Today’s blog post is a special one. If you are waiting to see the video and photos of the Salute The Masters skate comp, you will have to wait another day, I’ll post them up tommorrow.
Today I have a call to action.
Pittwater Council are proposing a major upgrade to Mona Vale Skatepark in 2009/2010. The local skateshops and skaters have been asking council for a new skatepark for years. The plans are in, the council just need a little bit of encouragement to get this one over the line. This park will benefit everyone. No matter where you are in Australia, you know you’ll travel to skate here, be part of a competition or travel to see some pros tearing it up on a demo. So time for everyone to show there support. Tell the council this park will be popular and get used.
Email: jenny_cronan@pittwater.nsw.gov.au
In the subject: Mona Vale Skate Park In the content: Tell her you have seen the plans and want a new skatepark!!
Here is what the new park is all about
The design sits between the existing Kitchener park sports fields and the boundary of the creek. The proposal is for a national level skateboarders, BMX, scooters, inline skate facility catering for all levels of experience (beginner to expert). Incorporating one of the largest bowls in Australia, plaza area and other passive and active spaces. The facility will also feature lighting for night time usage.
We are are blog posting this year Loaded Challenge Series, which Loaded admit will be hard, they are stepping up the tricks this year. For all those new to longboarding, tricks or the Challenge Series, we are posting up all the old challenges. If Series 4 is too hard, try these tricks first. Even if you have no intention of doing the tricks, the videos are a good watch. Enjoy. hop.
This is the first series in the Loaded Boards Challenge Series.
Remember, if you are going to try these tricks, you must wear a helmet.
So people might be wondering whats being going on down south over the past month.
Some of us dream it, others doubt it, but some of us will do anything we can to make it a reality.
Vert, what else would I really want. Being an 80’s skater, this is what we were bought up on and aspired to ride before the craze of the mini ramps blew out in 88.
My first ever demo I went to in 85 was the Variflex Demo Vert Ramp on the lawn out front of RipCurl one sunny Saturday arvo. From here got the fire burning to lurk occasionally at Corio and progress from the small bowl, to the paint tray then onto the 3rd Bowl, the Keyhole.
The first ramp I ever rode was the vert ramp behind Piping Hot in Torquay, in 1987. I learnt to drop in here first, amongst some skateboarders who I would end up skating with as an adult 20 years later on a Tuesday night, still feeling like the grommet I was back in the heyday. Here I witnessed the second wave of the US pros destroy this ramp in Easter of 87 which fueled the fire on what I believed was the pinnacle, and still do because its always a challenge to step up and ride. Late in 87 the ramp was moved out into the paddock to accommodate Ramp Riots down here in Torquay up until 89, we were lucky to witness these, but eventually they moved in 1990 Ramp Riot indoors to Festival Hall. From this point on, Geelong did get an indoor Vert ramp at a skatepark named Rivers Edge built by the Searle Family, its life line expired way too short.
So what happened then???
The ole girl was left to rot in the paddock, vert died in the mainstream and in the later half of the 90’s she was eventaully demolished.
Looking back, it was a skinny ramp, but one of the most perfect to ride for its time with 10ft Transitions and 1ft of vert.
Now the history lesson is over Folks, jump back in the time Machine and motor back to 2009.
For the past couple of years, Trev and I have been trying to sort out a place to re-erect his vert ramp which has been doing its odd demo here and there since its glory days in Motown. The original plan was to build it at my block, but due to the unfortunate economic times and general down turn of the property market, this has held us back, so after approaching many a local, business and being rejected, finally Dragon Optical said yes and shared our vision, Bring the Vert Back to Torquay in a private setting.
Its been 20 years Candy, (oops) but we have done it. Big thanks go out to the crews who turned up over the past couple of weekends lending their hands, because it takes 8 men to safely lift and lock in one section of Transition. The sessions have been hot and some locals who ripped it up back in the day are slowly creeping out of the woodwork. Dimensions of this gem are 40ft of width, 13ft high with approximately 2ft of Vert, Satellite is the riding surface which has been a blessing down here with the mist and occasional shower that lurks around coastal areas, a quick squeegee and off we go, I dig this stuff. Its nice to now have an environment where one can learn to ride a standard modern size and get out of the 80’s rut of riding the left over small ramps that still exist through out Victoria. I’m surprised how quickly you do adapt which at one stage a few years back I personally didn’t ever think I would be doing this today.
Cheers go out to Trev, Pete and Justin who are always up for a sesh and the extended family from Grove, Fletch, Myles and Vince who have chipped in and been loyal to the cause of rolling and putting up with my requests to ride The Ponds for so long.
Its the 20th Anniversary since the Ramp Riot was last in Torquay, I feel its time to celebrate.
Keep your ears open for when we do.
Cheers
Jimmy LoRicco
The flat
Starting to Build the Tranny
One Sunday’s hard work
Prep for Sunday’s Work
Lock it in Eddy
A complete Vert ramp
Lien to Tail
Frontside Air – sorry bum shot
Rock slide to fakie – one of my favourite tricks
Fakie Ollie – another bum shot
And to complete the bum shot session – The King and I
A casual Lien Air early release over the top. In the future, we will shoot a sequence shot with a more appropriate lip trick and another angle to do it some justice.
April 22, 2009 - 3:51 pm in the category "Loaded Boards"
Loaded Boards are one of our favourite brands. I have always enjoyed the Challenge series, so we have decide to post on the blog this year’s series – Number Four.
So come on Aussies, lets see you get some of these tricks down this year. Anyone can participate in the challenge, it does not matter what board you ride. Rules of the challenge are here
This year’s challenge is hard, if you are going to practice these tricks, you must wear a helmet.
The Pug was made for those that can handle a skateboard and want a Cadillac longboard ride.
Made of Bamboo and Triaxial Fibreglass it has one quarter inch of offset camber, stiff variable concave, a bit of nose and a full kicktail. The shape can handle cruising, carving, bombing hills, skateparks and bowls.
This board was a big hit in 2008, all the skaters we sold these too were stoked on their purchase and their Pug has become a well ridden part of their quiver. From a seasoned longboarder to an absolute beginner, this board would suit all type of skaters.
We are bring in limited quantities. Order now, dont be disappointed if you hesitate, someone else will have the pug grin on their face all year!!!
Screamin’ Inc. has been screenprinting skateboards since 1988. In this video, Chicken talks about the benefits of a screenprinted board compared to a heat transfered deck. And why Pocket Pistols and Hosoi Skates remain true to this art form especially when most skate companies have abandoned art for the sake of business.
Great insight into the making of a Pocket Pistol Skateboard. Enjoy.
Here are most of the videos from the Sidonia Conehead Cup race day. We started filming from the business end of the day, Round 6. If you are not in any of the videos, it should be good motivation to get out and practice to make the final rounds for the next event!! (me included)
Watching the videos, gives you an idea of what an ASRA slalom race day is all about, if you have never been. Everyone is welcome to get involved. Watch, compete, cone marshal or just heckle from the sidelines.
Dont forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel so you dont miss any of our videos. There is one video missing, we’ll post it soon. Fin vs the World Champion. That is Fin (one of ASRA’s youngest competitors) versus Ramon (the 2006 TS World Champion).
hop
Round 6 Fitz vs Robbo
Round 6 Blackwood vs Sterritt
Round 7 Haggy vs b-Rad
Round 7 Paul Carey vs Sean Mussett
Round 7 Paul Shaddock vs Brad Sterritt
Round 7 Dave Robertson vs Colin Beck
Round 8 Ramón Königshausen vs Nathan Paff
Round 8 Jackson Shapiera vs Steve Daddow
Round 9 PC vs Haggy
Round 9 Dave Robertson vs Paul Shaddock
Round 10 Hagbarth Strom vs Steve Daddow
Round 10 Nathan Paff vs Paul Shaddock
Round 11 Jackson Shapiera vs Ramón Königshausen
Round 12 Steve Daddow vs Nathan Paff
Round 13 Steve Daddow vs Jackson Shapiera
Championship race Ramón Königshausen vs Jackson Shapiera
Racing brackets
These are the racing tables from the day. They show the progression of racers through the rounds. Racers are seeded via qualifying times. Everyone starts in the gold winners bracket. Lose a race and a racer drops to the losers blue bracket. If they lose a race in this bracket they are out. Championship race is between the winner of the gold bracket vs winner of the blue bracket.
DONT forget to subscribe to our Youtube Hopkin Racing channel. Click on the youtube subscribe button below.
It is what everyone has been asking us this week, when are the new Dervishes arriving? Did you know Loaded have changed the Dervish graphic? Apparently aliens are messing with Adam’s head and the Loaded graphics?
Yes, yes, yes, it is all true.
Loaded have changed the Dervish graphic. Aliens are to blame. Dervishes are landing in Australia next week!
Last chance to buy a Dervish with the old graphic, before it is gone forever. I figure there are about 10 boards left. We will be shipping new graphic Dervishes from next week. Please specify if you want the old graphic.
hop.
April 7, 2009 - 9:19 pm in the category "Conehead Cup"
Ramón got his revenge in the Head to Head racing at Sidonia on Sunday. The second part of Round One of the Conehead Cup 2009. Ramon during practice on the Airflow longboards
The current European Champion Ramón Königshausen, lined up against the best Australia could throw at him. All of the local in-form skaters were there. Steve Daddow flew in from the Gold Coast, Jackson Shapeira confident after his ditch win the previous day, Nathan Paff from Old Bar, Paul Cary Naccos legend, Haggy Strom ex Australian Champion, and Paul “shadow” Shaddock.
Paul Carey – NACCOS legend
The format of racing was Head to Head in a two tier winner/loser bracket system. After timed qualifying, racers are put in a bracket, fastest vs slowest. Loser from each Head-to-Head race goes into the lower bracket. Winner progresses in the upper bracket. To get knocked out racers need to lose two races. First in t he upper bracket and then in the lower bracket. Eventually the two best racers on the day meet each other when the winner of each bracket met each other in the final race.
To start the days racing, one of the local juniors Fin lined up to race Ramón Königshausen. With much encouragement on the sidelines and from Ramón, Fin got pipped at the line by the 2006 World Champion.
By the second and third rounds, the true match ups were providing exciting races. All the early races were single lane races, the fastest qualifier choosing which lane they would skated in. From the 6th round, racing was dual lane, which meant competitors had to race each other twice, one in each lane with the total times combined to declare a winner.
Jackson Shapiera
Ramon met Nathan in round six and easily progressed. Steve Daddow beat Haggy. And Jackson beat Paul Cary. In the following rounds, Haggy met his match against Daddow. And Shaddow battled through the rounds only to get knocked out by Nathan Paff. In the winners bracket the two fastest racers of the day lined up to see who got the easy path into the final – Ramon vs Jackson. Ramon won, Jackson dropping into the losers bracket to race off against Daddow. A long days racing was starting to show. Cones were going down, racers were breathing a bit heavier. The hot Australian sun came out for the the final rounds to add an extra challenge. Jackson managed to beat Daddow for the right to represent Australia in the final against Ramon.
Steve Daddow
The final was a classic race that will be long remembered by everyone who watched it. Ramon was surprised at the start in the first of two runs, when Jackson burst out of the start ramp and beat Ramon to the first cone, the first time Ramon had lost a start all day. Ramon kept his composure and reeeled Jacko in, gaining time on every cone. Jackson found something extra at the end of the course and crossed the line in front by a few pixels. Neither racer knocked over a cone, it was a thrilling race that resulted in spontanous cheering from all spectactors. Australia had stood tall against Europe’s best, but was this just the beginning? Could Jackson hold on in the second race on the red cone course for a major boil over. In the second race Ramon was not going to be denied. He shot off the start and blew Jackson away at the first cone. Jackson tried to keep up but DQ trying to make up the time. His legs jelly from two days of racing. Ramon flew down the course, and won in style, with everyone cheering.
Ramon chalks up another podium win and his first of hopefully many in Australia. Everyone from ASRA hopes he gets back down here for more racing in the future.
Conehead Cup Round One Sidonia Head-to-Head 1st: Ramon. 2nd Jacko. 3rd Daddo
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