Longboarders' need for speed

Debrin Foxcroft | 18th February 2010

Hold on tight. Albany's Rollercoaster downhill skateboarding competition will be a ride you won't forget, warns Debrin Foxcroft.

Scars on Joseph Karchemney's knee tell a story of hitting a guard rail at 87km/h while skateboarding.

He won't be doing those speeds again anytime soon, but he still loves longboarding.

So much so that he's helping out with the second annual Rollercoaster event - a downhill skateboarding competition in Albany.

"Longboarding is kind of like drag racing, it's about who can go the fastest down a hill," says Mr Karchemney.

"It's also a little bit like human stock car racing. But there's a lot of camaraderie. If two people crash, they will help each other up."

On Saturday, March 27, this human stock car meet will take over Appian Way in Albany.

"There are a lot of crossovers in longboarding," Mr Karchemney says.

"There's downhill racing, slalom, and long distance pushing. There's even dancing moving up and down the board, handstands which has its roots in long board surfing."

Mr Karchemney began longboarding 10 years ago after becoming disillusioned with regular skateboarding.

"I couldn't do the tricks everyone else was doing.

Since then he has taken skin off all of his limbs and has now damaged his knee. Despite the risks, he says longboarding is growing in popularity.

"When I first started, you hardly ever saw anyone on a long board. Now I see them on a regular basis."

Long boards are longer than usual skateboards and have adaptations for individual purposes such as high speed and slalom.

Mr Karchemney says protective gear is encouraged whenever someone goes out on a board.

This includes wearing full leathers, much like motorcyclists.

"I always tell people, the less time you spend injured is the more time you can spend on the board. The leather acts like a second skin."

Rollercoaster organiser Greg Skinner says last year's event pulled in between 3000 and 4000 spectators.

He is hoping for even more this year.

"There is a huge following for this sort of thing," he says.

Rollercoaster 2010 will have a downhill speed course, a street course, a half pipe, a big air jump for both BMX riders and skateboarders  plus a wakeboarding pool and a DJ.

"Extreme sports are bigger then people expect," he says.

More info, see www.neednotollie.com