Schaeffer's got a new ramp...

...in his lounge?!!!!

Our sponsored skater Schaeffer showing off some serious skills & a cool new hairdo too!

You too can follow Schaeffer, check him out on Youtube, Myspace & Facebook to name but a few :0)

Happy weekend Everyone!!

******

"Team for Ride" gravity sports update...

Fabien at Team for Ride has just sent us this fantastic season update...

"So, here is a report of the season and some pictures of us.

The events

French championship:

Darnetal: close to Rouen an easy but tactical track. Draft is mandatory to win, being first at the begining of the straight line is not the good choice!

Graveyard call: close to Annecy, a narrow track with rough pavement, man holes... difficulty is to find the balance between grip and drift.

Chuyer: a long track (3 km) with many sections for drafting.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
World cup:
Graveyard call: also counting for the IGSA world cup.
Padova grand prix: taking place in Teolo (Italy), this event was really weel organised. A nice track with a very slow but turny section.
Insul: also couting as European championship. This german track is really technical, no mistake allowed in the corners or you easily take additional seconds on your time.
Kosakov: close to Turnov in Czech Republic, this was the fastest event in Europe, a long track with three sections over 100 km/h in streetluge.

Our results

lady first, Marie did a great season on the French and World cup in stand up..


French championship: 1st Podium!!!!
Darnetal: 1st
Graveyard call: 1st
Chuyer: 1st

World cup: 3rd but still some legs that she can't race.
Graveyard call: 2nd
Padova grand prix 1st
Kosakov: 1st


Philippe (stand up)

French championship: 3rd Podium!!!!!

Darnetal: 19th

Graveyard call: 1st

Chuyer: 13th

World cup: 180th
Graveyard call: 8th

Quentin (stand up)



French championship: 24th
Darnetal: 24th
Graveyard call: 21th
Chuyer: 18th

World cup: 205th
Graveyard call: 97th
Padova grand prix: 70th


Thibaut



French championship: classic luge 6th / streetluge 4th
Darnetal: classic luge 8th / streetluge 2nd
Graveyard call: classic luge 7th / streetluge 3rd
Chuyer: classic luge 5th / streetluge 4th

World cup: classic luge 49th / streetluge 46th
Graveyard call: classic luge 9th / streetluge 6th

Fabien



French championship: classic luge 3rd / streetluge 5th
Darnetal: classic luge 3rd / streetluge 3rd
Graveyard call: classic luge 2nd / streetluge 5th



World cup: classic luge 5th / streetluge 9th but still some legs that Ican't race... too bad it's still possible to finish 3rd in classic.
Graveyard call: classic luge 4th / streetluge 12th
Padova grand prix: classic luge 7th / streetluge 12th
Insul: classic luge 5th / streetluge 9th
Kosakov: classic luge 6th / streetluge 8th



Our comments on the season:

Marie: really proud about my results, I wish next will be even better! A big thanks to SMB for the bearing supply!

Philippe: happy to be on the french podium and disapointed to had missed the Euro tour, but starting a job mean no vacation...  Of course thanks to SMB bearing!

Quentin: really disapointed about my results, taking too much pressure on the events, and falling 'cause of it... Next year will be better!

Thibaut: Thanks to SMB to had supplied the bearings! and thaks to all the riders and organisators. I was back to school, so not able to take vacation whenever I was wanting to, and next year won't be easier... I'll be back in Britanny and the events will be even further. Eventhough I'm motivated to ride and perform in competition!

Fabien: Thanks SMB, it was so nice to not have to think about the bearing. I'm quite happy about the season, but still think that I can do better. And really pissed off to not be able to go in Brasil to be able to take over the 3rd place in classic luge and be able to participate in the world speed record attempt... But next year will see. Hope that we'll have more sponsors supporting us to be able to race overseas. I put in copy two picture of my best run this summer and it was with my friend, Thibaut! (and I won! lol)"

Our congratulations to you all, what a fantastic season!  We look forward to catching up with you again next year :0)

F1 in Schools World Championship finals

Well done to our sponsored F1 in Schools team, Team Fusion (seen below competing in this month's World Championship finals).



Although Team Fusion couldn't beat off the stiff competition to claim overall victory, they did fantastically well to reach the World Championships & we are immensely proud of their achievements, in design, technology & all-around business skills. 

A team from the USA were the eventual - Unitus Racing from James Madison Middle School and Southeast High School, were delighted, and surprised, to be crowned with the title at this sixth World Finals event, after beating the 24 student teams competing.  The team were congratulated by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver, Jenson Button, after the awards ceremony.  Button said of the team’s success, “Wow, it was a long journey for these guys, but I suppose it’s like anything you want to achieve, it is a long journey. A lot of people would also say that the journey is the reward as well. I’m sure it has been for these guys, they have had a great experience designing the car and congratulations to them. I hope they’ve enjoyed this experience and enjoyed their trip to Singapore.”

Organiser Andrew Denford said:
“We’ve had a fantastic World Finals this year, with the quality of the teams outstripping last year and all the judges being highly impressed with the professionalism, commitment and innovation that has been put into the development of their F1 cars.   There has been intense competition at this event, with hundreds of hours of work being put into each teams’ entry, as they strive to build the fastest, most innovative car with high precision engineering. The initiative mirrors the real world of Formula One, with the team’s professionalism extending to the pit display, uniforms, merchandise and commercial funding, with judges allocating marks for each of these aspects of the programme. The 25 teams have put in superb performances, but there’s always only one World Champion and Unitus Racing are deserving champions, our congratulations to them.”

F1 in Schools is the only global multi-disciplinary challenge for students aged 9 to 19.  The competition inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacturing, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership, teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative and exciting way. 

If you feel inspired to take part, find more details at http://www.f1inschools.co.uk/ & maybe you too could be jetting off for the World Championship finals next year...

The Mecha-lobster...

We've had some interesting enquiries this week, but I think Thomas Rooney from the University of West England wins hands down!  He needed some bearings to use for his underwater robotics project:

"The aim is to create an underwater robot capable of utilizing home built thrusters and mechanical spider legs , later on I have plans for using it as a underwater test rig and developing a sensor for measuring and reacting to underwater currents. As the final year project of my degree I will be working with the university's sonar module to enhance the software we created for the SAUC-E event and add compensation for physical movement caused by the underwater enviroment."



We've sent him some of our plastic corrosion resistant bearings & look forward very much to hearing how he gets on with them!

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Schaeffer's Spanish Adventures...

Looking good Schaeffer - oh to be even one-millionth of a percent as cool as you... :0)

You can now keep up to date with Schaeffer's latest exploits on Facebook - visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Schaeffer-McLean/

****

Rc plane meets real plane...

RC Plane Meets Real Plane @ Yahoo! Video

You have to feel a bit sorry for both pilots - imagine trying to superglue that lot back together!!

To Paris by bike, to help our heroes...

Meet local ex-serviceman, Martin Brewster. 

He is just about to set off from his home in Chadlington to cycle to Paris, via London where he will join 300 other cyclists participating in the 4 day ride to the Arc de Triomphe. He is participating in The Royal British Legion's 15th annual "Pedal to Paris" bike ride.

The 55-year-old, who served for 25 years in the RAF, wants to raise as much as possible for the British Legion.   He said: “I know the British Legion desperately needs the funding, and being ex-service, I sympathise with the cause of the injured servicemen and their families.
In France, the event will come to an end with a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Mr Brewster will return to London by train, and plans to cycle home from there.   In total, the married father-of-one will cycle about 500 miles in six days.

In 2003 Martin also cycled to Paris to raise £1,500 to help the British Legion fund its work.   He said: “Sadly, seven years on, due to the present action in Afghanistan, I see that the sacrifice of servicemen and women and the suffering of their families continues apparently unabated.   This shows the continued importance of the work done by the Royal British Legion, which needs to raise about £75.5m each year to spend on its vital welfare work.   Unfortunately, the need for the British Legion work grows almost daily, as we still see these reports of servicemen being killed in Afghanistan.”

Mr Brewster, who was a squadron leader, retired from RAF Benson in 1996.  He had previously served at RAF Brize Norton (just across the road from us!), from 1992 until 1994.
The keen cyclist, who now works as an IT manager for the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, has vowed to donate his month’s pension from the RAF of £800 towards the cause.   This year he will be joined by Miss England, Lance Corporal Katrina Hodge and former England football manager Graham Taylor.  Also joining in are Legion President, Sir John Kiszely and almost 300 other riders on the 4 day trip.

Martin hopes to raise a total of £2,010. 

To help him raise just that little bit more, please visit www.bmycharity.com/martinbrewsterp2p2010,

call him on 07783 051087,

or send an email to martin@mgbrew.co.uk

Good luck Martin!!

*****

Cool cars...

We had a bit of excitement earlier - true, it doesn't take much to get us going here (we nearly bust a gut when we had a request for bearings from the special effects department working on a well known wizarding-school film) but this was actually genuinly exciting for bearing sellers as it's not often that we get to see where our products end up! 

A lovely gentlemen called in for a couple of motor bearings & told us that he works for Alpine Eagle, a locally based company who restore classic cars.  The bearings were to help in some restoration work on a Rolls Royce.  Check out some of the stunning work they've already completed:

Rolls Royce Phantom

1939 Derby Bentley

1955 R-type Rolls Royce

There are these & so much more to see at their website http://www.alpineeagle.co.uk/index.html  - check it out for tonnes of car history & enthusiasm - these guys obviously have flair & a passion for their work.

*****

Extreme Wheels 2010

Anyone local to us should head to Carterton this weekend, as Carterton Skate Park is hosting "Extreme Wheels 2010" on Saturday 14.08.10.  2009's event was a fantastic success, so let's hope that 2010 follows suit - & that the weather fairies are kind!! 

Last year's highlights are shown below:

 

This year's headliner band is Pegasus Bridge, their song "Ribena" is sampled below -

To see more details of the bands playing on the day, go to http://extremewheelsfestival2010.bandcamp.com/

Have fun everyone!!

****

Stephen Bates, skating for Leukemia Charity...

Just a heads up for anyone who hasn't heard, a student recovering from Leukemia is skating 200 miles for charity. 

Stephen says  "The reason I'm doing this is due to personally being affected by Leukaemia in 2006. At the end of my first year at University I had to take a year out for treatment and all I wanted to do is get back to Uni! Fortunately I did get back and had a good three years more there. Now it's time to give back for all the help I received.

The money you donate will go to Leukemia and Lymphoma Research, which affects people of all ages. This charity is the only UK charity that soley invests in research for blood cancers and has over 50 years experience. I experienced treatment intensely for over a year and 2 extra years of maintance treatment during my studies. This affects your everyday life and infections can be more serious during this time. Therefore if I can raise money to aid in research in finding a cure or reduce treatment time for future sufferers, then i'm there. Even if it means my legs are going to suffer for it.

The plan is to start on the 10th August and hopefully within 7 days will reach sunny Maidstone. The route is now planned, and will be going through Nottingham, Leicester, Market Harbourough, Northampton, Towcester, Dunstable, Luton, St Albans, Elstree, Camden Town, Brockley, Swanley, Wrotham and then finally Maidstone."  

 All at SMB wish you the very best of luck Stephen, we'll have our fingers crossed for a safe & happy skate :0)

Visit Stephen's Justgiving page to donate http://www.justgiving.com/skatingsteveee

Schaeffer Mclean... TV fame beckons!

Scheaffer Mclean, the six year old skater that we proudly sponsor, has a pretty big announcement for one so young - he has beaten off stiff competition from 5000 other entrants to become one of four kids representing Robinson's Fruitshoot soft drinks this year. 

His mum Eve tells us "Its now officially out and you can see the advert on the website.

There is also another 20 second advert featuring just Schaeffer promoting his flavour (orange and pineapple) where he speaks in it which will be shown on TV. There is also a tutorial video which will be going up on the website, in which Schaeffer goes through how to do some tricks. http://www.fruitshoot.com/

The advert will air on 26th July on mainly the childrens channels CITV, GMTV2, Disney, Nickelodeon, Sky, Turner and Dolphin.   I am really proud and excited to see him on TV, he is just taking in his stride, I don't think he'll realise how well he's done, till he sees it on TV.  I wish we could have a premier party, but the first showing is at 6.40am so I think we'll just catch the later showings! Summer holidays start today and its going to be great going to different parks throughout the summer and ending up in Spain at the end.  Lots of new parks are opening nearby, and some great skate events are coming up too. "

Thanks for the exciting news Eve.  We think that Schaeffer is pretty awesome, particularly as he skated the whole thing with a broken wrist (his sleeve is pulled down to cover a bright green plaster-cast through much of the ad).  It is amazing that at just six years old, he is already starting to teach others about skating skills - most people don't start "giving back" to their chosen sport until they've retired in their thirties!!

Schaeffer has also picked up quite a bit of press coverage, including the guys at Jack FM, so it's all been a pretty busy start to the school holidays for him.  

 Have a smashing holiday mate :0)

****

Fishing... Playmobile style!

What's not to love?!

Happy weekend everyone :0)

**

Hans Meevis's latest creation...

We've had the fun of following Han's work since he bought some bearings from us for a project two years ago - check out his latest project...  The Dino War Machine

And here's the miniature boiler that he has just completed... BEAUTIFUL!

And actually a working model, producing steam after seven minutes. 

To see much, much more of Hans' cool stuff, visit http://hansmeevis.blogspot.com/

Schaeffer's latest vid...

Check out the latest video update from our sponsored skater Schaeffer Mclean.  If you've missed any, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/schaeffernico to catch up on his exploits, skilfully filmed by his big sis.

It sounds like we'll be able to bring you some big news on Schaeffer pretty soon, but for now we'll have to leave you guessing... all will be revealed as soon as poss :0).

Happy weekend everyone!

*****

Team For Ride update...

Fabien competing in the French championship in Darnetal earlier this month, he also sent us this photo of him unpacking the new toys we sent... skate bearings & t-shirts for the team!

Quentin corners at Darnetal...

We're delighted to bring you the latest news from Team For Ride, our slightly madcap French Gravity Sports champions - see our original post http://smbbearings.blogspot.com/2010/04/street-luge-team-for-ride.html for full details of their combined lunacy!

Fabien writes that the team will have at least one member competing in World Championship events in France, Italy, Austria, Germany & the Czech Republic all over the summer.. "So, just to keep you informed of what we are going to do this summer the competition calendar has been set.  Almost all of us struggle to find money (me included) to participate to all the events, so we had to make some choices...

For Thibaut it's his carreer, he's back in school, and it's impossible for him to have more vacations..."

 Thibaut competing at Darnetal...

"For Quentin it's his work as much as the money...

For Marie and Philippe, they are just separated (but everything's doing good thay are still really good friends, no trouble in the team "pfiouuu") so they had to move and that create many non scheduled expenses... and also Philippe is still on trial period at his work...

And me, I'm the lucky guy! plenty of vacation, except I'll miss Almabtrieb in Austria, cause of my sister's wedding, and I'll miss Chuyer Gold Trophy cause of my best friend's wedding. Which certainly cost me the French podium... (can't they get married in winter? lol)". 

I am sure that your sister will do her best to be more considerate in future Fabien & try to schedule any other big occasions around your competitions :0)

Marie takes a podium place at Darnetal...

Thanks for the news Team For Ride, we'll look forward to hearing all about your events as the summer progresses.

Schaeffer Mclean, sponsored skater update...

Not the best of news for our pint-size skate hero Schaeffer, as you can see from the picture he has broken his arm...  still managing to look uber-cool in his cast though! 

He manages to produce some of the coolest moves without injury

 & then Murphy's law dictates that he'll break his arm on a playground slide :0).

Get well soon buddy!

*****

F1 in Schools World Championships update...

We have just received an update on our F1 in Schools National finalists, Mach 1, based at Lutterworth College in Leicester.  F1 in Schools is a multi-disciplinary challenge in which teams of students aged 9 to 19 use design & engineering skills & software to collaborate, design, analyse, manufacture, test, and then race miniature gas powered balsa wood F1 cars.  As they have qualified for the World Championships in Singapore later this year there is much excitement at Mach1...

Elliot tells us more:

"As I’m sure you are very much aware, Mach1 are going to the World Championships in Singapore in September to compete in the F1 in Schools World Championships against the best young engineers in the world, after finishing 2nd place in the National Final and winning the award for the best engineered car thanks to the fantastic input we received from sponsors such as yourselves.

Recently, we have been holding meetings with our school teachers to prepare financially for the finals as we have to pay for flights, accommodation and entry fees for the competition which cover trips around Singapore whilst we are there".

The rules of the competition mean that Mach1 (like all other competitors) now have to join forces with winning teams from other nations... "We have had two Skype call meetings with our Malaysian team mates. They were team Annihilation from the Army Apprentice school in Port Jackson, Malaysia but now we have combined to make TEAM Fusion, TEAM being an anagram of The England And Malaysia Fusion.


We have discussed team jobs as well. It’s a maximum of six members per team so Alex is still going to be coming to Singapore but just not in the official team, he will still wear team uniform etc. The Malaysian team are also doing this with one of their team mates. Jonny is the new team manage, Ricky is the new Business Manager and I am the new design manager. They have the Manufacturing manager, resources manager and the other job that they have slips my mind at this time! Me and their manufacturing manager will work closely during design and manufacture because that way I will always be working productively during every production process of the car. So he will help with the design, we will manufacture some parts on our 3D printer and ship them to Malaysia and so on.

Fundraising is going reasonably well. We had a non school uniform day and raised £1200 at that and we have raised about £1500 so far which is quite good considering we are currently undertaking our GCSEs but it is still well short of our target. The team predict the target to be at £7000 and that includes £2000 of car development and manufacture money but we aren’t manufacturing the majority of the car so we aim to have the money to do something very impressive with the parts of the car we will manufacture like carbon fibre parts and things along them lines. However our teachers are predicting £13000 which we disagree with but we will try and raise as much money as possible in hope of being able to afford the Singapore trip. Team Exceleration’s school have disallowed the team from travelling to Singapore due to cost so we don’t want this to happen to us. We have quiz nights at schools and other fundraising activities at companies planned and if we meet our targets for each event we will have enough money to travel.

With regards to bearings we will have to discuss with our Malaysian team mates who will supply the bearings and I would love for you to be our main suppliers again, so I will try and get that at the next meeting on the 19th of June . "

Good luck in your forthcoming exams to all at Mach1, sorry, TEAM Fusion!  We'll have everything crossed for you.  We look forward to helping in whatever way we can to your future success in Singapore this autumn. 

Our best wishes go out to all TEAM Fusion members, can't wait for your next update!

*****

Sir Steve Redgrave takes on the "World's toughest bike race"

Training to take on world's toughest bike race - Sir Steve Redgrave & his "Crew"...

It’s 10 years since Steve Redgrave became the most successful ever British Olympian, winning his 5th Gold Medal. In that decade he has continued to inspire millions while raising over £5 million for charity.
Sir Steve's latest challenge is regarded as the toughest endurance race in the world.   Starting on 9th June, Race Across America is a 3,000 mile cycle race crossing from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland.

Joined by a team of former rowers & friends, the crew of 8 will be riding across 14 States, climb 100,000ft and encounter every extreme of weather.  The Race Across America is one of the most respected and longest running annual endurance events holding legendary stature the world over. It is one of the pinnacles of sporting accomplishment, globally seen as the highest rung of the endurance sports ladder.  

Unlike other famous bike races, RAAM is not a stage race, just one long stage live to the very end. Teams typically cross the country in 6 to 9 days, averaging 350 to over 500 miles per day. Solo racers finish in 9 to 12 days, averaging 250 to 350 miles per day. Teams have a relay format and race 24 hours a day.  The Sir Steve Redgrave Crew aim to finish in under 9 days and to win their age category.  Just to prove how tought they are, RAAM competitiors face a race 30% longer than the Tour de France and solo racers usually finish in half the time with no rest days.

The Redgrave Crew aim to raise £100,000 - £1 for every foot climbed - for the Steve Redgrave Fund and Sport Relief. The Steve Redgrave Fund uses the power of sport and sporting activity to bring about positive change in the lives of disadvantaged children.

You can follow the "Redgrave Crew" & Sir Steve's progress (& also make a donation) at http://www.redgravecrew.com/

Good luck to all in the Redgrave Crew!

Fishing photos

Check out http://christhephotog.blogspot.com/2010/05/pyramid-lake-or-fishing-and-photography.html

for some wise words on what NOT to do with your camera when you're knee deep in water ("Oooh, what's that shiny thing in the water? Oh, it's my camera...") & some beautiful shots of a great fishing trip...

Heads up for the Throw Down...

Sponsored by Duffs, this year's Redditch Throw Down Jam is being held on the brand new Redditch Skate Park - sure to be worth a watch if you're in the area on 19th June - the best of luck if you're actually taking part...

Downhill Skateboarding, Street Luge & "Team For Ride"...

Meet "Team For Ride"

We are delighted to be involved with this awesomely diverse French downhill skateboarding & street luge team & would like to introduce them, & gravity sports, to you.  The team compete in a broad range of gravity sports, which we try & explain to the dazed & confused amongst you below...

The team members are:

Fabien Prual - riding streetluge and classic luge in competition but also riding skate in slalom, cruising carving ... (2009: #11 in streetluge / #16 in classic luge)

Thibaut Meline - riding streetluge and classic luge in competition and riding skate in cruising (2009: #15 in streetluge / #17 in classic luge)

Quentin Drouault riding - downhill skateboard in competition and also riding in carving and cruising (2009: #146 in stand up)

Phillipe Dupuy - riding downhill skateboard in competition for the first year and also riding in carving and cruising.

Marie Bougourd - the lady of the team, riding downhill skateboard and classic luge and also riding in slalom, carving and cruising. She is a serious opponent on the girl's competitions...

What is Downhill Skateboarding?

Downhill Skateboard riders stand on long skateboards designed for stability and speed, and assume an aerodynamic position to achieve great speeds. Probably the most spectacular of the sports, it offers great spectating especially through corners.

What is Slalom Skateboard?

Slalom Skateboard involves being the fastest to skate through a set course of cones. The cones are set up in a straight line at a set distance (tight slalom) or spread across the width of the road at random intervals (giant slalom). Knocking down cones results in penalties or disqualification.

What is Classic Luge?

The Classic Luge, or Buttboard, is the low-tech brother to Street Luge. Still a form of skateboard on which you lie, the Buttboard is shorter, narrower, uses smaller wheels and has to be made from a single piece of plywood. While not as fast or high performance as Street Luge the Classic is great fun, requires a lot of skill and due to very low costs is a great entry point for beginners.

What is Street Luge?
 
Street luge was born in Southern California as downhill skateboarders found they could reach faster speeds by lying down on their skateboards. This early form of the sport is now referred to as "classic style" or "butt boarding."

In 1975, the first professional race was held at Signal Hill, California and hosted by the U.S. Skateboard Association. The race winner was based on top speed. The boards used in this race varied from basic skateboards to complex skate cars in which the rider was completely enclosed by plastic or fiberglass. The sport was not commonly referred to as street luge at this time but the term luge was used to describe some participants riding position, lying supine on their boards.  many riders chose to stand & injuries were commonplace so safety rules & equipment continued to be implemented throughout the 1980's - 1990's.  In the early 1990s, some Austrian skateboarders started sitting down on their skateboards on the way back from teaching skiing in the Alps. This activity lead to a classic style street luge race in Austria, riding wooden boards closer to large skateboards than the usual street luge, which is heavier, longer, has larger wheels and more trucks than a skateboard or classic luge. There is now a healthy street luge riding and racing presence in many European countries & over 1200+ active street luge riders in the world. Current street luge stretchers are made from many materials including steel, aluminum, wood, and carbon fibre.

The majority of the street luge stretchers in the world are custom made although commercial models are now available. Actual stretchers designs can vary as the construction rules are very open and allow for numerous design considerations.

Competing in Downhill & Streetluge...

Riders participating in sanctioned racing events are required to wear safety equipment including:

1.Hard shell helmet with chin strap and face shield or goggles

2.Leather or Kevlar racing suit

3.Leather or Kevlar gloves

4.Sturdy Shoes

Race courses are usually held on mountain roads but have been held on city streets as well. Courses can range in length from 0.5 to 3 miles (1 to 5 km) and vary in layout (number and severity of turns). Racing can take the following formats:

1.Single elimination with 2, 4, or 6 racers at a time

2.Double elimination with 2, 4, or 6 racers at a time

3.Timed trials

4.No elimination points system (points for each finishing position in several heats)

5.Mass runs, with up to 20 racers at a time (positions are decided by the order they cross the finish line)

For more information on streetluge, downhill skateboarding & an impressive range of other (slightly madcap) sports in the UK, visit http://www.ukgsa.org/ UK Gravity Sports Association.

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Team For Ride are using our ceramic hybrid bearings (metal rings, ceramic balls & a high-speed plastic cage) & have found them, to quote Fabien "My feeling: GREAT!

No sensation of resistive torque while I was pushing, great acceleration... I didn't test it on the fastest spot I know, but just on this one I was around 85km/h and feeling great, I don't think that will be this bearing that will slow me down...to give you some idea of the speed we are going and the efforts the bearings are subject to, Phillipe had been officialy recorded over 94 km/h but the three skaters of the team had rode over 95km/h

and the two lugers, Thibaut and me had rode over 125 km/h and I'd like to break the 125 on classic luge wich has never been done officialy."

Quentin is pictured above, competing in a downhill race.  He won the Boarder X race at Lyon last weekend with the aid of our bearings - congratulations Quentin & to all in Team For Ride!

Skaiti - skaters raising money for Haiti

SMB were delighted to sponsor Keith O'Leary, who took part in Skaiti (a fantastic fundraising event for disaster relief in Haiti) on Saturday 10th April.  Skaiti was a 24 hour event in which 250 brave souls attempted to skate as far as possible in 24 hours, around Dunsfold Park in Surrey. 

Keith has survived to tell the tale & reported his progress to us today:

"Well, I managed 125 miles in total and had a fantastic time in the sunshine before taking a tumble at roughly 2am on Sunday. Stepping on a wheel in the darkness often results in a face plant.

My tent looked incredibly welcoming at that point, so I grabbed a little sleep before setting off again. The organisers, Jo, Jack, and Steve did an amazing job in putting on the event and looking after everyone. The Ceramic Bearings you supplied fared very well and I got some good feedback from other participants - especially regarding the cost price (Powell/Bones ceramics being a lot more expensive, and not commonly stocked).

I took a photo at the start of the event with my nice clean SMB T-shirt and hat. There's also one of me coming out of a speed tuck and looking far too camp for my liking (to save Keith's modesty, we promised not to show the "camp" picture!). There will be a few more emerging as people upload images to Facebook etc.

Thanks again for your support.  Keith "

What a phenomenal event!  The official website http://skaiti.webs.com/  will be worth checking out (it's not too late to make a donation) & should have more photos of the event coming up soon.  Our hearty congratulations to everyone who took part, volunteered, organised etc, as you've managed to raise an impressive £13000 so far.

Schaeffer Mclean, sponsored skater update...

Schaeffer's Mum, Eve, has sent us an update this week - 

"Schaeffer will be attending the opening of the Bridgewater Skate Plaza this Friday 9th. And the new skatepark in Bristol at Keynsham is holding an opening skate contest on 22nd May which he will be entering. In his recent video, much of that was filmed when he went on a little tour of skateparks in the north. He loved Manchester's skatepark (Central). He is very excited about the different skateparks which are popping up all over the place and has recently skated the new park in Cheddar, and hoping to go to the new one at Marlborough very soon."  Thanks for the update guys, it's always great to hear your news.

Good luck in the upcoming contest Schaeffer - we'll have everything crossed for you ;0).

  Happy skating this weekend!

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BIG Bearings!

We may be a specialist in miniature bearings, but we're bigging up our range...

OK, they're not quite as big as this!

We now stock up to 6814 (70x90x10mm) & 6914 (70x100x16mm) bearings & for us this is a pretty big deal - please excuse the pun - as our bearings start from just 0.6mm bore!

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Schaeffer Mclean's new vid...

We at SMB are proud to bring you the latest film antics of our sponsored skater, Schaeffer Mclean. Now turned six years old, Schaeffer's new video demonstrates a real development in his skills & also what a genius his Mum, Eve, is as she manages to film & skate simultaneously!

April 9th 2010...

Sorry!  Apparently, we owe the awesome skate video to Schaeffer's 13 year old sister, who is a film genius & inline-skating goddess!!!!  The whole family was probably the inspiration for Disney's "The Incredibles"... ;0)

SMB sponsors Keith O'Leary

SMB are delighted to announce that we're sponsoring Keith O'Leary in the upcoming Skaiti event.  Keith is skating to raise money for disaster relief in Haiti.  He is very ambitiously planning to skate for a minimum of 150 miles or for around 20 hours - either way it is a MASSIVE challenge & we wish him every success.

The event's organisers have put together an amazing event...

"We're going to be skating around the clock! 250 Longboarders, skateboarders, inliners, and rollerskaters will be coming together to skate at SKAITI - a 24 hour event being hosted at Dunsfold Park in Surrey... on the famous test track featured on the BBC's TOP GEAR.  SKAITI’S aim is to raise as much money as possible to help with the disaster relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. We're going to push off at NOON on SATURDAY the 10th of APRIL and we'll be coasting to the finish at noon the following day.

SKATERS of all kinds will be there: young, old, families, longboarders, street skaters, slalomers, inliners, rollerbladers, rollerskaters... all sorts! Help us make this a huge fundraising success, by offering us your support.

ALL SPONSORSHIP MONEY will be donated to SHELTERBOX. Shelterbox is an international disaster relief charity that provides emergency shelter to those affected by disaster worldwide. You can find out more about Shelterbox and its work in Haiti at http://www.shelterbox.org/

PLEASE HELP. You can support us by donating, or by sponsoring a skater via the Skaiti JustGiving page...

http://www.justgiving.com/Skaiti24
PLEASE SEND THE JUSTGIVING LINK to all your friends, family, and colleagues asking them to give what they can.

SPREAD THE WORD about supporting the event! Please post a link to this site into your Facebook profile, Bebo, Twitter and any forums that you use. If you have any questions about Skaiti please don’t hesitate to contact me at skaiti24@yahoo.co.uk "

We would like to wish organisers & participants alike every success with this mighty challenge - best of luck to you all!  Even if you can't go along to support the event, you can pick up lots of lovely merchandise from the Skaiti website http://www.skaiti.webs.com/ - their t-shirt is shown above.

We will, of course, update you on Keith's progress after the event.