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| Q&A: McKendry on Speed (1810 Posts)
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stone cold skate hero.
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On 6/30/2005 ncdsa reader
wrote in from
United States
(67.122.nnn.nnn)
Sounds like there was a drama, and one of the most
basic sort.
The new thing vs the status quo. It's only the
5 millionth time this has been played out in the
7 million year history of humans. But still good!
Chris tried something different. That's not easy.
PERIOD. 99.9% of the time, the new thing is a failure, an
evolutionary dead-end. The dodo bird. Cold Fusion.
Those wheels that looked like spheres...
Takes stones to come up with the new thing and prevail with
it. Note that Chris is 40+ and injured (!!), he
makes his own wheels, his own decks. He has given a lot to
skating; more than he could ever really take back.
(unless he ends up in prison or something, knock on wood).
So thank God for men like Chaput. Don't have to
like him, but know him for what he is,
a stone cold skate hero.
But sounds like people are holding out on us:
Somebody post the EDI story while we are grilling the man over
the coals slowly... He was banned? When? Why? By Who? :-).
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Abec 11 Championships
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On 6/30/2005 GI Joe
wrote in from
United States
(65.19.nnn.nnn)
Chris we all eagerly look forward to your first event promotion, we're sure that it will be a huge success and anticipate everyone complying with all of your written rules, which hopefully include the mandatory use of Abec 11 wheels and Bilitins. You'll make a great promoter, and we are very anxious to prove it.
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abec 11 wheels
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On 6/30/2005
sean c
wrote in from
United States
(65.175.nnn.nnn)
I know this is a bit off topic, but I was wondering about Abec 11 wheels. Chris, have you noticed different pours of the wheels being noticeably faster than other pours? I've noticed that the flywheels don't chunk as much as they used to when they were the grey or amber colors. I have heard some people mumble that a sacrifice in speed made for a more durable wheel that wouldn't chunk somewhere along the line, is this true?
sean c
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My Guess
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On 6/30/2005
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
My hope and my guess is that the specs that I've listed below would appropriately limit a board into being what is accepted as a speedboard. I have no intention on trying to promote the board that I just rode as being what a skateboard "should" be, for someone to be competitive. The single biggest question in my mind, is whether or not the definition of a speedboard "should" limit the number of wheels.
I've seen others ride 6 wheel boards in races, but no one was rushing to ban them because they didn't win. Winning changes everything. People were laughing at my board. Many thought that the fairing was creating more drag. It was a big joke - until I became the top qualifier for a while, and even then, that was explained as me getting the best tailwinds. That was of course, until Will Brunson took the top qualifying spot and more rumours of tailwinds began to swirl.
This was definitely a track-specific, rider-specific experiment, that could have just as easily failed miserably. The was absolutely no guarantee that this was going to be an effective board for me or for anyone else. And it still remains to be seen which aspects of its design are effective or not. I'd like to see if I can make an effective 6 wheeler that fits the specs, but I wouldn't want to ride it in competitions if nobody wanted to compete with it.
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luge
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On 6/30/2005
Yorck
wrote in from
Germany
(84.57.nnn.nnn)
Hi Chris !
Do you think that´s the future of speedboarding ? Will you ride that thing on other events too or was it just an experiment ?
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You got that right
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On 6/30/2005
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
That board is what's known as a "spear". Just do what Will did and round off that pointy nose.
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Abortion doctor
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On 6/30/2005
Andrew Mercado
wrote in from
United States
(71.107.nnn.nnn)
quoted from chaput "No sharp edges or dangerous features."....So i guess my "abortion doctor" board i used at maryhill would be outlawed huh?....Damn
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What I'd like to see
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On 6/30/2005
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
I think that it is perfectly acceptable, and perhaps even desireable to use the following basic specs for downhill skateboarding:
Length: 48"
Width: 12"
Height: 6"
Weight: 15 pounds
Wheels: 4" OD
The board should be lean-steer activated. No brakes. No sharp edges or dangerous features. The bottom of at least one foot should be planted on the board while riding with the other foot being in contactat with the board, except for when pushing or attempting to regain control.
I think that it's futile to attempt to regulate aerodynamic contours, especially when you consider that some boards, some trucks, and some wheels are inherently more aero than others, some of the safest boards would have blunt noses and thick rails. The 6" height spec would be a sufficient limitation on how much could be done aerodynamically.
There is a lot of historical precedent with many of these dimensions. The 15 pounds is less limiting than 12 pounds, and this is good for heavier riders and/or structural strength. The height limit would be new, and help to control the aerodynamic issues. Limiting the number of wheels would be purely a matter of personal preference. There's no clear "right" or "wrong" answer there.
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6 wheels
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On 6/30/2005 Justin
wrote in from
South Africa
(196.25.nnn.nnn)
Its an interesting concept very different but looks out of place amounst all the other boards. Toms and the rogers boards seem to fit into each other. Your board is different, as is theirs to any standard wood deck, is in a league of its own. If it ever grows in popularity in racing then make a category for it.
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faring front end
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On 6/30/2005 Aengus
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(193.113.nnn.nnn)
I have to say chris that the application of aerodynamic theory to the board and rider as a whole is real exciting, its also begs the question, what are the limits/restrictions? I like the idea of bigger heavier boards used for down hill, more wheels for traction, more momentum through corners. I love the idea of tanking through the field with a monster. Also at 6'6" and 224lb I'm all for the allowance of heavier set-up's, If its a board, your standing on it and its powered by gravity thats enough for me, it allows the field a chance to develop technology and thats just cool and always will be. Technological and idealogical advance is solely party to adversity.
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drag
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On 6/30/2005 Aengus
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(193.113.nnn.nnn)
foot drag = dragging your foot..
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foot drag
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On 6/29/2005
brad
wrote in from
United States
(216.233.nnn.nnn)
Chris,
Could you explain more about foot drag?
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Stock lube
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On 6/29/2005
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
I used brand new ABEC-7 Biltin Bearings with the factory lube. Most of the excess lube was spun out on my first practice run, and by the time we were ready to race, they were "broken in" just fine.
Also off the topic a bit was JimZ's stretch fabric helmet-connector to speedsuit was a reality. It looked cool but you'd have to ask him about it's effectiveness. Dennis used a speed-top in the finals that helped smooth out his upper torso and arms, but not his legs.
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Lube
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On 6/29/2005 Ben
wrote in from
United States
(24.130.nnn.nnn)
I know this is off the 6 wheel topic but i was wondering what type of lube if any you use in your downhill boards
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It's Hard to Say
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On 6/29/2005
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
I managed to get out in front in all my heats, and I never looked back. The picture below is when Dennis Manougian managed to catch me in between the lefty that we had finished and the right that we're about to dive into. That was the only time that I saw another rider on course. I thought to myself, "Damn, now I'll have to pass someone to take the lead back" and prepared myself for battle. I heard that everyone at the top who was watching was stoked to see "Goliath" getting hit. Unfortunately for Dennis, as soon as he got out there, he must have taken on some headwinds and stalled. As soon I went into the righty, I held a decent line and pulled back in front as quickly as he had tried to come around.
The problem with trying to assess this situation is that I changed so many variables at once, it's impossible to isolate the effectivemess of any single change. What I can say, is the system as a whole is a very effective way of skating down that particular hill, and that's the only thing that I wanted this board to do.
It may be of interest to some, to note that this board (but prerferably a smaller version of it) is 100% ridable in an upright stance. My only experience on it before throwing it on the plane was doing standing carves like any other longboard. I've ridden lots of boards that are longer, heavier and with longer wheelbases than this. Adding an extra 4" to the front a 40" or 42" speedboard is all that it would take, making it only 44" to 46". The Rogers Bros (as well as others) would like to see a 15 pound limit in effect, because the 11 pound and 12 pound limits don't work that well for heavier riders or riders who want more strength in their equipment. When we share the road with a 200 lb guy on a 50 lb metal streetluge doing 70mph, I doubt that a 15 lb board doing 50mph is going to be as dangerous.
This was a fun experiment on a safe track, with no prize money, no world cup points, and very open rules, all of which were adhered to. Time will tell what rules we'll be seeing in the future.
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The Six-Pack
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On 6/29/2005 EBasil
wrote in from
United States
(63.206.nnn.nnn)
I guess the question I'd ask to evaluate the effectiveness of the combined fairing and low stance is whether you pulled away from other low-stance riders in the straights, if there were any (of either)?
Did this board let you drop the competition in the straights when you hunkered down into that tuck in the photo, or was it in the curves? I see the front traction and your comments about that, and wonder if you were just railing the curves faster with the ultra low CG.
Oh, and that speedsuit is fey.
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Fairings and such
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On 6/29/2005
Chris Chaput
wrote in from
United States
(66.116.nnn.nnn)
Here's a shot of the fairing on the front. I didn't get a chance to see exactly where I was on the board when making the fairing, so I decided that I would try and get air to pass around the board and lower part of my body instead of under it or over it. It's hard to say it the fairing helped or hurt overall, because so much of the time I was hanging off the edge of the board in the many turns. We can do some A/B testing at the dump road to see if the the lower fairing and/or the upper fairing have much of an effect.
The theory of this board is as follows:
1. A drop-knee stance will be better for my neck and back and visibility, especially with a new, heavier, untested Snell mandated helmet.
2. A longer board will be more stable and shouldn't wash out provided that the turns aren't too tight (they aren't at Maryhill) and the traction is there.
3. A wider board is more unstable, unless you do something to counter the overleveraging of the rails.
4. A double-front truck system will stabilize the board, help to prevent oversteer in the front, especially if you have extra wide hangers.
4. Having (any) four wheels in the front is going to give me more traction than any two wheels, and more more traction can provide better exit speed in the many turns at Maryhill.
5. No footdragging is required at Maryhill, so there is an opportunity to grab the outside rail and skim a slide glove to the inside for every turn, without having to learn how to foot-brake or slide-brake to set up for the turns.
6. I could combine get more structural integrity out of the 15mm Baltic Birch by layering the ends and having material go around the outside of my front wheels. This board would be only 1/2" to 1 1/2" wider than my other speedboards on each side, and my body is wider than everything.
7. Believing that the drop-knee tuck may not be as aero as a higher tuck, I thought that adding a fairing to the front of the board could even up the aerodynmics and make it harder for others to draft.
8. A big old foam front end would be appreciated in the event that my board hit someone. Even though it weighs more, someone would rather be hit by a big blunt foam surface with a total of 200 lbs behind it (my board and I combined) than being nailed by an pointed nose wood or rounded aluminum nose board with Striker (300 lbs alone) on it.
I think that the double-front trucks are what makes this board so fast on that particular hill. The traction and stability are what allowed a guy who has never been on that track, never been in that stance, never been in that helmet, and who has never stepped foot on that board before, able to ride down quickly and safely.
How come no one is picking on me for the big purple Barnie speedsuit?
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skate (car)
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On 6/29/2005 duane
wrote in from
United States
(68.15.nnn.nnn)
maybe we should take this to the skatecar forum ;)
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MAryhill Pics
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On 6/29/2005
deano
wrote in from
United States
(209.181.nnn.nnn)
Here are some photos of the fairing in action and at the starting line. There are other cool race photos also.
http://www.coastlongboarding.com/bboard/thread.cfm?threadid=7425&messages=6
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Ooohh errrrr
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On 6/29/2005 darren
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(62.173.nnn.nnn)
imagine that hitting someones ankle at 50mph, Awww now adding fairings is surely entering the "soap box" realm of things.. But Hats off to you on taking advantage of the situation, I remember a few years ago I raced a guy who was mounting Boat "anodes" to the bottom of the board, basically a great big hunk of lead to the bottom of his deck.. Still beat him though..... 50 degree angle on the front trucks, thats kinda/very quick turning but I guess its frikkin 60 inchs long.....I see a can of worms starting here... Chris has used the art of Gamesmanship to a tee at maryhill.. Well Done..
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Where is the fairing?
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On 6/29/2005
David Rogers
wrote in from
United States
(66.14.nnn.nnn)
Darren....good question about the long noses of the board. For some reason Chris is choosing not to mention or show pictures of the 18" tall x 13" wide foam fairing that was attached to the nose of the board. Chris was crouched behind the fairing the whole race...where did it go? I think the fairing is the real advantage that Chris had. Why chose not to mention or show pictures of this very important feature??
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good on ya
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On 6/29/2005 duane
wrote in from
United States
(68.15.nnn.nnn)
when I saw the rules or lack thereof for Maryhill I was seriously considering showing up and running some 200mm wheels of a suspicious green color. some 12" panaracer pneumatics with 250 psi could also have been run according to the "rules"
nothing worse than people who fail to take advantage of the rules complaining when someone else does so
bet some rules appear for next year
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6-Wheeler
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On 6/29/2005 Pre-School Rider
wrote in from
United States
(69.161.nnn.nnn)
HEY, That's just about the same idea as my 'Crutchboard' !! I still have to figure out whether anyone will let me use it to Race on (probably could in a "Vintage" class, once '81 becomes a vintage year). 6 wheels is the way to go for Lay-down rides without a doubt. My venerable 'Luge' is really only the size of a modern Buttboard, but has seen speeds in mid-70's in it's day, and handles very well on tight, twisty roads, plus being wood, it deals well will rough road surfaces.
For Standup, I can't say that the 'handling' improved IMHO, but Stability sure as heck does. The "crutch" never has been used as a standup, but it's near-cousin , a board that featured an adjustable-rake ramp for the seat (a motorcyle sissy-bar pad), That old hunk of wood I have run as a standup board. It proved to be almost too stable, and I had too resort to laying on it to properly footbrake before some Ugly switchbacks (Okemo Mountain Road). I ended up with one toasted shoe, and called that Experiment inconclusive, but luckily survivable.
C.C., that rig you've got, that looks nice! Yes, shorten it a tad, maybe look at ways to reduce the weight. Of course, the Rulebook will change, again... ;-D
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Chris's 6pack
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On 6/29/2005
Fitz
wrote in from
Australia
(203.164.nnn.nnn)
I don't know the whole ins n' outs of the MaryHill event, but if there aren't any rules to prohibit using a deck like that, then I say do it.
I've got a board thats 3 layers of 12mm ply thick right down the middle but gradually steps down in thickness as it gets wider. Super stiff down the spine but gradually softer toward the rail to carve out a turn. A friend of mine calls it "The Barge". The weight in it keeps your speed up across the flats nicely.
I honestly thought most downhill races had weight restrictions on total setup.
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Blimming Hell!!
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On 6/29/2005 Darren
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(62.173.nnn.nnn)
WOW!! When I heard 6 wheel, I presumed the double up would be on the back for traction in the corners.. but I suppose its all about keeping the front end pointed in the right direction huh??? I bet you made a few people scratch their heads with that one. and I guess some purists would say it was a sled rather than a skateboard, I quite like it, good on ya for pushing the envelope.. Why the Long Buttboard nose? wouldn't that make it unstable at high speeds?
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