http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Spirit Mountains/138/132/22
In honor of Kieran Broadmoor, who passed away the morning of December 26th, and was co-owner of the sim known as Diamondback. I am going to go into a bit more detail about my home sim. Let us bow our heads in remembrance of this great man who has brought so many people together in some very unlikely places. A teddy bear with a great heart and an even greater sense of humor. Known for pulling pranks on friends and taking simple questions and spinning them into hour long lectures. A great artist in his own right. May he rest in peace and let his dream of quality music and learning live on through foxxy.scorpio and nicholassiegel. (Please do not pepper them with questions as they have just lost a member of their family both rl and sl and they are grieving heavily while finalizing what happens after death. They DO NOT NEED TO BE BOTHERED!!!) With that said here is Diamondback...
When you arrive on the sim you are welcomed by a scenic view of a lake with a swan , some palm trees, a seal carrying a fish, a deck with a lovely seating area, and a bridge with smoke billowing from behind it and off in the distance mountains. Very picturesque. When you turn to your left you will notice that you will have the dj school and a radio station to the left side a bike mall straight ahead then to the left an MC board to the right. While I highly suggest taking the time to explore each of these areas very thoroughly as one will eventually have a memorial to the great Kieran Broadmoor no hard core details yet just confirmed rumors at the moment. As well as not just one but 2 of the shops in the bike mall makes custom bikes to fit your wants, needs, and tastes. Heard of boomer? Yeah he's one ;). But again I'm not going to waste your time on those frivolous things. So taking you back to the MC board. Here is the board that lists all the officers on duty in the MC and can help you if you have any questions or just want a sidekick to ride with. That's what they're there for so feel free to hit them up if they're online. Especially me I'm always down for a ride XD.
So as you get yourself set up to drive along side the MC boards ahead you will see a billboard with the track name and lava spewing from behind the bridge once you ride forward you will see a volcano. Interesting fact about said volcano it was once the cofounder foxxy.scorpio's club. A very romantic tale if ever there was one and if given the chance you should ask the lovely lady about it. Moving on I am going to warn ahead of time that none of this track came out of a box it was all done from the mind of nicholassigel himself. Including just over the bridge. He used the natural land to form it into the track, ingenious!
As you go through the winding tunnel you come to open air over the main land with a track of twists and turns. Definitely not a track for beginners or one who likes to hit the gas and go.
When you come to your next themed area it may come as a surprise to you if you are familiar with the founding couple at all. It is a country theme. Banjos and all beautiful hardwood for the road, and an amazing still for the center piece. I want some of what there cooking or even the gun leaning against the side ;D. Watch the haybales as you come to the first jump of the track.
Leaving the Country themed area of the track will send you into more open air and more challenging twists and turns. This time they have infused the jumps in with the twists and turns. A lot of 90 degree turns and u bends in this area if you don't know your bike you'll be wall bait for sure.
The next interesting part of this track is the black snake skin tunnel. All parts inside are the same texture so it absorbs any light making it difficult to tell exactly where you are headed and where you have been. Turns come right up on you so watch carefully.
After the Black Momba Tunnel you come to another patch of wide open air even more challenging than the last. Steeper hills along with loop de loops. Don't fear as there are ways around the loop de loops.
This next area is not for the feint of heart. It is a constantly revolving cube of red and black swirl. Along with that the marble of the track itself is also constantly moving. Several peices of the track swivel and unless you pay close attention you are apt to fall through the track. This by far is the coolest part of the track yet my least favorite as I am constantly being caught in the Diamondback Trap lol.
As we emerge from the mind boggling box we come to our first challenge track. This is just you simple oval track. It has the timer to show you speed and laps. It also has a board for placing the top speeds. I have been told there is something special and unique about this track but Ill let nicolassigel expose that story himself. moving on.
Again we are in open air with a more relaxed ride slowly gliding back and forth through several gentle spirals and lazy turns till it leads you to the snake wheels...
When you enter Snake wheels its ominous enough, a grey swerving tunnel, that leads to what looks like a hot wheels track! Straight ahead you can take the by pass or if you are brave unlike me who is still a newbie at this you can take the dogleg to the left and try your luck at the concoction of loop de loops and sudden turns that leads to more loop de loops and then some spirals. Me, Ill stick to the single spiral that leads up, giggle.
over the crest of the hill the scene dramatically changes into a snowy mountainous area. A slight turn and you come to an arrow on the ground directing you to either go straight or turn to the left. Straight will take you to the second Timed track and left will take you onwards and upwards. However, lets examine this area a little further before moving on.
When you drive forward there is a crop of trees to the left that hides a cute little sitting area then further forward you have the timed track. Unlike the last, which was the oval, this is a road track. Im not going to give all the details but I will say it is worth the trial to attempt it. I will leave you with this hint. You must hit all the check points or you will be disqualified and your lap will not count. Moving forward or going back depending on how you want to view the final destination of your travels we head back up to our next bit of track.
As we wind our way up out of the mountains we quickly come to our next point of interest. Here we discover the Casino Royale. The walls are a unique mixture of casino tokens giving a very classy vibe to the area. The entrance is lined with gold railing making you feel VIP the moment you enter.
After crossing the threshold things get even classier as the carpet turns into a red carpet and the walls the the track itself live up to the Diamondback name and Shed some skin for us to enjoy. Along the track you have giant dice, casino chips, cards, even a roulette wheel to work around. Yet, make sure to stop and look around while your here it is the tracks game room. There is a bowling alley, paint ball, a life sized board game, cards, even bumper cars! I left a few out too just so you can come discover them all. Its a great time here in the Casino Royale. There are times when Nicolassigel will even host an event here. The last one was a blast! So keep your eyes and ears open for the next one you might not know what the theme is going to be or where on the Sim it is going to be . While this area is full of fun and games don't let your guard down as you come around a turn a couple levels up you come face to face with a loop de loop. Again if this is not your thing fear not just hang a right and it will take you clear of it and on to safety. Hang tight a few more curves and past the roulette wheel and we take you to the next point of interest.
Right above the Casino Royale is you guessed it more games! Here we have Battle Tanks and a Demolition Derby for those of you who like to destroy the big toys XD. I will tell you they are a blast. So bring a couple friends and come smash and blow up some stuff, yeah. giggle.
Cough, cough. Excuse me had to clear the dust from my throat. Ok lets move on and leave the destruction behind. Or at least that's what you think as you move forward towards the next section of track encased in a caution box. Don't worry what doesn't kill you only will make you a better rider.
After you enter the caution box you see just why it is labeled as caution. Again this is a track that I prefer to take the detour to the right. I am so not skilled enough to take on the Rams Horn. It is a complicated work of art compiled of twists turns and loop de loops. I have watched masters of the craft of riding ride this monstrosity and it is beautiful. It is almost sad to leave this area it is so well designed. But alas we must move on.
We again have a time on open air track. its pretty lazy simple ride till you get higher in the ride then you start coming to the floating islands. Don't let these pretty floating baubles fool you. They are filled with crazy turns but beautiful hidden cuddle spots. It can be a pretty dark ride at times but never fear as in the life we live there are patches of light to lead us through. Don't be surprised if you get a little wet too. The top section has a real beautiful scene and stopping area. It has a waterfall and a scenic overlook. This is by far a favorite place of mine to sit and work on different projects that I have.
As you ride over the crest of the hill into the next area there is a large billboard with the Diamondback logo pointing to the left towards the dragstrip. The dragstrip is tucked away in the far left rear of the parcel. The reason it is so far away is that there is also several other finds located here. In this area you can find hill climbs, barrel racing, and a challenge course besides the dragstrip. Undertaking any of these challenges is no simple ordeal. I myself never got past the challenge course and I tried nearly every day for a month.
After riding your heart out on the challenge courses we move on. There is still more to see and a top to reach. Speaking of reaching we have now reached a very special place in the track. When you come over the hill through the wall of blue what you see will speak for itself. This is the awareness part of the sim. Each little building is a memorial to certain specific, special, organizations that we support both in SL and out. Each one listed is something that is close to home to the Diamondback family. While riding through this area give a moment to inspect each little home and read up on each disability.
After finding our way to the top of the area we come to the next section of open sky. More tight curves and a few steep hills with some jumps.
Next section you come to is preceded by a concrete tunnel. Unlike the black mamba this tunnel is lit and is a nice gentle ride with simple curves headed to the top of the section.
The end of the tunnel will reveal a fenced off area with grave stones and such. As you can determine this is the memorial for fallen riders and friends. There is even a dedication to 911. Please be respectful as you pass by and send a prayer in your way to those we all have lost. v.v . As we follow the road around there is a rest area to stop at and explore. Climb the mountain using the trail circling it or sit by the fire and warm yourself. Take as long as you need.
When you are ready to move on we will ascend above the church and the trees and Mountains climbing ever higher and gracefully jumping some interesting jumps. There are some that even seem to over lap. An incredible piece of work on display here for track building. As we climb higher into the sky there are more alcoves where you can stop and have a picnic or hunker down with that loved one and snuggle, but alas we must climb even higher for we still have more to go.
The next area we come to after the open air is the Sandy Bottoms Beach. Over the rise and a curve you will come to your first real crossroads to continue up you take a right to the beach we go left. Lets say we go left and check out this attraction. With a parking lot to set your bike you are free to wander the boardwalk. There is a deck set up for Concerts and waves that splash gently on the shore giving that romantic vibe. Its a relaxing place to just lay and enjoy the environment. If its privacy your wanting this is the perfect spot to hunker down with that sweet someone.
If we continue with our ride we continue along a wooden slat road in the environment of a lightly clouded sunset. Beautiful for a drive. With the palm trees in the background we tarry on down the track or up I should say lol.
The next section is connected to the last section so no open sky this time. Instead we go from beach to desert. A place called Desert springs. If there was any place to remind you of wryly coyote and Roadrunner this is it a circular area with falling debris. as you make the first right turn into the area you are given the choice to turn either right or left and both directions will take you to the same place up. Watch out for the sign to lead you up its a hidden turn tucked away to the side of a plateau. as we get higher into the sky the road changes from dirt to snow. careful not to slide .
as we rise above the desert the track turns blue and atm is covered in snow. Off in the distance is a scenic mountaintops view. The track gets a little tricky at this part with tight turns. After coming up the double hump to a slight turn to the right you will find yourself at another tunnel. Its a short tunnel that lead up to a gas station, several ridables, and then there is Rock Star.
As you can tell you have reached the top. There is even a photo sign to the left of the tunnel to prove that you have survived the Diamondback track. Now is the time to stay and explore. Here we have like I said several ridables including a hamster ball. The best part is the fairy garden leading into Rock Star. It is beautiful. Out of the mind of foxxy.scorpio this garden is a unique work of art. with animals wandering around at different seasons to fairies playing she has out done herself as a gardener.
Then amidst the beautiful fairy ruins there be Rockstar. Not just a club but also a Rock Museum dedicated to Rock and Roll hall of famers. Each month or so the owners of Rockstar will change a display dedicated to a particular Rockstar. If there is one that you would like to see you can contact either foxxy.scorpio or nicholassigel. Another wonderful aspect of Rockstar is that it also houses several Dj's from SL's hall of fame. To find out more please stop in and say hello. Don't forget to mention how you heard about the track, Dj School, and of course ROCKSTAR. XD. As always have a great week and now that the holidays are over I should have more time to dedicate to pushing out tracks you will find interesting. Ride on and be safe.
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