The title says it all really, sorry I haven't updated this blog for over a week, and even sorrier that I haven't skated this week :-(
Too Old To Skate
the power of ego
normally I don't quite get my back truck on the coping on a frontside kickturn (it's a hang-up hang-up), but today with a camera pointed at me, my ego pushed me the extra inch or two I needed to get my wheel over the coping. This was the 6ft rather than the 9ft, but it's a start :-)
life's simple pleasures
the other day I had reason to do the full bedminster to clifton skate commute on my longboard. It was a pleasant experience, effortlessly carving down gentle inclines on soft, quiet wheels. People always ask me when I mention that route what it is like skating uphill? - the answer is I don't know - the route is actually mostly downhill or flat right until the last bit, where I get off and walk up a very steep hill, with one last little bit of downhill before I get to work (nice unintentional frontside four wheel drift on some wet leaves on that last little downhill).
Today I had another lunchtime session at motion and dropped in on the 9ft ramp for the first time . Then I did it another couple of times to make sure it wasn't a fluke the first time... Huge rush of adrenalin, bit of speed wobble, sweaty palms, big grin.
lunchtime skate missions have begun
Yesterday was the second of my trips to the new motion park, something I hope to make regular. I'm only interested in skating the park when it is quiet, so weekday lunchtimes suit me well. It is a 20 minute walk/skate to get there (or bus when wet) so feasible.
I was chuffed to make some small progressions - rock fakies on the spine, getting near the coping on the 9ft. It made me think actually - how long in total have I skated ramps above 4 ft? I used to spend hours on a 3ft mini, and skated 6ft ramps a few times in the olden days, but only got a few sessions in at the former incarnation of the indoor park in Bristol. I had a few things wired before on a 6ft that i'm still working back up to, but had never been up to 9ft, and never done anything on a spine, so it feels good to be making some progress beyond just "getting stuff back"
short but sweet skate activity
The last couple of days hae seen a few short but sweet sessions - cheeky half hour at hengrove sunday morning (sketchy but fun - trying to learn to ollie on/out of the banks - results fairly comical so far), then a kerb, powerslide (liking my new 56mm mini logo wheels) and ollie session at Aldi in the afternoon (all of about 10 minutes...).
Today I skated across town for a lunchtime session at the new motion skatepark (former skate and ride/ park central). It was good fun - very quiet and hardly any BMXers in sight. Took me a while to get warmed up and to get used to skating the mini with a spine at one side (still very scared of spines!).