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| Q&A: Going Downhill with David Rogers (858 Posts)
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1 foot rye
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On 10/20/2006
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
rye..It will take you a while before you gain the confidence to take a foot off at speed. Try thinking of it like you have to learn how to ride on your front foot only. You can get good practice just pushing around town. Never put your back foot on the board and your front leg will get the strength it needs to balance and steer. Practice, practice, practice...more confidence at speed will come eventually.
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Texas Haircuts
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On 10/20/2006
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Matt...you are probably right. I bet it was the hair. The era was correct, but you were way off on the band. I think I was listening to a lot of Iron Maiden back then...still do.
Here is some photographic evidence. My parents loved this "haircut".
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DT in OHIO
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On 10/20/2006
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Yeah! DT! Glad to see you made it out. You look like a mad scientist working on those rain wheels! Tear it up! Try to keep those new leathers off the pavement bro! Don't be afraid to tighten up your back truck!!!hahaha
Thanks for stopping by Kenny!! Nice man room!! but...where do you keep all your skateboards and stuff???? I'll be working on the roof of my man room this weekend...grrrr!
Seeing your stack of exkates reminds me that I need to get my "exkate magic carpet" on the charger...Halloween is just around the corner and Aladdin and his princess need a ride!
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D.T. in Ohio. LOOK OUT !!! Its on.
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On 10/20/2006
Mollica
wrote in from
United States
(68.252.nnn.nnn)
D.T. is in the HOUSE !! My house and he's ready to go !!! Last night he was seen in the "man room" of my crib getting his rain wheels ready for the Sunday race. Saturday is qualifying and its going to be dry and sunny.
Bainbridge, Baby. You know how we do it here in the Buckeye State. Its nuts.
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re: footbraking
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On 10/19/2006 rye
wrote in from
United States
(4.233.nnn.nnn)
Finally got a chance to get out this evening and give everybodies suggestions a try. It does seem, remembering back that being balanced on the board made all the difference and made me feel the most comfortable about taking my foot off the board and putting it down to stop. Tonight went much better than ever before until the last try where I had the most speed and ended up running off the end again. Otherwise everything felt nice and smooth.
I do another question though, is there a secret to quickly increasing your feeling of comfort with removing your foot as the speed increases. I noticed on the last couple of attempts that I felt unsure of my balance, almost like I was unable to get my balance. At slower speeds it didn't bother me any, it seemed like I could get nice and balanced on the board, and my mind could keep up with what I was doing. As I started to go faster it seemed like my mind was falling behind, like it was trying to do too many things at once. On the next to last try it worked quite well while even though the mind was falling behind. On the last run I had the most speed of the evening and the mind was defeating me. Is there a way to quickly adjust the mind to the concept of balance at faster speeds? Granted, practice always helps, but is their a quick way to trick the mind into feeling balanced while moving faster.
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Watch out for Huey
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On 10/16/2006
Huey
wrote in from
(192.211.nnn.nnn)
Hey thanks for the post, David. Much thanks to Palmer for the pic. No thanks to whomever let cars on the road that run and almost killed us!
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watch out for HuEy
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On 10/15/2006 ratship price
wrote in from
(65.19.nnn.nnn)
watch out for my protege, if it was'nt for the make-up run, I might have been beat by my student!
heres a Palmer shot of Huey right on jon R's butt. me and mike from AZ way back there.
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where are comps
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On 10/14/2006
Grear
wrote in from
(64.216.nnn.nnn)
hey man ive been searching for quite some time trying to find some downhill comps on texas. do you know any sites that i could go to and sign up for races in texas. my friend and i are trying to get known
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A&M Alien
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On 10/14/2006
Matt Franklin.
wrote in from
United States
(66.90.nnn.nnn)
An A&M Skate Alien in the 80's eh? Can you honestly say that a "Flock of Seagulls" meets the "bleach boys" haircut had nothing to do with the stares? I'm only guessing but I'll wager there's photo evidence of it somewhere. Help me out John. MF
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TX and NZ Godfathers
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On 10/13/2006
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
It seems like NZ would have some great hills for bombing. Hey Jestah, I've got an idea. Instead of online coaching, get a big $$$ sponsor and fly Matt and I over for some coaching on you local hills ;)
The hills in Texas are a different story. The best hills we had around A&M were the pedestrian ramps at the football stadium! Only 5 downhillers in Texas huh? I can believe it. The Aggie cowboys and the guys in "The Corp" used to treat me like an alien back in the 80's.
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Jestah from NZ
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On 10/13/2006
Matt Franklin
wrote in from
United States
(66.90.nnn.nnn)
I got excited about that hill being in Brooklyn New York. My bad. NZ has to be a great place for downhilling. That country looks like the rocky mountains surrounded by blue water. Awesome. I'm jealous of people who get to live in a place that pictureesque.
No other downhillers? Think of the upside, You'll be the "Godfather" of your national scene! I like to claim that I'm the "Godfather" of downilling in Texas. (I know Dave went to A&M, but he left!) There's maybe five of us now. Good luck and spread the stoke! MF
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Coaching Jestah
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On 10/13/2006
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Jestah, Looks like you are off to a good start there. A board that is built straight and square should be easier to ride and give you a bit more grip at the same time.
Tight leathers are fast, but you need enough room in them to be able to move. If the leathers are too tight, grabbing rail or putting your slide glove on the ground can be difficult. You might be able to find a local tailor to put some stretch panels in the suit to make it work better for you.
The hill you are riding looks good for practicing sweeper type turns. Try to stay in your tuck as much as you can in those sweepers....and watch out for the cars!!! Try to find a hill that has some tighter 180-degree hairpin turns to practice drifting and sliding with your slide glove on the ground.
Looking behind is common practice for many racers. I don't do it often, but I do it. More often in the quarterfinals and semifinals, less if I'm racing the final. Knowing you are way ahead of the rest of the riders, you might be able to take it a bit easier thru the next turn and avoid a crash. Knowing where the other riders are is safer for you and safer for them. I turn my head down and to one side to check behind me...the view is upside down and it takes a bit of practice to pull it off without a second thought.
Post here with questions and links to video whenever you can...I'll try to give you pointers and be your coach. See ya!
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footsie
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On 10/12/2006
cfav
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
i always make sure my front foot is straight to the nose and THEN drop my trailing foot while crouched.again,at higher speeds,make sure your front foot is straight.hope it helps,cfav
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Re: Footbrakeing
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On 10/12/2006 sam hornberger
wrote in from
United States
(68.193.nnn.nnn)
foot braking seems easier to me when i crouch down like anyone would if they were about to take a craap in the woods, but grabbing the board with both hands about even with my front foot. at that point it doesnt seem to make a big difference wether i have one foot on the board on not (at any speed). just dont push down with your brake foot your you will be likely to pole vault with your femur...
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re
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On 10/12/2006 dan
wrote in from
(207.224.nnn.nnn)
john it's all yours, but one thing that helped me when learning to footbreak is remembering that most of your weight stays on the board- you're riding on one foot- practice that. also, to get your foot lowered to the ground, bend your opposite knee, don't lean over! it's still scary as hell to me trying it above 25mph, guess it's just balls now. anyone (john) please jump it with more tips!
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Slowing/stopping technique
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On 10/11/2006 rye
wrote in from
(4.233.nnn.nnn)
I've been riding luge/buttboard all summer and while at Gravity Fest in late July I saw the likenesses of Kludy and other downhill skateboarders. For the first time in countless years I actually thought about getting on a skateboard. To make a long story short, this past weekend it happened, kinda very unplanned. Thanks for nothing Kludy, LOL!!! I hadn't been on a skateboard in 25 years and was surprised how well I was able to get the feel for it again. By the end of the first day I even bombed the hill they was having a slalom race on.
After the weekend was over I decided to take the trucks and wheels off my buttboard and make a crude skateboard. I figured I would mostly just use it for working on sliding/turning and slowing/stopping. Maybe I would work on some slalom technique as well even though I knew my trucks and wheels were pretty much the wrong kind of trucks for slalom riding.
I have found the one major trouble I have right now is trying to slow down/stop. I'm just using a nice straight away that can pull 15-20 mph. At slow speeds(10 give or take a bit) I can come to a stop most times, but once I get over that speed I can't even begin to think of putting my foot down. It just doesn't feel right and if I do go to put it down I end up being forced to "run" off the board. I get myself balanced on the board and then look for "feel" that I know will let me stop without being forced off the board. At slower speeds this happens pretty regularly but at faster speeds I can't seem to find that "feel" It always feels like if I put my down that it will throw me off balance and send me running off the board. If I put my foot down under that feeling that is what always ends up happening.
What is the technique that you used to slow/stop yourself?
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Sandia
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On 10/11/2006
Jon Huey
wrote in from
(192.211.nnn.nnn)
John Rogers, thanks for posting that pic. I was soooooo close to getting David back on that make-up run. I can't wait to race with everyone, whenever that may be.
Jon
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What do you think about my riding?
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On 10/10/2006 jestah
wrote in from
(219.89.nnn.nnn)
Hi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otNAQjzzSek
Here is a short clip of my 3rd run down Brooklyn Hill, New Zealand. I was testing my new lowered speedboard that I have just built. It’s ok but not square so it rides a little funny and my leathers are a bit to small to get into a decent tuck (I have to lift up to be able to breath)... my excuses are a bit lame. I would really appreciate any tips and what you think about the hill compared with the roads that are used for racing.
At the moment I haven’t found any one to race… It’s hard to tell but the flashing light is my friend who was given a head start. You then see just as the camera lifts from the speedo. Is there any thing I can do to prepare my self to share the road with other riders? Do you often check behind you when you are racing to see where other riders are or if they are just about to pass you (not that they ever do :)
Is it important for a board to be square (truck holes relative to the riding platform and themselves) Do you think a miss aligned board will be harder to ride, like a unbalanced wheel?
Any other tips for a aspiring world class down hill skateboarder? Would any one be kind enough to act as a coach for me it I could regularly get video footage of my progress?
Thanks
Jestah
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thanks
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On 10/9/2006 dan
wrote in from
United States
(70.56.nnn.nnn)
thanks dave, just goes to show that you don't need really expensive stuff to go fast. i'm surprised though that you run stock randal bushings- the bushings that came on my old dh trucks weren't even a symmetrical cylinder!
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Trucks
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On 10/9/2006
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
I like the 170mm on my speedboard. The luge width is great for my luge. Some speedboard riders use the luge hanger, but most seem to pair them up with 50 degree bases and narrow krypto wheels. I've never tried that combo.
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My trucks
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On 10/9/2006
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
No, not the same as the new red bushings. I'm not sure how they compare. Most people think the old ones are junk. No, not the streetluge truck. The truck is made from the same casting but is narrower at 170mm and only requires 2 bearings in the hanger.
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Doh
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On 10/9/2006 Jordon
wrote in from
Canada
(209.89.nnn.nnn)
guess i should of read that you said you use the comp2's.
Just curious in your oppinion how the wider(luge) and narrower (comp2) differ in handleing
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Bushing
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On 10/9/2006
Jordon
wrote in from
Canada
(209.89.nnn.nnn)
so the red Bushings that come with the newer randal 150s arent the same ones you use?
Just trying to figure out what would be a good setup to use. I have one of your boards coming in soon and was just trying to figure out what setup to run on it. Are you using the streetluge trucks?
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Response for dan
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On 10/9/2006
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Hey dan, Sorry I left you hanging. My truck setup remains the same as it has been for years. Randal R1 35 degree bases with flipped grade 8 kingpins epoxied into the baseplate. Randal Comp2 hangers. Randal black bottom bushings. Randal RII tall red conical on top(the old ones). Bearings make no difference if they aren't too crunchy or squeeky. I'm not sure what bearings I ran at Sandia as the shields are so dirty that I can't see the brand :) 165ish
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GMR
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On 10/9/2006
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Mr. Price...The road is closed until the repairs are done. Weekdays are not so good on GMR because the construction crews are up there. We usually ride it on Sundays. If you come out in the next month or so, you should be good to go. The weather and the road were perfect yesterday! I think the IGSA has something planned for November.
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