MARYHILL

For me, this trip didn’t start at Maryhill, it also included more great experiences than I could have dreamed for. This year I enjoyed my summer as a two month skate adventure on the east and west coast of Canada and the U.S.

My relentless skating started July 1st in Toronto and my hometown Hanover, Ontario then off to Ottawa for the “Rum & Stoke endurance pub crawl” and Montreal July 18th for “Fabrice’s Freeride.” I met Louis Pilloni at Munnsville Gravity Fest where we shared the final heat with Kevin Reimer and Brian Peck. Louis invited me to his home in California to skate and fortunately I had just won 2nd place and winnings to spend. This was the catalyst to an entire summer of skating and getting to know some great people.

Before traveling west I spent the last week of July and beginning week of August adventuring with my camera and my longboard in New York City. I found my way to Connecticut for “Slalom at the Farm,” the longest consecutive skater funded slalom race in North America at 8 years. I shredded cones with the family I raced with before entering into the speedboard world.

When I arrived in Los Angeles on August 5th, Cowboy Louis picked me up from the airport and was ecstatic the whole ride home describing our next 3 days of filming, then the next week of intense riding we were about to experience. I thank the Loaded crew for making my stay in California the best time I’ve ever had on a skateboard.

Patrick skating in the Orangatang 4President wheel video

Saturday, August 23rd at 5am we loaded the Madrid cargo van and trailer with Team Brown Capitan Andrew Mercado leading us northwards to Maryhill. The next four days turned into an amazing longboard road trip stopping to freeride James Kelley’s local hills near Berkley, causing tourist chaos on the infamous Lumbard St. in San Francisco and placing first in the Tunnel Road outlaw in Berkley. I was even able to learn some park riding under the careful eye of Mercado stopping at every worthwhile skatepark along the way which included two nights sleeping under the stars with my pillow being a hoodie on cement transition.

When we finally arrived at the Maryhill camp site, the party was already huge and was only gaining momentum surrounding the Albertan made hay fort. Walking around for the first time, the number of familiar people was only overwhelmed by the number of new faces. And so it begins…

The impending race was the last thing on peoples’ minds as they started shuttling to the top, there’s two full days of freerides ahead. My first run was with five other Maryhill virgins and our run is fun and gentle. It quickly became apparent that my trucks were sketchy-loose and that grip was going to be key to holding speed on the hill. Four runs on any set of new wheels was enough to break them in and induce drifting and slower lines. After spending my free-ride days testing different urethane’s on Mary’s beautiful blacktop my race wheel choice was apparent. The Orangatangs gave me the confidence in grip and the predictable drift I needed to hold competitive lines through the seemingly endless repeaters and Cowzer’s wrath. My race setup was the Kebbek Revenger (Katana custom), Kahalani trucks, Orangatang 4president wheels and Rock n Ron bearings.

Patrick Riding Down Maryhill VIDEO

Memories from the second day of freeride included film runs, fun heats with friends a ride with Martin Siegrist which started with him helping a small lizard off of my helmet before our run like it was a good luck charm. Most of all I loved skating fast lines while watching and studying foreign riding styles; and a Mexican feast for dinner. Then, back to the party.

First day of qualifying is when the realization that this is all about a race finally sets in. A couple of freeride runs are followed by an afternoon of waiting in the sun and only having one lonely run down the course. However due to some timing glitches, I had two extra qualifying runs that with some helpful winds proved to be the second fastest time of the day.

The second day of qualifying our helpful winds became erratic and hindering. It showed in everyone’s times, with mine being 3 seconds slower than the previous days’. To my surprise and excitement my qualifying time was the fastest of the day. A party ensued, and it was epic!

With it all narrowed down to this final day of racing the tension was high. A relieving ‘goof off’ first run down the hill set a great mood for the day. My race heats were fast and dialed riding alongside people I had read about in magazines before, but now became my friends and mentors. I gave my all and always kept the words in my mind, “Race smart, not fast.”

Finals at Maryhill

With so many people to thank for an incredible summer of skateboarding it’s hard to make that long of a list. If you skated with me, held an event, gave me a ride, a place to sleep or gear to keep me rolling you entered my family of skaters that I hold dear. Also thank you to my new sponsors and family with Orangatang wheels and Kahalani trucks, as well as my online longboard headquarters, Longboard Haven.

Thanks to the organizers of MFOS and the community in Goldendale for your support and generosity. Your support and kindness made this event incredible.

Patrick Switzer

2008 Achievements

2nd - SFU Outlaw, Burnaby BC

2nd - Giants Head, Summerland BC

1st - Ontario Escarpment Surfers Outlaw

1st – Ottawa’s Rum & Stoke

1st – Howard’s Attack, Montreal

2nd – Munnsville Gravity Fest, New York

3rd AM – Slalom at the Farm, Connecticut

1st – Tunnel Road Outlaw, Berkley California

6th – Maryhill Festival of Speed, Washington

4th – King of the Forest, North Vancouver BC

Photos from my trip

Videos from my trip