check out next years SFCF if you get a chance!
09/28/2009
Derek, Jay, and Tom wiggle around Wisconsin
After a few months of slalom practice we all decided to go test our skills at the Sun Prairie Wiggle War in Wisconsin. Tom was doing a summer internship in Chicago, so Jay, Danica (his wife), and I picked him up on the way. Event host all around good man Tom Mangelsdorf was gracious enough to let us stay at his home. We pulled in around 2 in the morning on Saturday, so we decided to just set up tents in Toms backyard so we didn't wake anyone. The next morning we woke up and met Tom, his wife Doreen , and daughter Katie. Then, as we entered the kitchen we we're pumped to find long time slalomers Jonathan Harms, Paul Graf, Dave Larson and a big plate of Toms breakfast crepes, which we're off the charts.
The Wiggle War was only a small part of the Sun Prairie Strawberry festival and the streets we're lined with people, vendor booths, desserts, skaters, and the Oscar Mayer weiner mobile. It was a beautiful day, and lots of slalomers from across the Midwest had made it out, including the aforementioned, Steve Pederson, Steve Lavin (who was cool enough to give his prize to one of the juniors), the Beavers family, Brian Ellison, Joe Behm, and many others. Jay and Tom took the top two spots in the b class Tight Slalom, and I got lucky and ended 8th in the a group.
After a quick lunch we moved a few miles away to the hybrid hill. Jay and I shared a board since it was Jam style. He finished fourth and found my first podium with a 3rd place finish behind JBH and Steve Pederson.
After the racing was done we all headed over to Tom's house for an awesome barbecue courtesy of the Manglsdorf family. Lots of smiles were spread and after the gluttony of food, Harms and Oles busted out some old school tricks in the street, including a moonwalk duet which was pure beauty. As nighttime sank in we headed out on the town with Wisconsin native and all around cool guy, Mike Atkinson. After a visit to a few bars and an all longboarding skateshop in Madison, we called it a night.
The next day we all reconviened for a smooth, long hybrid jam. It was real laid back with everyone just hanging out and talking about setups and what not. Like the other events, it went without a hitch. Harms cleaned house of course, and Jay, Tom, and I all fell somewhere in the 5th to 9th range. We'd like to send a huge thanks to Tom Mangelsdorf and family for the hospitality and awesome weekend. Can't wait for the next one!
06/24/2009
The Wiggle War was only a small part of the Sun Prairie Strawberry festival and the streets we're lined with people, vendor booths, desserts, skaters, and the Oscar Mayer weiner mobile. It was a beautiful day, and lots of slalomers from across the Midwest had made it out, including the aforementioned, Steve Pederson, Steve Lavin (who was cool enough to give his prize to one of the juniors), the Beavers family, Brian Ellison, Joe Behm, and many others. Jay and Tom took the top two spots in the b class Tight Slalom, and I got lucky and ended 8th in the a group.
After a quick lunch we moved a few miles away to the hybrid hill. Jay and I shared a board since it was Jam style. He finished fourth and found my first podium with a 3rd place finish behind JBH and Steve Pederson.
After the racing was done we all headed over to Tom's house for an awesome barbecue courtesy of the Manglsdorf family. Lots of smiles were spread and after the gluttony of food, Harms and Oles busted out some old school tricks in the street, including a moonwalk duet which was pure beauty. As nighttime sank in we headed out on the town with Wisconsin native and all around cool guy, Mike Atkinson. After a visit to a few bars and an all longboarding skateshop in Madison, we called it a night.
The next day we all reconviened for a smooth, long hybrid jam. It was real laid back with everyone just hanging out and talking about setups and what not. Like the other events, it went without a hitch. Harms cleaned house of course, and Jay, Tom, and I all fell somewhere in the 5th to 9th range. We'd like to send a huge thanks to Tom Mangelsdorf and family for the hospitality and awesome weekend. Can't wait for the next one!
06/24/2009
Jay wins the first annual Madness in the Mitten, 4 BKS make top 7.
Michigan hadn't seen a longboarding event since we don't know when, so we (Go Green) decided to make one! 31 racers and about 10 casual riders showed up for the leg burning 4.1 mile push race into the wind, followed by an outlaw slide jam and killer garage session. We all talked alot of trash to each other for weeks before the race before hand, and Jay ended up being the one who backed it up with a first place finish. He and fellow Go Greener came in minutes before everyone else. Spectators had drove from the start line to the finish line, and Jay n Pete actually beat some of there! The rest of the BKS/Go Green crew came in mixed throughout the top 15.
After that we all pack skated back to the skate park to hand out prizes. The sponsors and industry and showed more support than ever expected, donating about $1600 of incredible prizes to the participants. Sponsors included Legendary, Bustin, Comet, Khiro, GFH, SurfRodz, Orangatang, Feenixx Customs, TGM, and Modern Skate and Surf. We can't thank them enough!
We grabbed a little lunch with some of the CLS/ Team Funkapotamus guys, and then headed out to the slide hill for a couple hours for a laid back Jam session. It was an awesome opportunity to just shoot the breeze with other skaters and try each others gear and what not. After that, we hung out at Jay's 'til dark when we headed out and mobbed E.L and their garages. Jay tossed in a little of the prize money into the beer fund and about 10 of us stayed there for the night. Nothing special was planned for Sunday, but Sal and Dan of Team Funkapotomus hung out and ran a few cones with Jay and I.
All in all it was a kick ass weekend! We couldn't have asked for a better turnout, better weather, or more support, and we're gonna do it all over again next year. Look for Madness in the Mitten II on April 17th and 18th, 2010! In the meantime, Check out the video below!
05/13/2009
After that we all pack skated back to the skate park to hand out prizes. The sponsors and industry and showed more support than ever expected, donating about $1600 of incredible prizes to the participants. Sponsors included Legendary, Bustin, Comet, Khiro, GFH, SurfRodz, Orangatang, Feenixx Customs, TGM, and Modern Skate and Surf. We can't thank them enough!
We grabbed a little lunch with some of the CLS/ Team Funkapotamus guys, and then headed out to the slide hill for a couple hours for a laid back Jam session. It was an awesome opportunity to just shoot the breeze with other skaters and try each others gear and what not. After that, we hung out at Jay's 'til dark when we headed out and mobbed E.L and their garages. Jay tossed in a little of the prize money into the beer fund and about 10 of us stayed there for the night. Nothing special was planned for Sunday, but Sal and Dan of Team Funkapotomus hung out and ran a few cones with Jay and I.
All in all it was a kick ass weekend! We couldn't have asked for a better turnout, better weather, or more support, and we're gonna do it all over again next year. Look for Madness in the Mitten II on April 17th and 18th, 2010! In the meantime, Check out the video below!
05/13/2009
Alex K. gets it done at Chicago Cone Crusher, Yerke brothers attend first race.
With a little urging, I finally convinced Jay and Al to gas up the car and head to Chicago with me. It was the first race for Jay and I, and it proved to be an awesome experience. At the time we were still on crude flat wooden planks with homemade foam kicktails, and while we were there we learned a heap of knowledge about slalom technique and board building from big names like JBH, Tod Oles (CHIxILL board), Larry "Gecko" Schild, Claude Regnier, Steve Lavin, and C Fav. We wound up taking the top three spots in the B group (al 1st, Jay 2nd, Me 3rd), and we were hooked. Below is a small excerpt from www.slalomskateboarder.com.
"Kwiecinski may have had a slight edge over his fellow B-group racers by having ridden the monster Big View hill in Austin, Texas in 2007; he lost only one heat all day as he rolled on to first place. But he got some serious competition from brothers Jason and Derek Yerke and from Conor Roe, who ended up in 2nd through 4th places, respectively. Joseph Behm, Brian Ellison and Peter Metzger rounded out the field. All of these guys looked like they had lots of potential, so keep an eye out for them if they ever decide to get serious about slalom."
Can't wait for the next one!
03/28/2009
"Kwiecinski may have had a slight edge over his fellow B-group racers by having ridden the monster Big View hill in Austin, Texas in 2007; he lost only one heat all day as he rolled on to first place. But he got some serious competition from brothers Jason and Derek Yerke and from Conor Roe, who ended up in 2nd through 4th places, respectively. Joseph Behm, Brian Ellison and Peter Metzger rounded out the field. All of these guys looked like they had lots of potential, so keep an eye out for them if they ever decide to get serious about slalom."
Can't wait for the next one!
03/28/2009
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