Reservations will be required, and our pass holders will get priority access. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is warning teens about the dangers of snow 'skitching.' There are a number of other terms that are used to describe the act of skitching. Chapter 3: Skitching Picture this… it’s a cold winter day in Massapequa. Also, if the driver of the motor vehicle is unaware and suddenly realizes that there is a person hanging from the side or back of his car, he may become distracted in a manner that could lead to an accident, potentially injuring many people including the skating hitcher. Also, one of the reasons that skitching is used in urban areas is that it can accelerate a skater's commute from one place to another. "Bumper shining" and "bumper hitching" are also terms that are used to describe skitching. Many people still "ski-hitch" with rope tows and snowmobiles, but this is a far cry from the thrill of grabbing the bumper of a passing stranger. It's called ``hopping cars'' in Philadelphia, ``bumper-hitching'' or ``shagging'' in Detroit, ``skitching'' along the Eastern Seaboard. From the sounds of things, it is a good thing we chose not to skitch! What Does the Phrase "Playing Hooky" Mean? Any sudden stops and you're in trouble. The pure form of skitching reached its heyday in postwar America; cars were plentiful, winters were relatively snowy, teenagers had plenty of leisure time. When I was in high school, a kid that went to my high school actually died doing this. Daily Herald File Photo A car sits stranded in the Des Plaines area from the major snowstorm that hit in 1970. The pure form of skitching reached its heyday in postwar America; cars were plentiful, winters were relatively snowy, teenagers had plenty of leisure time. .. 'Skitching' is an illegal and dangerous act where people ride a snowboard, skis or sled while being pulled by a car. Learn More , opens in a new window. And so sadly, skitching has become predominantly a summer time sport, done with skateboards and bicycles in city streets, alleys and parking lots. Please click here for the main SkierNet.com page. I am not sure if there was something on TV about it or not. So why on Earth would someone match a 2018 Cirrus 820 truck camper with a 2006 PistenBully Edge Snowcat? Then there's one of my brothers near Newark. good memories! Last Modified Date: December 16, 2020. I really don't have a problem with anyone skitching onto my car, as long as I am aware they are doing it. Think of a snowcat as a highly specialized non-military tank designed for deep snow and ice and you get the picture. Please click here for the main SkierNet.com page. It only takes a split second for something to happen though, and their life could be changed forever. It is also sometimes commonly referred to as Bumper Hitching. This is neither instructional nor supportive of this sport. The game puts the player in control of an inline skater who has to ride his inline skates while holding onto cars, bikes, and trucks (an act called skitching). For your safety, we are managing on-mountain access this season. The "pure" form of snow skitching -- grabbing a bumper and riding on one's heels -- is believed to have originated in urban areas in northern New York; probably cities like Buffalo with regular snowfall. Those kids thought they were just going to have some fun and one of them ended up dead. (Most parents and police departments are glad about that). Children do this by waiting at stop signs to grab onto unsuspecting cars while they stop and being dragged while sliding their feet on the snow. I saw a young girl skitching behind a truck in Manhattan on television. @Esther11 - I'm surprised the young woman hasn't been arrested yet, if she skitching around Manhattan everyday. No skateboard, bike, rollerblade, inner tube, sled or any other variant people seem to want to include should be associated with this activity/sport. Wikibuy Review: A Free Tool That Saves You Time and Money, 15 Creative Ways to Save Money That Actually Work. Of course this sport was much easier in the ’70’s when bumpers looked like this… Look at all the great spots to grab a hold of on the back of that beauty! Salt trucks hardly ever came down, spending most of the time on the busier main streets. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is warning teens about the dangers of snow 'skitching.' This same scenario was experienced by Pat Quigley and his buddies in New Jersey and was referred to as "skitching." The term has been expanded to include variations on the original form named by some crazy kid in the secluded Winter months in Laconia NH in the 70s. Saved from youtube.com. Officers say they have had reports of kids riding their skateboards in the middle of the streets at night, as well as skitching cars and that’s what they are trying to prevent. The form itself predates automobiles. The skitcher grabs the bumper, flexes his or her knees, and skates through the snow on their heels. My friend got on a skateboard, and my other friend drove the carve. Most teenagers think they are invincible anyway, and skateboarding is very popular. It is sad to think of all the people who die on account of trying things like this. As long as snow is on the ground and a car is passing by, kids grab bumpers and go along for the ride. Diane has a B.A. The person who is in the act of skitching is not inside the motor vehicle and is, instead of using his own muscles to propel himself forward, "hitch" a ride using … Similar to Road Rash, you control an inline skater who can hold onto the bumper of a passing car (hence the term "skitch") to gain a leg up in the competition.Other racers can also skitch on the same car as you, meaning you will have to fight them off. (2) the act of being dragged from the rear bumper of a vehicle during winter months when there is a lot of snow present. Box 975, 4 Clarkson Ave., Potsdam, NY 13676 315-265-1000 [email protected] In any case, the speeds of today's front wheel drive and four wheel drive vehicles are much higher than the slip and slide rear wheel drive of the 1950s-1970s, so the risk to life and limb is much greater. There are similar practices that involve the use of a bicycle and, in some cases, an inner tube (which is used on snow-covered streets) that are similar to the practice of hitching a ride while skating. Furthermore, in these sorts of areas, there is a great deal of starting and stopping. It was a horrible mess and pretty much ruined their family forever. Screw that cold and snow Moved to Havasu 20 years ago Denver Post article examines the "sport" of skitching, in light of a Colorado teenager who was killed while skitching on pavement with a skateboard. We'd wait between parked cars and jump out to grab onto bumper for days after big snowstorms, as certain neighborhoods and streets got plowed dead last, every time. an M.A. A bike grabbing the side of a car in NYC surely wouldn't be ski/hitching (skitching) due to the absence of snow. I would strongly caution anyone who is thinking about trying this to think twice. When we were kids growing up in a small town, we would do some snow skitching in the winter. We still had a lot of fun rollerblading and skateboarding down the hill without grabbing onto a car. Cars would stop at one of the 4 signs as a 2-3 of the boys would crouch down and sneak up on a vehicle. My friend lost his grip and ended up rolling down the hill and into a bush. As cars went along the snow laden streets, they would leave a rut and, after several cars, a nice snow packed rut was in … (2) the act of being dragged from the rear bumper of a vehicle during winter months when there is a lot of snow present. In northern Indiana it's ``hooky-bobbing.'' In addition to her work as a freelance writer for wiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of His brother was driving the car, and he ended up going to jail for manslaughter. Skitching is the act of hitching a ride on a vehicle while riding/using a non-motorized wheeled device (e.g., skateboard or bicycle). Skitching is a dangerous and illegal activity; do not attempt it. Skitching, which may be a combination of the words "skating" and "hitching," is the act of holding on to a moving vehicle while wearing roller skates or riding on a skate board. If the skitcher is injured, the driver would feel just awful, even though it wasn't his fault. It can be harmful to your health and possibly result in death. If I was driving down the road and suddenly saw someone skitching on my car, it would make me very nervous. ©North Country This Week P.O. In its basic form, skitching is as easy as finding a slippery, snow-covered road or parking lot, and a passing car bumper. Basically my one friend held on for dear life while the car moved up a hill. Although the practice is still very dangerous, a person who is skitching is likely not to be pulled at much higher speeds that are likely to be reached on highways, freeways, and open roads outside of cities. Skitching is the act of hitching a ride on a vehicle while riding/using a non-motorized wheeled device (e.g., skateboard or bicycle). Skitching (abbreviated from "skate-hitching", pron: /ˈskɪtʃɪŋ/) is the act of hitching a ride by holding onto a motor vehicle while riding on a skateboard, roller skates or bicycle. It's a dangerous thrill, and some children are learning that the hard way. Low chrome bumpers of the 1950s and 1960s were easy to grab hold of, and real wheel drive ensured that speeds wouldn't be too excessive on a snow-covered roadway. I've actually never heard of this term despite living in a city for a few years. the gold standard was getting a skitch off the bumper of a squad car. After hours trapped in the house watching Bugs Bunny & The Bowery Boys… the Baldwin Boys are itching for some action. I feel sorry for the driver of the vehicle who is unknowingly pulling the skitcher. My friends in high school saw a skitching video and decided it would be cool to try out. This is only conjecture based on known stories of the activity; the exact origin will likely never be known. Depending upon which model year you get, your Jeep Compass will have a 2.0 L, 2.2 L, or 2.4 L engine, all of which are powerful enough to get you and your crew over and through any snow drifts you could ever hope to encounter. This can also be done with a skateboard or roller skates in urban areas where there is no ice or snow. Even this is rarely seen these days; liberal use of salts and efficient plowing has greatly reduced the the opportunities for ski-hitching. Schools are closed for a “snow day“ cuz a blizzard dumped 18 inches on us. While early motorcars were certainly used in place of a horse in some places, it was usually done with use of a rope and skis. Snow Skitching is an entirely different form of hitching a ride on a car than with a skateboard or rollerblades. If she does this every day, the law of averages are going to catch up with her. A skitcher trying to get across town quickly might alternate between skating and skitching when possible. Motorcyclists rely so much more on their balance, I can just see a skitcher throwing them off by a bit too much and causing a huge accident. Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. Still a bad idea though. Snow in the 1970s undoubtedly created many snow days from school. I really think that skitching should only be done when everyone is aware of what's happening. Although this sounds totally dangerous, I can see the appeal for teenagers. Skitching=hanging on to rear bumper of car to see who could go the fastest on their feet on snowy road. We rendezvous with the neighborhood crew in golf course parking lot. Spills and Thrills Without a Hitch Skitchin' is a video game for the Sega Genesis, developed and published by Electronic Arts in 1993. It is also sometimes referred to as bumper hitching, bumpershining, poggying, or bizzing, skidhopping, bumper jumping, and hooky bobbing, the latter four referring primarily to the equivalent done on icy or snowy streets without a skateboard or roller skates, but skitching does not include a snowboard; the proper wording for that is snitching. Skitchin' was a rollerblading race and stunt video game from Electronic Arts released for the Sega Genesis in 1994.. That can be incredibly dangerous. Skeeching was grabbing on to the rear bumper of a moving car and letting it pull you, your shoes or boots sliding on top of the snow-covered streets. Manhole covers and underpasses were the two biggest hazards of skitching. This compact SUV is one of this American automaker’s first crossover. In addition to being very dangerous, skitching is also illegal in many places. Unfortunately they weren't very good at it and had a bit of a skitching accident. Smooth molded car bumpers, front wheel drive and well-maintained winter roads have made the pure form of skitching an endangered pasttime. I have seen so skitching videos where people grab on to cars and the drivers don't know it. Did the ice fishing and snowmobiling and donuts in the snow. I think most skaters realize that it’s dangerous to do those things and would have no problem with those two things being against the law. Their three major reasons to "Catch a … [1] Theory: Skitching is a great way to maximize efficiency. We had quite a few big hills in our neighborhood, so there was really no need to skitch because you could go almost as fast by yourself. What Are The Best Used Cars For The Snow? Everyone knew what was going on, including the driver of the vehicle. It’s a snow tank, minus the weaponry. 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