Amiga Plus 1995 #2/Amiga Plus CD - 1995 - No. 2.iso/internet/faq/englisch/rec.skate-tricks&moves

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Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part10


   Rec.skate Frequently Asked Questions: Part 10
     _________________________________________________________________

   Tricks section 1 *

Inline tricks and stunts, Section 1


     _________________________________________________________________

   Here are Steve's cool grind pics
   Here are some cool half-pipe pics from ftp.sunet.se
   Jumping Tutorial
   Backwards stair-riding Tutorial
     _________________________________________________________________

Skating Tricks and Moves Section 1

   (last changed Feb 14, 1994)

Table of Contents

     * Stair riding
     * Curb grinds and wall stalls
     * Skitching (skate-hitching)

STAIR RIDING

   From: [e-mail] (Jim Aites) I'm pretty comfortable
   riding stairs (frontwards and backwards), but discovered something
   which in hindsight should have been obvious, and might be worth
   mentioning to those who are looking for stairs to ride. Simply put,
   there are stairs worth riding and the are stairs that you'd be nuts to
   do anything but jump down/over. Dangerous stairs: Ride-able stairs:
   Fun/easy stairs: |__ |____ |______ | | | |__ |____ |______ | | | |__
   |____ |______ Too obvious you say? Yeah, me too. I durn near nailed
   myself going backwards down a dangerous set the other day. I guess I
   figured that stairs were stairs. Wrong thinking is punishable...via
   PAIN! From: [e-mail] (Robert John Butera) Tonight I
   finally did my first competent stair bashing, doing 6-8 stairs at the
   Party-on-the-Plaza in downtown Houston. I thought I'd share some of
   what I learned with others, since this thread comes up a lot. * I was
   surprised how EASY is was - a lot of it is overcoming the confidence
   factor and being relaxed. * It really helps to watch someone. I
   decided to try it when I saw someone that I KNEW was a much less
   experienced skater than me, and decided, dammit I'm going to tackle
   this thing. * The BIGGEST tip I have for getting started is to
   constantly remind yourself to keep one foot in fron tof the other. The
   ride is a lot smoother. After about an hour of doing it, I could get
   myself to do it with my skates almost side-by-side, but your much more
   likely to lose your balance. * At first I kept on tripping on the
   bottom stair or two (yet miraculously I never fell!). The guy who
   showed me how to do it noticed that as I progressed down the stairs,
   my rear foot was moving forward and becoming more "side-by-side" with
   my front foot (see the previous note). The trick was to relax yet
   concentrate on foot placement. * When I got back to campus, I tried
   skateing backward down some wimpy 2-4 stair spread out stairs. The
   people here are right: I think backwards stair crashing might actually
   be easier. I intend to go downtown tomorrow night and try the
   backwards thing on some larger stairs. Overall, a great night for
   skating. I also found the "ideal parking deck" with those two
   important prerequisites: no visible security and a working elevator
   (its really steep, but has 6-7 levels). Such parking decks are
   becoming few and far between around here as more skaters start
   "invading" them, making the security dudes a lot more testy ... Thanks
   for everyone's responses on the axle kits. Those who have made
   comparisons seem to prefer the one by Lazzy Legs. -- From:
   @sedona.intel.com (Kenneth Creta) In article , [e-mail]
   (Andrew) writes: > I've been skating for about 3 month now, but still
   can't skate down- > stairs. I tried to go up the stairs and it works
   well, very fast! I saw people > going upstairs and did not find it
   difficult at all. But looking down from the > top of even 7 step stair
   scares the shit out of me. Try a smaller set first. A wouldn't advise
   going straight to 7 stairs. >I tried going down from the > fourth step
   of a 15 step stair, but I ended up running downstairs, not skating.
   This will never work. You need some speed to prevent your skates from
   catching on them. My friend and I (we do stairs all the time) have
   recently started hit the stairs at a snail's pace. Not as easy when
   going slow. > Do you have to keep the blades horisontally, when you go
   down, or at a 45 angle? Although I don;t really think about it, I
   guess I'd have to say horizontal. > It seems that if you keep the
   skates at an anlge, you end up running downstairs,but if you keep them
   horisontally, the brake would definitely get in the way on > almost
   any stairs, except very flat ones. Or you have to approach the stair
   at > an angle, to make the path longer? A good way to start. Stairs
   are much easier at an angle. The easier way is if your front foot is
   opposite the angle your going. In other words, if your back foot is
   your right (mine is) try angling right to left. If you go slow, your
   brake will definitely be a concern. I don't bother with one anyway.
   What could make someone want to stop anyway :) Ken From:
   [e-mail] (Matt Hicks) I saw some street freestyle on
   Prime Sports Network (I think it was) a few weeks ago and I noticed
   that the guys doing stairs seemed to be just dragging the toe wheels
   of their trailing foot (feet?). All their weight was on the leading
   foot and the trailing foot seemed to be just a rudder or for balance
   only. Anyone had any experience with this technique? See the worst
   ASCII drawing in the world below if this is not clear. / / / / \ / / \
   O|---------- /\ \ | | / | | O| ----------/ | | ______ O| / | | | |__|
   |----| |_O_______ | | | | \__ |________ | \ | |________| |___@ @ @ @_
   | | -- From: [e-mail] (Kenneth Creta) Hi, I've been
   stair bashing for a LONG time now. However, I've always wondered about
   my form and whether I was doing it right because it has always seemed
   that my ride was ALOT rougher and bumpier than others I've watched.
   Last night proved that something was wrong. My friend and I were
   taking our favorite set of stairs REALLY SLOW. This isn't so easy.
   Howver, while my friend was able to do it OK, I found that my back
   (right) foot kept on catching on the steps. My friend thinks I put too
   much weight on the back foot and I think he might be be right because
   when I listen, he sounds like CHUNK-KA CHUNK-KA where I sound like
   CHUNK CHUNK. You know what I mean. Any of you find yourself in a
   similar situation? Ken -- From: [e-mail] (Stephen J.
   Okay) In article [e-mail] (Lawrence Chr-Jr Liu)
   writes: >Jeff writes: > >Out of curiosity, do most skaters think 180's
   or 360's off stairs are easier? >I'm trying to learn 360's, but I
   can't quite get the hang of it -- any >suggestions? (These 360's are
   on flat ground for now, I don't have the full >no fear mentality --
   yet ;) ) I haven't quite gotten there either yet, so I'm going to say
   180s :) My typical approach to 180's: Approach the stairs at a
   moderate speed and when I reach the first one, jump up like I was
   going to do a curb jump. I usually land on the 3rd or 4th step and
   stop there quite solidly and firmly. As soon as I'm sure of my
   purchase on that step(about a second or so), I push back with my front
   wheels and turn around to land facing forward. is it much of a
   transition to make this a 270? I think the reason I haven't done a 360
   yet is that I'm not that comfortable landing backwards. Although I am
   getting better with the heel-to-heels, so I do feel more comfortablke
   landing and then spinning or doing wide circles. (Thats the best I can
   manage with this so far...but they are getting WIDER! :) ) ObTrick:
   Found another cool office over the weekend. TThis one not only has a
   deep curb ramp, but also a long cement one running up to the front
   door. I was catching some major air off this, almost enough to start
   doing tricks in midair.. For those in the area,this is the Dept. of
   the Interior building over in Sir Isaac Newton Square in
   Reston...they've got some pretty cool stairs too.. -- From:
   [e-mail] (Kenneth Creta) In article ,
   [e-mail] (Douglas J. Narby) writes: > Stairs (this
   one not explained too well; and I haven't had the Testes to > try it
   without some clues). Remember to bend you knees and put more weight on
   the back foot than the front. I put my left foot 1/2 a foot length
   ahead of my right (my right leg is the stronger of the two) and bend
   my knees to absorb much of the impact. When people get scared, they
   straighten up which winds up in a wreck. Also, while going down, try
   to be light on your feet. I know that sounds funny but picture it and
   "float" over the stairs. Use the force, Luke :) If you try backwards,
   put your stronger leg forward (uphill) and put your (most of but not
   all) weight on your toes. Like forward, put most of the weight on your
   stronger leg. Too much weight on your heels can result in catching the
   foot throwing you on your back. We have two flights of 6 steps with
   about 5 feet of flat in between and I like to hit the first going
   forward and then switching backwards for the next flight. Or going
   down the first set, and jumping into a 180 over the second and so on.
   > My best trick so far is jumping a flight of four stairs. Now I am
   trying > to learn to do crossovers whilst skating backward. I think
   backwards cross-overs is one of the best techniques that develops
   overall skating ability. It really forces you to balance and takes
   quite a bit of practice before you are really comfortable. BE SURE TO
   PRACTICE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT EQUALLY. I see alot of people who can go
   one way but not the other. New Tricks: Work on 360 jumps off the
   ground (forward and backward). Once you have those down, hit a jump
   and do it (again, forwards and backwards). Try a "Dutchman". Jump off
   a ramp, grab both feet behind your back while in the air and land (on
   your feet :) -- From: [e-mail] (DAve.) Subject: Re:
   Stair/Wall Jumps.. In article , [e-mail] (Will Leland) writes:
   > RE: how to ride down stairs > SPEED! just get going a good clip, put
   your weaker foot in front of > the other for more stability, and ride
   down with most of your weight > on the back skate. > I ran into an
   upper limit on stairs though. When I got up to 10 steps > I ran out of
   speed (and balance) and did a major face plant. Do those > hockey
   helmets come with face cages :) Speed is nice - balance is better! :-)
   Once again, though, you need to be able to skate more or less one foot
   in front of the other. I like to push my front foot out, almost
   straight so that if it gets caught on a step it 'springs' back in
   front really quickly. Then place the trailing knee really close and
   almost behind the leading one. This forces one to bend that trailing
   leg, which takes up a lot of the bumpiness. The more relaxed the back
   leg is, the smoother the ride goes. I have managed 15 consecutive
   steps this way. The only reason that that is the limit, is that I have
   not found more than 15 consecutive steps. :-) It is real easy to lose
   your nerve after 12 or so. As soon as you stiffen or straghten up the
   back leg, it is all over :-\ Anyways, this is *MY* method (MHOs only)
   - it is certainly not everyones. I think one just needs to find what
   is most comfortable for oneself. -- From: [e-mail] (Kimon
   Papahadjopulos) First of all, like most everything else, this skill
   comes with practice, and at first that is really hard to do since you
   don't know how to do it yet. The first thing you have to do is find is
   a good bunch of stairs to practice on. On the Berkeley Campus there is
   an ideal sight: one of the buildings is built on an incline so that
   the bottom floor is underground at the top of the hill and completely
   exposed on the bottom. Because of this, a stairway that runs the
   length of the building "fades away", so that there are no stairs at
   one end, but it builds up gradually to about twenty steps at the other
   end. Besides being very wide, the the steps are also very long. If you
   can find a set up like this, your halfway there already. This way you
   can practice with one or two steps, and move up one at a time when you
   get more confident. >When skating down narrow stairs, is it easier to
   go straight down >or is it easier to go at an angle? It seems like
   going at an >angle might be easier because it would provide more
   opportunity >to have both skates in contact simultaneously. Can you
   really go down truly narrow stairs at an angle? On a wide bunch of
   stairs, going down at an angle is much easier because you don't go
   nearly as fast. This is essential when you are learning. >How should
   your weight be distributed? Should it be equally >distributed, shifted
   mostly to the leading leg, or shifted mostly >to the trailing leg?
   Almost all on the trailing leg. The front leg is mostly a guide. >Does
   having a brake on one skate increase the risk of a fall? >Since the
   brake extends beyond the rear of one skate, my concern >is that it
   might get caught on the edge of a step. Therefore, >should the skate
   with the brake lead, follow, or does it matter? Learn how to t-stop
   before you learn stairs. The back break is a hazard for any sort of
   trick, whether it be crossovers, skating backwards, or going down
   stairs. If you are interested in doing any of the above, it's well
   worth your while to learn how to get by without the back brake. It
   will probably save you a bunch of nasty falls. IMO, anyone that is
   trying to learn stairs with a brake is just asking for it. Generally,
   learning a t-stop is your first trick, since it's easier to learn, and
   makes most other tricks easier. It also kind of proves that you know
   what you are doing, and are ready for the next level. And you're right
   about the brake getting caught on the edge of each step. Also, when
   you are practicing, you often times are not in the best balance when
   you finish a set of stairs. If you happen to catch your brake when
   this happens, you are probaly going to end up on the pavement. >Is
   there a safe, piecemeal way to learn skating down stairs, or >should I
   necessarily expect to fall as part of the learning >process? Again, if
   you can find a nice set of stairs, you don't necessarily have to
   murder yourself. Practive on two or three stairs and then move up. But
   of course, wear full protective gear, and don't complain if your
   skates break. Rollerblade Lightnings are very sturdy, and hold up
   fairly well. I'm sure TRS's are good too, maybe even Macroblades and
   Aeroblades. But don't use Zetra's or any skate with a metal blade.
   SwitchIts in my experience are somewhat frigile for this sort of
   thing. !*!*! It should be understood that if you push beyond the level
   of your abilities, and you happen to land on your head, even with a
   helmut, you could kill yourself. !*!*! >Is stair skating always risky,
   even for those who have mastered >it, or is it fairly safe once a
   skater understands how it is >done? I have not done a lot because I
   have concerns about my knees: going down stairs really puts a lot of
   stress on your knees, as well as your skates. From what I have done, I
   believe that skating stairs becomes as easy as anything else after a
   while, as long as you know the particular staircase that you are going
   down, and there is no one walking up it. From:
   [e-mail] (Sean Ahern) >IMO, anyone that is trying
   to learn stairs with a brake is just asking >for it. Generally,
   learning a t-stop is your first trick, since it's >easier to learn,
   and makes most other tricks easier. No way....I learned you to skate
   down stairs by teaching myself to be aware of the brake and what I was
   doing with it. I have also taught other people how to do this as well.
   I think leaving the brake on makes you more aware of what your skates
   are doing. >It also kind of proves that you know what you are doing,
   and are ready >for the next level. Exactly my point about leaving the
   brake on. Now while I don't use the brake except when I have to do
   SUDDEN stops like when a car pulls in front of me, I think it's a good
   thing to leave on for safety's sake. >And you're right about the brake
   getting caught on the edge of >each step. Well, not if you have enough
   speed. I have found that stairs are actually harder at slow speeds.
   Going slowly, the edge of the stair will give a pivot that can throw
   off your balance. If you are going moderately fast, you just skate
   right down the stairs, almost as if they are one surface. You MUST
   make sure that one skate is in front of the other and your knees are
   bent deep. You also might crouch down a bit and lean forward. I have
   found that this helps me keep my balance. Don't lean forward too far
   or you will tumble forward. (not fun on stairs) >Also, when you are
   practicing, you often times are not in the best balance >when you
   finish a set of stairs. If you happen to catch your brake >when this
   happens, you are probaly going to end up on the pavement. Ahhhh, if
   you are not leaning backwards when you are going down, you shouldn't
   be in a position to catch your brake anywhere. >Again, if you can find
   a nice set of stairs, you don't necessarily have >to murder yourself.
   Practive on two or three stairs and then move up. Yes, this is very
   true. Start out on a wide set of stairs. If you can get one stair
   (kinda like a curb), try to keep going and get the next one. If you
   get pretty good at this, try doing them a little faster. You will
   learn the basic techniques of stairs this way and will soon be able to
   move onto steeper and steeper stairs. >>Is stair skating always risky,
   even for those who have mastered >>it, or is it fairly safe once a
   skater understands how it is >>done? >I have not done a lot because I
   have concerns about my knees: going >down stairs really puts a lot of
   stress on your knees, as well as your >skates. From what I have done,
   I believe that skating stairs >becomes as easy as anything else after
   a while, as long as you know the >particular staircase that you are
   going down, and there is no one walking >up it. It DOES get easy,
   after a while, but they are still challenging as every flight of
   stairs has a different slope and width to them. -- From:
   [e-mail] (Jim Aites) re: stair-riding (from an e-mail
   discussion...possible FAQ submital) >For the intermediate skater who
   hasn't tried stairs yet, what would you >say are the basic skills?
   Practicing curbs is a good idea, specially if you 'drop off' instead
   of 'hop off'. The difference being one of jumping vs riding. A short
   set of two or three easy stairs (with wide risers) would be the next
   step. >...t-stops with either foot. Probably backwards skating, too?
   180's and 380's are probably part of that as well. Not that these are
   *needed* for stair bashing, but if someone is doing this level of
   stuff then they could certainly handle stairs. >Is there anything else
   that people should master before they begin? No...not 'master', but
   there are a few things a person needs to know in order to be
   relatively successful at handling stairs: 1) a 'reasonable' speed is
   required! Contrary to common knowledge about the laws of physics,
   folks generally lose speed when going down stairs. Backwards bashing
   however, will actually cause one to GAIN speed. No, it's not
   'magic'... Many of us have started down a flight of stairs at a good
   speed, only to slow to a crawl, and end up 'bailing out' before
   reaching the bottom. This 'leap of faith' (hoping you can reach a flat
   spot when you throw yourself over the last few steps) is probably the
   most dangerous thing about riding stairs. So, if going forward - hit
   them at speed! The loss of speed is mostly due to that fact that folks
   tend to ride the stairs 'flat', instead of leaning into it and angling
   the skates as though on a hill. Riding 'flat' means that the slope
   isn't really affecting your speed. While bashing backwards, however,
   EVERYONE lets their heels lead the way and the foot naturally angles
   (er...toes up), thus restoring the 'slope' and gaining speed. While
   flat-riding, it doesn't matter what style you use...but keeping your
   weight on the trailing skate is relatively standard. Aggressive
   bashers often use a wider front-to-back skate placement, but more
   importantly, they LEAN into the slope to avoid losing speed. Note: go
   easy on this folks...nobody wants to see you do a header down the
   stairs. 2) they call it 'bashing' for a reason. Accept it! Yup,
   bashing, bone jarring, bouncing, slamming, and in general, beating
   yourself up (ok, your skates) while riding stairs is an expected part
   of the game. A willingness to accept that it feels uglier than it
   looks is needed. Hummm...some folks may argue that it 'looks as bad as
   it feels' as well! Either way, you've got to go with it. 3) backwards
   *IS* easier. But more intimidating. Honest! Because there is an extra
   'shock absorber' (ie your ankle can flex to your toes whereas your
   heel is pretty solid) and because your feet will naturally angle down,
   the backwards ride is a heck of a lot smoother than riding stairs
   frontwards. If you have trouble just 'going-for-it', then start slow,
   and use a hand-rail. (normally this is NOT a good thing to do) Keep a
   reasonable front-to-back stance and let everything flex! Note: If you
   find that going backwards is NOT easier/smoother, then please let me
   know. Not that anyone can help you at this point, but rather because
   I'd be curious to hear about the 'exception to the rule'. 4) failure
   to wear a helmet ANYTIME you are rolling backwards or doing stairs is
   (of course) enough to get you 'certified' (as insane) in most states.
   I was the first in our group to do 'killer' steps (4 flights of seven
   stairs each) backwards. I started from a standing-start at the top
   while clutching a hand-rail. The clutch turned into a light balancing
   guide after the first three steps...and then I was free-wheeling down
   the rest.

Curb Grinds And Wall Stalls


From: [e-mail] (Lawrence Chr-Jr Liu)

In an effort to revive the trick thread, I was wondering if anyone out there
in netland has performed a "front-side curb grind", as described in the latest
issue of InLine.  They mentioned rubbing surfboard wax on the steps to get a
better grind, but I was also wondering if the trick can be performed without
waxing.

Another question -- has anyone tried those smaller wheels for tricks, like
"Little Roxs" (I think that's what they're called).  Are they necessary for
rail slides, or can one just remove the third wheel and either slide on one's
frame or add a teflon plate?

The one trick I'm thinking of learning next is the 180 into stairs and riding
the rest of the stairs the rest of the way -- how important is it to land one's
wheels on the stairs?  Do I have to land both skates at the same time squarely
on the steps, or is it just jump and land and ride?

--

From: [e-mail] (Stephen J. Okay)

In article  klanac@ih-nxt05 (Chris Klanac) writes:
>[e-mail] (Lawrence Chr-Jr Liu) writes:
>
>>In an effort to revive the trick thread, I was wondering if anyone out there
>>in netland has performed a "front-side curb grind", as described in the lates
t
>>issue of InLine.  They mentioned rubbing surfboard wax on the steps to get a
>>better grind, but I was also wondering if the trick can be performed without
>>waxing.

Saw it, haven't tried it...

On the subject of 180's though, I've been trying something new during lunch
at work the past couple days. Skate down/across a parking lot, 'till you get
to a median/island. Curb-jump, followed by a 180, landing backwards, then
do whatever...(I've also been working on heel-to-heels, so I've been going
into one of these after I land, partially to practice them, but also because
they can start from a backwards skate, so it looks pretty cool)

I've avoided curb grinds 'cause I'm not sure how well my rails would hold
up to something abrasive like your average concrete curb. I'd probably
try it on something like one thats been painted "No Parking" and more
or less sealed though. Wax? ---maybe, but modding the turf seems a little
bogus to me...

--

From: [e-mail] (David Madeo)

In article  [e-mail] (Lawrence Chr-Jr Liu) writes:

  >In an effort to revive the trick thread, I was wondering if anyone out there
  >in netland has performed a "front-side curb grind", as described in the late
st
  >issue of InLine.  They mentioned rubbing surfboard wax on the steps to get a
  >better grind, but I was also wondering if the trick can be performed without
  >waxing.

You'll definately want to put some wax on.  Find out where the
skateboarders in your area wax the curbs and you'll be able to feel
the difference.  Rub the wax all around the edge of the curb.  I
suggest being precise where you start and stop the waxing.  When first
learning you can do a left foot plant on non waxed curb and then bring
the right foot on to the wax, start sliding and bring the left foot
on.  It's really important that you get used to skating up to a curb
and jumping onto and off of it at different speeds and angles.  It
takes a while to get used to landing and balancing with a curb between
the 2nd and 3rd wheels.

A trick that people are just starting to do around here is to do a
plate/frame scrape and click into a curb grind.

Another much harder is to do a 180/360 to land on the curb for a curb
slide.  Start by just trying to land, then move on to the slide.

Supposedly the "latest" is to do sole grinds, but I don't see any
great reason to try them.  Stand next to a curb, put the outside edge
of your frame and the bottom of the boot (the sole) against the corner
of the curb.  Put your whole weight on this, take the other foot and
out it in front in the traditional grind angle.  Do this at high
speed.

I just learned how to do stairs at the courthouse.  If you saw that
ABC show two weeks ago, it's the same stairs Aton tumbled on.

--

From: [e-mail] (Spectre)

        The reason they suggest waxing, is because they don't suggest
taking off the 3rd wheel back.  If you take off the 3rd wheel, you will
slide a lot better.  I suggest that you make some type of a shield or plate
to protect your frame.  If you look in the same issue of In-line, thereis
an article about people in New York.  Look at the picture of the FR group's
skates...one has a shield to protect his frame, one doesn't.  If you look
between the wheels on the skate that doesn't, you  will see what will
happen if you do too many curb grinds without the shield  (his frames are
chipped away between the 2ond and 3rd wheel, and the 3rd and 4th).  When
you take off the wheel, you won't really need the wax...but it's easier
to learn with the wheel in, since your skates will 'lock' onto the stair
between the wheels, instead of having a free sliding space, and you'll
slide better with the wax.  once you get good at angling your feet, you
will be able to slide on your frames without having to take off the wheel.


>Another question -- has anyone tried those smaller wheels for tricks, like
>"Little Roxs" (I think that's what they're called).  Are they necessary for
>rail slides, or can one just remove the third wheel and either slide on one's
>frame or add a teflon plate?

        I havn't tried the little wheels yet (actually I don't see myself
trying them at all, I don't really want the loss of speed, or the added
wear on my bearings...)  Right now I have a sheet metal plate on my skate
where the 3rd wheel was, and I'm looking around for a hunk of plastic
(any suggestions in the eastern MA, southern NH area?)  to make a more
sturdy and less makeshift slider.

>The one trick I'm thinking of learning next is the 180 into stairs and riding
>the rest of the stairs the rest of the way -- how important is it to land one'
s
>wheels on the stairs?  Do I have to land both skates at the same time squarely
>on the steps, or is it just jump and land and ride?

        It all depends how you bash.  Do you have to keep your weight
distributed evenly, or can you pick up a skate when you are going down.
If you bash with even weight, then you will want to land pretty much im
the same position that you would be if you bashed to that point...if you
can pick up a foot, then you just need to land on the dominant foot, then
you can adjust yourself to a more comfortable position as you bash down.
One suggestion...work on just jumping into the stairt and going from there
before you start trying 180's into them....it will hurt alot less if you
screw up going forwards then going backwards (spines smacking cement stairs
isn't really my idea of a good time :)


--

From: [e-mail] (James A Holroyd-1)

Jeff, I noticed this, too.  The frames look *really* hacked on.
Your shield sounds like a good idea, but it doesn't sound like metal would
either last too long or slide too well to be of any use... I recommend
that you use some skateboard rails (Powell-Peralta Gorilla Ribs were my
favorite, but I don't know if they still make them)... they last forever
and slide forever.  Just cut one down so it fits between your wheels,
epoxy it to your shield, and slide on.
        I've also been thinking about making a rail that fits between the
2nd and 3rd wheels on my skates... just a small piece of plastic that
would either clip or screw into the cross brace in my lightning should
work.  Anbody seen anything like this?  It would reduce the ground
clearance of the skate, but this shouldn't be a problem.  I think it would
make it way easier (and less harsh on the frames) to rail-slide.

Steve: Yep, they're fun, aren't they?  Haven't done them (180 jumps over
curbs) to a
heel-to-heel, but I have kept rotating and sort of spun around in a crouch
to a forward position again once I land... it's not that hard, and it
feels like a 360, 'cept you're only in the air for half of it.  I still
haven't got the courage to try 360's over a curb yet.

--

From: [e-mail] (Kenneth Creta)

In article , [e-mail] (Douglas J. Narby) writes:
>
> Sounds cool, Ken, but now we have three jargon terms:
>
> Stall, Curb Grind and Rail Slide.
>
> Anybody care to DEFINE them?   Throw in any more us newbies are unlikely

Imagine standing in front of a wall about 3 ft high or so (on your feet).
Now imagine jumping up onto it with both feet, "stalling" there for a second,
and jumping back down.  That idea except on blades is a stall.  That is also
a VERY basic stall.  Now try jumping off the wall to one or more other nearby
walls and doing a 360 in the air before landing.  That's a cool stall.  Keep
in mind that in order to land stable on the wall, you really have to land on
the corner such that the front two wheels are above the wall and the rear two
wheels are below:      o
                     ___o foot
                        |o
                wall    | o

I think a curb grind might be the same thing but on a curb instead.

A rail slide is just what it sounds like.  Approach a low rail pretty much
parallel.  Then jump up onto it as if you're stalling it but instead of jumping
onto it and stopping, you slide down it as far as you can.  I can't seem to
find a railing that would lend itself to this (i.e., low enough).


From: [e-mail] (Stephen J. Okay)

Well, after exchanging messages with some of our resident bladerats
here on the group, I went out and thought I'd try a few of the tricks
that have been described here with varying degrees of success...
The university here I usually blade around has some interesting structures,
so I used those for this.

Rail Slide: Didn't work so hot, but I think thats 'cause I'm too
worried about losing my balance, my hands won't let go of the rail,
or let me rest on my wristguards to let me slide down. A good
way to practice this is to find a "double" railing to do on.
Should look like this:

             \
           \  \  \  \               easier)
on this one| \  \
             |\_/


  __________________________________________________________________________





Skitching

From: [e-mail] (Dyer Crouch)
Subject: Re: [INL] Skitching?
Sender: [e-mail] (Net News)
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 00:28:53 GMT

>> I've been wondering if any of you brave bastards
>> have.  (It's grabbing on to cars, well moving ones that is, well
>> and holding on and not just getting them plowwed into you like I
>> have had the misfortune of doing.)

Yep, and I love it!!

What do ya want to know? I can give you my do's and don'ts & if you have
any other questions let me know.

First, don't grab a vehicle which is going a much different speed than you
are. Smaller cars and trucks can feel the slight momentum change and often
figure out what is going on and will hit the brakes or find the nearest
phone & call the cops on you. Both have happened to me. :(

Second, do it on streets which you are real familiar with and know have a
good surface. When you change grades of road or hit potholes at high speed
it sucks.

Third, look where the exhaust pipe is. Hooking city busses is my favorite,
but they make this HUGE plume of SMELLY dust when they first come out of a
stop. Stop signs/lights are also great places to wait for a vehicle to come
up to and stop, saddle up behind the puppy & hook on.

Fourth, the bigger the better. Larger vehicles change speed much less and
do it slower than cars, vans etc... Big trucks that ride real high are good
too since you can see under the truck.

Fifth, careful of the turns. You can get slingshoted if you are on the
outside edge of a vehicle on a turn. LOTS of fun when you do it in control,
but when you aren't, it is a major butt puckering ride.

Sixth, HAVE A SAFE EXIT AVENUE! If you are hanging on at high speeds, you
need to make sure you have someplace to go when you let go. If you are
being pulled into tight areas, get off and change directions and or brake.
It sucks getting checked into stationary objects.

And last but not least, how to hold on. Use both hands. One hand you will
hook under the bumper or around what ever you are grabbing on to, and the
other hand you want to use to brace yourself with in case the vehicle slows
or stops. I usually have my palm straight out against the vehicle's bumper
for this. Your best position to do this is in a crouch with your arms out
in front of you until you get good and can do things in whatever position
and grab you want.

Ooops... one more.
Don't do anything to anyone's vehicle while hooking on which you would not
want done to yours, and mind the pedestrians. They see you as a maniacle
eight wheeled missle, which you are.  :)



From: [e-mail] (DuckMan)
Subject: Re: [INL] Skitching?
Date: 10 Feb 1995 23:16:37 GMT


I've found that the best way to 'Skitch' is just to 'lay on hands'.  The
best way to do this is to skate to the vehicel approaching it from behind
(note: you have to be going as fast or faster then the vehicle for this to
work) then just place one hand on the vehicle (ie. the trunk or bumper).
Do not grab the vehicle, the friction from your hand should be enogh to
keep you with the vehicle, but if the vehicle make any rash moves it will
shake you without ripping your arm off.

This only works on flats or downhills.  To go uphill you have to hang on.

btw: Stitchin is still dangerous anyway you do it, if you don't have
    a death wish don't try it. :)




  __________________________________________________________________________






-Tony Chen ([e-mail])



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