Thursday Night Throwdown

In just a few short hours it’s on again. NSC is gonna burn up some bandwidth with the fastest turnin’ and burnin’ the net has ever seen. And with all the expectation surrounding Horne’s return to the NSC, let’s not forget “The Big Man,” “Cheex” a.k.a. Michael Cheek. The NSC’s late-season entry who went on to become the Overall Grand Champion and current Fastest Man 100m record holder. Cheex has been battling a back injury throughout the entire second season so he’s not quite up to the form that people generally know him for. And according to those that know him best, the man hates to lose more than Charlie Sheen, and he’s eager to prove he’s back (no pun intended) in full form. Maybe he should get his hair cut like The Situation…that’d show ’em he’s serious.

Separated at birth? I hope he skates better than he roasts...

Then there’s one man who’s billed as a Hurricane – who never lets the crowd down and always keeps the energy up. World Champion Harry Vogel, who dodged every opportunity to be a part of the NSC in Season 1, is in for the action and looking to destroy anyone or anything standing in his path to victory. I saw Harry skate at indoor nationals last year, and if he’s still got the heat, he’ll burn the track up tonight.

Let’s not forget Justin Stelly. This guy can throw a pass on a Bugatti Veyron at top speed. He’s the one I’m always referring to when the Rink Rabbits want to know what a pass looks like. Stelly has been overshadowed with second place finishes to Bowen all season in the Grand Champion race but he’s still the Endurance champ. Apparently, tonight he’s looking to prove he’s not the official First Loser of the NSC. We’ll see…

Live feed starts at 6:45 PST / 9:45 EST – click the banner, bring the noize!

Crank it up babies!

Banannas for St. Patty’s Day

This NSC season has been insane so far. Even Charlie Sheen was rumored to have said, “Damn, that’s crazy,” when he and the goddesses hit up the live feed for East Coast Carnage last month. TMZ is reporting that NSC is what drove Charlie off the deep end…the timing seems to confirm this.

Before and after East Coast Carnage...coincidence? I think not.

That event was killer…it took the show live to the masses, and from what I hear from those that were there, the racing was fast, the presentation was professional and the event…it FELT huge. That’s great for the sport, and the guys at National Speedskating Circuit deserve our support.

This coming week, NSC returns home to the West Coast for Thursday Night Throwdown. Indoor inline speedskating superstars William Bowen, Michael Cheek, Chad Horne, Harry Vogel, Stephen Carter, Justin Stelly, Jarret Paul, Jeremy Anderson, and many more will be lighting up the West Coast with untamed tiger’s blood.

And like any good sports media event, the plot is getting thicker…check it out – there really is going to be a throwdown going into this next event…

Bowen is a bad azz...and Horne is looking to grab the spotlight.

It seems like the chip on Chad Horne’s shoulder has done nothing but grow since last season. With Mantia pulling out, Horne has yet to find that satisfaction that guys at that level need to feel whole. So now he’s targeting Will “The Wild Thing” Bowen, and Bowen has been bringing it since getting back from Worlds…he’s currently ranked number 1 in NSC – Grand Champion, Top Sprinter and the 100M Fastest Man.

A clone war would be sick.

So you’ve got to admire the fire running through Horne’s veins…he’s always going after the big game. Bowen hasn’t lost a single race the entire season, and according to inside sources, he’s even been claiming to be unbeatable. WINNING! Horne’s been sitting on the sidelines watching all of this while recovering from an ankle injury, and he’s chomping at the bit. Those close to him are saying he’s getting downright unruly like a schoolyard bully, ready to stomp on Bowen’s feelings and snatch the title right from his hands.

Bowen’s stellar performance this season has been driving Horne nuts. It’s ugly…psychologically, the man is cracking. You’d be too, being sidelined and helpless in the face of Bowen’s reign of terror. With each one of Bowen’s victories, sources say Horne becomes more and more eager, more
frustrated, and more motivated. They call this guy “The Unibomber” for a reason, and with his return this Thursday night, his fuse is set to blow.

It’s Turn and Burn Time Baby…

You can view the live feed FREE by clicking the banner Thursday night starting at 9:45 EST, 6:45 PST.

They better be careful, I’m thinking about coming out there myself and showing them all Whut Fer…

Power play

I’m generally a realist…meaning that I know how far I can push my influence with those people, places and things I come into contact with. When the highlight of your day becomes telling your favorite barista how you want your coffee prepared, then being happy if they got even half the order right, you’ll be able to connect with my experience. You’ll come to know my power…

The smell was a bit..."put-off-ish" but it went down smooth.

As the new year rolled into being, I was struck with that once a year resolve to be the master of my universe and make things happen. I enjoy doing this blog, and being a slave to ego, I want to see it grow, because when it comes to my narcissistic tendencies, this blog pays the bills. So I started to think about finding more sponsors, and I drew up a long list of prospects…Skate manufacturers, wheel makers, online retailers, race directors…I was on a roll. But then I stopped, because the itty-bitty committee in my head was getting out of control. I was looking at piles of logos to fill up the right rail of the blog page, and thinking to myself…”Is that really what this is all about?”

The short answer was no. This blog is about my experience as a skater, and my humble exercises in writing. I’m engaged with my sport in a “literary sense” and that’s pretty cool. Not something I thought would last when I started this thing. So now that it’s rolling into its second year, I thought I could do more with it to promote the sport itself. That would be a noble outcome.

So I thought that reaching out to the National Speedskating Circuit would be a great way to start. I have a lot of respect for what Miguel Jose and Joey Mantia are doing with NSC. They are truly bringing the sport up to a more contemporary entertainment standard, and that entertainment is pretty intense if you like your action fast (and clad in spandex…but I won’t go into that here.)

So I fired off an email to Miguel, and, in the spirit of full disclosure, told him I was willing to sell-out all of my journalistic integrity for an NSC t-shirt and free access to the Live Feed for the events. He wrote back and told me that the Live Feed was going to free for everyone this year. So I just put 2 + 2 together (for no good reason) and decided I’d take credit for his decision right here, because I’m always looking for an opportunity to self-promote!

IMHO…NSC is the best thing to hit indoor inline speed skating in the time I’ve been following the action.

Support your sport and watch the best of the best battle it out next Monday, January 24, 2010 – ON ME…ONLINE…FOR FREE!

Monday Night Mayhem is coming, and season 2 is gonna be the Bomb Track of 2011. It’s turn and burn time, baby!

Carnage

If you haven’t seen this video yet, check it out. S.Dot.Carter is my hero…

Man, there’s so much going on in this video, and the commentary at the end really helps put what NSC is all about into context. Seriously, this video is far superior to any of those, well, not too convincing, dry FIRS videos they make every few years to get inline speed skating sold into the Olympics. The guys at NSC know what they need to do to sell their vision in today’s media environment. This is great stuff.

Spread the word – share this video with your friends who still call you a “Rollerskater” and snicker behind your back at your spandex-clad keister and the idea that you spend hours participating in a sport that involves little more than chasing other grown-ups around a roller rink with what amounts to a child’s toy strapped to your feet. As if.

To all the naysayers…come out and play.