More than 150 longboarders from as far away as Texas came to the Second Annual Central MA Downhill, Freeride, and Flatland Skate event on Sunday, Aug. 7, along Old Littleton Road. The longboard is an elongated version of the standard skateboard.
Harvard’s Mike Girard organized the event, as he did last year. According to the event website, the competition featured three main events: a downhill race, a slide competition, and a flatland style competition. In the downhill race, 128 riders raced in four-person heats down a closed-road course that featured two descents, both of which propelled racers to speeds approaching 50 miles per hour.
The slide competition had racers performing their best moves down a section of the race course with judges spaced along the hill to assess them. Judges also determined the winner of the flatland competition, in which groups of participants had a set time limit to show off. Secondary events included longest slide competitions and games of “SKATE,” which is played like the basketball game “HORSE,” according to event organizers.
Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz