A bit of History:
XSS is a bit of an old monicker for the club. XSS originally had no name, and started during the first week of October 2006, when a chance meeting between Kim Edwards an Timmy Peters outside the civic centre. Over the ensuing weeks, much skating was done until Si McHendry, who met Kim during a night out, also joined. Longboarding continued, and the three of them built confidence, did some silly hills and generally had a good time. After a year or so there were more skaters involved, and regular sessions happened on wednesdays. The idea was voiced that there should be a club, so Xtreme Street Sports (XSS) was prepared for the fresher's fair in October 2007. We weren't a real Uni Club, we just turned up and did it!
Over 150 signups later the club had enough support to be pitched to the AU at the end of the year. The Pitch, and continual networking by Craig Barrett, secured us a place as the first new AU club for over 2 years. Timmy and Kim had run as co-presidents for the preceding year, but the AU structure and an increased workload meant Timmy took over running the club during its first full year of 2008-2009, backed by Craig as Secretary, and Tom Boughen as Treasurer. Regular sessions, good attendance and general enthusiasm mixed with sponsorship from Lush Longboards and the Hobbit Pub powered us through this first year,
2009-2010 Saw a swap of committee, a swap of sponsors (to the shooting star and Longboard Source) and a general increase in attendance both of new members and members to events. Success at appeasing the AU meant another successful year, which saw a big boost in longboarding across the whole country, with XSS busy-body Timmy helping to organise a Hog Hill, a 3-crew multi-discipline outlaw and later an outlaw league race.
2010-2011 was the first year we got money from the uni - 2 sets of Bullet kneepads and a Lush Kilima. Massive commitment from new and seasoned riders has upped everyone's riding in the city - we're in a position where many local riders affiliate with us outside of practice sessions and the club is now a centre for longboarders in the Southampton area to come for advice, coaching, and just to hang out and have a rad time. XSS riders have represented in all the outlaw races this year (with a couple of podium positions) the IGSA Bo Peep race, where XSS riders took both first and second in the Women's race. As well as numerous forays into European freerides!
2011-2012 is shaping up to be a BIG year. A Fresher's Freeride on a closed hill has already been booked for October, and plans are big. Watch this space.
2010-2011 was the first year we got money from the uni - 2 sets of Bullet kneepads and a Lush Kilima. Massive commitment from new and seasoned riders has upped everyone's riding in the city - we're in a position where many local riders affiliate with us outside of practice sessions and the club is now a centre for longboarders in the Southampton area to come for advice, coaching, and just to hang out and have a rad time. XSS riders have represented in all the outlaw races this year (with a couple of podium positions) the IGSA Bo Peep race, where XSS riders took both first and second in the Women's race. As well as numerous forays into European freerides!
2011-2012 is shaping up to be a BIG year. A Fresher's Freeride on a closed hill has already been booked for October, and plans are big. Watch this space.
