Matt Smith shares his perspective and photos of the Mountain Of Angels Outlaw.
Matt Smith- The words “outlaw race” have a nice ring to them. I was imaging all sorts of things before showing up Saturday morning. Primarily though, just a bunch of disorganized, go for broke, kids racing each other, followed shortly by the police giving everyone tickets. What I saw was far different. The best way I can describe it was perfectly controlled chaos. The control being the organizers, the communication through walkie talkies, the vans, and the concern everyone had for the safety of their fellows. The chaos being the high speed downhill skating, the crashes, and the general excitement felt I felt the entire time I was there. The perfection being the symbiosis of the two. One of the most impressive aspects of the event was the attitude all of the participants had towards the residents of the neighborhood. It reminded me of the old saying you catch more flies with honey than vinegar only in this case they got more runs with a smile and a wave than glaring at the locals. This is an example that I feel should be promoted more in street and pool skating (my background). Because of the friendliness, the races lasted over three hours, no police showed up, and the skating potential of the morning was maximized. Overall, I was highly impressed with what I saw on Saturday. These “outlaw races” are definitely events I want to attend more often. Big thanks to James for inviting me.
