NW Scoot Competitions proudly presents the Ripzu Junior Jam presented by NW Scoot and ScooterDad!

Join us on Sunday, April 1st, 2012 at Ripzu Skatepark in Vancouver, WA for our first 12 and under competition as NW Scoot and ScooterDad present the Ripzu Junior Jam! This is a beginner competition with age divisions including 8 & Under, 9 & 10, and 11 & 12.

Entry fees are $30 for each division and those who pre-register (before Friday 3/30) on this website will receive a $10 discount. Each rider must enter the age division for his/her age as of April 1st, 2012. This competition is for riders ages 12 and under only, but everyone is welcome to come watch and enjoy the fun!

Well, if you haven't already heard, there was an unanticipated closure date for registration to Scooter Camp (hosted by Woodward) as of last Friday. That is, they have started telling people that if you weren't already registered by last Friday, then you'll be put on a waiting list and you may not get in. This is good news and bad news. The good news is that our sport is growing more than many people have anticipated and this year's Scooter Camp is going to be the biggest ever. The bad news is that this early closure of registration was unexpected and many people will be left out, some even having purchased plane tickets already.

If you're one of the campers who has already sent in your registration but has not yet received your camper packet, I highly recommend that you call Woodward (during business hours, 9AM-5PM Pacific) and confirm that you have been accepted. If there is an issue, the sooner you can address it, the better! Call Woodward at 661-822-7900.

It's time for another round of Ask ScooterDad! If you missed the first two installments, you can find them here: Volume 1 and Volume 2.

If you have any questions or topics you'd like me to cover, just let me know. Send me an email at kenny@scooterdad.com, post on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ScooterDadBlog, or message me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ScooterDadBlog. Look for more installments to come!

It seems that Hidden Internal Compression (HIC) systems are becoming more and more popular among freestyle scooter riders. This is because they are simple, cheap, and light compared to SCS systems, which we covered in another tutorial found here: Proto SCS Installation.

The HIC system uses a shim to extend the reach of the fork into the bars and prevent the fork from pulling out of the headtube. The tutorial video in this article uses a Lucky HIC composite shim, Lucky HIC bars, and Lucky HIC oversized clamp, but other HIC systems should work similarly. In terms of true HIC, we've been extremely happy with the Lucky setup.

110% Clothing is hosting a video clip contest ending March 1st. Send in a clip of yourself giving 110% on your scooter, motorcycle, BMX, skateboard, milking a goat, or whatever! As long as you're giving it 110%, you could win $110 worth of gear from 110% clothing! Keep video clips to 30 seconds or less for one trick or one stunt only, not a 30 second montage. Post it to the 110% Clothing Facebook page or email it to 110% Clothing at sales@hundredtenclothing.com.

Get your clips in by March 1st, 2012 and you could win! Contest open to US residents only.

Installing a Standard Compression System (SCS) clamp can be tricky if no one has shown you how to do it right. Even after you get your SCS installed, it can be challenging to get it locked down just right. When dealing with an SCS, the first and most important precaution you should keep in mind is to not let anyone that you don't trust mess with it. Often times, someone might be trying to help when they think they know what they are doing and they might accidentally wreck your $80 clamp. I don't let anyone else work on my kid's scooters not because I don't trust them, but because if I screw it up, then I have to pay for it. If someone else breaks a part, I don't want to deal with that awkward interaction of who has to pay for it.