Archive for May, 2007
Today I drove out to the stadium parking lot and worked on 180s. It was nicely deserted and a little breezy. I forgot to grab the camera before I left, so no pics. Sorry.
The main thing I worked on was backside turns. I was working at a stop, just working on the turn using my shoulders to wind up for the spin. I then started trying by pushing off a bit. At first I couldn’t figure out how to keep rolling. I would totally loose momentum, and it was a kind of wide arcing turn. Then I discovered that it works best if you are riding backwards (at least for me). I guess you have to turn on the front in order to keep going straight!
Once I figured that out, I would begin by riding fakie, with my left foot on the tail end riding forward. Then I’d swing my back (right) foot around in front of me so I was riding regular. Then I would press down on the nose and swing my left foot around in front until I was riding fakie again. I discovered that it only takes a little bit of momentum to bring it around. It felt pretty natural after a while. So I did that for a while, going back and forth.
I am much more comfortable going from fakie to regular than the other way. I stepped off the board a few times, and only once did I hit the ground. And I got smacked in the shin a couple times, but for the most part I felt pretty good out there.
Then I started working on the frontside turns. I worked the same way as before, first at a stop, and then at a slow push. I felt pretty good after a little while, so I started trying to string together a few backside, then frontside, then back etc… I feel pretty good, going slowly, turning a few times, and then starting over. I felt better at fakie frontside turns. Something about the other way is really scary for some reason.
Well anyway, it was a good time, and I feel like I’m making some progress. That’s the best I can hope for right?
May 27th, 2007
Here’s the deck Pat gave me. It’s all kinds of rad.
I’m gonna go skate now. Today I will be working on:
- riding/pumping switch
- riding fakie
- front and backside 180 turns
I’m going to review the Skateboarding Explained DVD real quick, and then I’m out! What a beautiful day!
May 27th, 2007
This post has nothing to do with the process of learning how to skate. In fact, the ACT of skateboarding is sometimes an afterthought compared with the actual physical object of a skateboard as a work of art, and as something to covet.
Last night I received the coolest piece of wood I have ever owned. It’s a 1987 Powell Parelta Tony Hawk with Venture trucks and OJII wheels. This is the kind of thing, as a kid, I lusted for. I was a total poser, if you hadn’t figured that out yet. Much of my time was spent looking at skateboarding magazines and salivating over the artwork. I was never able to afford a “real” skateboard, so I was just jealous of those who could, and did the best I could with what I had. I guess I still am a poser, however, I am trying to remedy that situation.
Back to the deck- it’s in amazingly good condition for a 20 yr old board. It’s very similar to the one shown here, only it is sky blue instead of grey, with the Hawk skull design over a red Iron Cross. It’s got red Venture trucks on white risers, and blue and red wheels. The grip tape up top is cut in a geometric pattern, diamond-like.
I am the fortunate recipient of this setup thanks to a local musician who had a few too many laying around. I’ll take a picture tonight, and probably ride around a bunch now that the rain has blown off! Woohoo!
May 24th, 2007
Yesterday I had the unexpectedly cool opportunity to talk to none other than Dan MacFarlane! I had sent a quick note off to Skateboarding Explained to say “thanks for the DVD- it rocks” - and I got a reply from Dan himself! He offered some words of encouragement and will be linking here via www.myspace.com/skateboardingexplained.
He also said people would be checking my site out, so “you’d better get real good real fast … or else!” Just kidding, he actually said “People will enjoy this and I think it’ll even increase your drive to do well. Just take it trick by trick.” That’s sound advice. So as much as I am a product of our American instant gratification society, I will take my skateboarding edu-experience one day, one hour, one skill/trick at a time. Thanks Dan!
I also feel pretty guilty that, due to time restaints, I wasn’t able to skate at all yesterday despite the encouragement. If the weather holds out, I should be able to get a couple hours in tonight!
May 23rd, 2007
yesterday I got a DVD in the mail called Skateboarding Explained. In it, a skateboarding instructor named Dan MacFarlane lays out information in a simple and repetitive manner. It’s really pretty good. A little kid would be able to follow it easily. And so could I.
Dan breaks skating into a few categories and subcategories, and then starts out with the basics like: what is your natural stance, how to stand on the board, how to pump, etc… It was good to see that I have mastered at least a few of the basics, and at least a little scary and annoying how many of these things I have yet to learn, such as: riding switch, riding fakie, front and backside 180s. I can go straight but I can’t turn!
So I watched up to the section on ollies, then decided I had better do something rather than just watching hard tricks I don’t even hope to learn. I brought the board into the living room, and on the rug, practiced a few of the basic “getting used to the board” kind of things. Like: stepping on and off the board in stance, repeating switch, and doing nose and tail lifts. It was an exciting half an hour, but I think that I did come away with SOME increased comfort level around the board. Especially the nose, which I am leary of, and the idea of switch and fakie riding, which makes me nervous.
I wish I had taken some video of me in my living room, because I could have set a new low for entertainment value. Sorry!
May 22nd, 2007
Yesterday I had to go to STOP class, which was a complete waste of a beautiful spring Sunday. I took a sketchbook along and on the breaks I did some sketches. I was immediately whisked back in time to a place in my youth, sitting at my desk in my room copying skate graphics out of magazines and doing crappy pencil renderings of guys carving swimming pools. There was a time when I was pretty emersed in drawing that stuff, as well as copying artwork out of Cracked and Mad magazines, and drawing my future tattoo designs (which I have yet to commit to skin). (Looking up those links just now I was surprised how Mad looked like Mad, and Cracked just looked like some weird celebrity news site.)
Anyway, what I saw myself drawing was this:
It’s a self portrait of me kind of flying . I kind of look like a retarded flying horse. I should have added some kick-ass wings and a horn. Ok the point of this being that my mind was drifting and I was having a little fun. Then I decided I should draw up a poster design for the next Killigans show, so I started drawing a related theme…
A poster to look like the cover of Thrasher? Am I 14? The answer is yes. Somewhere inside my 30 year old, age-addled brain there is still a little teen ready to pop out and amuse me. Cool. Anyway- as I was drawing I was thinking that I thought Jay Ryan (awesome poster artist thebirdmachine.com) already probably did that poster with a bear, so I kind of stopped working on it.
Now that I look at both of those sketches together in the scanned versions, I am noticing how heavy my pencil lines are on certain areas. I need to work on that. It’s sort of embarassing how focused I am on my own ass!
OK- so the last thing I drew was a kind of “Slimeballs” inspired logo text for the above poster, to replace the Trasheresque logo idea. At least, in my memory it is Slimeballs realted. Cannot say for sure. What I can say is that after a quick google, I didn’t find any great sites to link to, and it doesn’t look as though Slimeballs even exist.
What does it all mean? Being locked in a room on such a beautiful spring day sucked. As an internet junky I was forced to amuse myself in other ways. My kid brain still likes to draw skateboard drawings. I am a geek.
May 21st, 2007
about my shoes- they are Nike SB that I bought at my friend Brant’s shop 2 years ago. Brant owns and operates Silo out in Grand Island, NE. He used to play bass in the Killigans. He’s a great guy, and always has great kicks. So anyway- the shoes are fine for riding! I always thought they were shitty for walking around in because the heel is so hard, but they are comfy to wear on a skateboard. I will probably wind up getting some new shoes sometime, but I think it’s a bit early to get too wrapped up in the fashion of skateboarding, don’tcha think?
May 19th, 2007
Here’s the skateboard I got. I bought it at Precision Skateboards, here in Lincoln. I think the kid who sold me the deck thought I was a freak. Perhaps I am. I was a bit scatterbrained when I walked in, so when I blabbed about nothing for 10 minutes he was very patient, then gave me some good information and advice, and sold me this complete. Nice kid. I wanted to talk to Phil, but he wasn’t in.
Today is a beautiful day. I got up aroud 9ish, took a look outside, and decided that I would start my summer off right. I rode out to the police auction to check out a scooter. It was at the impound lot about 2 miles from my house. I figured that a long ride would be a nice way to break in the deck and get me used to riding again. As I left the house, the neighbor girl said “I didn’t know you were a skateboarder.” To which I replied “I’m not. I just decided to learn how.” She looked perplexed. I expect I will see a lot of faces like that. Anyway, I set the board down and started riding.
I ride goofy foot (do they still call it that?) and after a few blocks I felt pretty comfortable about pumping and balancing my weight right, and having my feet set and, you know, not falling down. I forgot how futile pumping is, my neighborhood has rather shitty sidewalks, with lots of cracks, and few smooth areas, so it was a LOT of pumping to get downtown, the ride being slightly uphill. Once I got to the top of the hill, things were easier and I could just kind of relax and ride.
I had decided that I would ride home switch-stance because I want to be able to ride switch. It was slow going. Painfully slow and awkward.
After a couple of blocks I noticed that I was talking to myself. I was like, muttering to myself about how it’s important to learn this, and how I need to learn by doing, and using motivational speaker jargon. It was weird and funny, so I laughed and then I nearly got run over by a motorcycle because I wasn’t paying attention. Note to self- PAY ATTENTION!
I rode over this pedestrian bridge to get away from traffic, and was starting to feel a litte more comfortable. A little. As you will see in this next clip, I’m still painfully awkward and embarassingly uncoordinated when it comes to riding switch. I imagine it will take weeks or months to “get it.”
At the other side of the bridge I got extremely self-concious when this 20-something girl and her boyfriend kind of chuckled at my n00b skating. So I walked around at this farmer’s market thing, and ran into my mother-in-law and future sister-in-law. I told them how I was going to learn to skate. They were amused and confused but said I should take lots of video of myself getting hurt so people would be entertained and come back to the site. I said I would. Then I ate some lunch at OSO Burrito- by far one of my favorite places to get some grub.
By this time I had been walking around carrying the board for nearly an hour and I was tired and wanted to go home. So, I gave up on switch and just decided to ride fast home.
I was thinking about how much fun I had had, how satisfying the “click-clack, click-clack” was, what a great day it was, and how I had gone all day without eating shit, when I suddenly heard that “ERRERERgh” noise of the wheel stopping up on a little rock. Then I was on the ground. Note to self: see first not to self.
Yipee! My first bail. This was exactly ONE block from home, and in full view of a kid’s party, complete with one of those enormous inflated jumping things. I landed mostly in the grass, but managed to scratch up my hand a bit. I got a bruise on my elbow, and landed pretty hard on my right side, fortunately I was pretty well padded by my love-handle, so I don’t think there’s much damage. Thanks fat!
Now that it’s a bit later, the purple line in the middle of my hand is getting bigger and it’s kind of swollen. I hope I didn’t bust a blood vessel in there! No pain, no gain right? Skate or die, right? or Skate and die too?
May 19th, 2007
I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.
May 18th, 2007
