So no, I have not landed any tricks yet and have not built the ramp, that is not why I am writing, but you can count on it once I do. So much so, when I can land one consistently I will even post video. In fact, before I do anymore boarding I might want to let this tendentious clear up in my left ankle which I think was caused from not stretching and then going out and pushing my board hardcore. So old guys, stretch before you do any major boarding. Actually, I get tendentious every time I go diving off the diving board at a swimming pool, been getting this since my twenties (so thinking this is not old man syndrome). Hopefully this will clear up soon, does not matter, I will probably practice a couple of tricks in the back yard and just grin and bear it this afternoon anyway.
My main excitement for the day is informational but factual at this point. Remember that I told you about skating a bowl at the Skate Park of Memphis (SPOM) back in 2002 I think it was. Well I had heard rumors that bowl was scooped up by some lucky local guy but I have not heard about it since until today. My good friend Don told me today that he needs to take me over to this house and skate this bowl. Just happens to be the same bowl that from SPOM and not only that, the lucky guy whose back yard it is in only lives with in walking distance from my house. How in the crap did that happen?? What luck, and Don says that he lets people skate it two days a week, they have cook outs and just fun times.
Ok, that is it, back to work people!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Landing Tricks and Mini Ramp Philosophy
Riding a skateboard after many years of not skating at my age of 37 is like never skating at all, ever, but that is for the first ten minutes or so, then you begin to remember little things like turns back and front side and how to pump down the street. Just pushing the board forward while one foot on the board and one pushes the street is challenging at first. I think the long board skate (designed to go down hills and around corners) I have helps that basic aspects of skating like turning, pumping and pushing because the shear size of the board makes it harder to handle than my smaller board. Then I started to try some small tricks on the longboard (shove-it's and no-comply's) which did not work out to well.
The board has a lot of velocity because of its size and weight which makes it very hard to land stuff or get the board to move around. That is why Rodney Mullen's smallish trick board is now the industry standard along with the skate style he represents. Which if you have followed his career then you know that Mullen was a free style skater in the 80's and then revolutionized the sport by switching to street skating inventing a whole new style in the 90's to present. You can find out more about Mullen by visiting him here. So before Mullen reinvented things there were wide boards doing various sloppy tricks that I can do, well, not me at the moment. But wait, what does that have to do with me now. I learned to do tricks on a board that is somewhere in between the longboard and the small Popsicle-stick that Mullen invented but with kind of a wacky shape Like here. My favorite board from that era was the Santa Monica Airlines - Natas Kuapas. I skated several other boards back then at different times but out of all of them the Kaupas boards were my favorite.
After I decided to get an additional board that I could do tricks with I had to decide on a board. I looked at many different models of boards and have actually through the years owned many different variations on the pop sickle stick. I did find a board or two, look at the EVO or the Bennet models, specifically the board dimensions Here and go to products. But the price is ridiculous, $60 for a board that might break because I am such a fat ass. Then finally I am rummaging around Paige Hern's warehouse in Little Rock (where he manufacturers skate decks of all kinds) and he had the Pool Boy laying around, so I picked one up with a few blanks and now I am in business. I copied the pool boy shape and if I need another I just cut out a new one. The blanks cost $13.00 and take about 40 minutes to an hour to cut out, sand, drill holes and seal. Here it is on the right. Looks like a pop sickle but is around the size of the old school boards, has Indy 169's and some Powell wheels, very nice!!
Ok, so I have had my fully build up trick board for five days now and I have not really landed anything notable. except maybe a shove-it or two. I am working on doing a trick and landing back on the board with out it zipping away from under my feet, which would hurt after I hit the ground. So you might see my apprehension in landing just yet. It will just take practice, some balls and maybe some pads.
What do I love most about skating?? Transitions!!! or you might know them as half-pipes, maybe you have heard of a mini-ramp, of course you do. My all time favorite thing I wished for as a kid growing up in Little Rock (16 yrs old) was a skate ramp in my back yard and a girl to make out with under it, which I had neither. So now that you are 37 you could at least have a skate ramp in your back yard, sweet!!! About a week and a half ago I started to research ramp building a little. I figured out that on my 10 X18 ft. back patio slab I could extend one end to 26.5 feet in length by changing the fence and spreading some gravel. These dimensions allow for a 3.5 ft X 24 ft mini ramp to be built. The idea really hit me when I was watching Steve Caballero in a recent skate contest which he competed in the masters and won. After the contest he was being interviewed and talked about how he had to practice by skating late into the night, burn the mid night oil (Steve is 46 BTW). That got me thinking, to skate something like a mini-ramp well then you need access to one at your own disposal to burn the mid night oil. Why not, it is your child hood dream and you know that Steve Caballero has probably five ramps in his back yard.
The cost is around $600 clams, I know how to build the ramp after studying three different plans and deciding on my own variation. The first order of business is changing the fence to accommodate the new dimensions of the patio. My Neighbor said I could use his tools. I just need capital, time and materials!!! There you go....
The board has a lot of velocity because of its size and weight which makes it very hard to land stuff or get the board to move around. That is why Rodney Mullen's smallish trick board is now the industry standard along with the skate style he represents. Which if you have followed his career then you know that Mullen was a free style skater in the 80's and then revolutionized the sport by switching to street skating inventing a whole new style in the 90's to present. You can find out more about Mullen by visiting him here. So before Mullen reinvented things there were wide boards doing various sloppy tricks that I can do, well, not me at the moment. But wait, what does that have to do with me now. I learned to do tricks on a board that is somewhere in between the longboard and the small Popsicle-stick that Mullen invented but with kind of a wacky shape Like here. My favorite board from that era was the Santa Monica Airlines - Natas Kuapas. I skated several other boards back then at different times but out of all of them the Kaupas boards were my favorite.
After I decided to get an additional board that I could do tricks with I had to decide on a board. I looked at many different models of boards and have actually through the years owned many different variations on the pop sickle stick. I did find a board or two, look at the EVO or the Bennet models, specifically the board dimensions Here and go to products. But the price is ridiculous, $60 for a board that might break because I am such a fat ass. Then finally I am rummaging around Paige Hern's warehouse in Little Rock (where he manufacturers skate decks of all kinds) and he had the Pool Boy laying around, so I picked one up with a few blanks and now I am in business. I copied the pool boy shape and if I need another I just cut out a new one. The blanks cost $13.00 and take about 40 minutes to an hour to cut out, sand, drill holes and seal. Here it is on the right. Looks like a pop sickle but is around the size of the old school boards, has Indy 169's and some Powell wheels, very nice!!
Ok, so I have had my fully build up trick board for five days now and I have not really landed anything notable. except maybe a shove-it or two. I am working on doing a trick and landing back on the board with out it zipping away from under my feet, which would hurt after I hit the ground. So you might see my apprehension in landing just yet. It will just take practice, some balls and maybe some pads.
What do I love most about skating?? Transitions!!! or you might know them as half-pipes, maybe you have heard of a mini-ramp, of course you do. My all time favorite thing I wished for as a kid growing up in Little Rock (16 yrs old) was a skate ramp in my back yard and a girl to make out with under it, which I had neither. So now that you are 37 you could at least have a skate ramp in your back yard, sweet!!! About a week and a half ago I started to research ramp building a little. I figured out that on my 10 X18 ft. back patio slab I could extend one end to 26.5 feet in length by changing the fence and spreading some gravel. These dimensions allow for a 3.5 ft X 24 ft mini ramp to be built. The idea really hit me when I was watching Steve Caballero in a recent skate contest which he competed in the masters and won. After the contest he was being interviewed and talked about how he had to practice by skating late into the night, burn the mid night oil (Steve is 46 BTW). That got me thinking, to skate something like a mini-ramp well then you need access to one at your own disposal to burn the mid night oil. Why not, it is your child hood dream and you know that Steve Caballero has probably five ramps in his back yard.
The cost is around $600 clams, I know how to build the ramp after studying three different plans and deciding on my own variation. The first order of business is changing the fence to accommodate the new dimensions of the patio. My Neighbor said I could use his tools. I just need capital, time and materials!!! There you go....
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Skate Boarding Again @ 37
When I returned from Aspen this summer I had a renewed sense of self and things I wanted to accomplish. Being in the mountains and surrounded by snow boarders, skiers, skaters and surfers renewed my interest in board sports all together. As soon as I got back to Memphis I ordered a long board skate and began to skate it on the street in front of my house. After skating a week in the very flat streets of my neighborhood I decided that I would invest in board that I could do tricks on. At the same time I decided on another skate, it also sparked the idea to build a mini half pipe in my back yard. So I have been working on building plans and material cost in the mean time. BTW - I think the few people who know think I am nuts for entertaining the idea of any of this.
The last time I skated I was 29. I would go to the Skate Park of Memphis (closed) and skate the 6ft bowl exclusively on Sunday Nights, it was old man night and the admission was only $5. I had to work my way into it but after one night of skating I was dropping in and doing front and back side grinds. I would go back and relearn 50 grinds, fakies and nose grabs, small stuff but quickly learned. Not bad considering the last time I skated transitions was when I was 18 or 19. Between the ages of 14 and 16 I skated a vert ramp all the time, was a decent vert skater who could do different small airs and many lip tricks. If I had stuck with it who knows but I went to boarding school when I was 17 instead where there was no place to skate ramp and very little street skating. When I got to boarding school I immediately picked soccer back up (literally my first day there) and went on to captain the team as a star left back for two years. I only visited my beloved board sport a few more times in my life time until lately. I have done other things. I spent most of my latter 20's racing road bicycles and running trails. My 30's were a disappointment, maybe I will get to writing that one day but I did try many different hobbies in there.
So here I am today riding my road bike like 7-8 hrs a week, hike anywhere and now I have a skate board interest. A skate board interest, that is all I will call it at the moment since I have not made any significant accomplishment with the board to date. I have had the long board in my grasps for several weeks now which I rode around my street for a week and a half then got bored with it a bit. Which I think is in part to the lack of any elevation change in my area. So I purchased a uncut blank from Paige Hern and cut my own shape, mounted trucks and wheels along with grip tape. So far I have skated it twice and have not landed any successful tricks as of yet. I did make my own home-made Indo or Balance board and have been practicing my balance indoors.
And let me admit: I tried to pick up skating maybe 4 years or so ago, I skated half dozen times and ended up giving my board to my little brother who skates. But my approach is different this time. I come at it with inspiration and aspirations to do something. I want to go back to that skate park in Aspen and be able to skate it, not just stare at it in admiration. I want to learn how to surf and snowboard now. Since I have been into the longboard I have met several people in the skating community, which finding there is a community of skaters out there is eye opening. There are even old guys like me who skate. Well, I have a lot of work to do......
The last time I skated I was 29. I would go to the Skate Park of Memphis (closed) and skate the 6ft bowl exclusively on Sunday Nights, it was old man night and the admission was only $5. I had to work my way into it but after one night of skating I was dropping in and doing front and back side grinds. I would go back and relearn 50 grinds, fakies and nose grabs, small stuff but quickly learned. Not bad considering the last time I skated transitions was when I was 18 or 19. Between the ages of 14 and 16 I skated a vert ramp all the time, was a decent vert skater who could do different small airs and many lip tricks. If I had stuck with it who knows but I went to boarding school when I was 17 instead where there was no place to skate ramp and very little street skating. When I got to boarding school I immediately picked soccer back up (literally my first day there) and went on to captain the team as a star left back for two years. I only visited my beloved board sport a few more times in my life time until lately. I have done other things. I spent most of my latter 20's racing road bicycles and running trails. My 30's were a disappointment, maybe I will get to writing that one day but I did try many different hobbies in there.
So here I am today riding my road bike like 7-8 hrs a week, hike anywhere and now I have a skate board interest. A skate board interest, that is all I will call it at the moment since I have not made any significant accomplishment with the board to date. I have had the long board in my grasps for several weeks now which I rode around my street for a week and a half then got bored with it a bit. Which I think is in part to the lack of any elevation change in my area. So I purchased a uncut blank from Paige Hern and cut my own shape, mounted trucks and wheels along with grip tape. So far I have skated it twice and have not landed any successful tricks as of yet. I did make my own home-made Indo or Balance board and have been practicing my balance indoors.
And let me admit: I tried to pick up skating maybe 4 years or so ago, I skated half dozen times and ended up giving my board to my little brother who skates. But my approach is different this time. I come at it with inspiration and aspirations to do something. I want to go back to that skate park in Aspen and be able to skate it, not just stare at it in admiration. I want to learn how to surf and snowboard now. Since I have been into the longboard I have met several people in the skating community, which finding there is a community of skaters out there is eye opening. There are even old guys like me who skate. Well, I have a lot of work to do......
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