Downhill Skateboarders Seek ‘Mellow’ 70 MPH In Western Massachusetts Competition

Racers ride a truck to the top of Whitcomb Hill Road in Florida, Massachusetts. Tim Delrosario-Rojas, second from right, won the championship race at the event. Photo by Ben James for NEPR

More than 60 downhill skateboarders convened in a quiet western Massachusetts town in June — coming from as far away as Spain, Australia, and Mexico — to compete in the first-ever Whitcomb Summit Downhill.

There’s a sign near the highest point on Route 2 in Florida, Massachusetts, that downhill skateboarder Jeff Molongoski, 54, has been contemplating for years. The sign says the road grade is 9 ½ percent for the next 2 ½ miles.

When workers carved the outrageously-steep Whitcomb Hill Road out of the mountain, none of them could have pictured the event that Molongoski and his son would host at the spot in 2019.

For the full story visit NEPR.