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......
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