Gab of Riel has landed in America and the fun has started. This is it people, the summer race season in the northern hemisphere has started for us poor people stuck at home in Australia’s winter. I love getting my email updates from our overseas racing team. It is one of the reasons we sponsor racers. And I share them all with you, my blog readers. This was not always the case, I was greedy in the early years (we did not have a blog). I should dig up and share some of those early emails, they include some classic emails from Scoot.
The other thing I should note before we get started, I dont really change much of the emails. I try to fix some typos, though it can be late when the emails come in and I do miss a few. Sometimes I add a few bits to put the words in context, and I like to add links etc. When I say here is Gabe’s or jacko’s email, it is really them telling you how it is, on the road, direct from some superb location straight to your computer screen.
Maryhill Freeride Day One
by Gabe
One of the funnest hills in America, 100+ riders from across the country, three u-haul trucks and a motherfucking HELICOPTER, a day to be remembered….
After a sick 4 day road trip with Louis, Matt K, Marcus Bandy from Los Angeles to Maryhill, Washington. We arrived to find over a hundred stoked out riders all ready to shred down the endless, banked turns that were waiting, hay baled and swept clean. With news that a helicopter would be coming later on in the day to film, everyone was pumped up and hauling ass down the mountain.
Maryhill is a road perfect for riding in BIG packs, Once 4 or 5 people start drafting each other, riders behind them start getting sucked into their draft. The pack picks up more and more speed and grows in size until suddenly there is a pack of 15 riders side by side through corners, drafting, passing, sketching and causing some major pile-ups.
After a handful of awesome runs down the mountain, everyone was waiting for the U-Haul to take us back up top when far off in the distance came the thrum of a helicopter. The sound grew in intensity, all the skaters looking for the source of the noise when suddenly a 1950′s 3 man helicopter comes roaring over the hill with Louis P and Marcus Bandy riding shotgun with Canon 7D’s, ready to shoot.
A new wave of stoke rushed through the riders, WE HAD A MOTHERFUCKING HELICOPTER!!!, the crowd roared in approval as the chopper blasted overhead toward the top of the hill. The following rush to the U-Haul trucks was intense, every rider with their board in hand and a huge stoked grin. Ready to shred.
The first run down with the helicopter filming was intense. At least 60 riders pushing off at once down the hill with the helicopter ducking and weaving down the road just metres above our heads. The roar of the chopper deafening, hay and dirt getting blown up by the blades and riders hauling ass down the mountain side by side. It was carnage, it was mayhem, it was fucking RAD.
The chopper hung around for an hour and Louis filmed two full runs of the hill while Marcus took photos. The footage from the 7D is incredible, we just spent several hours watching it again and again and constantly getting stoked on how epic it is. Look out for a teaser on skatehousemedia.
After the chopper left the shredding continued for a couple more hours. People started chilling out more and crashing less and the stoke just kept flowing. Some of the funnest runs I have ever had were today, definitely a day to be remembered.
Well, I’m off to sleep, gotta get some sleep for Day 2 on the hill!
Peace
Gabe
