MIKE NEMETH
Sports Writer

   Cheering spectators and dubstep could be heard on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River on Sept. 18 as throngs of people gathered to watch some of the best longboarders in Saskatoon compete in SLUGJAM 2010.

The Saskatoon Longboarding Underground organizers were met with fantastic weather for their second annual installment of what they hope to be a mainstay in a new competitive longboarding community in Saskatoon.

   The event featured over 40 riders from all over Saskatoon competing in three events: downhill race, slalom and freestyle sliding. All of the events were facilitated on a closed section of Saskatchewan Crescent between Broadway Bridge and Victoria Park.

   The day began with individual time-trials for the downhill race, moving into four-on-four elimination races. The course started at the top of the hill near the Broadway Bridge, maneuvering through a subtle S-turn near where most of the crowd and the DJ had set up, then up past the closed entrance to the Traffic Bridge and then down again to the Victoria Park finish line.

   Saskatoon’s finest were on hand with radar to report that many racers were approaching a brisk 40 km/h. The winner of the downhill race and a semifinalist tied for the top speed of 41 km/h. Semi-finalist Mitch McKee took the prize.

   When the dust settled it was Bryn Giroux who emerged victorious in the downhill after a photo-finish was required to put him ahead of Karl Harasyn. Jonathan Storey followed closely behind and finished in third place.

   The raw speed of the downhill was then replaced with the somewhat more elegant slalom, pitting longboarders against a shorter course complete with a series of pylons to weave around. The various styles of longboards used made it clear that some were better suited for the downhill while some were better suited for the tight turning required in slalom. The peculiarly bare-footed Jason Fege took away the title of “winner of the slalom” while Bryn Giroux and Chris Hapke were second and third best respectively.

   By around 3 p.m. the pylons and tire barricades were collected and set aside as the Saskatoon Fire Department arrived to wet the street surface for the freestyle sliding event. The music continued as up to four riders at a time barrelled down the hill and onto the wet sliding surface, committing their boards and selves in a roaring ballet of grinding wheels and hand slides.

Sliders wore special gloves featuring low friction “pucks” to enable their pendulum “pendy” slides, 1080 ground-spins, forward “superman” reaches and the occasional wipe-outs.

Judges assessed each participant in terms of difficulty, creativity, style and landing.

In the end Bradley Charles won bragging rights as “Saskatoon’s most graceful longboarder.” Nathan Bosman, Andrew Cooper and Mitch McKee were also prizewinners.

   Thankfully, only a few scrapes were received throughout the day and everyone left by their own means, with the worst off receiving the consolation of a free piercing.

SLUGJAM organizer Bradley Charles invites anyone interested in competitive longboarding to join the SLUG Facebook group.