The Karhusaari Barefoot Classic 2006-race was held for the second time last saturday (12.08.2006). Last year the event was called "Helsinki Style Sessions" but the race format was still identical: four riders at a time a bunch of skaters find out who is the fastest on a short downhill track while not wearing any shoes. There were about twice as many competitors (28) and about four times as many spectacular falls (much thanks to the fair wind blowing along the longest stretch of the track).

My own competition ended already on friday evening as I bit more than I could swallow on my neighborhood ditch (a highway underpass with opposing banks, so technically a ditch with a roof). So I spent the day stopping traffic on the finish line and writing down reults, acquiring skin cancer and consuming proper English cider.

A wedding party was going to be held near the location later that day and some "stressed out father of the bride" got really upset about us being visible on a public place and decided to call the cops on us. What a shame. According to the gentlemen in the uniforms "the caller said we were being rude and abusive and prohibited people from riding on the road." I explained to them that, since we knew we were having an outlaw event on a public road, we knew behaving like that would surely get us in trouble. And there was so little traffic on the road that there had been no need to stop any cars that day. So it had to be a miserable lie. Cops acknowledged that and insisted that we find a place that is located on a sidewalk, even if it is not as good a spot as this is. So I tell them to ride up the hill to the spectator area and make the crowd disband. Thank you.

And this, my children, is why I love living in Finland.

Submitted by:
asb - alt.skate-board

Oh yes. These guys are serious!

Bigfoot mobbin' the hill...

Gettin' some air off the kicker...

After the Grom Session