Slalom skateboarding is one of the most underrated and underground skate-riding styles.
Originating in the 1960s and 1970s, slalom skateboarding is a downhill racing style that saw a global resurgence in the 2000s.
Events are timed electronically, making speed the ultimate goal.
Adding to the challenge, participants must launch from a ramp and navigate a course with cones spaced at varying intervals, requiring both technical skill and strategy to maintain speed.
Precision is crucial, as hitting a cone usually incurs a penalty of a fraction of a second (typically 0.1 seconds), added to the racer's overall time.
Competitors are time-qualified and then matched for elimination rounds, culminating in final winners each event day.
Titles and medals are awarded to the top male and female finishers.
The Disciplines
Races can be either dual format, with head-to-head matches, or single-lane, with racers competing against the clock.
There are five types of slalom race formats:
- Super Giant Slalom: Characterized by speeds of 30-40 mph, long distances between cones (up to 40-50 feet), and run times of around 1 minute;
- Giant Slalom: Similar to SuperG but with shorter distances between cones, more cones, and often run in a single-lane format;
- Hybrid Slalom: Combines Giant Slalom cone spacings of 10-15' and tight cone spacings of 5-7', often run head-to-head;
- Tight Slalom: Features very short distances between cones (5-7') with high turn frequency, where skaters pass through 3-4 cones per second:
- Banked Slalom: Involves skating through a course on banked walls, like those in a skatepark or drainage ditch, weaving through a non-level obstacle course, rarely head-to-head;
The Rules
The racer begins on a start platform, both feet on the skateboard, and upon a signal, propels down onto the course.
The skateboard must maintain contact with the ground using all four wheels at the start.
A signaling device marks the start time.
Uniquely, slalom skateboarding penalizes skaters with added time for each cone they hit.
This penalty is added to the run time, and excessive cone hits result in disqualification (DQ).
In head-to-head races, a DQ often results in a severe time penalty that's hard to recover from in the second heat.
"Grassroots" rules, designed for simplicity, allow racers to hit a set maximum number of cones without penalty, with disqualification for exceeding this limit.
In head-to-head racing, brackets are determined by qualifying times.
The fastest-ever clean runs belong to Janis Kuzmins (19.41 seconds) and Lynn Kramer (22.43 seconds) in the 100-cone division and to Viking Hadestrand (9.43 seconds) and Lienite Skarine (11.99 seconds) in the 50-cone division.
The Equipment
Slalom skateboards are designed for speed, turning, and traction.
Their wheels are typically softer (durometers between 76A and 90A) and larger (diameter 66-75 mm) than standard skateboard wheels, enhancing roll speed and grip.
Nevertheless, wheels must have a diameter between 40 and 90 mm.
Slalom skateboard trucks are often precision-engineered, featuring high-rebound bushings, spherical bearings, and precision-ground 8 mm axles.
These trucks differ from standard skateboard trucks.
The front truck is designed for increased steering, and the rear truck is designed for stability.
Wedged rubber pads under the trucks, initially called rad pads, can adjust the kingpin angle for performance similar to standard trucks.
Slalom skateboard decks are usually longer than typical skateboards but shorter than longboards, narrower, and suited for 100 to 120-mm truck widths.
Materials may include carbon fiber and foam cores for enhanced responsiveness and strength.
In the 1970s and 1980s, decks had significant flex for a smooth ride, but modern racers prefer rigid decks made of solid wood, maple ply, or carbon fiber for intense competitions.
World Skate, the world governing body for skateboarding, and the International Slalom Skateboard Association (ISSA) run slalom skateboarding events.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com