Welcome!
Although we're not back in full swing just yet, we're excited to let you know that Ghoti is currently working on creating new decks and logos and sponsoring more local events to boost the scene.
It's your board. Let us make it for you.
News
Ghoti Longboards is hosting another race!
A Push Race will be about 3 miles long, mostly paralleling the north diversion channel.
We will be on a bike path for most of the race, there may be bikes and people walking, we must respect them and give them room. There are three street crossings, the first and last are small streets that have little to no traffic, but we will be crossing Indian School. We will need a volunteer to watch the road to warn riders or approaching cars.
Helmets and slide gloves are required to race.
If you would like to go skate the course before the race you can.
The Course
The race will end near the astronomy parking lot at UNM. This is where we will have our award ceremony. Then after we can have a fun sliding the hill or set up some cones.
For any questions feel free to email- ghotilongboards@gmail.com
or call 505-321-6391
Thanks to all the sponsors! Check out their sites.
June 10, 2010
Ditch Slap 2010
write-up, pictures and videos
Story by Devon Talley-Bailey
Every year longboarders from all over the world come to Albuquerque, New Mexico to ride in it's hundreds of miles of ditches. Timeship Racing in Santa Fe puts on this three day event every Spring under the radar for the Albuquerque Police Department. Last year the local news found out about the event and stirred up a lot of issues about the legality of racing skateboards in the ditches. As such, this year Joe Lehm had to run the event differently. In keeping a low profile, information regarding Ditch Slap could not be found on the internet and riders were informed through means of invitation and word of mouth
On May third, the day before the ditch skating started, David Price scheduled the Sandia Crest Road Soul Jam: fourteen miles of downhill less than a hour away from the Ditch Slap home base. I live in Albuquerque, but I had never skated the road before. I arrived a few minutes early to the meeting spot and waited, hoping I was at the right place. As others began to show up, we began to don our leathers as the rest of the thirty or more riders arrived. After a long drive crammed in the back of Andrew Mercado's van we arrived at the top of Sandia Peak, stretched our legs and went down the hill. Still a little uneasy about riding an unfamiliar hill covered in cinders and melting snow I took the top half slow, carving and footbreaking before the many hairpin turns, and arrived at the shutdown area alive and comparing the lack of sole on my shoes with Tad Drystale. By now my adrenalin was pumping and I was ready for the faster, more sweeping turns of the bottom half. I then grabbed my pole-cam out the the van and filmed the rest of the way down.
The next morning I arrived at the home base, got signed in with Joe Lehm and skated down the ditch to the meeting place. To avoid bringing and unwanted attention to ourselves we met away from the hotel everyone was staying at. After a safety meeting all the riders piled into two school buses rented to shuttle us to Rio Bravo ditch. I drove myself and arrived just after everyone else. I immediately put knee pads, slide gloves, and my helmet on a dove into the ditch for a few practice runs. This straight, low wall, kick start ditch was picked as the first ditch of the event to wet the feet of riders who have never ridden a ditch before. The smooth transitions and high speeds can be seen as a cross between downhill speedboarding and pool skating. With the cones and timing system and you can add slalom into that mix. After everyone got a couple of good practice runs with the cones in place we began the racing. We each got two runs with the best run counting: hit one cone or miss a gate and get marked with a "did-not-finish". After completing my first timed run, I grabbed my camera a took some shots of the other sixty riders. Jayson Mitchell and Zak Maytum dominated the ditch on their slalom boards, and everyone had a good time.
(Click image for full album.)
I had to leave right after the race, but everyone else piled into the school buses and headed to the Bravo Bowl, a fifty foot high ditch with a round bowl at the end that they used the Banshee Bungee to carve around the bowl. Next was the Alamosa Skate Park where skaters, who could drop in, could attempt to reach 9 o'clock in the full pipe and to grind the coping in the deepest part of the bowl. That night was a session at Calvary Skate Park, where riders tried to do a four foot spine transfer. David Angelus showed everyone that you don't need a kick tail to get massive air over the spine.
At 9:00 the following morning we met at Morris ditch for the second, timed, banked slalom race. To prevent being busted, since this ditch right next to a school, a park, and a bike path, we all hung out under the bridge at the top of the ditch. It took some of the riders some time to gain the confidence to drop in from the start "ramp", a portion of the ditch twice as high as the rest. After taking a few practice runs to learn how to navigate the bushes and trees, piles of dirt, water inlets, water in the ditch, and random sections of bad transitions we were all ready to race. A few people living in the houses that backed the ditch came out to watch the event and seemed to enjoy it. However, at some point before everyone got their first run in, the police did get called. Joe Lehm immediately ran up the ditch to speak with the officer and managed to buy us thirty minutes to finish up with the remaining rider's first runs. We were all a little let down, but we understood that we needed to leave.
Everyone piled into the shuttle vans and we caravaned to the starting place of the cross town race. Quite a few skaters decided to not participate in this 8.3 mile push race navigating traffic all the way from Albuquerque's foothills to it's university area. The first four miles is downhill and fast enough to tuck and draft, but the second half is a grueling push up and down hills. There are no rules when it comes to the many traffic lights along the way, so car-dodging is a useful skill. Along a section of bike path about half way through, Jon Huey and Jayson Mitchell rubbed wheels and Jayson took a nasty spill but still managed to position in the top ten.
The Bear ditch has higher walls, is steeper, and has sharper transitions than any other ditch raced at Ditch Slap. The course is only six cones, takes less than nineteen seconds to complete and is guaranteed to maim unsuspecting riders. Riders dropping in from the top can hit speeds up to twenty five miles an hour, so most people took it easy and learned how to deal with the transitions at low speeds before working up the to the top. About half way through the first round of racing one of Albuquerque's finest showed up. Joe spoke to the officer, who told us we needed to leave but that if called out again it would take him a half an hour to come back (wink, wink). The Bear did get fed by a few skaters but most came away unscathed. Although we only had time for everyone to take one attempt at this gnarly ditch, William Brunson managed to defend his title of champion.
After some confusion of when and where to meet, everyone caravaned up towards the foothills for the final race of Ditch Slap 2010. The Chinese ditch race this year was held in a different location than previous years. It started with a mild downhill in a neighborhood to help separate the skaters before they dumped into the ditch. This long ditch had terrain varying from low walls, to steep harsh transitions, to wavy pavement, all keeping riders on their toes. There were also many different obstacles to navigate: fallen tree branches, metal grates, and steep waterfalls with giant puddles at the bottom. Some skaters even brought bottle rockets and flour to distract others. This race is true anarchy in a ditch.
Although this was only my second Ditch Slap it has become my favorite event and I will continue to attend every year. Joe Lehm has done a fantastic job making Ditch Slap happen, and keeping us all out of trouble with the police. Skating a wide variety of terrains with a wide variety of skaters helps build the longboarding community as much as it builds our leg muscles.
Keep your eyes open for Hold Me Down Production's ditch slap video.
March 22, 2010
HDSJ- Results and Video
It was a great day, full of great skating!
Push race-
1st- Ross Porter
2nd- Curt McDirt
3rd- James Tracey
4th- Devon Talley-Bailey
Grom DH race-
1st- Alex Silva
2nd- Ross Porter
3rd- Andrew Archy
4th- Shawn Porter
DH race-
1st- Kyle Wester
2nd- Joel Putrah
3rd- David Price
4th- David Angelus
Thanks Jesse Heidenfeld for making such an awesome video-
Thanks to whoever was using our camera to film-
High Desert Skate Jam- on Vimeo
Big thanks again to all our sponsors!
February 8, 2010
High Desert Skate Jam
Thanks to all our sponsors!
All day Skate Jam!
Meet at Home Depot in Bernalillo at 10am, we will then caravan to the hill.
Downhill Race-
$5 entry.
Around 40mph, sweeping turns, 1/2 mile long.
Will be run in four man heats with single elimination.
Helmet and gloves required.
Push Race-
$5 entry.
Overall has a slight downhill grade, but there are a couple of places where you need to kick. 2.5 miles long.
Helmet and gloves required.
The rest of the day will be spent freeriding the downhill course and sessioning nearby corners. Helmet and gloves required.
To sign up, please email ghotilongboards@gmail.com
Bring lots of boards, water, food, and friends.
January 12, 2010
Ghoti Photo of the (Insert Time Unit Here)!!
From Chris Brinkley of Durango Boards
"My Ghoti Board makes me feel like a rockStar!!!"
December 26, 2009
Ghoti On Hold
Due to a significant change in personal circumstances, Ghoti will not be manufacturing boards for a while. This hold will last for a couple months at least. As soon as we have any news will will let you all know. We will still be around if you need to contact us.
December 26, 2009
Albuquerque Winter Outlaw
September 21, 2009
1st: Kyle Wester (CO)
2nd: Ryan Ricker (NM)
3rd: Devon Talley-Bailey (NM)
4th: Josh Rolf (AZ)
5th: Kevin Herring (CO)
6th: Chris D’Alessandro (AZ)
7th: David Price (NM)
8th: Dave Angelus (NM)
September 1, 2009
Ghoti T-Shirts Now Available!
