Hey everybody, this blog is now defunct and will no longer be updated since access has been compromised.
It will stay online for information purposes only so feel free to have a browse through previous entries.
Please do not send any more emails to blog[at]huegelherzblut.de as these will no longer be picked up, please send your message to contact[at]gravityispink.com instead.
Thanks for stopping by, see you on a hill!
Showing posts with label English. Show all posts
Showing posts with label English. Show all posts
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Vienna Workshop
Summer's been great, will try to post up some pictures at some point, as always life's busy with lots of things in the pipeline, speaking of which - if you are in Vienna come skate with us and pick up some tips:
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Back from the dead!
Sometimes life's a bitch, sometimes life gets in the way but either way we're back from oblivion, and last weekend we went to the Houyet freeride in Belgium...
It's Friday 5.30pm and after a smooth transition from my office chair into the driver's seat we're set to go – destination: Houyet, Belgium.
Friday night rush hour = nightmare, it takes us about 2h to get out of town from West London but we make it, pick up Kami the flying Frenchman on the way and arrive in Dover well in time for our 10pm ferry. Said ferry's delayed and I'm tired, so trying to get some much needed sleep since we've still got another 270km to go on the other side. I'm surrounded by screaming children and the sound of angry birds on some dude's phone, so zzzzz isn't really happening. Whatever. By the time we get off the ferry in Dunkirk, France, it's dark and raining. Driving on what is the correct side of the road for me (since I'm from the continent) in a vehicle that's got the steering wheel on the wrong side is...by far not as weird as I thought it might be, whew. I'm really tempted to just stop over somewhere and get some kip as I am starting to go cross-eyed but fuck it, I'm putting my foot down and eventually we set up camp in Houyet at around 4.45am on Saturday morning.
Part of me is already starting to accept the fact that I probably won't be skating very much on Saturday simply because I'm completely shattered. Poosticks.
Surprisingly enough, I manage to wake up pretty early – to the sound of rain. Half gutted, half not bothered since still half asleep I get up to see what's going on and decide to hang around and see what the weather's doing while enjoying watching carnage in the wet at one of the corners.
Since it's pretty warm the track is drying up quite quickly once the rain's stopped, so I have a little power nap after lunch before gearing up. On the way to the track I spot Fee who I've been waiting for all along, together with 2 of her friends who also made it. Awesome.
All of a sudden it's already about 3pm or so, so only have a couple of hours riding left in the day. I'm taking it easy having lots of fun with Fee and Yvi and the UK DH crew. Happy times!
With the evening comes the hunger and I'm oh-so-glad I brought my own food since the first thing I make out on the camp site's restaurant menu is frog's legs followed by snails. I DON'T THINK SO. Being a vegan on tour = difficult, thank fuck for tofu, alpro soy and the nearby Belgian version of a chippy.
Once food's been sorted Saturday night's got it all, from bum techno to twatted teenagers oh yeah!
I fall into my tent at about 11.30pm, my body's simply given up for the day. As I open my eyes on Sunday asking myself if I really need to be awake, I see the sun, FUCK YEAH! An absolutely lovely day, I can't wait to get on the track.
In the morning we decide to don our leathers which quickly get way too hot so back to pads it is for the rest of the day.
Less words more images, have a look at some of the awesome footage here, thank you so much guys to those who filmed, yes that's you Rob, Olivier and Aidan.
We're meant to go back to Blighty on the 8pm ferry but the weather's too nice and too much fun is had so screw it, we're staying on. Somehow I manage to get us back to London and I'm home in my bed safe and sound at around 2.30am. Bliss.....and all of a sudden it's Monday morning again and back to the grind it is but I don't give a shit, Im still smiling (on the inside, yawning on the outside).
A truly amazing weekend, a massive thank you, dank u & merci to the whole Blütcher crew and all their marshals and volunteers who made this event run so smoothly, all the UK guys with whom great times were had, Alex for being an awesome co-pilot and keeping me awake and of course the wonderful Frau Fee, plus everyone else I haven't mentioned! Picture credits go to Jon Steel, Sick Boards, Michael Claessens/Beatrijs Berré and yours truly:
You bet I'm back there next year, in the meantime I'm getting excited about summer road trippin', first the KnK Longboard camp, a much anticipated first-time event in Slovenia followed by Gioasteka in Switzerland, the mother of all freerides which will see a few of us girls get together again so watch out for the pink (and be there)!
It's Friday 5.30pm and after a smooth transition from my office chair into the driver's seat we're set to go – destination: Houyet, Belgium.
Friday night rush hour = nightmare, it takes us about 2h to get out of town from West London but we make it, pick up Kami the flying Frenchman on the way and arrive in Dover well in time for our 10pm ferry. Said ferry's delayed and I'm tired, so trying to get some much needed sleep since we've still got another 270km to go on the other side. I'm surrounded by screaming children and the sound of angry birds on some dude's phone, so zzzzz isn't really happening. Whatever. By the time we get off the ferry in Dunkirk, France, it's dark and raining. Driving on what is the correct side of the road for me (since I'm from the continent) in a vehicle that's got the steering wheel on the wrong side is...by far not as weird as I thought it might be, whew. I'm really tempted to just stop over somewhere and get some kip as I am starting to go cross-eyed but fuck it, I'm putting my foot down and eventually we set up camp in Houyet at around 4.45am on Saturday morning.
Part of me is already starting to accept the fact that I probably won't be skating very much on Saturday simply because I'm completely shattered. Poosticks.
Surprisingly enough, I manage to wake up pretty early – to the sound of rain. Half gutted, half not bothered since still half asleep I get up to see what's going on and decide to hang around and see what the weather's doing while enjoying watching carnage in the wet at one of the corners.
Since it's pretty warm the track is drying up quite quickly once the rain's stopped, so I have a little power nap after lunch before gearing up. On the way to the track I spot Fee who I've been waiting for all along, together with 2 of her friends who also made it. Awesome.
All of a sudden it's already about 3pm or so, so only have a couple of hours riding left in the day. I'm taking it easy having lots of fun with Fee and Yvi and the UK DH crew. Happy times!
With the evening comes the hunger and I'm oh-so-glad I brought my own food since the first thing I make out on the camp site's restaurant menu is frog's legs followed by snails. I DON'T THINK SO. Being a vegan on tour = difficult, thank fuck for tofu, alpro soy and the nearby Belgian version of a chippy.
Once food's been sorted Saturday night's got it all, from bum techno to twatted teenagers oh yeah!
I fall into my tent at about 11.30pm, my body's simply given up for the day. As I open my eyes on Sunday asking myself if I really need to be awake, I see the sun, FUCK YEAH! An absolutely lovely day, I can't wait to get on the track.
In the morning we decide to don our leathers which quickly get way too hot so back to pads it is for the rest of the day.
Less words more images, have a look at some of the awesome footage here, thank you so much guys to those who filmed, yes that's you Rob, Olivier and Aidan.
Houyet Freeride 2011 (Wallonhill) - Team 360 Edition
We're meant to go back to Blighty on the 8pm ferry but the weather's too nice and too much fun is had so screw it, we're staying on. Somehow I manage to get us back to London and I'm home in my bed safe and sound at around 2.30am. Bliss.....and all of a sudden it's Monday morning again and back to the grind it is but I don't give a shit, Im still smiling (on the inside, yawning on the outside).
A truly amazing weekend, a massive thank you, dank u & merci to the whole Blütcher crew and all their marshals and volunteers who made this event run so smoothly, all the UK guys with whom great times were had, Alex for being an awesome co-pilot and keeping me awake and of course the wonderful Frau Fee, plus everyone else I haven't mentioned! Picture credits go to Jon Steel, Sick Boards, Michael Claessens/Beatrijs Berré and yours truly:
You bet I'm back there next year, in the meantime I'm getting excited about summer road trippin', first the KnK Longboard camp, a much anticipated first-time event in Slovenia followed by Gioasteka in Switzerland, the mother of all freerides which will see a few of us girls get together again so watch out for the pink (and be there)!
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Christie Aleixo from Brazil
*Sorry, diesmal gibt's keine deutsche Version, wer sich das Interview übersetzen möchte - schau mal rechts in der Menüleiste, da ist ein Link zu Google Translate ;-)*
Today we're bringing you Christie Aleixo from Brazil, make sure you check out her videos at the bottom of this entry!
1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Christie Aleixo?
I am a woman, mother, wife and true skater who, for the past 5 years, has been dedicating herself to downhill skateboarding. I'm from Rio de Janeiro, "carioca de gema" and have been living in São Paulo for 4 years, so as to be able to work in skateboarding and to live it more intensely because in Brazil, São Paulo is the main hub for all things skateboarding. I consider myself a skater through and through as I skate on different terrains and in different disciplines.
2. How long have you been skating? And what got you into the sport?
I started off young, during my childhood actually. Together with my bike, my skateboard was one of my toys. It wasn't until just around the time of my 16th birthday however that I started to develop a keener interest. After I'd become a mum, I discovered sliding and haven't stopped since.
3. What’s your favourite discipline?
I started out like everyone else, down some hills, just letting myself go and praying to get down to the bottom safe and sound. The sliding followed shortly thereafter as a maneuver for better control and so downhill sliding became my first choice. Then the speed and slalom came naturally, with the development thereof here in Brazil. After I moved to São Paulo, I got access to skate parks so I'm having lots of fun in bowls and on banks.
4. How long have you been competing? What’s your top ranking?
For me, competition was the only way to get to ride with other girls. We'd gather at events where we could share our techniques. I have been competing since 2003. As far as placement goes, I've been everywhere on the list, but in the last few years I've been in the top 3 in sliding, downhill and slalom in Brazil.
5. What's your favourite event and why?
I love all the events, but perhaps the RDH Rio Downhill 2006 in Rio de Janeiro has been the one that marked my life by making me realise what an opportunity downhill could give me in terms of travel and the chance to meet other people.
6. How often do you skate and how do you practise?
I skate almost every day. I work, have a home, son and husband, so I have to organise myself well enough to keep on top of everything and still have time to practise. But as I work in skateboarding, it may be easier for me to fit in sessions than it is for others. During the week I skate 2-3 times and at the weekends all day.
7. Do you skate alone or with friends?
I don't mind going sliding on my own, but we always end up meeting people at the spots. At the skateparks it's the same thing. Downhill requires more safety precautions, so always with friends!
8. What makes you move in skateboarding? And how do you search for that evolution?
Firstly, respecting my way of living, what I like to do on my skateboard. To slide on my longboard, I use harder wheels that slide better and a deck with nose and tail that allows for some tricks and carvy trucks, but they must be light. Here I deviate a little from longboarding rules, as I use 149mm trucks, which I always ride because sometimes tricks come out unintentionally...and never forget about the fun regardless of the focus you have in skateboarding.
9. Who's supporting you this year?
Since 2008, we've had a governmental incentive for high-performance athletes in all sports here in Brazil and I am part of this great program of the Brazilian Ministry of Sports. Beyond this benefit, I have the support of Moska Wheels, Crail Trucks, Gravity Boards and New Skate.
10. What do you expect from these partnerships?
I think in a very professional way. Skating, with friends, for fun, I will always do, but if I want to develop a project, attend major events and evolve technically, I need money, cause everything is very expensive, tickets, food, keeping fit, cutting-edge equipment, health insurance ... so I try to keep everything organised in order to continue living the lifestyle in a profitable manner.
11. Do you make a living from skateboarding or do you work on the side?
These days my skating pays for my development in skateboarding. But even so, and thinking forward in time, I have to work as well, however I work in the skateboarding industry, which makes things a little easier.
12. We also know that you are a very active person in the scene and have organised several skate events. Tell us a bit about these experiences.
Yes, I have done many events, some on the hills, others focussed on girls. Always with the perception of evolution, showing the growth of women in skateboarding. 2010 however has been the year of me, Christie Skater. Next year, the projects will return full steam ahead.
13. In addition to skateboarding what are your favourite hobbies?
I don’t have many things outside of skateboarding, as everything is connected to it. But I love swimming, going to the beach ... and then everything leads to skating... skating at some friends' house, new skateparks, new hills… it's always like that... skating 24 hours ... (laughs)
14. Favourite food?
I'm “boa de boa”, as we say here in Brazil, which means she who likes to eat. I never say no to salad in my meals! And for the rest, I like everything, but I avoid fried food.
15. What kind of music do you listen to?
LOTS of music all day. My favourite rhythm is rock'n'roll, but I listen to other musical styles too.
16. What do you think about the level of women’s longboarding in Brazil?
In recent years, the level has gotten a lot better, we have longboard slide circuits already defined and follow well-defined lines of championships, this way the female category has evolved a lot in so little time. Girls now learn as their first trick what took me 3 years to pick up. I travel to various places in and outside of Brazil, and honestly we are well advanced in comparison.
17. And in the world in general?
In addition to sliding, downhill, slalom and downhill sliding, which are some disciplines that we define as categories, there are women with a high technical level like Brianne Davis, Dasha, Bettina ... Canada, Switzerland... very good! Argentina also has a lot of women who are into speed, too.
18. How do you see the girls' scene in the future?
People will always be riding with numbers going up every year, but without competitive events there’s no way of defining real growth. We must do more videos, photos, seek better relations with the skate brands, especially longboard brands. We have a market which is already self-sustainable and we need to create lines of work for a more technical level and good events always happen!
19. Do you have a dream?
Live LONG, well, and keep riding tillllllllll I’m very old ... but next year I want to do trips that I have not done yet.
20. A message to all of us...
Girls, continue living this freedom, this option of simply skating. We don’t need to be the best, champions, none of this, we must be true to ourselves first. The skateboard liberates the soul and has to be part of our lives just like the food we need! BOMDROP! To all the girls who have a skateboard in their heart!
Kisses
Christie Aleixo
Today we're bringing you Christie Aleixo from Brazil, make sure you check out her videos at the bottom of this entry!
1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Christie Aleixo?
I am a woman, mother, wife and true skater who, for the past 5 years, has been dedicating herself to downhill skateboarding. I'm from Rio de Janeiro, "carioca de gema" and have been living in São Paulo for 4 years, so as to be able to work in skateboarding and to live it more intensely because in Brazil, São Paulo is the main hub for all things skateboarding. I consider myself a skater through and through as I skate on different terrains and in different disciplines.
2. How long have you been skating? And what got you into the sport?
I started off young, during my childhood actually. Together with my bike, my skateboard was one of my toys. It wasn't until just around the time of my 16th birthday however that I started to develop a keener interest. After I'd become a mum, I discovered sliding and haven't stopped since.
3. What’s your favourite discipline?
I started out like everyone else, down some hills, just letting myself go and praying to get down to the bottom safe and sound. The sliding followed shortly thereafter as a maneuver for better control and so downhill sliding became my first choice. Then the speed and slalom came naturally, with the development thereof here in Brazil. After I moved to São Paulo, I got access to skate parks so I'm having lots of fun in bowls and on banks.
4. How long have you been competing? What’s your top ranking?
For me, competition was the only way to get to ride with other girls. We'd gather at events where we could share our techniques. I have been competing since 2003. As far as placement goes, I've been everywhere on the list, but in the last few years I've been in the top 3 in sliding, downhill and slalom in Brazil.
5. What's your favourite event and why?
I love all the events, but perhaps the RDH Rio Downhill 2006 in Rio de Janeiro has been the one that marked my life by making me realise what an opportunity downhill could give me in terms of travel and the chance to meet other people.
6. How often do you skate and how do you practise?
I skate almost every day. I work, have a home, son and husband, so I have to organise myself well enough to keep on top of everything and still have time to practise. But as I work in skateboarding, it may be easier for me to fit in sessions than it is for others. During the week I skate 2-3 times and at the weekends all day.
7. Do you skate alone or with friends?
I don't mind going sliding on my own, but we always end up meeting people at the spots. At the skateparks it's the same thing. Downhill requires more safety precautions, so always with friends!
8. What makes you move in skateboarding? And how do you search for that evolution?
Firstly, respecting my way of living, what I like to do on my skateboard. To slide on my longboard, I use harder wheels that slide better and a deck with nose and tail that allows for some tricks and carvy trucks, but they must be light. Here I deviate a little from longboarding rules, as I use 149mm trucks, which I always ride because sometimes tricks come out unintentionally...and never forget about the fun regardless of the focus you have in skateboarding.
9. Who's supporting you this year?
Since 2008, we've had a governmental incentive for high-performance athletes in all sports here in Brazil and I am part of this great program of the Brazilian Ministry of Sports. Beyond this benefit, I have the support of Moska Wheels, Crail Trucks, Gravity Boards and New Skate.
10. What do you expect from these partnerships?
I think in a very professional way. Skating, with friends, for fun, I will always do, but if I want to develop a project, attend major events and evolve technically, I need money, cause everything is very expensive, tickets, food, keeping fit, cutting-edge equipment, health insurance ... so I try to keep everything organised in order to continue living the lifestyle in a profitable manner.
11. Do you make a living from skateboarding or do you work on the side?
These days my skating pays for my development in skateboarding. But even so, and thinking forward in time, I have to work as well, however I work in the skateboarding industry, which makes things a little easier.
12. We also know that you are a very active person in the scene and have organised several skate events. Tell us a bit about these experiences.
Yes, I have done many events, some on the hills, others focussed on girls. Always with the perception of evolution, showing the growth of women in skateboarding. 2010 however has been the year of me, Christie Skater. Next year, the projects will return full steam ahead.
13. In addition to skateboarding what are your favourite hobbies?
I don’t have many things outside of skateboarding, as everything is connected to it. But I love swimming, going to the beach ... and then everything leads to skating... skating at some friends' house, new skateparks, new hills… it's always like that... skating 24 hours ... (laughs)
14. Favourite food?
I'm “boa de boa”, as we say here in Brazil, which means she who likes to eat. I never say no to salad in my meals! And for the rest, I like everything, but I avoid fried food.
15. What kind of music do you listen to?
LOTS of music all day. My favourite rhythm is rock'n'roll, but I listen to other musical styles too.
16. What do you think about the level of women’s longboarding in Brazil?
In recent years, the level has gotten a lot better, we have longboard slide circuits already defined and follow well-defined lines of championships, this way the female category has evolved a lot in so little time. Girls now learn as their first trick what took me 3 years to pick up. I travel to various places in and outside of Brazil, and honestly we are well advanced in comparison.
17. And in the world in general?
In addition to sliding, downhill, slalom and downhill sliding, which are some disciplines that we define as categories, there are women with a high technical level like Brianne Davis, Dasha, Bettina ... Canada, Switzerland... very good! Argentina also has a lot of women who are into speed, too.
18. How do you see the girls' scene in the future?
People will always be riding with numbers going up every year, but without competitive events there’s no way of defining real growth. We must do more videos, photos, seek better relations with the skate brands, especially longboard brands. We have a market which is already self-sustainable and we need to create lines of work for a more technical level and good events always happen!
19. Do you have a dream?
Live LONG, well, and keep riding tillllllllll I’m very old ... but next year I want to do trips that I have not done yet.
20. A message to all of us...
Girls, continue living this freedom, this option of simply skating. We don’t need to be the best, champions, none of this, we must be true to ourselves first. The skateboard liberates the soul and has to be part of our lives just like the food we need! BOMDROP! To all the girls who have a skateboard in their heart!
Kisses
Christie Aleixo
Sunday, 12 December 2010
More prizes in time for Christmas!
That's right, you've got the chance to win again, just about in time for Christmas to make it that little bit sweeter... !
1st Prize: The Hügelherzblut Classic die Kurze, sponsored by Hügelherzblut, your new favourite companion to take you around town, cruise mellow hills or go sliding with.
2nd Prize: A set of brandnew Nersh Candy wheels, fresh on the market, sponsored by Link Distribution. 70mm diameter, 76A duro which makes rough and uneven road surface a breeze.
3rd Prize: Get some PINK in your life! A set of pink Crail 180mm trucks, perfect for carving, cruising or if you want to point your deck Downhill - a lovely allrounder and most certainly the pinkest truck there is...sponsored by Layback Distribution.
4th-10th Prize: Goody bags containing T-shirts, flip flops, beanies etc etc, wait and see! Sponsored by Reef, Femipleasure, Insight, Trasher, Sixxa.
All you have to do to call one of these babies your own is to tell us what longboarding means to you. Closing date is the 31st of December 2010, all emails to the usual address blog[at]huegelherzblut.de please. Oh, and as always legal recourse is excluded ;-)
A massive Thank You goes out to our lovely sponsors!
* Link Distribution (Nersh, Trasher, Sector9)
* Black Distribution (Reef)
* Layback Distribution (Crail)
* Hügelherzblut
* Sixxa
* USP Distribution (Femipleasure)
* Insight
And now get writing!
1st Prize: The Hügelherzblut Classic die Kurze, sponsored by Hügelherzblut, your new favourite companion to take you around town, cruise mellow hills or go sliding with.
2nd Prize: A set of brandnew Nersh Candy wheels, fresh on the market, sponsored by Link Distribution. 70mm diameter, 76A duro which makes rough and uneven road surface a breeze.
3rd Prize: Get some PINK in your life! A set of pink Crail 180mm trucks, perfect for carving, cruising or if you want to point your deck Downhill - a lovely allrounder and most certainly the pinkest truck there is...sponsored by Layback Distribution.
4th-10th Prize: Goody bags containing T-shirts, flip flops, beanies etc etc, wait and see! Sponsored by Reef, Femipleasure, Insight, Trasher, Sixxa.
All you have to do to call one of these babies your own is to tell us what longboarding means to you. Closing date is the 31st of December 2010, all emails to the usual address blog[at]huegelherzblut.de please. Oh, and as always legal recourse is excluded ;-)
A massive Thank You goes out to our lovely sponsors!
* Link Distribution (Nersh, Trasher, Sector9)
* Black Distribution (Reef)
* Layback Distribution (Crail)
* Hügelherzblut
* Sixxa
* USP Distribution (Femipleasure)
* Insight
And now get writing!
Saturday, 4 December 2010
And the winner is.....
...Anni from Switzerland! Congrats on bagging yourself a lovely Sixxa outfit, we hope you'll love it as much as we do!
Paula and Ana are sharing a tie second place:
And the honourable Nr. 3 goes to Amy from New Zealand:
Thank you to all the girls who sent us their entries, it was a tough choice!
Paula and Ana are sharing a tie second place:
And the honourable Nr. 3 goes to Amy from New Zealand:
Thank you to all the girls who sent us their entries, it was a tough choice!
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Interview with Carly Richardson from Canada
Today we're bringing you Carly Richardson, one of Canada's finest! She's been working for Landyachtz for quite a while now and is the living proof that girls can more than just merely survive in the longboarding business - with the right amount of snap, charm, heaps of knowledge and tonnes of fun. And now it's over to Carly...
1.When did you start longboarding and why?
1a. I started longboarding in highschool, saw some older guys doing
it and thought it looked fun. It was more appealing than regular skateboarding, and after the first try I was hooked. Being in a city like Vancouver with so much terrain to explore definitely got the best of my curiosity and motivated me to tackle the roads here.
2.You work for Landyachtz - when did you start and how did you get in?
2a. I've been working at Landyachtz since April of 2006, and riding on the team for a year or two before that. After spending some time in California enjoying the sunshine and skateboarding, I needed to get home to Vancouver and work. Tom and Mike gave me the opportunity to put in some hours at the shop doing whatever I could. Now they can't get rid of me.
3. Has working for Landyachts changed your view on longboarding?
3a. Working in the industry definitely changed my perspective on longboarding. It made me realize very quickly that you've got to be doing it for the right reasons, and really love being involved in all aspects of it.
Not just as a job, but as your life. I feel really fortunate that I was able to turn my passion into a career. I don't think many people truly have that chance. It's also given me the privilege of travelling, gaining life and work experience, and meeting people that have forever influenced my life. My co-workers are my friends, my family. We're lucky.
4. How do you feel working in a very male-orientated and dominated business?
4a. Being in a male-dominated business is just fine with me. It can be challenging (probably more for so for them, I'm sure I can be stubborn and emotional sometimes...haha) but I've never felt like they treat me any differently. Some boys/men are still surprised when they call to talk about trucks, bushings etc. and I give them answers, but I think this just proves that longboarding really does appeal to a wide variety of people and the sport is diverse. There are more and more girls getting involved all the time, it's great to feel like a part of that.
5. Please give us a little insight into your mind when you're on your board!
5a. My perspective on my board is always different, that's part of what I love about it. The literal feeling under my feet is always the same: comfortable. But as surroundings change, intention and direction change, it's always a different mood for me but always positive, and I'll never stop.
6. Are you still doing races as well?
6a. For the first time in 6 seasons I did not race this year. After a bad neck injury in May I had one of those "oh no, I'm human" moments and knew it wasn't worth the risk of doing any more damage. I'm not sure if I will race next season. If not, I'll at least be there cheering everyone on and taking photos.
8. How often do you skate with girls and how important is that to
you?
8a. To be honest the most skateboarding I've been doing lately has been just cruising/commuting. So it's mostly alone or with a few of the guys. While a lot of us girls in Vancouver are good friends, we all have our own things going that keep us busy, and they like going a lot faster than I do! It's so cool to see the progression and girls pushing their own limits. Whenever I visit California, Judith Rogers and I skate as much as possible, usually every day. This year she got me amped on some coping, took me to a ditch for the first time (which was amazing, and I have to do more) as well as setting up a slalom course for us to try out on our last day. We've
spent a lot of time skating together and she always gets me stoked to
challenge myself.
Getting more girls involved on any level is important to me however, and over the last few years we've teamed up and done some all-girl clinics and jam sessions. More recently a couple of us here at Landyachtz had the privilege of meeting up with a small crew of women from the great staff at LuluLemon for an afternoon of longboarding lessons! I'd really like to do more of that in the future. Nothing beats the feeling of watching someone really experience skating for the first time, getting hooked or learning something new.
9. Any longboarding goals for 2011?
9a. Next year should be interesting. Longboarding has taken some big steps forward this year in growth, but we've also had our some huge losses amongst our family. Hopefully everyone stays safe, shares knowledge and embraces being part of a something so rad.
On a personal level, I hope to learn to ride some different terrain, mostly ditches. I can see that becoming very addicting, and very painful :)
10. Any last words?
10a. Go skate!
Thank you so much for the opportunity! Stoked!!!
Thank you Carly! We can't wait to hear and see more of you!
Now over to you, the ladies who read this – please remember you've got another good few days to send in your favourite longboarding summer picture for your chance to win some lovely clobber by Austrian girl streetwear brand Sixxa. All submissions, as always, to blog[at]huegelherzblut.de, closing date is the 30th of November.
1.When did you start longboarding and why?
1a. I started longboarding in highschool, saw some older guys doing
it and thought it looked fun. It was more appealing than regular skateboarding, and after the first try I was hooked. Being in a city like Vancouver with so much terrain to explore definitely got the best of my curiosity and motivated me to tackle the roads here.
2.You work for Landyachtz - when did you start and how did you get in?
2a. I've been working at Landyachtz since April of 2006, and riding on the team for a year or two before that. After spending some time in California enjoying the sunshine and skateboarding, I needed to get home to Vancouver and work. Tom and Mike gave me the opportunity to put in some hours at the shop doing whatever I could. Now they can't get rid of me.
3. Has working for Landyachts changed your view on longboarding?
3a. Working in the industry definitely changed my perspective on longboarding. It made me realize very quickly that you've got to be doing it for the right reasons, and really love being involved in all aspects of it.
Not just as a job, but as your life. I feel really fortunate that I was able to turn my passion into a career. I don't think many people truly have that chance. It's also given me the privilege of travelling, gaining life and work experience, and meeting people that have forever influenced my life. My co-workers are my friends, my family. We're lucky.
4. How do you feel working in a very male-orientated and dominated business?
4a. Being in a male-dominated business is just fine with me. It can be challenging (probably more for so for them, I'm sure I can be stubborn and emotional sometimes...haha) but I've never felt like they treat me any differently. Some boys/men are still surprised when they call to talk about trucks, bushings etc. and I give them answers, but I think this just proves that longboarding really does appeal to a wide variety of people and the sport is diverse. There are more and more girls getting involved all the time, it's great to feel like a part of that.
5. Please give us a little insight into your mind when you're on your board!
5a. My perspective on my board is always different, that's part of what I love about it. The literal feeling under my feet is always the same: comfortable. But as surroundings change, intention and direction change, it's always a different mood for me but always positive, and I'll never stop.
6. Are you still doing races as well?
6a. For the first time in 6 seasons I did not race this year. After a bad neck injury in May I had one of those "oh no, I'm human" moments and knew it wasn't worth the risk of doing any more damage. I'm not sure if I will race next season. If not, I'll at least be there cheering everyone on and taking photos.
8. How often do you skate with girls and how important is that to
you?
8a. To be honest the most skateboarding I've been doing lately has been just cruising/commuting. So it's mostly alone or with a few of the guys. While a lot of us girls in Vancouver are good friends, we all have our own things going that keep us busy, and they like going a lot faster than I do! It's so cool to see the progression and girls pushing their own limits. Whenever I visit California, Judith Rogers and I skate as much as possible, usually every day. This year she got me amped on some coping, took me to a ditch for the first time (which was amazing, and I have to do more) as well as setting up a slalom course for us to try out on our last day. We've
spent a lot of time skating together and she always gets me stoked to
challenge myself.
Getting more girls involved on any level is important to me however, and over the last few years we've teamed up and done some all-girl clinics and jam sessions. More recently a couple of us here at Landyachtz had the privilege of meeting up with a small crew of women from the great staff at LuluLemon for an afternoon of longboarding lessons! I'd really like to do more of that in the future. Nothing beats the feeling of watching someone really experience skating for the first time, getting hooked or learning something new.
9. Any longboarding goals for 2011?
9a. Next year should be interesting. Longboarding has taken some big steps forward this year in growth, but we've also had our some huge losses amongst our family. Hopefully everyone stays safe, shares knowledge and embraces being part of a something so rad.
On a personal level, I hope to learn to ride some different terrain, mostly ditches. I can see that becoming very addicting, and very painful :)
10. Any last words?
10a. Go skate!
Thank you so much for the opportunity! Stoked!!!
Thank you Carly! We can't wait to hear and see more of you!
Now over to you, the ladies who read this – please remember you've got another good few days to send in your favourite longboarding summer picture for your chance to win some lovely clobber by Austrian girl streetwear brand Sixxa. All submissions, as always, to blog[at]huegelherzblut.de, closing date is the 30th of November.
Monday, 15 November 2010
Photo Contest Reminder
...A little more than two weeks to go, so come on and send us your best longboarding shot of the summer 2010 to win a SIXXA outfit, ethically produced streetwear, designed in Austria, made in Europe! Please email your photo to blog[at]huegelherzblut.de, we look forward to hearing from you!
...Gut zwei Wochen habt ihr noch also auf gehts Mädels, schickt uns euer Longboard Lieblingsbild des Sommers 2010 und gewinnt ein SIXXA Outfit, Streetwear for Girls designed in Austria, made in Europe! Fotos bitte per E-mail an blog[at]huegelherzblut.de, wir freuen uns, von euch zu hören!
...Gut zwei Wochen habt ihr noch also auf gehts Mädels, schickt uns euer Longboard Lieblingsbild des Sommers 2010 und gewinnt ein SIXXA Outfit, Streetwear for Girls designed in Austria, made in Europe! Fotos bitte per E-mail an blog[at]huegelherzblut.de, wir freuen uns, von euch zu hören!
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Gear Information Vol. 2 & Photo Contest
Bushings – Small but mighty. Those little rubbery fellas sit on either side of your truck's hanger, so usually you'll have two per truck, some people stack 'em too, it really depends on your setup and on what you want to do with it. Either way, bushings greatly influence and alter the way your trucks behave, so if you're bored with what you have but can't afford a new set of trucks, playing around with bushings is a cheap alternative and you'll be surprised at what difference new or different bushings can make, so let's take a closer look....
1. Material and Durometer
Just like wheels, bushings are made from urethane. The duro(meter) is represented by a number/letter combination, for example 80A, with the number standing for 'hardness' (the higher the number, the harder the bushing). The 'A' stands for density, which is measured on a scale of A to D, with D being the densest. Most skateboarding wheels and bushings are on the A scale.
As is often the case in longboarding, you really have to play around to find out what bushing type and combination suits you, with your weight playing a big role as well and also how tight you normally have your trucks – if you like to crank them up to the point that your bushing's spilling out of its seat on either side, you'll probably want to try some harder bushings. It is also a common misconception that harder bushings are the way forward in Downhill – a harder duro does not equal more stability.
2. Shapes
Bushings come in different shapes depending on what purpose they are meant to serve. It's the combination of duro and shape that characterises the bushing's feel:
a) Barrel Shape
A cylindrical bushing offers stability while also allowing a fair amount of turn. Often used in Downhill skateboarding or generally as the bottom (meaning the bushing closest to the baseplate) bushing of a setup.
b) Conical Shape
The widest side sits in the bushing seat (as shown in the photo). This shape allows for deep turns, especially if you opt for a taller cone, which makes these babies ideal for carving.
Exhibit A: Cone bushing with flipped cupped washer
c) Stim Shape
The name refers to the Tracker Stimulator, which was the first bushing of this kind. Some people also call them 'stepped'. The Venom Eliminator or the JimZ are popular bushings of this type, which mostly finds its use in Downhill Skateboarding as it offers a good amount of stability with little turn.
Exhibit B: Barrel, tall cone, short cone, Stim shape bushings (from left to right)
3. Washers
Most trucks will come with a set of stock bushings and washers. Some people don't bother with washers at all, they do however support the bushing nicely which can increase its longevity. Make sure that the washer and the bushing match in size. Flat washers allow for maximum turn. Cupped washers (bushing cups) will increase compression around the area they encase, so the more you lean, the more your bushing will compress which limits the depth of the turn as more power is required to achieve the same amount of turn compared to leaving the washer out.
Exhibit C: A selection of different washers
The height of your bushing/washer combo will determine how long your kingpin should be and you'll find that many stock kingpins are too short, especially if you intend to run a set of double barrels. Kingpin threads that are too long can damage your bushings from the inside out, so ideally you'll have a kingpin with a shortened thread if you want to use tall bushings.
Exhibit D: Long kingpin with shortened thread
To keep the winter sweet this year, Sixxa is kindly donating some clobber for our autumn photo contest, so go on and send us your favourite shot of yourself on or with your longboard this summer. All submissions to the usual address please which is blog[at]huegelherzblut.de, you've got until the 30th of November to dig out your favourite photo. The winning pic will be published on here and we'll be in touch to sort out sizes etc.
1. Material and Durometer
Just like wheels, bushings are made from urethane. The duro(meter) is represented by a number/letter combination, for example 80A, with the number standing for 'hardness' (the higher the number, the harder the bushing). The 'A' stands for density, which is measured on a scale of A to D, with D being the densest. Most skateboarding wheels and bushings are on the A scale.
As is often the case in longboarding, you really have to play around to find out what bushing type and combination suits you, with your weight playing a big role as well and also how tight you normally have your trucks – if you like to crank them up to the point that your bushing's spilling out of its seat on either side, you'll probably want to try some harder bushings. It is also a common misconception that harder bushings are the way forward in Downhill – a harder duro does not equal more stability.
2. Shapes
Bushings come in different shapes depending on what purpose they are meant to serve. It's the combination of duro and shape that characterises the bushing's feel:
a) Barrel Shape
A cylindrical bushing offers stability while also allowing a fair amount of turn. Often used in Downhill skateboarding or generally as the bottom (meaning the bushing closest to the baseplate) bushing of a setup.
b) Conical Shape
The widest side sits in the bushing seat (as shown in the photo). This shape allows for deep turns, especially if you opt for a taller cone, which makes these babies ideal for carving.
Exhibit A: Cone bushing with flipped cupped washer
c) Stim Shape
The name refers to the Tracker Stimulator, which was the first bushing of this kind. Some people also call them 'stepped'. The Venom Eliminator or the JimZ are popular bushings of this type, which mostly finds its use in Downhill Skateboarding as it offers a good amount of stability with little turn.
Exhibit B: Barrel, tall cone, short cone, Stim shape bushings (from left to right)
3. Washers
Most trucks will come with a set of stock bushings and washers. Some people don't bother with washers at all, they do however support the bushing nicely which can increase its longevity. Make sure that the washer and the bushing match in size. Flat washers allow for maximum turn. Cupped washers (bushing cups) will increase compression around the area they encase, so the more you lean, the more your bushing will compress which limits the depth of the turn as more power is required to achieve the same amount of turn compared to leaving the washer out.
Exhibit C: A selection of different washers
The height of your bushing/washer combo will determine how long your kingpin should be and you'll find that many stock kingpins are too short, especially if you intend to run a set of double barrels. Kingpin threads that are too long can damage your bushings from the inside out, so ideally you'll have a kingpin with a shortened thread if you want to use tall bushings.
Exhibit D: Long kingpin with shortened thread
To keep the winter sweet this year, Sixxa is kindly donating some clobber for our autumn photo contest, so go on and send us your favourite shot of yourself on or with your longboard this summer. All submissions to the usual address please which is blog[at]huegelherzblut.de, you've got until the 30th of November to dig out your favourite photo. The winning pic will be published on here and we'll be in touch to sort out sizes etc.
Friday, 30 July 2010
Almabtrieb & General Newsflash
This year's World Championships in Downhill Skateboarding, Streetluge and Classic Luge (aka Buttboard) were held in Hungerszell in the Bavarian Forest, South East Germany. It sure was quite an experience, the track is amazing and the weather was HOT! The 4 days passed within the blink of an eye and to be honest, I am not sure what else to write about it as really, words do not do it justice and therefore, rather than waffling on, I shall point you in the direction of Sven von Schlachta, photographer par excellence who you're highly likely to find at the side of crash corner documenting all the action, check out his awesome shots from the event here:
*Sven von Schlachta's Almabtrieb Pics*
For those of you interested in the race facts, you can check the results on the IGSA website.
In other news, at last the long awaited video from Team Layback's trip to the UK is here! 15 mins that will hopefully put a smile on your face, enjoy:
This summer's brimming with freerides and of course races so keep your eyes peeled for news and updates. It's almost time for another round of workshops brought to you by yours truly of course, this time we're going to rock Jungholz in Austria, the former Almabtrieb track. This freeride is brought to you by the dudes and dudettes from the Allgäuer Longboard Verein, if you're interested in attending this event in Austria drop us an email and we'll pass on the relevant contact details.
Until next time, stay tuned and enjoy the summer!
*Sven von Schlachta's Almabtrieb Pics*
For those of you interested in the race facts, you can check the results on the IGSA website.
In other news, at last the long awaited video from Team Layback's trip to the UK is here! 15 mins that will hopefully put a smile on your face, enjoy:
This summer's brimming with freerides and of course races so keep your eyes peeled for news and updates. It's almost time for another round of workshops brought to you by yours truly of course, this time we're going to rock Jungholz in Austria, the former Almabtrieb track. This freeride is brought to you by the dudes and dudettes from the Allgäuer Longboard Verein, if you're interested in attending this event in Austria drop us an email and we'll pass on the relevant contact details.
Until next time, stay tuned and enjoy the summer!
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
The Hog Hill UK Outlaw Championships
The second May bank holiday sure was one special date. The STKD series as well as the Eastbourne Speed Days were cancelled this year, but thanks to a number of local skate communities sticking up 2 fingers at this, various outlaw events have already been held this year to keep us riding, and there's no end in sight. On the second May bank holiday weekend, we now had the rare opportunity to skate on a closed off track during the Hog Hill UK Outlaw Championships, a two day event held just outside London at the Redbridge Cycling Centre.
Alex Ireton (London Longboards), Gavyn McKenzie (Canterballs) and Timmy Peters (XSS Southampton) joined forces with the UKSSA (United Kingdom Slalom Skateboarding Association) and hired out the venue for a weekend of Downhill and Slalom Skateboarding, Buttboarding and other nonsense on wheels (3 words - Mini Moto Challenge).
On the first day, a strong tailwind in favour of the DH Skateboarders blew us down the main hill, optionally via a sweeping right hander or an interesting chicane configuration. After everyone had arrived and set up, it was Freeride a-go-go all day long while the slalomers were already up to serious business battling it out for their Hybrid Slalom Champion.
On the second day, we woke up to an overcast sky and noticeably chillier conditions minus the favourable tailwind, however let's not forget that we are in England after all so anything but rain is to be appreciated!
While over at the Slalom Camp the cones were set up for the Giant Slalom, the Dangerous Mini Moto Challenge got underway.
Fast forward to noon and at long last the time for the Hearts of Hills Girls only workshop had come. Fee, Sophie and my humble self welcomed seven ladies to join us in doing what we like best, and so we went off in two groups. While one bunch of girlies got to grips with basic skills such as footbraking under the direction of our lovely Sophie, the rest of us wandered off to work on carving and cornering techniques. Let the photos do the talking and see for yourself how much fun we all had. While we were busy practising and jamming away, the UK Outlaw DH race got underway in a race format aimed at giving riders the occasion to skate as much as possible, rather than wasting time waiting around or having to finish sooner than anticipated by means of elimination. Every participant had an equal number of 4 man heats with points being given depending on the ranking position at the end of each heat. The winner thus was determined by the overall final score.
Gravity sports can be enjoyed in different shapes and forms and as such we also had a few buttboard fanatics hooning it down the hill horizontally during the Dangerous Decks Classic Luge Challenge. A last minute impromptu ladies' race was also given the go ahead so overall it was a very busy day!
All in all it was a great weekend with a fantastic turnout of over 120 people who had come from near and far. Big shout outs go to Alex, Sam Gordon, Gav and Timmy, all the marshalls withouth whom this event would not have been possible, the sponsors who provided some awesome prizes and last but not least to all of you who came along and made it a wicked start into the skate summer. By the way, if you want more, why not come down to the second Hog Hill freeride this year which will be held from the 6th until the 8th of August, the relevant info can be found HERE.
All photos courtesy of Layback Freiburg
Alex Ireton (London Longboards), Gavyn McKenzie (Canterballs) and Timmy Peters (XSS Southampton) joined forces with the UKSSA (United Kingdom Slalom Skateboarding Association) and hired out the venue for a weekend of Downhill and Slalom Skateboarding, Buttboarding and other nonsense on wheels (3 words - Mini Moto Challenge).
On the first day, a strong tailwind in favour of the DH Skateboarders blew us down the main hill, optionally via a sweeping right hander or an interesting chicane configuration. After everyone had arrived and set up, it was Freeride a-go-go all day long while the slalomers were already up to serious business battling it out for their Hybrid Slalom Champion.
On the second day, we woke up to an overcast sky and noticeably chillier conditions minus the favourable tailwind, however let's not forget that we are in England after all so anything but rain is to be appreciated!
While over at the Slalom Camp the cones were set up for the Giant Slalom, the Dangerous Mini Moto Challenge got underway.
Fast forward to noon and at long last the time for the Hearts of Hills Girls only workshop had come. Fee, Sophie and my humble self welcomed seven ladies to join us in doing what we like best, and so we went off in two groups. While one bunch of girlies got to grips with basic skills such as footbraking under the direction of our lovely Sophie, the rest of us wandered off to work on carving and cornering techniques. Let the photos do the talking and see for yourself how much fun we all had. While we were busy practising and jamming away, the UK Outlaw DH race got underway in a race format aimed at giving riders the occasion to skate as much as possible, rather than wasting time waiting around or having to finish sooner than anticipated by means of elimination. Every participant had an equal number of 4 man heats with points being given depending on the ranking position at the end of each heat. The winner thus was determined by the overall final score.
Gravity sports can be enjoyed in different shapes and forms and as such we also had a few buttboard fanatics hooning it down the hill horizontally during the Dangerous Decks Classic Luge Challenge. A last minute impromptu ladies' race was also given the go ahead so overall it was a very busy day!
All in all it was a great weekend with a fantastic turnout of over 120 people who had come from near and far. Big shout outs go to Alex, Sam Gordon, Gav and Timmy, all the marshalls withouth whom this event would not have been possible, the sponsors who provided some awesome prizes and last but not least to all of you who came along and made it a wicked start into the skate summer. By the way, if you want more, why not come down to the second Hog Hill freeride this year which will be held from the 6th until the 8th of August, the relevant info can be found HERE.
All photos courtesy of Layback Freiburg
Monday, 7 June 2010
King of the Hills Lohnsburg Freeride and Challenge
Brought to you by the awesome peeps of Gravity Sports Austria under the commando of Alex Frischauf, this 3 day event was set up with both the Downhill novice as well as the more seasoned rider in mind.
It was held on the Skirollerstrecke in Lohnsburg am Kobernausserwald, Upper Austria - basically a skiroller track to pratice on during the summer months.
Unfortunately it had rained heavily the day before, so we arrived to a wet and slippery track - the tarmac's perfectly smooth thus quite grippy, but as it is located deep down in the woods, it takes a fair while for the surface to dry up. We took it easy throughout the morning however as time went on the sun did its job and things were looking good for a few hours - unfortunately the rain returned with a vengeance later on in the afternoon so we had to call it a day around 4.30pm. Nonetheless much fun was had by all and that pesky left hand corner sure presented a challenge to many a rider - I think somebody even managed to crash into the anthill...
On day Nr. 2 the weather was more on our side, the sun came out and we were set to go, and so this lovely day was spent freeriding while in the afternoon, Hack and Fee from Layback Freiburg held a couple of workshops focussing on the basics of sliding and downhill skateboarding, as well as one for more advanced downhillers and stand up sliding fun with Felix.
All in all it was a very good day with lots of riding and everything ran smoothly, unfortunately it was somewhat tarnished by one accident during which a female buttboarder broke her lower leg - hopefully she is well on the way to recovery by now! Other than that no major injuries were reported apart from the inevitable road rash, a busted knee and a twisted ankle.
On the final day those new to the sport had the chance to get a taste of racing and what it's like to ride with others - the track is fairly narrow thus things can get tight quite quickly so only 2 people at a time (as opposed to the usual 4 man heats) were sent down to battle it out.
I could not stay until the end of the day as I had to embark on my journey back to London town, so I don't know the outcome of the race. Either way it was an awesome weekend, a big thank you and shout out to those who made it happen, Alex and the whole GSA team, Layback Freiburg and everybody who made it such a successful event, hopefully it'll happen again next year!
Also, thank you Stefan Kubitschek and Matz Fink who kindly let me use some of their photos, cheers guys!
It was held on the Skirollerstrecke in Lohnsburg am Kobernausserwald, Upper Austria - basically a skiroller track to pratice on during the summer months.
Unfortunately it had rained heavily the day before, so we arrived to a wet and slippery track - the tarmac's perfectly smooth thus quite grippy, but as it is located deep down in the woods, it takes a fair while for the surface to dry up. We took it easy throughout the morning however as time went on the sun did its job and things were looking good for a few hours - unfortunately the rain returned with a vengeance later on in the afternoon so we had to call it a day around 4.30pm. Nonetheless much fun was had by all and that pesky left hand corner sure presented a challenge to many a rider - I think somebody even managed to crash into the anthill...
On day Nr. 2 the weather was more on our side, the sun came out and we were set to go, and so this lovely day was spent freeriding while in the afternoon, Hack and Fee from Layback Freiburg held a couple of workshops focussing on the basics of sliding and downhill skateboarding, as well as one for more advanced downhillers and stand up sliding fun with Felix.
All in all it was a very good day with lots of riding and everything ran smoothly, unfortunately it was somewhat tarnished by one accident during which a female buttboarder broke her lower leg - hopefully she is well on the way to recovery by now! Other than that no major injuries were reported apart from the inevitable road rash, a busted knee and a twisted ankle.
On the final day those new to the sport had the chance to get a taste of racing and what it's like to ride with others - the track is fairly narrow thus things can get tight quite quickly so only 2 people at a time (as opposed to the usual 4 man heats) were sent down to battle it out.
I could not stay until the end of the day as I had to embark on my journey back to London town, so I don't know the outcome of the race. Either way it was an awesome weekend, a big thank you and shout out to those who made it happen, Alex and the whole GSA team, Layback Freiburg and everybody who made it such a successful event, hopefully it'll happen again next year!
Also, thank you Stefan Kubitschek and Matz Fink who kindly let me use some of their photos, cheers guys!
Soul and Signature from Layback Freiburg on Vimeo.
Monday, 10 May 2010
SKAITI!
Hi everybody!
Sorry it's been a bit quiet on here of recent, time is flying by quickly and summer's approaching fast which means too many things to do and too little time, so bit of a short one this time, but nonetheless here's a little write up of a lovely event from last month:
On the 10th of April, an awful lot (250ish I believe, I'm not sure now!) longboarders, inliners and rollerskaters coming from near and far gathered on a former military airfield in the South East of England. Their mission - to skate around what is nowadays being used as a test track for a popular motor show on British telly (Top Gear) for (as close as it gets to) 24 hours in a bid to raise money for the Haiti earthquake victims through a charity called Shelterbox. Below is an excerpt of the SKAITI blurb, written by main organiser Jo Coles:
My son Jack is 13. He saw the effects of the Haiti earthquake on TV, and he wanted to do something, so he came up with a great idea. We like to skate, and we like to skate a lot... so why not skate for Haiti? Brilliant! The plan was simple: we would skate a lot.. as far as we could go in 24 hours, to raise as much money as possible to help Haiti. Just the two of us.
But we needed to find a safe place to skate all day and all night. So we contacted Dunsfold Park in Surrey, and asked about using their airfield test track - the one used by the BBC's Top Gear programme. It's a beautiful circuit! They were very keen to help, but they thought we could go further... much further... and invite hundreds of skaters to join us... we were gobsmacked!... and so SKAITI was created!
The weather gods played their part and we arrived to a beautifully sunny yet a bit of a windy day. The challenge was on and we all embarked on our way and got onto the 1.3 mile long oval track, some people simply for the fun of it, some people to beat their own personal record - everybody had their own individual goal, and all of it in the name of charity for a good cause.
The day passed much quicker than one would have thought, and before we knew it the sun had disappeared and the runway lights were switched on to guide the skaters through the night. I must admit that I do not know who/if anybody actually managed the full 24 hours without any sleep but I do know of some damn impressive mileages that were achieved, personally I'd never done any distance skating up until that date.
Morning dawned and I woke up to a much chillier morning than the day before. My legs were hurting and I was freezing cold and exhausted from barely sleeping a wink but nonetheless I too made it back onto the track and carried on.
All in all it was an absolutely terrific weekend, I didn't think pushing/pumping around in circles could and would be so much fun! It is indeed very satisfying to propel yourself forward under your own muscle power and to see what you're really capable of.
A massive thank you goes out to everybody involved who made this great event happen! Let's do it again, shall we? I for one very much hope so!
The total added up distance already exceeds 7.500 miles at present which is nearly the way to Haiti and back!
Besides, the fundraising is still going, every little bit helps so please support this fantastic cause :)
http://www.justgiving.com/Skaiti24
Thank you Moe Neve, Frank Hurtley and James Paved Wave for letting me use your photos :)
Sorry it's been a bit quiet on here of recent, time is flying by quickly and summer's approaching fast which means too many things to do and too little time, so bit of a short one this time, but nonetheless here's a little write up of a lovely event from last month:
On the 10th of April, an awful lot (250ish I believe, I'm not sure now!) longboarders, inliners and rollerskaters coming from near and far gathered on a former military airfield in the South East of England. Their mission - to skate around what is nowadays being used as a test track for a popular motor show on British telly (Top Gear) for (as close as it gets to) 24 hours in a bid to raise money for the Haiti earthquake victims through a charity called Shelterbox. Below is an excerpt of the SKAITI blurb, written by main organiser Jo Coles:
My son Jack is 13. He saw the effects of the Haiti earthquake on TV, and he wanted to do something, so he came up with a great idea. We like to skate, and we like to skate a lot... so why not skate for Haiti? Brilliant! The plan was simple: we would skate a lot.. as far as we could go in 24 hours, to raise as much money as possible to help Haiti. Just the two of us.
But we needed to find a safe place to skate all day and all night. So we contacted Dunsfold Park in Surrey, and asked about using their airfield test track - the one used by the BBC's Top Gear programme. It's a beautiful circuit! They were very keen to help, but they thought we could go further... much further... and invite hundreds of skaters to join us... we were gobsmacked!... and so SKAITI was created!
The weather gods played their part and we arrived to a beautifully sunny yet a bit of a windy day. The challenge was on and we all embarked on our way and got onto the 1.3 mile long oval track, some people simply for the fun of it, some people to beat their own personal record - everybody had their own individual goal, and all of it in the name of charity for a good cause.
The day passed much quicker than one would have thought, and before we knew it the sun had disappeared and the runway lights were switched on to guide the skaters through the night. I must admit that I do not know who/if anybody actually managed the full 24 hours without any sleep but I do know of some damn impressive mileages that were achieved, personally I'd never done any distance skating up until that date.
Morning dawned and I woke up to a much chillier morning than the day before. My legs were hurting and I was freezing cold and exhausted from barely sleeping a wink but nonetheless I too made it back onto the track and carried on.
All in all it was an absolutely terrific weekend, I didn't think pushing/pumping around in circles could and would be so much fun! It is indeed very satisfying to propel yourself forward under your own muscle power and to see what you're really capable of.
A massive thank you goes out to everybody involved who made this great event happen! Let's do it again, shall we? I for one very much hope so!
The total added up distance already exceeds 7.500 miles at present which is nearly the way to Haiti and back!
Besides, the fundraising is still going, every little bit helps so please support this fantastic cause :)
http://www.justgiving.com/Skaiti24
Thank you Moe Neve, Frank Hurtley and James Paved Wave for letting me use your photos :)
Sunday, 11 April 2010
STICKY - Girls Workshop
Girls Jam and Workshop at the Hog Hill UK Outlaw Championships
That's right ladies, this one's just for us! Female riders sadly still are a small minority within the skate sport, so our mission is to encourage more girls to step onto a board and of course support those among you who have already caught the longboarding bug. So, regardless of whether it'll be your first attempt at skating and you'd simply like to experience for yourself what it's all about, or if you're hooked already and wish to develop your skills further and jam out with likeminded girls in a chilled out atmosphere, this event is for YOU and we would like to meet you!
As part of the UK Outlaw Championships at Hog Hill (just outside London), we are organising a girls' longboarding workshop which will equally cater for total beginners as it will for the more seasoned skater g!rls among you. We want to bring you all together so you get a chance to get to know each other, learn from each other and find out whereabouts fellow girl longboarders are based.
We will be covering the basics of longboarding i.e. show you how to carve, footbrake and, very importantly, how to fall. If you are at a more advanced stage already, why not work on your sliding, cornering, or whatever else takes your fancy with us!
The event will be held over 2 days with the workshop taking place on Monday, the 31st of May, time to be confirmed.
For those of you who are new to the sport or simply wish to try out something new, we will have a few test boards available. A helmet, knee and elbow pads are mandatory. To read all the small print (plus directions etc) and sign up, please click here.
The ins and outs of the workshop depend on you, so please sign up in advance so we know how many riders to expect and we can take it from there.
If you have any questions, be they general or specifically related to the event, please leave us a comment or email us at blog[@]huegelherzblut.de, we'll be happy to help.
Hope to see y'all there, until then stay safe and shred hard!
*VIDEO OF THE TRACK*
Hog Hill
That's right ladies, this one's just for us! Female riders sadly still are a small minority within the skate sport, so our mission is to encourage more girls to step onto a board and of course support those among you who have already caught the longboarding bug. So, regardless of whether it'll be your first attempt at skating and you'd simply like to experience for yourself what it's all about, or if you're hooked already and wish to develop your skills further and jam out with likeminded girls in a chilled out atmosphere, this event is for YOU and we would like to meet you!
As part of the UK Outlaw Championships at Hog Hill (just outside London), we are organising a girls' longboarding workshop which will equally cater for total beginners as it will for the more seasoned skater g!rls among you. We want to bring you all together so you get a chance to get to know each other, learn from each other and find out whereabouts fellow girl longboarders are based.
We will be covering the basics of longboarding i.e. show you how to carve, footbrake and, very importantly, how to fall. If you are at a more advanced stage already, why not work on your sliding, cornering, or whatever else takes your fancy with us!
The event will be held over 2 days with the workshop taking place on Monday, the 31st of May, time to be confirmed.
For those of you who are new to the sport or simply wish to try out something new, we will have a few test boards available. A helmet, knee and elbow pads are mandatory. To read all the small print (plus directions etc) and sign up, please click here.
The ins and outs of the workshop depend on you, so please sign up in advance so we know how many riders to expect and we can take it from there.
If you have any questions, be they general or specifically related to the event, please leave us a comment or email us at blog[@]huegelherzblut.de, we'll be happy to help.
Hope to see y'all there, until then stay safe and shred hard!
*VIDEO OF THE TRACK*
Hog Hill
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Q&A with Brianne Davies
Here we are again ladies and gents, winter's over and the days are getting longer so for those among you who put their boards into hibernation for the last couple of months, it's time to shake off the dust and get out again!
With tons of events happening allover Europe (and no doubt in Canada, the US, or wherever in the world you happen to be) it's set to be a busy summer. For those among you planning on attending our workshop in London (UK) in May - if you haven't done so already, please sign up and make sure you pay your rider fee in advance! To remind you, here's the LINK. More information can also be found in the relevant blog entry a bit further down.
As we'll be able to venture out into the great outdoors again over the next months, you'll probably see less text and more images and other footage on here - we also want to show you what we're up to after all!
Today however, we are talking to Brianne Davies who's hailing all the way from Canada. If that name doesn't ring a bell I strongly suggest you copy and paste that into Google to educate yourself. For now however, read on and find out what one of the world's top female Downhill Skateboarders has to say....
Hi Brianne, please tell us a bit about yourself!
I am 24 going on 25 in May. I am an electrician by trade, and I love to cook.
How did you get into longboarding?
I first got into longboarding from borrowing a board from a friend and trying it out. I fell in love, got my first job at 16, worked till I had enough money to buy one, then quit.
Do you practice any other sports?
I snowboard, and train for triathlons to keep in shape.
What do you do when you don't skate?
When I'm not skating I'm hanging out with my boyfriend and other friends, watching movies, hockey and visiting my rents.
You've got your own Pro Model - Do you think girls need different board than guys?
My Pro Model is fine for both guys and girls, the only thing that caters more towards women is the smaller platform for smaller feet!
Over the past few years, you have been the most successful woman on the race circuit. How do you deal with enviers?
The girls I race with are usually really supportive as most of them are friends. I occasionally have a few snide remarks but I just ignore them because the positive is overwhelming the negative at any point. I have a few girls out there that you could say are my "nemesis" but it's all fun when you get down to it. That said, the boys are actually worse! I have had more guys make rude comments because I have beaten them than the girls. I guess it's still hard for a guy to swallow that the girls can beat them.
How often do you go skate with girls and how important is that to you?
I skate with my girlfriends all the time. There is definatly one girl I try to never skate without becuase she actually pushes me!! Dom, you're awesome. Having girls around pumps me up, I feel comfortable around them and we just have al lot of fun riding together. We have girl skates quite often. Don't get me wrong, to have guys around to skate with is a must. I have learned everything I know from them (skill wise).
How significant are races to you?
The races are getting less important to me now than say two years ago. I wanted to prove myself and I did. But now I just want to have fun without the pressure. I still love racing, it's a huge part of longboarding for me that got me so excited about it. The race season means I get to see all my international friends, which is the beast part by far. I'll keep racing but the amount of races I'll attend might start dropping over the next few years as my life gets to the "holy crap what am I doing with my life" stage.
How do you imagine the future of longboarding?
The future of longboarding? I hope it stays similar to what is is now. Hopefully the rest of the world can accept us, treating us like bikes so we can freely skate where we need to with ut being honked at, yelled at, fingered or pulled over while we just try to get from point a to point b.
Where do you see yourself in say, 5 years' time?
In five years I'll still be skating but I will not be in the competitive scene I am in now. I'll do it without any sponsors, just for fun. I'll attend and race a few races, but I'll be to busy with my career to make longboarding a full time job. I love the sport but my body wont beable to keep up forever.
How do you deal with fear, or is that something you are immune to?
I only fear zombies. Seriously. Deathly afraid.
Do you have any advice or other words of wisdom to your fellow girl riders out there?
To all the girls!! Wear your helmet. Keep pushing yourself bit by bit. As long as you're having fun you're doing it right.
Thanks for your time Brianne, and the very best of luck to you for the upcoming season!
With tons of events happening allover Europe (and no doubt in Canada, the US, or wherever in the world you happen to be) it's set to be a busy summer. For those among you planning on attending our workshop in London (UK) in May - if you haven't done so already, please sign up and make sure you pay your rider fee in advance! To remind you, here's the LINK. More information can also be found in the relevant blog entry a bit further down.
As we'll be able to venture out into the great outdoors again over the next months, you'll probably see less text and more images and other footage on here - we also want to show you what we're up to after all!
Today however, we are talking to Brianne Davies who's hailing all the way from Canada. If that name doesn't ring a bell I strongly suggest you copy and paste that into Google to educate yourself. For now however, read on and find out what one of the world's top female Downhill Skateboarders has to say....
Hi Brianne, please tell us a bit about yourself!
I am 24 going on 25 in May. I am an electrician by trade, and I love to cook.
How did you get into longboarding?
I first got into longboarding from borrowing a board from a friend and trying it out. I fell in love, got my first job at 16, worked till I had enough money to buy one, then quit.
Do you practice any other sports?
I snowboard, and train for triathlons to keep in shape.
What do you do when you don't skate?
When I'm not skating I'm hanging out with my boyfriend and other friends, watching movies, hockey and visiting my rents.
You've got your own Pro Model - Do you think girls need different board than guys?
My Pro Model is fine for both guys and girls, the only thing that caters more towards women is the smaller platform for smaller feet!
Over the past few years, you have been the most successful woman on the race circuit. How do you deal with enviers?
The girls I race with are usually really supportive as most of them are friends. I occasionally have a few snide remarks but I just ignore them because the positive is overwhelming the negative at any point. I have a few girls out there that you could say are my "nemesis" but it's all fun when you get down to it. That said, the boys are actually worse! I have had more guys make rude comments because I have beaten them than the girls. I guess it's still hard for a guy to swallow that the girls can beat them.
How often do you go skate with girls and how important is that to you?
I skate with my girlfriends all the time. There is definatly one girl I try to never skate without becuase she actually pushes me!! Dom, you're awesome. Having girls around pumps me up, I feel comfortable around them and we just have al lot of fun riding together. We have girl skates quite often. Don't get me wrong, to have guys around to skate with is a must. I have learned everything I know from them (skill wise).
How significant are races to you?
The races are getting less important to me now than say two years ago. I wanted to prove myself and I did. But now I just want to have fun without the pressure. I still love racing, it's a huge part of longboarding for me that got me so excited about it. The race season means I get to see all my international friends, which is the beast part by far. I'll keep racing but the amount of races I'll attend might start dropping over the next few years as my life gets to the "holy crap what am I doing with my life" stage.
How do you imagine the future of longboarding?
The future of longboarding? I hope it stays similar to what is is now. Hopefully the rest of the world can accept us, treating us like bikes so we can freely skate where we need to with ut being honked at, yelled at, fingered or pulled over while we just try to get from point a to point b.
Where do you see yourself in say, 5 years' time?
In five years I'll still be skating but I will not be in the competitive scene I am in now. I'll do it without any sponsors, just for fun. I'll attend and race a few races, but I'll be to busy with my career to make longboarding a full time job. I love the sport but my body wont beable to keep up forever.
How do you deal with fear, or is that something you are immune to?
I only fear zombies. Seriously. Deathly afraid.
Do you have any advice or other words of wisdom to your fellow girl riders out there?
To all the girls!! Wear your helmet. Keep pushing yourself bit by bit. As long as you're having fun you're doing it right.
Thanks for your time Brianne, and the very best of luck to you for the upcoming season!
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Interview with Laura Hatwell
Listen up ladies and gents, here's Laura Hatwell from the UK, who some of you might have heard of as the first female Ultraskater (100+ miles in 24 hours), and without further ado, over to her:
*Please introduce yourself to our readers!
Hi I’m Laura, I’m 28 and I’m from Plymouth in the South West of England. I’ve skated for four years but dreamed of skating for many more. I love skating far, but I’m also really into downhill and slalom. I run Skate Further along with a team of guys, and I’m sponsored by Seismic, Stoked, Long Treks on Skate Decks and I’m the light flex tester for G|Bomb. This summer, I skated the length of Scotland solo, from the top of Sheltand, down to the border with England – around 550 miles, but I sort of lost count as I was having too much fun!
I’ve done a ton of other stuff but I guess that’s what Google is for!
*How did you get into longboarding?
I got into skating when my friend Dave (from Boardfree) encouraged me to get a deck, after I showed an interest in his long distance journeys. I started skating my topmount board to work every day, and it was only a matter of time before I moved to a dropped deck, and skated a lot further! I eventually joined his team out in Australia, giving up a job in a dark TV studio to push into the sunlight and freedom!
*Apart from the obvious, i.e. covering crazy amounts of miles, what are your favourite things to do on 4 wheels?
Most of all, I love to skate with my friends from the Plymouth Longboarding and Skate Further gangs! I love that through skating I meet tons of new people, which gives me a chance to learn new things, and share a few stories of my own. The best things about skating together are the LAUGHS, the THRILLS and SPILLS! I think so long as I have a plank of wood and four wheels under my feet, I’d be happy anywhere :)
*Why LDP?
I never took part in anything that really forced me to question myself and celebrate life so much as long distance skateboarding. You are constantly breaking through mental walls, and that feeling of exhilaration when you realize you’ve still got it in you to carry on, it’s addictive. Much like a runner’s high! I couldn’t run a mile, but I’d skate one hundred of the badboys with a smile on my face!
People sometimes lay into distance, asking what the point is. I’ll say this: I celebrate the push, the first primal movement of skating – do you?
*What does skating mean to you?
Skating means freedom. Freedom to experience the world under your own steam, to direct gravity, to feel the forces of the cosmos flow through you as you power down a hill, pound up the next, and stand at the top screaming your head off with joy.
*Has your epic push changed you and if so, how?
I am much more centred and focused on my life now. Whilst my journey was very much day to day, the planning took a year. I am very organized now and put that skill to good use when I am given the opportunity to help plan and support events around the world. It also helps me prepare for lessons – I’m a schoolteacher in training now!
*How did you physically manage to skate this far and how did you prepare for trip through Scotland?
I don’t think my body is anything special! Yes I have some nice calf muscles, but I’m not superwoman or anything. It’s the strength of mind to slog on and get through pain that leaves you breathless. I guess that’s my secret weapon: smiling!
Like I said, prep for Scotland took a year. Even though I had been involved in trips that were sponsored, part of me for some reason was shy to ask companies – I didn’t think I get taken seriously, so I ended up spending a lot of money on kit. I am luckier now, with some great support from Seismic, Stoked Skateboards, Paul, Aaron and Adam at Long Treks on Skate Decks, and my friends Eric Lowell and Mark at G|Bomb.
*What's your plan for this season?
Set a few personal bests in distance, and have a blast in downhill! I’m working harder to become the best skater I can be, and I hope this is recognized by a few more sponsors…I’m really poor now after my Scotland trip!
*How do you see women in longboarding and how do you feel as a girl amidst all the boys in this traditionally male dominated sport?
I’ve never had anything but love from the guys. I can’t thank them enough for their support. They might poke fun at the fact I’m tiny, but I’ve learned everything about having a powerful push from people with legs a foot longer than mine, and I’m glad of it!
The girls are coming up this year in the UK – we’ve got tremendous talent out there in downhill with Kim Edwards, distance record holder Jo Coles, and your own gnarette, Christine Maier (Thanks Laura ;) )! I also hear there’s a rogue tribe of female distance skaters out in Aberystwyth, so watch out world!
*Why do you think it is that girls are such a minority within the sport?
Girls seem to have been sidelined traditionally as ‘betties’, but in the sport of longboarding, girls are out there, hooning it down hills and blasting out some amazing skills. I’m not sure that girls fully realize the impact they could have on their peers if they just picked up a board and rolled around on it with passion. It’s inspirational, so get to it, ladies! See you at the Hog Hill ladies workshop (We will put ut more details about this event soon, stay tuned)!
*How do you keep yourself busy when you're not rolling around on a plank of wood?
Try being a trainee secondary school teacher and running a million skate-related projects at the same time! That’ll keep you off the streets!
*Tell us a random fact about yourself!
I’m so small (5ft 2 inches) because I have a bone age that is a ways behind my actual age. About five years, I think! The rest of my family are tall, I’m stunted and proud!
*Last but not least - do you have any newbie advice or other words of wisdom to pass on to our readers?
Drink lots of nice water and watch copious amounts of You Tube longboarding videos. Hit up the bathroom on your way to the front door. Go downstairs after washing your hands. Put on your helmet, pick up your board, leave the house. Go skate. Smile!
*Please introduce yourself to our readers!
Hi I’m Laura, I’m 28 and I’m from Plymouth in the South West of England. I’ve skated for four years but dreamed of skating for many more. I love skating far, but I’m also really into downhill and slalom. I run Skate Further along with a team of guys, and I’m sponsored by Seismic, Stoked, Long Treks on Skate Decks and I’m the light flex tester for G|Bomb. This summer, I skated the length of Scotland solo, from the top of Sheltand, down to the border with England – around 550 miles, but I sort of lost count as I was having too much fun!
I’ve done a ton of other stuff but I guess that’s what Google is for!
*How did you get into longboarding?
I got into skating when my friend Dave (from Boardfree) encouraged me to get a deck, after I showed an interest in his long distance journeys. I started skating my topmount board to work every day, and it was only a matter of time before I moved to a dropped deck, and skated a lot further! I eventually joined his team out in Australia, giving up a job in a dark TV studio to push into the sunlight and freedom!
*Apart from the obvious, i.e. covering crazy amounts of miles, what are your favourite things to do on 4 wheels?
Most of all, I love to skate with my friends from the Plymouth Longboarding and Skate Further gangs! I love that through skating I meet tons of new people, which gives me a chance to learn new things, and share a few stories of my own. The best things about skating together are the LAUGHS, the THRILLS and SPILLS! I think so long as I have a plank of wood and four wheels under my feet, I’d be happy anywhere :)
*Why LDP?
I never took part in anything that really forced me to question myself and celebrate life so much as long distance skateboarding. You are constantly breaking through mental walls, and that feeling of exhilaration when you realize you’ve still got it in you to carry on, it’s addictive. Much like a runner’s high! I couldn’t run a mile, but I’d skate one hundred of the badboys with a smile on my face!
People sometimes lay into distance, asking what the point is. I’ll say this: I celebrate the push, the first primal movement of skating – do you?
*What does skating mean to you?
Skating means freedom. Freedom to experience the world under your own steam, to direct gravity, to feel the forces of the cosmos flow through you as you power down a hill, pound up the next, and stand at the top screaming your head off with joy.
*Has your epic push changed you and if so, how?
I am much more centred and focused on my life now. Whilst my journey was very much day to day, the planning took a year. I am very organized now and put that skill to good use when I am given the opportunity to help plan and support events around the world. It also helps me prepare for lessons – I’m a schoolteacher in training now!
*How did you physically manage to skate this far and how did you prepare for trip through Scotland?
I don’t think my body is anything special! Yes I have some nice calf muscles, but I’m not superwoman or anything. It’s the strength of mind to slog on and get through pain that leaves you breathless. I guess that’s my secret weapon: smiling!
Like I said, prep for Scotland took a year. Even though I had been involved in trips that were sponsored, part of me for some reason was shy to ask companies – I didn’t think I get taken seriously, so I ended up spending a lot of money on kit. I am luckier now, with some great support from Seismic, Stoked Skateboards, Paul, Aaron and Adam at Long Treks on Skate Decks, and my friends Eric Lowell and Mark at G|Bomb.
*What's your plan for this season?
Set a few personal bests in distance, and have a blast in downhill! I’m working harder to become the best skater I can be, and I hope this is recognized by a few more sponsors…I’m really poor now after my Scotland trip!
*How do you see women in longboarding and how do you feel as a girl amidst all the boys in this traditionally male dominated sport?
I’ve never had anything but love from the guys. I can’t thank them enough for their support. They might poke fun at the fact I’m tiny, but I’ve learned everything about having a powerful push from people with legs a foot longer than mine, and I’m glad of it!
The girls are coming up this year in the UK – we’ve got tremendous talent out there in downhill with Kim Edwards, distance record holder Jo Coles, and your own gnarette, Christine Maier (Thanks Laura ;) )! I also hear there’s a rogue tribe of female distance skaters out in Aberystwyth, so watch out world!
*Why do you think it is that girls are such a minority within the sport?
Girls seem to have been sidelined traditionally as ‘betties’, but in the sport of longboarding, girls are out there, hooning it down hills and blasting out some amazing skills. I’m not sure that girls fully realize the impact they could have on their peers if they just picked up a board and rolled around on it with passion. It’s inspirational, so get to it, ladies! See you at the Hog Hill ladies workshop (We will put ut more details about this event soon, stay tuned)!
*How do you keep yourself busy when you're not rolling around on a plank of wood?
Try being a trainee secondary school teacher and running a million skate-related projects at the same time! That’ll keep you off the streets!
*Tell us a random fact about yourself!
I’m so small (5ft 2 inches) because I have a bone age that is a ways behind my actual age. About five years, I think! The rest of my family are tall, I’m stunted and proud!
*Last but not least - do you have any newbie advice or other words of wisdom to pass on to our readers?
Drink lots of nice water and watch copious amounts of You Tube longboarding videos. Hit up the bathroom on your way to the front door. Go downstairs after washing your hands. Put on your helmet, pick up your board, leave the house. Go skate. Smile!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
