Slalom

If your after the feel of a Homer try modding a Bennet with spericals.

Ado sent me both the Foxy and Homer to try out.

I kept the Foxy as the Homer did not seem much differant to my modded Bennet.

I liked the feel of the Homer and recently tryed to track one down also.

I found it dips or dives into the turns more than the foxy and i like this feel. not sure if thats faster as i suck at slalom

Ok looks like some interest for Sun 27th Twilight Tight Slalom practice.

If your trying to tweak a board get along as I have learnt more from Bugs having a 20 second ride on my board and saying "more wedge" than hours of tweaking myself.

I post in the sessions section for those who don't get to the Slalom group as much.

Homer = http://dakinewavamon.blogspot.com/2007/11/christoph-baumann-pro-tig...

Craig that set up looks great. Can't wait to have a go with those trucks at some point. That is the same setup as Pat H has (or is it his setup?) and he went great from pumpstation through to tighter stuff at Wadalba.

Craig, I've never gone past 60 deg on the front, but that's just my lack of curiosity really. For a slow-speed course it might make sense, but I don't really know.

My general guide (which I learnt from something Chris Chaput wrote) is to roughly keep a 2 to 1 ratio between the angles of the front and rear truck. So 60/30 for a tightish course, but 40/20 for a big GS like we've been doing at the Pump St recently. Same deck, same wheelbase, just different angles.

You can't measure the angle with a conventional type truck (non-RKP) like a Bennett. A 65 deg Bennett is a non sequitur. The angle changes depending on the amount of lean. Only reverse kingpin trucks have a consistent angle that can be measured regardless of lean.

Bugs is there a wiggle happening down at Ruushcutters bay this evening ? if so what time might try tag along . cheers

Sure Ross, come along. It's pretty much flat, and not long either, but it is 5 minutes from my house which makes it great.

Colin , What time this evening

I'm actually a pretty slow to medium paced racer, and my ranking is all about attendance. Anyway Ross is now on top! GO BMB! As someone commented over the weekend the ranking will take a year or so to sort themselves out and become more representative of performance.

Craig just do what I did a couple of years ago and turn up to a race stand at the top of the hill (in my case scared shitless with a flat homemade board and wedged trackers) and go! 

Yeah, Craig, just get there and have a crack. You gotta start sometime, and if you wait til you get good you'll never get good enough.

Here's your solution:

or you could just ask for a ride... i think i live near you. and i love slalom :)

Don't listen to Bugs, if you want front turn you want one like mine!

all pro n shit? pffft.... dude im a normal person if u wanna skate just ask!

So fellow wigglers that 100 cone challenge was great fun. Can anyone think of another place we could set it up? I guess Stromlo was slightly too fast or as Haggy commented we need dedicated tight slalom boards? 

600 feet of flatish crete? The top section of Warratah Park? Surface would be good anyway. 

Craig, Haggy's near you, so you've got two of the best slalomers in Australia to learn from.

Marek, I reckon Stromlo was perfect, but we needed to space out the cones a little in the middle section. With a bit more practice I reckon we could have put down much faster times on that 6' course though.

100 cones is basically a marathon super-tight straight course. You're gonna want a tiny little wheelbase, extra narrow trucks, extra soft bushings, and a more forward-facing old-school stance. And about 250 metres of straight road.

Bugs you were having some great runs on that course until your slight argument with the fence... you really have had some bad luck in Canberra. Fitz was loving it too, as was Johnny Mac. Was it Haggy who got the bag of change in the end?

Off to my shed to devise a super tight slalom board, 27-28 inch, 17-18 inch wheel base, something like that anyway.

yeah, with a bit more practice the times would have come in significantly.  also, if we had spaced the cones a bit better for the hill it would have made a big difference.  you just need to space them approapriate to the hill you're riding.  i reckon 6.5 foot, maybe some 7 ft, then back to 6.5 ft at the end would have made for better times. 

anyhoot- the 100cone was friggin awesome!  it just looked neverending!!

it's been a long time since we really did any tight slalom but it's good fun setting long pumpy courses. 

stay posted for the Allawah All-Round coming to our old favorite wiggle spot sometime in the new year!

Get the Seismics.

Dan Gesmer put alot of development into designing seismic cones. They're worth every cent even though they cost more.

Check if Hopkin have any left. Shipping from the states will blow the cost out massively.

Jonny McGrath 11th Slalom Ranking 1159 pts after just 3 races!!!

He's the top average so far. That's 386.3 per race!

Would anyone perhaps have any slalom oriented trucks and wheels they want to sell? After today's taste of slalom, I want more.

Caspian - i'll have a dig around the drawers and let you know.

I think the reasons some younger downhillers don't do slalom is that they just don't see it as GNAR enough. Thats where races like Blue Mountains can really help, a little GNAR and cones mixed up. I recon penny racing could be good for your average suburban cruiser skater, but how to contact them? I see them on the streets but penny boards get short shrift on ASRA. Might just need to put on visable events in places where these guys hang out.

Anyone up for a casual session at sutherland/allawah over the next few weeks? i am borrowing some cones of a mate and keen to practice with crew.

I am

Yeah Jack, stoked after our little session. Keen to wiggle once the trucks arrive.

I'm down for a Sutho roll. I can bring extra cones. Weekends are better for me.

Sorry I couldn't make it to Miranda on Monday Jack. I'd already made plans for that day.

cool fitz, hit us up when your free, im on holidays now so im pretty much free every weekend...

Lets try for next weekend at Waratah Park Sutherland.

Jack and I should have enough cones. Timer not required, we usually just ride for stokes sake.

i'm moving house that weekend so I wont be able to make it unfortunately

Looks like next weekend isn't such a good idea with another event the same week and others not being able to make it.

Pencil in Sunday 22nd. I'll be in no state to ride on the 21st as I'm going out the night before.

Hopefully my trucks will be in by then. 

Cool - sunday 22nd, looking forward to skating a repaved Sutho!!

I'm a def maybee for the 22nd, I can bring cones and dodgey timer.

Hey guys technically 70mm wheels would be better for slalom (compared to 75mm) as they have better acceleration? Or it is really not that big of a deal?

70mm is a better all round wheel. 

Well fast enough and agile. Slalom mostly use between 66mm and 75mm so middle of the road is the go while you get your technique down. Thats what's going to generate your speed and acceleration. Pump power!

Sweet thanks. I currently have inheats 80a/83a and its sluggish but nice as a pedestrian slalom wheel - rolling over those cracks. Will look into getting 70mm wheels

70mm Zigzag reflex are my suggestion. Try and buy in pairs. 2x lime, 2 x lemon will get you started then you can look at orange or even orange plus once you start building quiver.

Try and find a wheel buddy to trade with if you can only buy whole sets.

I noticed Craig D got all limes. Maybe get a set of lemons and trade 2 for 2?

I've got a spare pair of orange plus if you want to trade aswell.

Honestly though, your otangs will be just fine to get you started.

Truth is I have way too many wheels for 1 person - want to minimise the stuff I don't use. I think Craig has Bigzigs. I'll get a set of pocket pistol cone crushers and some limes and I'll trade you for those oranges. Are they fresh?

Grosso slalom

young grosso looks like ian coggan!  bleach your hair ian

Hey Ben I like the spherical dropping straight into the pivot cup (are the randals?) 

Where did you get the pivot cup bearings?

Also you Sutho boys are we still on for this Sunday the 22nd at Warratah Park?

hi, yeah the fit is nice which makes it so much easier than drilling out the baseplate.  you can convert back easily that way too. The hardest part is getting a nice straight hole in the hanger for the bolt to fit.

Bearing are from igus:

http://www.igus.com.au/wpck/default.aspx?pagenr=2503&C=AU&L=en

or smallparts.com.au

16mm for bennetts (bit of a tight fit there)

19mm for randal

both are 8mm bore.