'Street Surfing' video from east side

**RealityCheck** · February-11-10, 04:38 PM

Whee! Fresh powder + daredevil + bumper hitch = Winter Blast, X Game-style . . .

. . . as demonstrated in this 1:49 YouTube video posted yesterday.

A snowboarder, tethered to a rear bumper, is pulled along urban trails [[apparently near Elmwood) as friends in a chase vehicle light the way and tape the action. And oh yes, there's even a slight nod to safety: He wears a helmet.

Sean Redenz posted the video and likely is the stuntman. A woman, presumably the camera operator, can be heard occasionally talking to the driver -- who wisely ignores suggestions to pull alongside the boarder, which would've darkened the scene.

Quick clicks show Sean is a 30-year-old videographer from Clarkston, so he likely gets editing/soundtrack credits, too. [[Anyone here know him?)

Enjoy the ride! . . . And remember: Safety first.

**Gsgeorge** · February-11-10, 04:47 PM

This was a fun watch. I wouldn't recommend it, but heck, if people hunt for pheasant in Detroit then they might as well snowboard. Be careful at those stop signs, but plowing through them at one AM in a lonely and vacant part of the east side is probably can't be too dangerous.

**eno** · February-11-10, 05:17 PM

That was great. Good use of fresh powder.

**Tsomyak** · February-11-10, 06:04 PM

Since when do you need a board? Or a rope, for that matter.

**Patrick** · February-11-10, 06:43 PM

Probably even do oit with a tube but tubes are much harder to control and you might end up underneath a Buick.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-11-10, 07:18 PM

Way to blow through stop signs.... Such a good role model.

**Jimaz** · February-11-10, 07:31 PM

There's a guy that runs up and down our street like that in the summer on a skateboard pulled by a dog. The dog loves it!

**wolverine** · February-11-10, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Way to blow through stop signs.... Such a good role model.

Way to snow plow and maintain roads, such a good model city

Buy American · February-11-10, 07:56 PM

I lost count of the stop signs they blew through while filming this. Total disregard for others on the road. I have heard that some Detroiters are famous for not stopping at stop signs and it is very evident here. Lucky for the young man on the board that another car wasn't coming from a different direction, this could have been a disaster.

Bearinabox · February-11-10, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

I have heard that some Clarkstonians are famous for not stopping at stop signs and it is very evident here.

Fixed that for ya.

**Maof** · February-11-10, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

I lost count of the stop signs they blew through while filming this. Total disregard for others on the road. I have heard that some Detroiters are famous for not stopping at stop signs and it is very evident here. Lucky for the young man on the board that another car wasn't coming from a different direction, this could have been a disaster.

not only that but seems to me someone is driving and video taping at the same time

**RealityCheck** · February-12-10, 06:28 AM

Originally Posted by Maof

not only that but seems to me someone is driving and video taping at the same time

Originally Posted by Buy American

Total disregard for others on the road.

Not sure what video you two watched, but the one I enjoyed showed no other motorists on the road and clearly indicated the videographer was talking to her driver, urging him or her to pull alongside their pal.

Not a stretch to assume the lead driver watched for cross-street headlights at those unrestricted-view intersections. But yes, of course it was risky and not something I'd do.

**Gannon** · February-12-10, 08:29 AM

Ha! In my day, we called this shagging.

That was decades before Austin Powers, though.

What stop signs?! In Detroit, they are pause signs at best during the BEST of weather. It'd be different if we had traffic.

**mkhopper** · February-12-10, 10:52 AM

Yep, good ol' leap on a random car leaving a stop sign and "shag" for a block or so. Invariably a cop would cruise the area after awhile, killing the game.

That activity was dangerous enough in itself, but this video blows past that mark.

No, they weren't going all that fast, but it's still snow covered streets with parked cars. If the guy being towed slipped and fell, the car behind would have an interesting time trying to not run the guy over, possibly sliding into other cars trying to avoid him.

**ndavies** · February-12-10, 11:21 AM

Nothing new here. Just another manifestation of a phenomenon know as urban snowboarding. Do a search and you'll find thousands of urban Snowboarding videos.

There are many ways to propel a snowboard. The snowboard magazines are full of different Urban boarding options. One of my favorite is Kite snowboarding. This works best on frozen lakes. Being towed by a snow mobile is great fun too.

They even make t-handled bungee cords so you can launch yourself onto stair railings.

Snowboarders are not known for their anti-risk awareness.

**Gutty** · February-12-10, 08:48 PM

Professional driver, professional cameraperson.

**seanredenz** · February-12-10, 10:15 PM

Darn tootin' we're good roll models! Beats the hell outa crack right?

**Bodybagging** · February-13-10, 08:51 AM

This brings back memories, when I was a teenager we couldnt wait until snow fell, usually about 3 in the morning we would head out and have at it..... Mind you this was 25 years ago and honestly we were alot more reckless and dangerous than that video . Amazed how any of us survived to be old men......lol

**markharrison** · February-13-10, 12:01 PM

Bumper skiing was fairly "popular" way-back-when [[50's-60's). It definitely made the "walk" to school a lot quicker! LOL! Wait for an unsuspecting motorist at a stop sign after a fresh snow, crouch down behing the car, grab the bumper, let go when you reach your destination. Hard soled dress shoes made great "skis" [[tennis shoes weren't allowed at school). Of course people didn't drive like total maniacs back then. They drove at speeds appropriate for the conditions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwSf63TSE0Q

**RealityCheck** · February-13-10, 04:25 PM

In Upper Manhattan, we adolescents climbed onto delivery truck tailgates or hung onto grab rails -- handy even when pavements were dry.

And helmets? Fuhgeddaboudit.

**Downriviera** · February-14-10, 11:32 AM

To make this more exciting, use Toyota's.

**Whitehouse** · February-14-10, 01:50 PM

We use tractors.

Here they eve try a jump.

Better pray for the return of the streetcar.

**Django** · February-14-10, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by mkhopper

Yep, good ol' leap on a random car leaving a stop sign and "shag" for a block or so. Invariably a cop would cruise the area after awhile, killing the game.

That activity was dangerous enough in itself, but this video blows past that mark.

No, they weren't going all that fast, but it's still snow covered streets with parked cars. If the guy being towed slipped and fell, the car behind would have an interesting time trying to not run the guy over, possibly sliding into other cars trying to avoid him.

Have you been on Elmwood? Many people would say its its safer bl;owin stop signs there cause your less likley to get jacked. Stop signs on Elmwood are mere suggestions.

seanredenz, Im assuming you have friends on Farnsworth?
Looks like fun, wish I had a snowboard and thought of it first.