The GRA Race Page!  Nov 21, 1999

Team Deplo!

Howdy!  Glad you stopped by, lets talk about the GRA race I went to on Nov 21st, 1999.  Now for those that don't know, GRA stands for Gravity Racers Association.  It was a race that included all things that go down hills.  Longboards, skateboards, buttboards, gravity bikes, inline and much more.

So, I got to West LA at about 9:00 sharp.  I got a ride from my dad, who I was visiting down in Orange County.  We got there, and everything was all closed up.  I then went to the local store to buy.... a camera!  Yes, this was so I could take some pictures...  When I was there, I happened to run into the rest of "team deplo"!  What a coincidence.  So we decide to see if the gate is open....  It is, and we have arrived!  As soon as we got out of the car, I recognized some familiar faces... I saw Adam from NCDSA and went and said hello.  The I met DT.  I had seen his posts, but now I had a face to the name.  Then I met Cliff Coleman.  He is a really cool guy and does not look anywhere close to 50!  Chris from Nosewheelie was there too.

I decide to sign up for two events...  They were Giant Salamon and Longboard Salamon.  I just signed up and did not look at the hill.  When I asked Adam if he was in the race, he said..."No, have you looked at the hill?"  I had not, but that was ok.  Then I saw the hill!  It was a little scary.  It was narrow, rough, steep and long!  I was kind of intimidated for sure.  That was ok, I had pads!  This is the first time I have been fully padded up, and it does give you confidence.  So then it was practice.  "That Joe Guy" as Perry Fisser kept calling him went first...  That dude shreads!  He had these totally amazing slides around the cones, very smooth and controled.  I was now shitting my pants....  The next guy went, and he shreded it up too.  Luckily there were moans from the other contestants to the fact of "I don't know if I am that good"  I was definatally moaning too!  So the fifth guy down did not do too good!  Whew!  I was relieved that I was not the only one who was not a pro.  So then it was my turn.  I started slow, and tried to keep it under controle, but about half way down, I was going way too fast!  I had to jump off.  Yikkes, talk about a confidence shatterer!  That was ok, I had two more practices...  Well, they were not any better.  I was not able to make it down without messing up.  Now the race was here!  I watched the folkes go down and do real good.  Cliff Coleman totally blew everyone away.  You should have seen Perry Fisser laughing, screaming and rooting the contestants on!  He went crazy when Cliff shreaded up the course!

Now it was my turn!  Ok, I was off.  I kept it in control pretty good.  Then I hit the middle part of the course.  It was dusty and rough, and real slick.  I was doing good, slideing around the cones (stand up slides, not controled Coleman ones)  I hit one turn and the board slid....  I took a tumble!  Head over heals.  That was ok, Perry is yelling at me...  "Go, get up, keep going, you got it!!!"  so I did.  I got back on the board and finished!  Cool! one run down.  Maybe I will do better on the next two.  Unfortunately the other two I did worse on.  In fact I DQed on them both!  Oh well.  

To be continued......