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P-Town Throwdown 2019

P-Town Throwdown 2019 Poster

15th Annual – Mt.Tabor to Sellwood Park Skateboard Race! This is the longest running skateboard race in the Northwest US.

2018 Official Event Video – https://youtu.be/X6DChOCj5fw

This event is a charitable food drive for OREGON FOOD BANK to help the hungry in Portland.

REGISTRATION and Food Collection – 9am- 10:30am – Located at the lower parking lot on the North side of Mt.Tabor Park.
Map – http://goo.gl/maps/38Sc

RIDERS UNDER 18 MUST HAVE A PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGN THE WAIVER AND SHOW UP WITH YOU TO CONFIRM. Or you cannot participate in this event. PLEASE PRINT OUT AND SIGN – https://eastsidelongboards.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/WAIVER-AND-RELEASE-OF-LIABILITY.pdf

ANYONE RUNNING RED LIGHTS WILL BE DQ’ED FROM THE RAFFLE AND PODIUM. HELMETS ARE REQUIRED!

GOOGLE MAP COURSE LINK – SAVE IT TO YOUR PHONE.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=15YJ9qvh37ffoXmgRlDPZeQW2Bl4&ll=45.489573437989876%2C-122.63216999999997&z=13

COURSE HISTORY & DESCRIPTION:

This is the original course used for Portland Pusher #4 in 2005, the Annie Ross Open from 2006-2010, and the last six years of the P-Town Throwdown. The route is 8.5 Miles through lower S.E. Portland. First 5 miles is mostly slight downhill but includes two sections that are 6-10 blocks of steeper downhill with speeds of 20-30 mph. Knowing how to footbrake will keep you under that. The last 3 miles you enter the bike path leading you South along the Willamette River towards Sellwood Park and the finish line just before the Sellwood bridge. The whole route includes only 3 traffic light signals to watch for. As a city bike route there are very few stop signs along this course, but please be aware of traffic at all times!
PLEASE PAY ATTENTION AT THE RIDERS MEETING – The course will be explained highlighting the most dangerous intersections. If you are unsure then follow a group of riders who have done it before. NOTE: This race is unique to other distance skateboard races. Riders will be going as fast as possible but will be obeying city traffic laws all the way through. Basically racing to the stop signs or red lights, stopping, then continue racing again. Any riders not doing this will be disqualified and banned from the event!

ENTRY FEE: 4 Cans of Food and approved liability waiver.

4 items of approved food are required for entry into the race (See list at bottom).
Bring more food for more tickets! Every 4 items will receive another raffle ticket with no limit on donations for tickets. More food, more tickets, more chances of winning prizes from our generous sponsors.

PLAN OF THE DAY:

After everyone is signed in and all food is collected, we will hike up to the upper parking lot and gather at the gate leading into Run 1 – a closed to car traffic hill leading around the Reservoirs. Here we will carry on the tradition of this race by doing a fun group run and celebrate the history of longboarding at Mt.Tabor! Once you get down to the lower gate, continue downhill towards the exit of the park turning into Salmon St. We will gather again on the Westside of 60th ave on Salmon for the start of the race.
RAIN OR SHINE!!!

Prize Raffle near the finish line at Sellwood Park after everyone has finished at approx. 12:30-1pm.

AFTER PARTY following the Prize Raffle at HOT LIPS PIZZA on S.E. 22nd and Hawthorne. We have a large area reserved at 2pm.

P-Town Throwdown Course Map


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Push In The Woods

Facebook Event Page – https://www.facebook.com/events/451355868704298/

6th Annual Push In The Woods – 5K and 10K Skateboard Race.

Free Entry for IDSA members. Become a Member for $20 –
https://endurancecui.active.com/new/events/4739453/select-race?regnow=awe-regnow&_p=4138618170437318&e4q=66d4c6d8-5085-4438-a8f7-04fe685fd900&e4p=43a99539-9899-47a0-a98b-aa92749a657a&e4ts=1534792337&e4c=active&e4e=snawe00000000&e4rt=Safetynet&e4h=a7c3d128f30e91e6ad4f057eaca14402

You can PAY on site $20 cash for both races. Registration starts at 9am.
Be ready to roll by 10:30am!

Meeting Location – https://goo.gl/maps/hFvJJXzWgUJ2

PITW EVENT SCHEDULE – September 30th

9am – On site registration and check in begins and is located at the Banks trail-head on NW Banks Rd. and NE Sellers Rd.

10:30am – Warm-up skate to view the trail and arrive to the start of the 5K race.

11am – Start of 5K race.

The 10K race will begin 20 minutes after the conclusion of the 5K race.

Click Here for Online Waiver – https://www.dropbox.com/s/cearwuvnhnlefwh/IDSA%20Sample%20Waiver.doc?dl=0

This event is sanctioned by The International Distance Skateboard Association (IDSA).

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P-Town Throwdown

P-Town Throwdown 2018 Event Poster

Facebook Event Page

14th Annual – Mt.Tabor to Sellwood Park Skateboard Race! This is the longest running skateboard race in the Northwest US.

This event is a charitable food drive for OREGON FOOD BANK to help the hungry in Portland.

REGISTRATION and Food Collection – 9:30am – Located at the lower parking lot on the North side of Mt.Tabor Park.
Map – http://goo.gl/maps/38Sc

RIDERS UNDER 18 MUST HAVE A PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGN THE WAIVER AND SHOW UP WITH YOU TO CONFIRM. Or you cannot participate in this event. PLEASE PRINT OUT AND SIGN – https://eastsidelongboards.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/WAIVER-AND-RELEASE-OF-LIABILITY.pdf

ANYONE RUNNING RED LIGHTS WILL BE DQ’ED FROM THE RAFFLE AND PODIUM. HELMETS ARE REQUIRED!

COURSE HISTORY & DESCRIPTION:

This is the original course used for Portland Pusher #4 in 2005, the Annie Ross Open from 2006-2010, and the last six years of the P-Town Throwdown. The route is 8.5 Miles through lower S.E. Portland. First 5 miles is mostly slight downhill but includes two sections that are 6-10 blocks of steeper downhill with speeds of 20-30 mph. Knowing how to footbrake will keep you under that. The last 3 miles you enter the bike path leading you South along the Willamette River towards Sellwood Park and the finish line just before the Sellwood bridge. The whole route includes only 3 traffic light signals to watch for. As a city bike route there are very few stop signs along this course, but please be aware of traffic at all times!
PLEASE PAY ATTENTION AT THE RIDERS MEEETING – The course will be explained highlighting the most dangerous intersections. If you are unsure then follow a group of riders who have done it before. NOTE: This race is unique to other distance skateboard races. Riders will be going as fast as possible but will be obeying city traffic laws all the way through. Basically racing to the stop signs or red lights, stopping, then continue racing again. Any riders not doing this will be disqualified and banned from the event!

ENTRY FEE: 4 Cans of Food and approved liability waiver.

P-Town Throwdown Course Map

 

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PDX DockSessions

To ring in the new year of 2018, we are introducing a new series of skating sessions in Portland, Oregon called PDX DOCKSESSIONS!

Arleta School location for the PDX DockSessions featuring Hippy Jumps and plywood banks on the staircases.

We actually had the first event on 12/23/17 at the dry day location in S.E. Portland at Arleta School.  For wet and raining days it will be located at another school a mile away called Marysville that features a large covered area.  Follow the Facebook Community Page PDX DockSessions to find out which location each event is at.  The plan is to have them every other Saturday from 1-4pm in Jan, Feb, and March and see how it evolves.

The next event is on 1/6/18 – Event Page

The Arleta School location is perfect for Dancing with a huge flat smooth blacktop.  Also great for street skating with several metal edge staircases for grinds and tricks.  Also an empty parking lot on the weekends with parking blocks, both of which areas are fenced in an free of car traffic on the weekends.  Another awesome feature are 2 new slappy grind curbs that are freshly waxed and ready to roll up on and grind away.  The are on the northern perimeter of the parking lot with a sidewalk entry onto them.

The Marysville School location is a big flat concrete area that has a huge covered area to skate on.  This area is great for Dancing as well, but does not have parking blocks, curbs, and not as many features to street skate on.  However it’s dry when raining and we plan on bringing some things to skate with like hippy jumps and possible small ramps and rails to hit up.

Marysville School Covered Area.

 

Marysville School Covered Area.

 

All are welcome to come skate and hang out! Whatever style you got, bring it! We are just about having fun together and keeping the longboard community alive and strong during the off season. Bring ramps, plywood, or whatever other features you want to add to the mix, lots of room at both locations.

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Push In The Woods Oct.1st

The 5th annual event is back next Sunday Oct.1st with pre-events the Saturday before Sept.30th.

Mt.Tabor at noon will be showcasing 2 different slalom courses.  A SGS and head to head GS.

Come out and enjoy these longboard friendly courses on Portland’s most famous longboarding park.

That night will be hosting a Parking garage session in downtown Portland as we have previous years.   There will be a parkade style race where everyone goes at once with the last 4 eliminated each round until finals.

The main event is in Banks, OR at the Banks trailhead of the Banks/Vernonia trail.  $20 to enter both the 5K and 10K races.

More info on the Facebook event page –

https://www.facebook.com/events/442773292735430/

Push In The Woods 2017

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P-Town Throwdown – May 28th

The longest running skateboard race in the Pacific Northwest is going down again for the 13th year in a row on May 28th. Otherwise known as the Mt.Tabor to Sellwood Park Race it celebrates the tradition of skating at Tabor and Portland’s unique City Ordinance 20.12.205. This states that skateboarding is a legal form of transportation. Riders are expected to follow all traffic laws such as stopping at red lights and staying in their lane. The event raises food for Oregon Food Bank with riders bringing 4 cans of food to enter. Every 4 cans received a raffle ticket with no limit on donations. Then after the race at Sellwood Park all the prizes donated by the many generous sponsors gets raffled off. So basically the more food you donate the better chances of winning prizes!

Check out the Facebook event page for more details including your waiver print out if you are under 18.

Riders having a blast pushing and riding in critical mass down a city bike route.

 

The traditional warm up fun run down Tabor to the start line of the race just outside the park.

 

Swag city! Prizes are given to race winners and raffle winners alike.

 

Warming up the troops, going over some ground rules, and making sure everyone knows where they’re headed.

 

After 8.5 miles of pushing, riders are met by volunteers and fellow riders at the finish line.

 

The first 50 riders will also receive a laminated map of the course. The route is fairly easy to follow and for a push race it’s not very grueling so most any skater can do it easily as a cruise. It’s 5 miles of mostly slight downhill through the city, then 3.5 miles of flat on a bike path leading to the finish line at Sellwood Park. There are 2 sections early on that are steeper. However if you know how to keep your speed down by footbraking or simple getting off your board and either buttboarding or walking down them, then it’s no big deal. Just be prepared if you are worried about them by going down Lincoln street from 58th to 20th on your own prior to the event. Other than that you are in traffic so following the same rules bikes do will keep you safe. There are only 3 stop lights on the whole course: 50th, 39th, and crossing Division St.

 

 

Heading down the first hill down Lincoln street from 58th to 52nd.  Casey Morrow in the foreground hunting!

If you’re a rider in the area and have never been, then mark in on your calendar to come out to support and good cause, celebrate our city’s privilege to skate the streets legally, and have fun rollin’ down the Eastside of Portland with a crew of locals!

After Party at Hot Lips Pizza on Hawthorne Blvd.

 

2016 Podium
3rd – Sol Bilderback, 1st – Colby Cummings, 2nd – Miguel Aldrete

 

 

 

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Push In The Woods 2016

 

Push In The Woods 2016

October 1-2nd.

Official Poster designed by Daddies Board Shop.
Official Poster designed by Daddies Board Shop.

This 4th annual event is going down the first weekend of October this year. The past 3 years its been a one day event on Sunday located in Banks, OR. On that day there is a 5K and 10K race on the Banks/Vernonia Trail. The course is flat but narrow in a beautifully wooded area just 45 minutes West of Portland. The event has been known to attract some of the best distance skateboard racers from around the country to battle against the locals of the Northwest. Many of the participants are new to skateboard racing and are there to just have fun and cruise the trail permitted for skateboarding that day. Plus win many of the great prizes donated by the generous sponsors of this event. Check out this video to get a feel for how the event goes and what the trail looks like.

New this year are two additional events happening the day before on Saturday October 1st. Both of these events are free and not officially sanctioned, otherwise know as outlaw events were everyone is responsible for their own actions. The first race is for riders 18 and older called the PDX SGS (Portland Super Giant Slalom) located at Mt.Tabor on the Eastside of Portland starting at 9am.  It’s a single rider timed course down the main run that is closed to cars. The course consists of several cones set close to the edges of the road forcing the rider to cut across the road several times to make the course.  To the locals it’s known as the Death Race. Despite its slower speed than bombing the hill, it’s rather difficult and unnerving to make the course, especially if the road is wet. The race is run rain or shine. 3 timed runs for each rider, best time wins! Check out the video below of myself winning the last time the event happened in 2015.

Another event happening at 9pm that same day October 1st is a parking garage session and race. This pre-session has happened in previous years the night before the official Push In The Woods 5K and 10K race on Sunday morning. It is located at a garage in downtown Portland known to the locals as HomeBase. It is a very nice wide open garage that has a medium and consistent grade that is fun for riders of all skill levels. In addition to the regular session will be a Chinese style skateboard race where everyone goes at once. The last 5-10 riders of each run taken will be eliminated until there are 6 riders left. The last 6 will take a final heat run. Here is the Northwest we race a clean style gentlemen’s racing. This means no touching or grabbing other riders to gain speed or make passes. To find the location of the garage, info is posted on the Facebook Event Page for Push In The Woods –

https://www.facebook.com/events/161305167622144/

Hers is the signup and registration page to enter Sunday’s 5K and 10K races.

https://register.hakuapp.com/?event=db4549867d94ec840e87

We thank all of the many sponsors including Daddies Board Shop who has partnered with Eastside Longboards and the IDSA.org to run and organize this event. We look forward to hosting a fun filled weekend of skateboard racing and good times with the Longboarding community hear and afar!

Many thanks for the support of the sponsors who contribute to the continuation and success of this event.

Our tradition of sharing the path by letting bikers go by giving them a skateboard tunnel to go through before the 5K race.
Our tradition of sharing the path by letting bikers go by giving them a skateboard tunnel to go through before the 5K race.

 

5K start line.
5K start line.

 

Bike tunnel before the 10K.
Bike tunnel before the 10K.

 

10K start line.
10K start line.

 

Riders chasing each other.
Riders chasing each other.

 

5K podium.
5K podium.

 

10K podium.
10K podium.

 

Women's Podium.
Women’s Podium.

 

Some of the prizes.
Some of the prizes.

 

Some of the board prizes.
Some of the board prizes.

 

Giving away an Eastside Relic to one lucky kid!
Giving away an Eastside Relic to one lucky kid!

 

 

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Mt.Tabor Downhill Challenge 2016

Located at the most famous hill in Portland, Mt.Tabor Park on the Eastside.  This hill is legendary to locals and riders afar for being a closed run completely free of cars and open access from the top to bottom on Wednesdays.

This year Portland’s premier skate shop Daddies Board Shop is presenting the event.  And doing so in a very similar matter as the past 5 years.  If you are not skating at the event, come out to watch!  You won’t be dissappointed, it’s a rare day for a legit downhill race to be located right in the middle of a huge city.  Most other events of this status are located far away from metropolises on such hills like Maryhill.  So this is your chance as a spectator to see some top notch racers from all around battle it out!  Good racing and good times are had by all that come out, don’t miss it!

Cost:  $77 online – REGISTRATION LINK

Required Gear:  Full-face Helmet and Slide gloves.

Official 2016 Poster
Official 2016 Poster by Daddies Board Shop.

More Info at the Facebook Event Page.

This event is well known as one of the events riders get the most runs at.  It’s a one of kind day at Mt.Tabor as a skater by being shuttled to the top upwards of a dozen runs.  Normally you’d have to hike and after a half dozen runs, most riders are spent.  Plus to have the whole hill completely free of all peds, bikes, and cars with the confidence you can go full speed with no worries.  Then adding to the fun doing race heats with riders of your skill level and age group.  If you plan on racing, don’t worry about being eliminated and not skating as much.  All riders get to go back to the top on every run except the finals.  So everyone gets a chance to do the hill all day long.  Previous years riders do practice runs all morning until lunch break.  Pre-registered riders get to choose their sandwich online and everyone takes a break to eat.  After lunch racing begins and runs are had for the rest of the afternoon.  Age classes are separated for racing with Grom class (15 and below), Womens, Masters (40 plus), and Open Class that everyone can race in.

 

Robin McGuirk on left. Jon Huey on right. Photo by Spencer Morgan during the first event in 2011..
Robin McGuirk on left. Jon Huey on right. Photo by Spencer Morgan during the first event in 2011.

 

Notice the overlapped feet and knees side by side. This "Old School" tuck is required for the Open Class.
Notice the overlapped feet and knees side by side. This “Old School” tuck is required for the Open Class.  Photo by Kroll Images 2011.

 

Riders getting shuttled in the uhaul back to the top. Photo by Spencer Morgan.
Riders getting shuttled in the uhaul back to the top. Photo by Spencer Morgan.

 

Tuck pumping during the first and only slalom race at this event. I won this head to head event that was located on the soapbox hill. Photo by Kroll Images.
Tuck pumping during the first slalom race at this event. I won this head to head race that was located on the soapbox hill. Photo by Kroll Images.

Oregonian Brandon Desjarlais as a grom winning the Tabor board in 2011. Photo by Kroll Images.
Oregonian Brandon Desjarlais as a grom winning the Tabor board in 2011. Photo by Dabe Alan.

 

Eastside Dan Thatcher leading organizer Billy Meiners in a semi-final heat in 2013. Photo by Skate District.
Eastside Dan Thatcher leading organizer Billy Meiners in a semi-final heat in 2013. Photo by Skate District.

 

Eastsider Eric Hovey tucking down the straight in 2013. Photo by Kroll Images.
Eastsider Eric Hovey tucking down the straight in 2013. Photo by Kroll Images.

Riders being dropped off at the top and getting ready for the next run.
Riders being dropped off at the top and getting ready for the next run in 2015.

Quarter final heat down the straight. Photo by Khaleeq Alfred.
Quarter final heat in 2015 down the straight. Photo by Khaleeq Alfred.

Juniors Ernie and Sky resting after a heat.
Groms Ernie and Sky resting after a heat.

 

The waiting game is key on this hill. If you pass to early then you will most likely get passed back before the finish. Photo by Khaleeq Alfred.
The waiting game is key on this hill. If you pass too early then you will most likely get passed back before the finish. Photo by Khaleeq Alfred.

 

All smiles after lots of runs! Defending Champion Brandon Tissen on the right with finalist Pat Haluska on the right and Eastsider Dan Thatcher in the middle.
All smiles after lots of runs! Defending Champion Brandon Tissen on the right with finalist Pat Haluska on the right and Eastsider Dan Thatcher in the middle.

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P-Town Throwdown 2016 Recap

Article written by Skate Slate photographer Jon Huey who rode in the mix of this years P-Town Throwdown!

Direct Link to Article – http://www.skateslate.com/blog/2016/06/02/2016-p-town-throwdown-photos/

The 12th Annual P-Town Throwdown was successfully completed this last weekend. Many had fun riding through the streets, almost of ton of canned food was donated, and nobody died! Check out my photos from the event.

Riders meeting.
Riders meeting.

This Sunday around 80 people showed up for the Critical Mass/ Race starting at Mt. Tabor and ending at Sellwood park. 1,535 pounds of canned food were donated to the Oregon Food Bank. The organizer Robin McGuirk gave out directions and a map and then announced to everyone where the most dangerous parts of the route are and warned that you could die. After the unofficial safety meeting, we were all ready to ride.

Organizer Josh Burt leads the pre-race ritual group bomb down Tabor!
Organizer Josh Burt leads the pre-race ritual group bomb down Tabor!

Everyone got to bomb down Mt. Tabor as part of a tradition led by Portland OG Josh Burt. Josh organized the first ten Portland Pusher races that Robin famously dominated over the years. Now, Robin has taken the torch and has been running the P-Town Throwdown for years.

Organizer Robin McGuirk introducing the event and explaining the course with the course map provided this year.
Organizer Robin McGuirk introducing the event and explaining the course with the course map provided this year.

At the bottom Mt. Tabor, everyone gathered together to ride the eastside of Portland down to the water. Following a bike route for most of the way, it’s a relatively safe race.

Start line. Riders getting ready to all take off at once.
Start line. Riders getting ready to all take off at once.

Always a hectic start! Most of the crashes from the event are from getting to the start line and starting the race.
Always a hectic start! Most of the crashes from the event are from getting to the start line and starting the race.

Riders hitting the first hill section as they bomb down threw the Eastside of Portland.
Riders hitting the first hill section as they bomb down threw the Eastside of Portland.

Riders tucking together and enjoying the radness of cruising through town in a big pack!
Riders tucking together and enjoying the radness of cruising through town in a big pack!

Everyone getting their push on!
Everyone getting their push on!

Once you get to the waterfront, it’s mostly a flat push and everyone gets spread out. At a certain point, I put away the camera and pushed.

The first of 3 woman riders to finish! Marisa Nunez from Daddies Board Shop.
The first of 3 woman riders to finish! Marisa Nunez from Daddies Board Shop.

I caught my friend Skip (the man behind Turnco) finishing the race at almost 50 years old, soda in hand. He most likely found a few shortcuts in order to finish the race. The hardcore pushers lined up for a podium shot and Everyone hung out by the train tracks as prizes were raffled out. So many prizes were raffled off. If you brought a good amount of canned food, you could have easily walked away with a a new longboard set-up.

Riders all done and being introduced to their Open Podium finishers!
Riders all done and being introduced to their Open Podium finishers!

Sol Bilderback 2nd (youngest podium finisher ever age 14 on left), Colby Cummings 1st (defending Champion in center), Miguel Aldrete 3rd (right)
Sol Bilderback 2nd (youngest podium finisher ever age 14 on left), Colby Cummings 1st (defending Champion in center), Miguel Aldrete 3rd (right)

Prize spread! So much gear thanks to all the sponsors!
Prize spread! So much gear thanks to all the sponsors!

Getting all the prizes laid out, 19 boards!
Getting all the prizes laid out, 19 boards!

Womens Podium! Carly Stiverson 3rd (left), Marisa Nunez 1st (middle), Delany Morgan 2nd (right)
Womens Podium! Carly Stiverson 3rd (left), Marisa Nunez 1st (middle), Delany Morgan 2nd (right)

We had so many many prizes it took over an hour to get them all out!
We had so many many prizes it took over an hour to get them all out!

After all of that, we went to Hot Lips Pizza to relax and get our well-needed protein.

After Party at sponsor Hot Lips Pizza on Hawthorne Blvd.
After Party at sponsor Hot Lips Pizza on Hawthorne Blvd.

A big thanks goes out to the volunteers who collected food, distributed raffle tickets to those who donated, spotted corners and intersections on the route, and recorded final placings for the competitors. A big thanks goes to all the sponsors of the event as well: Daddies Board Shop, Eastside Longboards, Longboard Larry, Gorge Performance, Cal Skate Skateboards, Abec 11 Wheels, Seismic Skate, Loaded Boards, Orangatang Wheels, Bustin Boards Push Culture, Predator Helmets, Sellwood Market (Water/Gatorade), Hot Lips Pizza (After Party).

12 Annual Event Poster. Sponsors providing prizes for the raffle that anyone can win. The more food you bring, the better chances of winning!
12 Annual Event Poster. Sponsors providing prizes for the raffle that anyone can win. The more food you bring, the better chances of winning!