Structure and Getting High

I was talking with a good friend of mine and he made a comment about how back in the day, when we would skate, it would be much more structured. How many stairs can you ollie? Kickflip? 180, fs and bs? Can you grind this curb? How many which ways can you do that? Want to skate a manual pad? Ok, manual, nose manual, 180 out, shove it out, etc, etc.

Nowadays, I can say we're far more relaxed with what we do skating wise. For me, I just do what feels natual at whatever location I'm in. If I'm near a ramp, I might pop up my board, grab it with my hand and jump back on; something I would never do back in tbe day. The tricks I do today are far less aggrivating and painful than what I used to do. I get these weird, flat land,old school, I don't know what to call them, things that I do, and I just do them. No name for these tricks, as far as I know and I don't see anybody else doing them.

I'm in it for the feeling, that high of landing that trick or pulling through those speed wobbles and making it down that hill. The high that skating gives keeps me coming back, but it also keeps me moving forward. It can't be duplicated by doing the same thing over and over. You have to use your mind and your resources to come up with a new way of achieving that high. Carving frontside in the bowl, late night hill bombs in the neighborhood, rolling in the deep end at Pinckneyville; All super fun ways to get high without "drugs."

I took Marta to skate black box last weekend. That was fun. I was out for an adventure. I hit a couple things on the way. The manual pad at the Lofts, if they're still called that, is unskateable now. There's some damn metal pipes running down the top of it. Sucks. Just fyi to bum you out at the end of this post. Later..

Fall Weather

Well I got up this morning to find it very cool out and decided to go for a walk to the river after breakfast. The cooler air, low humidity, and cloudless blue sky brought thousands of old memories into my brain. I remembered lots of skating memories in similar weather. Lots from high school actually and a few from college. The one that stuck out to me is this time I ollied the signs gap ledge back when I was a sophomore at GSU.

Just to paint the picture, this was when I was working at UPS and had my Dodge Dakota. I don't know how we arrived at the signs gap ledge, but I do remember that I had left alone so that means that someone else drove there too. We were rolling pretty deep, as we always did back then. I don't recall everyone that was there, but I know Thuong, Nolan, and probably Danny and a few others were there too.

The signs gap is this tall ledge with one of those guard rail things you see on the side of the road on the outside of it. To do the gap, you have to ollie over the guard rail and then it is a straight drop down to the ground. You don't need much speed to clear it, but you definitely need a little to get over the guard rail.

Just to blow out the spot, it is behind the shopping center on 29 and sugarloaf, where the winn dixie used to be.

I'm pretty sure Nolan got it first try and was trying to kickflip it. I was dressed up in my fall attire; my red flannel, khakis and my black and green vans sk8-his. I was riding my Powell board. It was the Jordan Hoffart On and Hoff switch board I got at Discover Mills. I bailed on the ledge a couple tries and it was really hurting my feet so I knew I had to land it. I really wanted it too. So at some point I go for it and stick it. It felt great and was a great accomplishment in my book of tricks I never got filmed.

Afterwards, when it started getting dark out, I remember leaving to go trip with some friends from work. It was a pretty heavy trip and I remember listening to some old Triple Six from their Smoked Out Locced Out album. Krank dis bitch up and victim of this shit are the two best songs on the album and listen to them if you can. It's low quality, but whatever.

I don't remember if anyone else got it that day, but Thuong may have. If anyone else remembers this day, feel free to add on.

Fetishization of Skateboarding

Some people are into all aspects of skateboarding. Mainly media about skateboarding. Things like super slow mo and things along that nature. I don't understand it. It might just appeal to a younger crowd, but I don't find any joy in watching a super slow mo or a ramped slow mo with that sound that goes with it. 

People fetishize the damn VX-1000 too, what the hell is up with that? It's a freaking camera ...get over it. It's probably the weed they're smoking. All these things annoy the hell out of me. I don't like that stuff. It is a part of skateboarding I don't like. 

When I'm watching a skate video, I just want to see raw footage edited up to a kick ass song. Music of all kinds interest me, I'd love to hear a part edited to a classic or some song I've never heard. I have really learned a lot about music from watching skate videos. They turned me on to all kinds of music I would have never heard otherwise. I've already written about that though. 

That is about all I can think about right now and yes, I realize I am a hater, but this is what I think, like it or not. 

Shaped Decks

If you've been following skateboarding recently, you'll know that shaped decks have made a comeback. The dominant popsicle shaped deck that has been around since probably the early 90's has some competition and I have first hand experience with one.

Since first finding out about Welcome Skateboards, I have been interested in the return of shaped skateboards. I watched videos of the Welcome team straight killing it with their own unique style and was amazed. I still rode a popsicle board until it became unridable and my friend hooked me up with a Welcome skateboard.

Through first seeing it, I thought it would be hard to ride. First of all it being a 9.5 incher (width) and I was used to riding 8.4, 8.5 boards, but once I got on it, it felt perfect. All the extra room on the board for my feet felt great. The squared out tail and small nose didn't actually affect my tricks that much at all. I kickflipped on it second try. That's about it for flip tricks. I can't really do nollie flips or tre flips these days anyways; too much effort.

Since starting skateboarding, I had a 7.5 inch, 7.75 inch, 8 inch, 8.25 inch, 8.38 inch, 8.4 inch, and 8.5 inch, and now this 9.5 inch. I have never regretted getting a bigger board size, and this shaped Welcome deck is of no exception. The shape may throw some people off, but it is essentially a normal board, just a bit bigger.

I thought it would be hard to skate one of these, but it is really easy. I could still do all my transition tricks in the bowl and mini at Bay. I think the change of pace from skating the same old thing is what does it for me. It just feels fun to ride. I highly recommend getting one. The only thing about this set up is that I am using the same trucks. Trucks should generally be about as wide as the board is. I have just been lazy about getting larger trucks mainly because I am happy with how these ride. Eventually I am sure I will get some larger ones, but these ain't broke so there's really no reason to fix them.

Anyways, go out and get a bigger board, you won't regret it!

Skateboarding Ruined My Life

Skateboarding ruined my life. I read all these articles about how skateboarding saved people's lives because it kept them out of trouble from the rough neighborhood they lived in. 

For me, I lived in a pretty decent neighborhood growing up. It got pretty bad in later years so we moved out, but I always stuck with my friends and I never really saw the decline of the neighborhood that well. 

As far as skateboarding goes, it completely took over my life. It became a fixation. All I would do is think about skateboarding. I would read about skateboarding in skateboarding magazines. I would watch videos of skateboarding, over and over again. I would search skateboarding on the internet until I eventually began to make my own skateboarding videos. 

It's not all bad though. Those skateboarding videos that I would watch introduced me to new types of music and songs that I would probably have never heard had it not been for these videos. 

You could say skateboarding kept me out of trouble, but I was never really one to get in to trouble. I'm not saying I was a saint, but I was at least smart enough to not get caught. Sure, we'd run into administrators when we skated Trickum and get the cops called on us if we were street skating. We'd either run away or just get told not to skate here anymore. 

And growing up we didn't listen to punk rock. I had never even heard of it till probably some time in high school. We grew up listening to rap. Crunk rap from the ATL. We'd listen to Lil Jon and Dem Franchize Boyz. 

Lil' Jon and the East Side Boyz - Throw It Up, Youngbloodz - Presidential

I now realize that that music mostly sucks, except for a few classic tunes, but it was also probably the reason why I skated so slow. I looked up to the early 90's skaters and their style throughout high school. They all had tiny wheels and got mad technical on curbs. 

I gave up technical skills for speed. I used to be the manny pad king, now I just want to ride down hills and get my transition skills up. 

Maybe "ruined" isn't the best way to describe what skateboarding has done to me. It has made me who I am today and like an addict, I can't live without it. 

If you have free time go look up "Antiheroes Anonymous" on youtube. Antihero did a skit mimicking AA and replaced alcohol with skateboarding. It is genius. 

I can't really say skateboarding is a problem though. It is a healthy activity that promotes creative thinking, and athletic ability. 

How It Works If you want what we have to offer, and are willing to make the effort to get it, then you are ready to take certain steps. These are the principles that made our recovery possible: 

1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 

3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 

4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 

5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 

6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 

7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 

8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. 

9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 

10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 

11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Doing Nothing

Doing nothing is a great activity. Doing nothing can help you think about what you need to do. I don't recommend doing nothing all the time, just from time to time. You can think of doing nothing as a time for reflection. I'm not talking about sitting in front of the TV with a beer, I'm talking about sitting in a quiet room and just thinking. Nothing to distract you. A book might be ok, but we're here for some thinking time. Time to plan for the future. You can play some music or go for a walk. That might be ok. 

There is only a certain amount of stuff you can do before you need time to rest. Learning to just be is the key. Find happiness in nothing. Let your mind take you places you've never been. Daydream about driving that sports car or that cute girl you've been talking to. If you can activate your imagination strong enough, you can manifest those thoughts into something real. Learn to forget your troubles, they probably don't exist anyways. Are you in debt? Well, just think about how much money the government owes. Way more than you. 

If you don't have a job, make the most of your free time. If you have a job, be thankful you're making money. Sit there and think about what you should really do. Stare at the wall until you notice all the different colors in that white paint. It may take some time, but when you have that epiphany, get busy!

Find a way to make it happen and don't be scared of change. Whether it's skateboarding, shopping, or going for a road trip, branch out. 

Do nothing if all you do is something; Do something if all you do is nothing. 

June 21, 2015 - Summer Solstice, Father's Day, and Go Skateboarding Day

June 21, Go Skateboarding Day: It seems a bit redundant to me. I think dedicating a whole day to skateboarding as an "official" holiday defeats the purpose of riding a skateboard altogether. Now that there's a day to go out and skate, it makes me not want to. Just like Summer, or Saturdays, those are the designated "fun" days and if you don't go out and do it big, you're blowing it. It's like a skatepark appearance is mandatory.

I am probably the minority opinion on this stance, but I imagine there are others out there like me. Maybe I just like to remain low-key. I might skate today, just like I might any day, but I'll live today according to my own rules, not some made up holiday just because other people are.

Maybe my spirit is in the wrong place, but I don't believe it is. What I believe is you should make every day your own by doing something new, something you haven't done before. Get out and skate just because everyone else is? I don't think so, I'll stay in (until I get too antsy and have to go skate).

Like April 20th for pot heads, stoners mark a day to smoke weed all day, I suppose "holidays" such as these are meant for people who don't get to do their chosen activity whenever they please due to work or other obligations.

Go Skateboarding Day is a day for people to skateboard who don't skateboard. It is their time to get in on the fun and enjoy it.

 This is obviously a pretty pessimistic approach on my part for thousands of people to get together and organize an event all over the country (and world?) in the name of skateboarding. I applaud the organization and following behind it, yet don't think it is for me.

Texas Plant, The

The Texas Plant is the funnest foot plant move that I can do. It seemingly a bit complex at first, but once you get it, is super easy. This is one of my moves that I plan to learn at Bay Creek. (Still can't get it anywhere but Pinckeyville, although I don't really try).

The Texas Plant involves putting your back foot on the ground as you shoot out of your desired transiition and grabbing indy, but with your front hand (is that slob?) and then grab your tail with your back hand and jump back into transition. I do them frontside. I don't know if it's the same trick with a backside jump.

I learned this one from watching videos of Raney Beres. I first noticed he did them and they looked awesome, so I decided to learn them.

An easier version of this trick is the Fastplant. I learned this one first and did it for a couple years, but is nowhere near as fun, yet is essentially the same thing as the Texas; the grabbing is the only thing different. You shoot out the transition with front foot on, back foot on ground, and grab indy (with your back hand) and jump back in.

Not sure if I will ever take these tricks to bigger tranny, but the idea is certainly entertaining.

New Friends, Old Friends, and Helping Others

Well the stars definitely aligned this Friday night, maybe it is the magic of a new board; No, it is more than that. The people that allowed for this to happen are the real reason for this post. People in your life can be a blessing or a curse. The trick is to surround yourself with good people and the bad ones seem to fade. I think I am beginning to master this very well.

Tonight I had an amazing sesh and everything seemed to go right. It was chill, yet driven. It is a refresher from the monotony of my daily life. Reaching out to different people can leave you in places you never even imagined. I have some very good people in my life and I am grateful for that. Everybody is someone you can learn from. They have an entire life you know nothing about, even if you have known them for years. From the struggles of paying the bills and providing for a family to seeking fame and fortune from your favorite pastime, people are in your life for a reason and you should listen to them. They are probably trying to help you. I say probably because if you believe everybody is in on some scheme to try to help you, then you may have pronoia, the opposite of paranoia.

Skateboarding is where I belong in this world, yet have been dragged this way and that to conform to society's way of life and I have learned from this. There is only one thing to do: Follow your dreams.
 I am either hopelessly addicted to this lifestyle, or there is a god in the sky and his name is skateboarding.

There are always going to be problems and things to do, but if you put what is important in front, then you are going to succeed. Some people shy away from what they want, but not me. I am going after what I want out of life.

Meeting up with the people I met at the skatepark today shedded (and shredded) new light into my life and I have only encouraged me further to delve into my goals.

First Fiction Piece

Here is a story I just made up... based on various true stories:

There once was a boy, he was a freshman in high school and he loved skateboarding. He wanted to make it big. He would go out everyday and skate his heart out at his local spots around town and sometimes up at the skatepark when his parents could give him a ride. He would skate sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. He could not get his mind on anything else. He got out of school everyday just waiting to go skate, One day, near the end of the school year, he and his friends brought their boards to school so they could all go skate directly afterwards. 

They piled into a friend’s car and drove up to the skatepark blasting loud rap music. The friend had a really nice system. They pulled up to the skatepark to find out that there were already some skaters up there. The boy looked at the unfamiliar cars in the parking and noticed all the skate stickers on the bumpers of the cars. “Damn, these guys must be good.” 

They all walked up to the skatepark, mall grabbing their boards, and saw that the skaters up there were older than they were and really good. Somebody recognized a few of the guys and said “ woah this is the Downtown Skateshop skate team!” Everybody instantly revered these guys. Not only could these guys shred like no one else, but they were actually sponsored by the famous Downtown Skateshop! One friend suggested going and getting drinks instead of skating because he didn’t want to be called a poser by the “good” skaters. Two other friends instantly followed. Two more of the friends didn’t care that they were now in the territory of these guys and went skating anyways. The main character was too scared. He stood by the fence and watched their every move. He idolized these guys instantly and knew he wanted to be like them from how they ride their skateboards to how they wore their clothes. 

Ten minutes went by and one of the friends came up to the main boy and asked him why he wasn’t skating. He said he didn’t feel like it. He really was too nervous to show what he could do. He over heard the sponsored skaters telling stories about partying and doing drugs. It got into his mind that that is how they got so good at skating. 

The session was about over for the Skateshop skaters and they all started heading out to go some kegger party downtown. The main boy felt as if they all looked down on him for not skating during the sesh but one of the guys said, “what up?” to him as he left. The main character felt recognized and didn’t feel like a total outcast anymore simply from that one guy just saying “hi.” The friends grouped together and talked about how good the Skateshop skaters were and mimicked things they said. The main character kept silent. All of a sudden he felt like skating again. Just as he started, all the friends wanted to leave. “oh well, maybe next time” he thought. 

A few days go by and that one session at the skatepark is all the main character could think about. How graceful these guys were on their skateboard and how easy they made it look. 

The school year ends and summer vacation begins. The main character’s board is flexing and has razor tail, not good. He needs a new board but doesn’t have the money. He decides to mow lawns for money. He goes around asking neighbors if they need their lawns mowed. A few neighbors agreed and the main character did it at a fairly low price just so he’d get the job. 

Throughout the next week or so the main character comes up with the money. He asks his parents if they would drive him to Downtown Skateshop. They didn’t agree at first, but the main character convinced them in the end and agreed they would go there tomorrow. 

Tomorrow rolls around and the family drives to Downtown. His dad drops him off at the front door and says he’s going to find a parking spot. The main character looks up at the sign “Downtown Skateshop.” Wow he thought. He nervously approaches the front door and walks in. 

The walls are filled with shoes on one side and decks on the other. In the middle are racks of skate shirts of all kinds. The person behind the counter says “ Hey how are you doing? Can I help you with anything?” The main character stutters at first but says “I’m good. I need a new board.” “Excellent! We have all kinds of boards, any kind in particular?” “Uh, I don’t know.” “Well look around and if you need anything, speak up!” “Ok.” The main character looks around at the boards and a certain one sticks out to him. “That one,” he said, “Can I see it?” The associate takes it down and placed it on the counter. The main character looks at the graphic and runs his hand across the plastic film it is enclosed in. “Wow,” he says. He flips it over and there is a sticker on the outside that says “8.25.” A bit bigger than he is used to. The cashier sees him looking at the sticker and says “ What size do you usually ride?” “8,” he responded. “8.25 is a good size. I personally ride 8.5, but that’s just me. Try it out you might like it.” “Alright” he says back. “Need me to grip it?” “Sure”. The cashier goes and starts to grip the board. The main character stands back and looks around. He watches the cashier, looks at the hardware underneath the counter, and back at the tv screen where a skate video is playing. 

All of a sudden the door opens and a loud ruckus enters. It’s the skaters from the skatepark! The cashier looks up and says “Hey guys!” Everybody is talking real loud and it is hard to distinguish a definitive train of speech. The guys all walk to the back of the shop and close the door. A few seconds later a funny odor seeps across the room. They are smoking bud. The cashier finished gripping the board and the main character goes up to the register to pay for the new board and his dad walks in.

“What is going on here!?” the dad yells. He obviously smells the pot since it is probably some loud cali shit they are smoking. “I leave you 10 minutes in here and you burn one down?” “Dad, what are you talking about? I am just buying a board.” The cashier chimes in, “Yeah, sir. That’s not him, he was just here buying a skateboard.” “Well we don’t want your business, come on son, you don’t need to associate with pot smokers!” The father grabs the son and drags him out of there. No skateboard in hand. He gets chewed out in front of everyone in the shopping area as they walk towards the car. “But, Dad! I want my skateboard!” The mother is standing by the car and the son is basically in tears. “What happened?” chimed in the mom. “Dad wouldn’t let me buy my skateboard because people were smoking in the skateshop!” “Dad, is that what happened?” said the mom. “Yes! We have got to deter this behavior from a young age because we don’t know where he will be in a few years!” said the dad. “Dad I just want to skateboard! I’m not doing drugs, I’m skateboarding! I already gave them my money and you don’t even care!” The mother asks, “ Aw at least let him go get his skateboard.” The guy already gripped it and everything. “Father, just let son go get his skateboard”

“Fine,” said the dad, “but if I even smell any pot on you on your way back don’t even think about getting back in this car!” 

The main character ran up to the skate shop went in again. The crowd was in the main room again. “I was hoping you’d come back. I was about to give this board away.” said the cashier. “Yeah, my dad can be a dick sometimes. He doesn’t like drugs.” The cashier said, “Here. Here’s some extra stickers just because. I hope your dad doesn’t mind them. Keep ‘em all or give some out to your friends, whatever you want.” “Cool.” The main character grabbed the stickers and ran out back to the car. He smelled himself and didn’t smell like any of that grand daddy kush they were smoking. 

The family got in the car and they all drove back home happily ever after. The main character hugged his new skateboard the whole way home and put his trucks on it right when he got home. “Just wait till I show all my friends, they might actually think I’m sponsored if I give them some of my stickers. Hell, maybe I am sponsored already. They gave me free stickers didn’t they? Awesome!” he thought. 

Writers Block

I find writing becoming more and more difficult. Perhaps I have said what I wanted to say. Perhaps this could be really bad writer's block. I just don't have much I really feel like sharing publicly like this anymore.

On the other hand, I am accepting topics to write about. Send me ideas and I will see if I can come up with something meaningful in response.

Drugs

Done are my days of using illegal drugs recreationally. I was searching for something back then that I am still searching for today. I have discovered that drugs are not the way. Sure, maybe doing drugs was finding your own way and being different at one time, but when it becomes a habit and repetitive, you are simply following the leader.

Wasting time getting high puts you out of your place where you should be. I personally had little trouble quitting illegal drugs mainly because I only really did psychedelics. I only found trouble quitting cannabis. I found this drug to cause more problems for me than any other. Using it made me realize that life is better without it. That is the key that you have to realize for yourself that life is better without drugs.

I can only imagine how hard it is for people smoking meth and crack. To me, cigarettes was always the worst drug. People who smoke are perpetuating the capitalist agenda in order to keep sucking down that tar. You don't like it the first time you do it, but if you keep doing it, you'll like it. That makes no sense. I guess it is sort of a rationalization like being an acquired taste as with beer for some people. I don't enjoy beer like I used to.

Looking back, would I change anything? I don't think so. I mean of course you could look at it like something could be better, but without the perspective that it shaped me into today, why would I want it any other way? I did what I wanted to back then and I am going to do what I want to today. I just want something else.

Coffee, I have discovered, is seemingly more pleasurable than beer. I think this is my vice these days. It puts me in the mood to take on the day, which I like, and is useful in ways other than just feeling good. It's a moral booster. There is no end in sight...

Skateboarding to me has always been sort of an anti-drug drug. I think what keeps me skateboarding is the high associated with the speed, adrenalin, and I guess the "runner's high" that you get with physical activity. I feel better when I am out doing something, that is also why I like physical labor. It is a good way to stay fit without having to do hard work outs at a gym.

My goal these days is not necessarily being "drug free," but instead to be myself. I am going to do what I do because only I can and nobody else can do it for me. My life is based upon what I want to do and I am going to make it happen. I do not want to get side tracked on stupid drug side missions; I am on track for the olympic gold. See you soon 2016!

Skating Alone

Skating alone can be wonderful if you actually feel like doing it. All you have to do is get on your board or get in your car and go. No waiting around for others to shower or get ready. If you are ready to skate, you go skate. Solo missions are usually just that: missions. You go out to your spot and get it. You are on your own time and you make the most of it. There is no compromise in where you skate, or how long you skate there. You are the master.

I just got back from a "solo mission" and it was wonderful. I did just what I wanted. I skated the spots I wanted to hit. I didn't have to wait around for others to finish skating. I just skated as hard as I wanted to at the places I wanted to. I listened to the radio like I wanted to and went to eat the food I wanted to afterwards.

I can't say that I would want to skate alone all the time though. It is fun skating with friends and/or associates, depending on the circumstances of course. It's sort of like a work out/practice/taking yourself out for a date.

Skating alone is just one of those things that you have to do for yourself, and besides it's a Monday!

Reflecting on the First Sesh in a Week

Let's face it: not skating sucks. Not skating for a week because it has literally been raining sucks. So Sunday night I go over to a friend's birthday party; have a few drinks and chill out. On the way back home we make a pit stop at another friend's house, wait on him because he is out running errands and the street is just dry enough to get a session on.. Hell fucking yes! It may be flatland, but flatland on the surprise with all your homies? That is a real sesh. No fucking park skating where you've done the same tricks over and over with that weird guy who you've never talked to. How about a new environment where you don't even have your board so you have to ride your friend's board? What a great way to celebrate life. That is what I live for; I don't really care about being the most drunk or being the life of the party or even making new friends for that matter, but that sesh with your friends that comes out of the middle of nowhere, that spontaneous skate sesh sweeps you off your feet. Too bad it can't last forever. You feel your energy wind down and it's back to normal, boring life. You know that that is going to be the best part of the day. Life of watching boring tv shows, staring at screens whether it be a computer screen, phone screen, or tv screen…. waiting for the next sesh …. sigh…..

Fashion Flashback

Style can be lots of different things, but I'm going to discuss dress. Style can be everything from what you choose to wear to how and what tricks you choose/can do. It is a way of moving and doing.

My group of friends from high school all had this thing for wearing white T's. White T's from Walmart or whatever gas station sold them, preferably baggy at that. I was so crazed with this White T style that I wore a white T every Friday from Sophomore year to Senior year. Of course this was reflected from our choice in music at the time. We were into that down south crunk style of rap and our white T craze can be summed up from the song White T by Dem Franchize Boys. LOL.

For pants, it's always been slacks/khakis, preferably Dickies. I think this type of pants slay jean/denim style pants because you can move your legs better in them, not to mention I saw the older dudes wearing them.

There was a specific incidence in high school where "what pants 'skaters' wear" came up in my senior language arts class. It was so stupid and I felt embarrassed. It was the debate between skinny and baggy pants between the class, except me, and the teacher. It was college shirt day where you wear a shirt of what college you were going to. I wore my ATLAS shirt Sergio made. I've never been one for school spirit, but you bet I was glad to get out of there. I would never wear shorts though, even in the summer it was always long pants.

Hats are a life saver. They keep the sun out of your eyes and look cool too. Style follows function in this instance. It was fitted hats back then, but snapbacks now. I hardly ever go out without a hat. It is essential to skate function for me. I don't remember the last time I skated without a hat. Flat bill trucker hats are the shit! I like them a ton. Regular hats are cool too. I have a few of both. I think bucket hats are in style now.

Winter time was the time of flannels and hoodies. I think we got hooked on flannels from The Joe. He rocked them first and from what I remember some people at school thought he was homeless.
Flannels are sick and you have to be lucky to spot a good looking one at Goodwill that you can get for like $5.

Shoes was what it was all about though. They are by far the most expensive part of what to wear. Spend next to nothing on shirts, pants, etc, but when it comes to shoes, go all out. Get some fancy Nike Sb's. I was into Lakai and eS during high school.Vans skate the best though. I found that out later on in college, I think.

I can say not much changed throughout my college years either except I started wearing shorts again.
I like to keep it simple. No fancy get up, maybe some tall socks in the summer time, but that's about it. Button ups are in...

Easter Nostalgia

Easter weekend of either my Junior or Senior year in high school is a memorable one to me. It is the first and only time I have been held at gunpoint, and thankfully by a cop. 

My brothers and I had gone over to Sergio's house for the day because fellow skater Cody in that neighborhood was getting rid of his ramps in the cal-de-sac that we would skate. We didn't want them to be scrapped so we took them to the most reasonable location available: the abandoned concrete factory across the street. 

We used Lydia's jeep to help move the ramps. The concrete factory across the street had a long and winding path leading up to the actual facility. I think we had to rest a few times getting the first ramp down there. Lydia stayed in the car near the intersection. We picked up our boards and headed back up to the car for the next load and as we come to the clearing we see two cop cars and two police with some rather large rifles. We were thinking, "Oh great, we're getting kicked out." but continued walking towards the cars. 

"Hands up!" said the cop as he pointed his rifle at me. I'm thinking, "Oh shit! That's a big gun." I wanted to ask him about it, but I didn't say anything. I dropped my board where I stood and put my hands in the air. Kevin, Steven, and Sergio followed. They asked us if we had anything in our pockets that they need to know about. Sergio told the cops he didn't know and proceeded to dig through his pockets. This angered the cops and caused them to shout at him. Lydia was near her car crying as they proceeded to search us. 

Long story short they asked us what we were doing back there and we told them. They told us they got a call from some neighbors that four large hispanic males were stealing from the warehouse, which is in fact the opposite. Sergio thought it was funny they sent two small white officers with big guns to take down the hispanics. Things can be like that sometimes. 

After the whole ordeal, we went back out front of Sergio's house and could not get our minds off what had just happened. It was very surreal, almost like a dream. We couldn't get our selves to skate anymore so I think we just went home. I think it was a Friday after school, not sure, but Easter was the following Sunday. 

My First Experiences with Skateboarding

There are some things in life you never forget and my introduction to skateboarding is one of them.

My first experience with skateboarding was at a young age. I don't remember how old I was or any of that, but what I do remember is the scene.
I was out with my family, parents and siblings, we were out at some shopping center. The kind with an awning over top and a sidewalk underneath with stores side by side. They're everywhere, atleast around here. It is basically impossible to remember where exactly I was at, but for some reason my mind keeps telling me we were next to a Ryan's.

So we were out for the day, probably shopping and eating lunch, like what a suburban family would do. All of a sudden I hear this noise coming from behind. I look back. There are two, probably teenage boys riding on boards and fly right by us. I think they went by and ollied off the curb.

(I now am proud to say I have done the same, stoking out kids riding through shopping centers on my skateboard. The circle is completed, but anyway...)

I was amazed. I had never seen anything like it before and it had all happened so fast. I asked my parents what that was and they told me they were skateboarders.
I knew I wanted to be just like them.
I don't know how long it was till I got an actual skateboard of my own, but I remember looking at skateboards in the Sunday ads in the newspapers. Sports Authority had some pretty sick looking graphics and I wanted the one with bloody eyeballs, I think. Not sure on that, but I ended up getting a different one with some sort of steel plating on it. This I remember. I think I could have gotten the one I really wanted, but I didn't want to wait on it to be ordered.
Haha, this next part is funny.
Once I finally got the skateboard and took it to the driveway at home, I took about two attempts to ride it and gave up. I thought it was too hard.
I didn't touch that skateboard for years, pretty sure. Looking back to when I was actually about 12 or so when I got another skateboard, and the Sports Authority one had wheels/bearings that would barely roll. It was that bad.

I became really into video games, and of course the Tony Hawk Pro Skater Series (1 and 2).
So for Christmas when I was 12, I got a "The Simpson's" skateboard and I suppose this is when I became serious about it. My two brothers had each gotten a skateboard too so we would practice out in the garage and driveway all the time.

After that skateboard got old, I picked up my first "real" skateboard from the X Games Skatepark at the Discover Mills Mall. It was a Flip board; light blue with a pixilated angel on it. I was about to get the Flip pixilated gangster one, but I asked my mom which one to get and she said get the blue one. So that's the one I got.
The rest is a blur. I don't remember much after that. Maybe getting my first set of Lucky bearings and Kryptonic wheels and trying them out on a huge hill in my then neighborhood. That's about it. I ate shit.

Keep Your Head Up

Over critical people like myself tend to focus on performance over simply being happy. This directly relates to me when I go skateboarding. I am always over critical of myself and putting myself down in my head, not so much these days as the past though. I have learned to just have a good time. My focus on skateboarding these days is to land my tricks first try every try. 

I see people going for the same trick over and over even when they have already done it. I find that rather pointless, unless your filming a part or for instragram or something and you want it perfect. 

I have learned to focus on what I can do as opposed to what other people are doing. Here I am doing footplants at the skatepark and here comes so and so 5050 grinding every wall at hyperspeed. Damn, that is something I just know that I can't do. I have tried and its not that I have given up, although that is arguable, it is actually that I have moved on. 

Move on and identify with your own personal style because you may be thinking that your style sucks when the next kid over is super stoaked at how you skate. Remember, it can't be that bad if it's all for fun in the end and I'm sure not everyone is countlessly picking at how you skate every minute of every day either. People are people and have different struggles than your own.

Skating experience is relative. Good, bad, in between. You may have spent a few hours earlier in the day digging the hole in the basement so you are just too tired to skate that day. If that is the situation, why are you at the skatepark in the first place? 

I know I can't compete with the skaters on Thrasher, but I go to the skatepark and have a good time with my friends. That is what is important. I do my tricks and it feels good to land them. Focus on the positive and more positive things will happen. Good things will come if good things are always on your mind. As I have been told countless times, mostly by bums, while I'm out skateboarding to just keep doing what I'm doing. I think that's all I can do.

I forgot this for a while, but it has all come back to me. Figure out what you are doing and try to be the best. If you're not the best, be the one having the most fun. Everything will be ok in the end.

Paranoia

Sometimes I feel as though the government will use what I post against me if I ever get into trouble. I will either look back at somethings years later and cringe at what I once thought or it will bring me warm nostalgia. Let's hope the second one. Only time will tell.

Anti-Skateboarding

Do I even skate anymore? Not really. I went out on my skateboard today and did a few tricks I haven't done in a while to keep my consistency up. I didn't make it a huge ordeal. Nobody was here and the only people I saw were in cars driving by me as I skated the street out front. No skatepark, no friends, just my skateboard, me, and the cat was actually out there with me.

I don't know if this is skateboarding; I was only out for probably 20 minutes. I just went out because I had that feeling. The feeling of energy needing to be burned off. Had I not done this I would have spent the rest of the day on my computer listening to music and browsing Facebook, other than working on the basement, which I did a little today. This is what I find myself doing to enjoy my time these days.

I didn't feel like watching the new Thrasher video. I am just going to keep listening to music. No desire to do much of anything. Then again, is there anything I need to do? No. It's all taken care of. I did what I had to do today and that's it. No need to be busy, I am happy doing this.

I think being free to do anything and doing minimal is the best. Minimal activity. I took a look at my horoscope the other day and it says I need to learn to relax. I think that is what I am doing. 

Music and isolation is amazing. Just keep the coffee flowing...

From the Streets to the Parks

Through growing up skating Gwinnett County, there has been a huge change in the skateboarding dynamics of the area. Since building five skateparks I can name off the top of my head, driving just as far to a street spot really isn't much of an option anymore. In high school before building the bowl up at Mountain Park Park, our go to spot was Trickum Middle School, now part of Parkview High School. "The pit."

A street skater's dream, all within walking distance of home. We would be up there every weekend, some weekdays too. I remember the first time we all went up there to skate together. It was December 11, 2004. We would practice ollieing sets, grinding and sliding on the curbs and ledges, etc. That kept us content for a couple years.

Occasionally we would make the venture up to Mountain Park to skate the manual pad and seven stair in the parking lot. If we wanted to continue walking we would make it up to "The Good and the Bad Churches." This is the intersection of Five Forks and Rockbridge. There are two churches up there, one on either side of the road. We deemed one church "good" and one church "bad" because one had more things to skate than the other. Both, neither much of anything, but hey, it was a change up from the same old spots.

On days when the stars aligned, we would get a ride over to Sergio's house and go skate "his" spots. The intersection of Killian Hill and Highway 29 (Lawrenceville Highway) we deemed "Sergio's spots." Everything from the Eckerd Ledge to banks, gaps, and manual pads are over there.
Feeling like walking, we would walk south on 29 over near Shane's house to the Goodwill and Publix. Another option from Sergio's house was to walk down the train tracks to go skate Berkmar High School, the Jade Dragon manual pad, and a few other spots down along 29 and Arcado. Lilburn Industrial was also somewhere we would occasionally go in addition to the abandoned concrete factory. We would just wander.

Rarely when I would skate with The Joe, we would get rides over to near Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth. "Santa Fe." The Santa Fe Mall is over there too where we all went to go see Snakes on a Plane one time. These trips to Santa Fe are defining moments in my life and I feel as if I touched on them before, but yeah, Santa Fe, Pleasant Hill, near 85 is the best. Full days of skating/wandering, we experienced so much. The nine set, the ledges and two stairs on opposite ends of Santa Fe Mall, and the Poolhall Banks or whatever they're called are all over there. Get this, we skated that area a number of times and had never come across the Poolhall bank spot until much later. This spot is featured in numerous big name videos like the Nike video with professionals such as Justin Brock and Grant Taylor skating it. This spot is defintely THE street spot to go to; one of the worthy spots still good enough to skate. The business at that location is always changing. The last time I was over there I think it was a sushi bar.

Some time in senior year of high school, Mountain Park Park Skatepark was built. None of us knew how to skate it. We had never skated tranny before, except maybe a little at The Avenue, Crudds old skatepark on McGee and 78, which is now shut down. Ah, I just remembered Cheese Banks in Tucker is a fun one too, but for some reason we would flock to "the park." Freedom Fridge or The Fridge or Freedom Fish (all the same thing) was a fun diy spot made from the wreckage of an abandoned go-kart facility. We would skate here when we had the chance to too. Another favorite of mine. While skating here, it was like we were in our own little world surrounded by trees and a lake. The putt putt facility was fun to explore too. Of course there was Foundation downtown, I would skate there on opportunities between college and working for UPS during my second year at GSU.

We had also heard from a friend that a street plaza was being built on the other side of 78. Deshong Street Plaza is what it is called. That was built shortly after Mountain Park. There is also Duncan Creek, Bay Creek, Settles Bridge, Pinkneyville, and dare I say Ronald Reagan. Pinkeyville's been around for a while but the rest are new. Brook run and Old Fourthward are also new skateparks, but are out of county in Atlanta. Buford Highway in Doraville has some super fun spots too, mostly banks but there are some five stairs at this one shopping center.

These days it's not what spot you want to skate, it's what park you want to skate. What is unique about parks compared to skating street is that you are bound to meet up with other skaters (bmx, scooters unfortunately) you might not know. Then again, you might not want that so skating street with a close group of friends could prove to be more fun. Going on street adventures and being more nomadic than opposed to staying in one location is a lot more fun in my opinion. You get your camera and your friends, hop in the car and have a sort of party going on. A party on the road.

Street skating can get tiresome though. For instance you might get kicked out of a spot you drove 30 minutes to. You usually spend more time in the car than actually skating, dependent on where and what you skate of course. You might just want to get a trick on film at one of these locations and be happy with it.

I sometimes feel caged in at a skatepark, especially if it has a fence on the way around it. I feel as if society has me right where it wants me: in a confined area where I can't hurt anyone. Skateboarding at a skatepark is a less rebellious act than trespassing and destroying private property, but hey, street skateboarding, park skateboarding it's all skateboarding, right? Skateparks make it easier to hone your skills in preparation for taking them to the streets. Without security to kick you out, there is more room for improvement. Then again skating away as fast as you can and yelling "F*** you, ***hole!" might just be a bit more satisfying in the end.

Either way, it's your call!

Motivation

Injuries! So as I sit here trying to brainstorm about skateboarding, I wonder: what is some epic story I can write about? ...Nothing came to mind. I keep thinking; What about what happened to me lately?... still nothing. Ok. What about what happened to me today! Bingo. Injuries.

So I didn't get injured today, but I wasn't far from it. Being injured sucks yet, makes me want to skateboard more. Right now I am recovering from three injuries total: two overextended feet, and a dislocated pinky. The dislocated pinky is the fun one. I'll save it for last.

So anyway, sometime mid January I decide to skate Mountain Park. I had a good sesh, met up with an old friend, and got close to nearly all the tricks I wanted to get for the day. The day goes on, the sesh ends, and I take a nap. Feeling rejuvenated, I am up for almost anything. Some of my other friends want to get together for a sesh. I am hesitant at first, but I'm like: Gotta go for it! So I'm like, "Sure, I was already up there once today, but I'll go again. Just gotta remember to take it easy." Big mistake.

So this time it's about 5 pm instead of noon, I'm back up at the park. Worn out from the previous sesh, I keep it pretty cool. I landed my tricks once that day, didn't need to do them again. I take to the banks. Sesh goes on, it's pretty fun despite being the second sesh at the same place in one day. I take this trash can and lay it on its side. TJ says to me, "You're going to get in trouble for skating that." I completely ignore him. I go back far enough to get plenty of speed to crack an ollie over this old thing. I go for it, and get over it, but something just doesn't add up. Bam! I land on the ball of my right foot, and hyperextend my big toe.

Ow! I went to the ground. I didn't think it'd be that serious of an injury, but here I am, over a month later still complaining. Now, it's nowhere near as bad as it was, but still, I am not at 100%...


I take it easy for about a week, skating the driveway here and there, busting out a few no comply 180's, nothing intense. Joe has the weekend off of work and wants to build a box, so I'm like, I'll help. The box takes about a day and a half to build so the night of the second day we decide to take it out.

The sesh gets heated at the old underground ledges, a covered parking garage that we head to for rainy weather sessions. My foot is good enough to skate, I'd say about 83%, so I pay it no mind. End of the sesh I go for a little wallie off one end of the box (The box has slanted ends by the way.) and I land on my left foot almost identical to how I landed on my right foot about two weeks earlier. This one isn't as bad as the first one, but I occasionally have to pop the top of my foot in the morning.

Now after that incident, I would still skate lightly. I hit Bay a few times and would mainly do moves that don't require much. So this past Monday, after working on the basement most of the afternoon, I want to go out for a skate.

I borrow the van and head up to Mountain Park. I warm up and get all my basic moves first try. I should have gone home after that, but that euphoria I get had me high. I decide to try something new. I intended to go for a lip to tail on the 6 foot, but I leaned over too far. I put my hand out to the box and POP! goes my pinky finger. I had popped my pinky finger out at the second knuckle, just as Justin Eldridge did his ring finger in Yeah Right. Oh my God I thought. I look at it for a few seconds and immediately pop it back into place. It looked a lot worse than it actually felt, so I come home, ice it, etc. Whatever, done.

So now I sit here, a few days later, after coming home from skateboarding again, up at Mountain Park, where this time I had fell on the hand that I had my pinky dislocated, in a way that didn't hurt anything and have come to the conclusion, as I have many times before, that I am unable to stop skateboarding.

There is something about skateboarding that I can just not let go.
These injuries don't deter me from skateboarding, they actually increase my desire to go out and do it! It is a change in the game. A new set of parameters to follow, sort of like a new board or something, but only with your body, and not as fun as they inhibit your abilities.

At the end of the day it's all about how you look at it. Some may look at it as a way of giving up. I look at it as a way to continue and grow. Life is not about how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up! So remember that.

Seekers of the Truth by Cro-Mags

Found these lyrics to hit so very close to home when I was first introduced. I hope they ring somebody else's bells too. 

Cro-Mags - Seekers of the Truth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQn9ebWabec

Wastin my time servin my mind
For sense pleasures i can find
Gotta get back, back to the truth
You know it was left behind

It's so easy to see, if you wanna be free
Don't wanna be just a slave
Cause no matter how you choose
You know you'll lose
If you ain't looking for the truth

Searchin and searchin for something real
You gotta know how i feel
Cause we been looking after the truth
Rejected those lies of our youth

You've seen the proof
This ain't no spoof
They tried to bend the truth
And we won't regret the things we met
If we're on the path of righteousness

Now we gotta, we gotta go back
Something ain't right so we gotta, we gotta go back
Trace our steps and see what we've done
It's time for us to go back to square one

You just can't seem to see what i mean
You know what i'm talkin about
Cause we been in bondage much too long
Don't you think it's time to get out

See time has taken it's toll and they're in control
We can't let this madness last
Gotta make our move
Get in the groove
We gotta do something fast.

Music and Skateboarding

Music is a huge influence in my life. I have always been a fan of music since I was a kid. I remember going on family vacations, and even just going to the grocery store, we would always have music playing. I even listen to music as I type this.

I can't say that music is what got me into skateboarding directly, but I have been a music lover much longer than being a skateboarder. Growing up I would always have music playing, whether it be on a portable CD player, iPod, and now computer and phone. Music is the spice of life and can be very manipulative and enjoyable on many different levels.

I think I first took notice to music within skateboarding through watching skateboarding videos. The first video that really sucked me in was Vicious Cycle. Playing predominately hip hop, there was no escape. It was perfect for the NYC East Coast style of street skateboarding. I watched and re-watched that video time and time again. It shaped my early image of skateboarding. These days I lean more towards the rock and roll genres and find solace in these lyrics, but to each their own.

I would have to say the main genres that go along with skateboarding are punk rock, metal, and hip hop, although it is always a treat to hear a fun 80's song nestled somewhere in a video. Basically it's whatever you like. Listen to the music that you like and make it your own. Skateboarding is yours and you should be the one to define your own style. Be an original, make your own music. Make your own video. Or don't. Do it yourself. Do it with friends. Do it with anybody you like.

Today there is basically an infinite amount of music available to anyone with an internet connection thanks to Youtube. I have been introduced to more styles of music that I may have never known with out it. That's technology for you, but your skateboarding can go with any type of music. The faster the better.

That moment when you decide not to ollie anymore

I don't know if this happens to everybody but it happened to me ...and I'm not exactly sure when.


If there's something that changed with my style of skateboarding it has to do with popping the board (flipping also). Growing up in high school, it was all about street skating and flip tricks and all that. (We didn't have a park back then.) We grew up skating "the pit." The pit is the courtyard at the now Parkview High School, back then "Trickum" (Middle School) as we still call it. Four stairs, curbs, ledges, and eight stairs (and the three stair) is what we skated. It shaped who we are/were as skateboarders for the longest time. It was our skatepark before Mountain Park Park Skatepark. It was the spot.

Maybe we all got lazy, maybe the million dollar bowl 5 minutes up the street changed everything, or it could be that our bodies just don't feel like handling that kind of pain anymore. Whatever it was, I skate completely different now. Instead of manuals, ollies, and ...well I still do kickflips, I base my present day skateboarding around footplants and what I can do easily, on tranny or street. I think it is progression. I would rather go easy on my body riding bowls and ramps as opposed to hucking my body down stair sets or try for hours on a tech line or some manual combination. I am more in the state of being as opposed to doing. I have a set number of tricks I do and my goal is to do them on every new obstacle I come across (that I deem worthy.)

I'm not as agile a street skater as I used to be, but I'm sure I could still pull some manny pad tricks out on a good day. Purely riding has seemed to take over, I assume for the better. However, I think purely riding in a bowl is useless. Sure it is the essence, but I'm not going to do it. It uses up energy I could use on something else.

I have found interest in using my arms in skateboarding too; bonelesses, beanplants, simply grabbing the board. It's an option not necessarily used in street skating. I have somehow found a mix between transition and street that I enjoy and deem it as my own personal style.

Driving

Learning to drive is a major change in the skate game. Without a car you are forced to stay local and skate shitty street spots if there is no skatepark nearby. If there is a skatepark near by, you might just get sucked into hanging out there all the time, leading to stagnation. Driving costs an incredible amount of more money than riding your skateboard everywhere, yet it greatly expands your possibilities and is most definitely worth it. Driving, not skating, also leads you to explore new things not considered skating. You get caught up in driving, going out and etc. With driving a car everywhere, you slack on your discipline of skateboarding, partially. You do have more energy to practice your craft when you are at a specific spot to go harder for your tricks, but is skateboarding really all about that? To me a good portion of the fun is the journey. How you get to your spot is almost as important as what you do there.

Driving is definitely a game changer especially for skaters. You dive into a whole new world. Then your friends all get cars and its not like it was back in the day, traveling together; being able to communicate person to person, granted your ipod headphones aren't in. Growing up and getting a car is I suppose a fact of life, at least where I live. All the spots and parks that are worth it need driving to get there (except Mountain). Driving alters the community you have around you and has introduced me to some of the funnest bank/ditch spots I have ever skated. I suppose banks and ditches are my thing; not enough courage to do most of my tricks on sizable tranny yet, I still have the motions down.

Certain places, mostly parks, get greater emphasis because it is a congregation area and you are judged, at least the way I see it, by what tricks you got there. The people you skate with at a certain park know you only for the tricks that you do there, yet you may have a completely different arsenal at a different park and/or spot. I always thought parks are places to practice you tricks for the real thing, street. That is an anomoly. Practice your tricks at a place made for skateboarding, then doing you tricks at places not made for skateboarding? Hmm, interesting.

Skateboarding involves not skateboarding. You just have to be killing it at life in all categories for your game to be strong, I believe. Gotta somehow be earning an income to put things in perspective. Doing things independently. Isn't that what skateboarding is about? Doing things your way? The idea behind skateboarding surpasses the mere act of skateboarding and translates into other successes in life because face it: the same skatepark with the same friends is boring/depressing.

Skateboarding is essentially a mode of transportation, if you don't practice free styling like Rodney Mullen, but the thing with skateboarding is you are constantly in motion. In skateboarding, you find the best way to get from A to B; sometimes getting creative, sometimes getting gnarly, but the best when you find a mix of both.