ISSA Sanctioned Banked Slalom World Championships New Mexico May 7 & 8 2024

One more bucket list item checked off. Ditch Slap is known for you know ditch slaps. I had a two good ones. Both stopping and jumping out of the ditch. It's a skill and when your legs are stuck to your board with the weight of your body with the g-force going up the bank and instinct to stay on your board but you have to jump off your board and land on your feet it takes practice.

Ditch Slap is in the books. Thanks to Joe and Isa who hosted the Banked Slalom World Championships an ISSA sanction event in Albuquerque for the first time, the stakes have never been higher. Two action-packed days of racing from May 7th to May 10th, 2024, in ABQ, NM, the world’s top riders battled it out for the title of World Champion and had an two additional days of shuttle runs on the busses, riding Albuquerque’s renowned ditch drainage system!

I was happy placing 4th day one. This was my second banked slalom race since the 70's and I'm getting more confident and figuring out the transition and pumping with your whole body to get more speed.

Day 1 – Women’s Podium:

1. Nathalia Larios
2. Jennifer Coppa
3. Lynn Kramer
4. Judi Oyama

Day two a different bank area and a tighter start off the little ramp. If you had headwinds you would die at the end. I was nervous about the metal plate with the screws at first and of course the ladders always make you think.

Day 2 – Women’s Podium:

1. Jennifer Coppa
2. Lynn Kramer
3. Judi Oyama