10 Things I learned About Downhill Skateboarding.
Being
a vert/pool skater in the 70's, downhill was something I had never
seriously tried. Like every friend I skated with back then, I bombed hills
here in Hermosa Beach daily, blowing through stop signs and traffic lights
(not the smartest thing, but hey I was 16 yrs old) and 2 years ago I trespassed onto the 405 fwy here in Los Angeles during Carmageddon & skated down it on the hill section near Getty Center Drive, but
neither of those two things is remotely like what these girls do.
At
all.
Here's what I learned from going to the mecca of downhill events, the
Maryhill Ratz Sheride/Freeride.
1. GET
A GOLF BAG: One that's padded to pack your boards in for the flight -
airlines don't charge an "extra" surplus charge for golf bags like they
do for other over-sized luggage - such as ski's snowboards, surfboards, -
crazy right? (Thanks to my rad friend Judi Oyama for this $ saving
tip!)
2. GET SOME GOOD SLIDE GLOVES: You're going to need
them. Gloves with pink pucks look/feel cool. (Thanks Jonny Miller for
replacing my ugly black pucks on the first day) I also think the Billy
Bones Gloves are rad too. I want those next.
3.
PLAN AHEAD: - most skate shops in the beach area where I live sell very
limited amounts of downhill gear - so if you live in an area like this,
order online ahead of time, instead of scrambling around for a size
small in gloves just two days before you leave like I did. Duh.
4.
THIS IS NOT POOL/BOWL RIDING: Realize that even though you skate a lot,
and feel 100% comfortable on your regular cruiser, or popsicle deck,
downhill is a whole other sport within a sport. For starters, the board is different than what you are used to, and your current board isn't going to cut it here. Foot positioning is
totally different than what you are used to - get ready to learn a whole new stance! And don't go feeling for
that kicktail because you're not going to find it, and it has no place
here. Yep, that was me the first day on the hill! Gotta give big thanks to our GN4LW collab partner
Dusters California for taking care of my complete board set up.
5.
ROAD RASH: Be prepared to get some road rash. It's almost inevitable
even with pads on. I'd suggest wearing leathers to protect yourself, and
help you feel more comfortable when getting some speed. You can look for a used pair on Craig's list. If you choose
not to opt for leathers, plan to donate $20 to the EMT fund. And that's
OK because they use that money to buy equipment they need for the
county. But do you really want to spend part of your day in the EMT tent
getting patched up? Donate anyway (it's for a good cause!), wear leathers, and keep riding!
6.
HAVE AN "OUT" CLAUSE: Pro skater/friend Jonny Miller was nice enough
to teach me how to do a Coleman Slide on day one and told me to use it as my
"out clause" if I felt I was going too fast. Did I listen? Yes and No. I
practiced the move, but old habits die hard... I wanted to jump/run
like in old days when I felt I was going too fast - not the smartest of
ideas.
7. FULL FACE HELMET: The
Maryhill Ratz events require this & I am 100% on board with it. My "Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word" helmet collab partner,
XS Helmets
makes a great full face helmet for women and I felt 100% safe and
comfortable in it. Plus I felt kinda badass with that tinted face shield when riding.
8. SNEAKERS: Bring a couple pairs.
If you are learning to slow your self down via "foot breaking" you may
just go through a pair quickly. Get something with a good sole that
handles a lot of friction, because that back foot of yours may just be
sliding on the road at a fast rate of speed throughout the day.
High-tops or low tops, the choice is yours. I saw someone riding in
slip-on Vans but I wouldn't recommend it for people just getting
started.
9. REALLY LISTEN: I had so many awesome
downhill girls taking time out of their weekend to help me learn the
basics of downhill and give me advice. I felt very lucky to have some
of the best skaters in the world working with me. I really tried to
listen, learn, & forget what I knew from my type of skateboarding,
and learn downhill basics. Once I did that, I felt 100% more
comfortable on the board.
10. HAVE FUN: You may not
be starting from the top of the hill your first time out. Hell, I was
taken up to Cowzers and kept asking
why we were going so far up! Ha Ha
Ha! I'm sure all the girls got a good laugh out of that one. It's a
learning curve (so to speak) so just know that you may not feel as
comfortable as you do on your regular board at first, but you will get
it - it takes time. So have
fun and enjoy the process.
Last but not least - the people in the downhill skateboarding community are
nice. Extremely nice. They share tools, gear, camping sites, food, van rides, and most importantly, knowledge. If you are lucky enough to be part of one of their events you will come away with a distinct feeling that this is a close knit family & I guarantee you will want to come back again and again.
It guarantee that won't be my last time trying downhill, and I have so many new awesome friends to thank for getting me hooked!
