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| Q&A: Slalom Pro Mike Maysey (2489 Posts)
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Relative
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On 2/26/2005 Dave G
wrote in from
United States
(207.69.nnn.nnn)
No body but the person w/ the passion gives a s#@!! I'd venture to say, the best "putt putter" don't care about the title of the longest drive! I agree 6, If you can't do it, the EASY way out is to call it "gay" tight 5.5-6.0 is difficult at speed (maybe the most focused) I love all kinds of racing, but super G alpine is less intense than slalom or even downhill! Split the diff!!!
"Walk away,in the path of a human!"
Denial
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slolam
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On 2/26/2005 6
wrote in from
United States
(68.114.nnn.nnn)
On 2/25/2005 JohnO wrote in from 205.188.xxx.xxx: (United States)
Pebble Beach and a Miniture Golf course are both golf, but nobodys gives a s#@! who the worlds best miniture golfer is.
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and you think people give a sh*t who the best gs racer in the world is? come on joshei - slalom is viewed as a joke by 90% of the skateboarding community and doesn't even register on the radar of the general public
tight slalom is difficult, you can't do it, therefore it's in your best interest to make it seem "gay"
walk the path of a human, john, walk the path of a human
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Falling is supposed to hurt...
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On 2/26/2005 Chris B
wrote in from
United States
(68.60.nnn.nnn)
...that's why i try to avoid it. JO better expressed what i was trying to say.
TS can be good, but only if you make it faster and more dangerous...put it on a hill...make it at breakneck speed...I probably couldnt make the course right now, but that's what i'll work on this year....GS, and even park slalom, are what's growing this sport right now because theyre both fun to do, and fun to watch...people that talk about "growing the sport" dont have to look beyond these in the states right now. They offer everything that streetskaters, sponsors and the media is looking for.
TS is still fine, if it's on a fast hill...TS on flat or on hills without pitch is fine for practice, but not for racing.
I've never been to the Pump Station, but i talked to Fadell on the phone after the race and he was stoked just watching....he brought back all kinds of energy after racing in the first one...THAT's what good GS will do to you
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slams
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On 2/26/2005 Dave G
wrote in from
United States
(207.69.nnn.nnn)
It's all about the rhythm!! I've tumbled at 35 mph and had less injury than some at 15-20 mph . If you're in a prone position that is un natural, you won't prepare for the take down!! If tho, you are on a course that flows...you instinctively know what way is down, prior to going down!!! I've been hurt the worst ever on a fairly slow/tught 5.5" ctrs than cruising at hgh slow ryhthm'd courses at 28-35 mph .because I was prepared!!I've hit over 60 mph in a straight line, and have only fallen once and walked away...Because my mind knew where gravity was gonna take me!! Instinct and knowledge of the forth coming slam is key!! If it's just a reflex motion that causes the fall, then your reflexes will prevail, sometimes resulting in an un natural position to the time comes when you hit ground zero~!!!IT HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Fast
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On 2/25/2005
Sully
wrote in from
United States
(209.172.nnn.nnn)
Keep it fast!
sully
bomb squad
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RIDE IT ALL
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On 2/25/2005
Richy C.
wrote in from
United States
(198.81.nnn.nnn)
JO -- I've been telling you and Olson for the last year or so to come ride with us. We have plenty of steep hills that we run tight on. I personally ride every discipline because of the challenges involved in adjusting to different courses. Bottom line -- You're never gonna please everyone all the time so ride what you like and be thankful we have races to go to. PS -- Maybe you should bring your start ramp to the next Pump.
Peace out.
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tight
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On 2/25/2005
JohnO
wrote in from
United States
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
I love hybred. It's my favorite racing. And maybe I'd like tight if they ran it on a hill that had some fear factor. Unfortunatly, they don't. It's usually run on flat slow hills. That's the part I don't like. In other words any course that you can't make on a hill that has some pucker factor, ain't worth making. It becomes tedious. It is true that tight even on the flat is dangerous. Because you are pumping all out, with a short stance, you have a tendency to slam hard, ie: Gilmore, or Paul Dunn. They don't crash much but when they do it's a hard slap. I was at the path when Richie went to the hospital for running tight w/o a helmet in the same manner. It's over before you know it. In hybred, or GS you have more time to get to your knees because your not pumping as hard, or in a straight line. On a real hill you're moving alot faster so your too scaird to overpump. It can take you out of a race. I missed Bicknell, and I understand it was rad beacause although it's short Bicknell is pretty steep so tight there would be gnarly. Tight on a flat surface, like Morro Sunday, or Breckenridge, even La Costa, blows. It's not skateboarding. Skateboarding is the wind in you face, and your toes on the nose. Tight is what they do in Europe. It's what freestylers do, when not pulling off handstands etc. No offence. But it's bulls#@!, that there's guys running around claiming World Champ status for that crap. It's a joke. Pebble Beach and a Miniture Golf course are both golf, but nobodys gives a s#@! who the worlds best miniture golfer is. It makes you wonder why they don't do it. It's because most guys are too worried about the speed. They don't want to get hurt, so they run on the flat. It is what it is. Maysey is one of the few guys out there that could pull off running a 70 cone course at Elsinore. But the list is short. There's been an issue over flat vs. hill for a long time. The promoters face a dilema in setting a course that can accomidate both AM and Pro riders. La Costa is sold as a fast race, yet they run the damn thing from half way up the hill. They water it down so they can keep the recreational racers involved. As a result slalom comes off like rollerbladeing. And those of us who want to compete at the highest level are screwed. Or you can set up a tight board and concentrate on flat. I mean tight.
Look what happened last weekend. The DH guys, who normally think that slalom is a joke because of low speeds and flat terrain, finally got a chance at a reasonably fast course. What was the result? Respect for Slalom. Those guys were stoked on the racing because it was thrilling. If we want to attract new blood to the sport this is the direction we need to move in. Faster, longer, steeper! You want tight, run it on a hill and I'll be there.
This post is meant to trigger discussion. I think slalom has been dominated by flatlanders, or what Hutson used to call wiggle wongers, for a long time. And the events have shown it. Nor Cal skaters have always stood up against that approach because of our background in ski racing. It was the same with the Comet Team. It's nice to hear that there are other slalom racers out there who want to go fast.
What are your thoughts on this important matter?
JO\BLR
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Do it all, man!
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On 2/25/2005
WT
wrote in from
United States
(64.12.nnn.nnn)
Maysey and I had this conversation a while ago, but I'll repeat it here again.
Giant Slalom is Formula One racing with wide open turns, high speed sections, chicanes and turns going both left and right (which differentiates F1 from NASCAR.)
Tight Slalom is drag racing: down the course, keep it tight, keep on line stay focused and it's over before it starts. BAM! Just like that.
BOTH are racing, both are intense, both demand a certain set of skills and both are competitive and both require a a skateboard. Other than that, then it's just like F1 and NHRA: completely different. I doubt we'll ever see Kenny Bernstein running a Ferrari at Hockenheim and I know for damned sure Alain Prost will never ride in a Funny Car at Gainesville. This is what sets a skateboard slalom racer apart from a prima dona car driver: we're much more talented and not a bunch of one-trick ponies!
If you have a preference, that's cool. If you want to specialize in just one kind of racing and steer your entire quiver to that one discipline, that's cool. It's just not correct, though, to try and argue that one is "real" slalom while the other is an exercise in futility. Both are running a skateboard through cones and both demand certain skills and a mind set to be competitive.
In other words, it's all good.
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GS in the GateWay Drug
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On 2/24/2005
mike maysey
wrote in from
United States
(63.165.nnn.nnn)
Master GS and then TS will come easy. Same technique, just in Fast Forward.
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TS Speed?
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On 2/24/2005
mike maysey
wrote in from
United States
(63.165.nnn.nnn)
Chris B, once you get TS wired, you gotta try running 6' centers on a hill. Then for fun, kick them out and make some offsets. Then tell me about how slow you go or don't go!! Also, tell me about how the cones become a blur as you blaze past. On a course like that, the only way to make make it is to look about 8 cones ahead and run your wiggle on autopilot. Sounds hard but if you practice it, it will come easy. Just think of your body as a whip, lead with your hips and the rest will follow. Before you know it, you'll be wigglin' with the best of 'em. I've crashed in GS, but usually it's easier to get things aligned to hit my knees. Not always though.
Dave, yes I've had way, way gnalier crashes in TS than GS. My body usually gets all twisted up and I can't get my knees down resulting in a slam of twisted flesh.
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falling on TS
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On 2/24/2005 Chris B
wrote in from
United States
(204.78.nnn.nnn)
Dont get me wrong, i've fallen on TS too...and you hit the ground fast...
but when you see a crash in GS...
It can look pretty damn incredible....
It's the impression of "danger" that attracts allot skaters...at least up here
and a big hill gives them that.......whether it's tight or wide
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ts falls
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On 2/24/2005 david
wrote in from
United States
(192.211.nnn.nnn)
i don't know about you, but i've had some gnar falls doing TS. with GS, you have more time to do a knee slide or whatever, but with TS, you are so off-balance from trying to go through tight cones at speed you have a higher chance of bailing and not having any chance to break your fall.
mike, what do you think?
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TS seen as soft
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On 2/24/2005 Chris B
wrote in from
United States
(204.78.nnn.nnn)
I know i never pipe in here, but this is a good topic. We're still new to slalom, ANY slalom where i'm at and we're looking to grow our ranks. When new guys come out and see us on a lower grade hill running tight cones, they give it a shot, sometimes do pretty bad and they get bored easily.
When they come out and we're on the big hill doing GS as fast as we can (not pumpstation fast, but fast for us) then they try it, hit allot of cones or blow off the course...but come back again next week and try it again.
The adrenaline is just that much higher on GS...so's the risk of injury which gets you pumped up even more. If most TS lacks one thing, it's the high speeds you get on a good hill...and most folks arent good enough to run a good TS course on a steep hill.
That's my goal for this year. I figure if i can run a tight course on a hill we usually run GS on, then i've accomplished something to be proud of.
If you can have your course both tight and break-neck fast...then you have a great course
that being said, at this point, i still have allot more fun on a fast GS course
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gloves down
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On 2/23/2005
betty
wrote in from
United States
(24.170.nnn.nnn)
I like the idea of giant slalom with gloves. I'm getting my slides down practicing in parking garages when it rains (and right now that's all it's doing is raining...).
My problem is, just as you say, David, I get so frustrated practicing TS that I quickly move on to offsets. I love the fact that I have a large group of folks to slalom with, but it's also discouraging because I don't want to be the one who knocks down all the darn cones whilst folks are waiting to practice ts. I didn't mean to put down tight slalom, it is hard... I just may have been doing it on the wrong kind of board up until this point. Frank just made some that really seem to wiggle through ts. Maybe that will change my views. Or maybe I can get off my lazy butt and go practice. Either way, I definately have respect for those who can pump through a set of ts like a machine.
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TS and Super G
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On 2/23/2005
MG
wrote in from
United States
(216.52.nnn.nnn)
Gotta chime in here. TS rocks and those that talk sh#t are often those who can't do it. Bicknell was insane. Props to my SSS bros who keep the TS flame alive. Give me a call next time you ride.
But as to David's desire for slide glove super G, I'm with you. I've been running a gated hill near Starlight Bowl that is exactly what you are talking about. If I can get enough interest, I'll hold an oultlaw Super G there, but it seems a lot of people are scared of this hill. It's pretty steep, like a section of GMR near the bottom. If anybody wants to check this hill out, hit me back.
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TS and Beyond
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On 2/23/2005
mike maysey
wrote in from
United States
(63.165.nnn.nnn)
Steve Evans and I are doing our part, along with El Brown Bomber and others, in keeping TS (true TS) alive. Whenever we practice, it's 5.5', then 6', then 6.5' with offset...etc. It's easy when you practice it more than twice a year. It also makes your other slalom skills grow. Sure I like to go fast in a good GS or SGS course, but try going fast and making precise turns! When you run a clean run, you just yell and pump your fist in the air because it's not easy. But then again, anything worth doing isn't easy.
I want to run a TS course on the hill at the PlumpHouse, nothing over 7' with offsets at full speed...lets see who's left standing.
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TS
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On 2/22/2005
david
wrote in from
United States
(67.100.nnn.nnn)
TS can be fun, it can also be very frusturating learning and knocking over all the cones.....
what I want to see, is a combination of Super G and downhill sliding, where you are doing 30-35mph sliding hands down with gloves around cones combined with aspects of gaint or super gaint slalom......thats just the crazy downhiller in me....
mike, i know i;'ve said this before, you need to come to MARYHILL!!! its a downhillers wet dream. come on bro!
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TS
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On 2/22/2005
Pierre
wrote in from
Canada
(24.202.nnn.nnn)
As long as the course is set to be the fastest possible and the most challenging on the available hill, it's cool with me, TS, Hybrid, GS, it's all slalom.
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Tight! Si!
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On 2/22/2005 Brown Bomber
wrote in from
United States
(198.81.nnn.nnn)
I am with you Mike!, Ride everything in racing! Sure flat slalom can get boring, Thats why we run TS on hills, Anybody who ran Bicknell can attest to that. Fast TS is a rush. Olson was charging Paris! Breck had a good pitch! Lacosta was a blast! The Worlds was the tuffest! I love it all, slalom, GS ,TS and have a quiver of 4 boards that should enable me to fiqure out what works best for any course!
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TS on the Way out!!!
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On 2/22/2005
mike maysey
wrote in from
United States
(63.165.nnn.nnn)
If TS is on the way out, don't tell me...I like it. I like riding anything. I practice a little of everything...might be why I am a TS specialist who does well in GS races! Or am I?
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john o.
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On 2/21/2005
betty
wrote in from
United States
(64.247.nnn.nnn)
Good to know... I personally don't like tight slalom, and I've heard it's on its way out, but I believe that it will rear its ugly head occassionally. I hate it though, I think it's boring (i.e. I knock all the cones down). Give me something that takes up both lanes and then shoves me back into something technical and then maybe, right there at the end, throw in a straight line of cones and I'll do my best not to knock 'em down. I mean, that is the kind of course I like. Big and Funky. All over the place. Lemme see ya get DOWN.
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stick length
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On 2/19/2005
john o.
wrote in from
United States
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
The lenghts I like for the various racing diciplines are as follows:
Tight Sl- tight sucks, therefore it would be too embarassing to have a specific tight set up. I'm sure somebody out there has a tight set up, a cyberslalom set up, a straight cone set up, and a three handled dildo but not me! When you run tight from the top of a real hill give me a call but until then I think that tight slalom is a dead joke, akin to jazzercize, or mime.
Sl. -(or what is now popularly known as hybred) This is what used to be known as slalom, and features a 60-80 cone 30-40 second course, flushes and offsets from top to bottom. This is the real thing, fast, physical, and dangerous. A head to head duel in the sun played out at spots like Donner, Elsinore, and La Costa. Board length 31.5, 19.5" wheelbase.
GS - Longer, faster, harder. Small mistakes will kill you here, 1-5 times are usually stacked within 3 tenths of a second. At the last JPL You got me by seven 100's of a second, for silver. f#@! bronze! Board length: 35.5 wheelbase, 21.5. 36 ok too but I think a touch shorter is better for those high speed criddles.
Super G. - Suprisingly not a great deal longer then the GS, a board that is too long is unstable in the back truck in wide turns. You need to pump both trucks in GS, so I recomend 38.5 with a 22.5 wheelbase.
DH- speedboard lenght is and always will be 42.
JO
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Yo!
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On 2/16/2005
Miko
wrote in from
United States
(63.249.nnn.nnn)
Long time Mr. M and the rest of the bay area crew... can't wait for some clear weather and get back out there. Hope yer all well and living large. (Even without the $$$! I'm right there in da poor house wit ya Mike.)
David's right Mike... Maryhill will probably be worth begging, borrowing or stealing to get to. Have you watched that vid David sent out? Damn... We belong on that road... and it would be so awesome to have us all on it TOGETHER. Email me with your vitals ok? I don't get this site anymore at home. Want to catch up on what's been happening lately.
Cheers to all!
-Miko
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hey dave - wheels
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On 2/6/2005
ben
wrote in from
United States
(66.190.nnn.nnn)
Looks like whoever got that lot of turner wheels is parcing them out on ebay. Check under Slalom Skateboards and you will find them with some other skate stuff. Somone will get to use them eventually but they will pay much more that .70 cents a wheel. Easy come easy gone.
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wheels
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On 2/3/2005
mike maysey
wrote in from
United States
(63.165.nnn.nnn)
Sorry guys, they're already gone. I haven't been in my email for a while. Been busy with a new job and it's been a little crazy.
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