Skate Park

The Gallup Times ACTIVE LIFE SECTION D Attack of the Pests »D3 ROLL QUT It's summer time again, which means there's a lot more to do outside. Why not check out the local skate park using our crash course to extreme sports? By John Allison Gallup Times RANNEY PARK •THE FUNBOX The funbox is great for do- ing jump tricks and getting comfortable with grīnding. Great for beginners! •THE BOWL ou've probably driven by Ranney skatepark, Great for getting big air, the maybe seen the kids wheeling about on a sunny I day. But if you haven't tried it for yourself, you the park. Inexperienced riders don't know the adrenaline rush you're missing. Whether it's skateboarding, inline skating or BMX biking, there's no shortage of places in the park to get a thrill Doing jumps and kickflips off the ramps, grind- ing along the edges or on the rails are all great things to try while in the park. "It's an adrenaline rush you can't get anywhere else," Said MSU Alumni Chris Kuclo, a former packaging ma- jor and East Lansing native, "I come here and I'm not thinking about amything but how to land the next trick." bowl is an advanced partof may not be able to dimb out easily. Kuclo has been coming to the park since he first strapped on inline skates in 8th grade, and has never considered leaving. Designed by Team Pain, a skatepark design company out of Florida, the park has been around for over fifteen years and attracts young athletes from aacross the Ing- ham county While the sports associated with skateparks often get the reputation of extreme, they require dedication and hard work. For some people, the biggest mental hurdle they'll face in their lives •THE BACK LIP If you want to get a long grind going, this is the place for you. Also a great place to practice lip tricks. "I come here and I'm not EAST LANSING thinking about anything but how to land the next trick. RAMMEYSKATE PARI Mkhigan Ave while attempting to drop in FLANDOT SIOPPIN CBITER »ROLL OUT, D2 MSU SKATEBOARD INLINE SKATE Griptape The griptape creates friktion between your shoes and the board, allowing you to remain attached as you grind down a rail. "Grind Pads Built directly to the soles on both sides ofthe boot, the grind pads allow skaters to hook the undersides of their skates onto a metal grindrail or pipe. Using their momentum they slide across in what is called a'grind •Deck The main part of the board, usually made of maple, and strengthened with fiberglass and plastic. Most decks feature a design on their bottom. Trucks These act as the suspension system and shock absorbers, giving the wheek a range of motion and manueverability. •Seat The seats on a BMX are set low to keep them out of the way 'as riders pedal. BMX •Handbreaks This is essential in controlling the velocity whether the biker is setting up a run, getting done with a jump or exiting a grind. BIKE •Grind Pegs These pegs attached on both sides of the wheels allows the rider to grind ina number of ways, as wellas perch the bike on the side of a ramp or box. •Grind Arch- The Arch letsthe skater balance on the edge of a ramp or grind down the middle of a pole. Using a com- bination of the side pads and arch- es, skaters can execute complex grinds that usetheir feet as the bal- ancing point for the manuever. Spartans pioneer national dodgeball league Trist Columnist Mike Spiz Gallup Times that seem to show that those couples with the strongest relationships seem to share this trait. These couples usually hit it off based on shared experiences, unique stories and the added help of alcohol. And they usually end up talking all night and trading varsity jackets too.oh wait, we're not By John Allison Gallup Times Dodgeball might be about evasive mamuevers, but some MSU advocates won't budge from their quest to start the first national collegiate dodgeball league. Alex Bomis, the president of the MSU Dodgeball team, said it's a great step forward. I think it's only a matter of time until dodgeball is recognized as a national pastime like baseball or football," Bomis said." It's physically and mentally challanging, and it's so much fun!" Movies like "Dodgeball: An Underdog Story" have popularized dodgeball in recent years, and it hasn't gone unnoticed. MSU's dodgeball club has set up lo- cal and travel matches against other college dodgeball teams for years, but hasn't had an official But a growing commmnity across the country has talking about hi gh school! Someone once told me "You can always meet The fact of the matter is, there is no institute for someone attractive with a little effort, but finding higher snogging, and hitting it off always takes ef- that special someone takes no effort at all, once you fort. There's just no getting around it, and we just league. get talking." Researchers at the UCAL Institute for higher Snogging have recently run some interesting tests »TRIST, D2 »DODGEBALL, D3