Skate Logs #10: 7 months in

Ok, so haven't posted in a while. I've now been riding for 7 months again, and skating 3+ times a week or more for about 6 months. Quarter-pipe project turned into a full-blown mini-half-pipe, and I'm now ready to tear it down and make it bigger. Current size is 8' wide, one side is 3' tall, the other 3-1/2' tall, thinking at least 4', maybe 5' and for sure 12' wide.

My skating is still nowhere near where it was when I was in my 20's but I have been steadily improving, adding back old tricks, and most importantly, avoiding injury, as you can see by this April Fool's Day air at Vans on the mini.

Skate Log: #9, Back to Volcom

Love that peanut bowl, and board control is definitely coming back. Spent the weekend building a 1/4 pipe, should be able to finish it all up this afternoon and have a little something to session at home. Did a couple grinds in the combi-bowl and just dropping way better flow in the peanut. Funny thing, found this vid out on youTube and it's me running the camera and providing commentary:

Skate Log: #8, Etnies

Crazy heat today, and a weird vibe on the session and at the park. Mostly deserted, but a bunch of locals were playing "S-K-A-T-E" in the flow course. Overall a very lackluster outing, but I did finally stick some stalls and grinds in the flow course, and sessioned the skull bowl a bit more. The main problem for me on vert skating is coming back now, it's the need to compress-decompress my knees, and also the pounding that my knees take when bailing out. It's no big deal on something small, but I'm not sure I can handle repeated bails in a 10-foot concrete bowl anymore. Anyway, better skating than not...

Skate Log: #7, Back to Volcom

After a few sessions of flailing around Etnies looking for a good line, I headed back to Volcomm to session the kidney, and had a pretty solid session. Not sure if it was the time off (almost a week since I rode), or just easier terrain, but all the stuff that seems so sketchy at Etnies just flows better here--more on top of grinds, clean axel stalls (as it should be), 50-50s, etc. Added in pivot and pivot to tail, and close to getting f-side grind to tail back. Rock-n-roll is still fail though, very annoying, just a fat mental block. Forgot a knee sleeve, but rode anyway and all feels good a day later. Finally putting things together in back-to-back fashion, stall, grind, grind, carve, 50-50, b-side d, rock2fakie, fakieD etc. w00t. Etnies tomorrow again, see if I can't grind that bowl and get some flow on.

Skate Log: #6, Etnies, round 3

Feeling good and back for more. Finally finding some lines tonight in the flow course, and working the combi-bowl a bit more, f-side grinds in the shallow. Still can't seem to stick a stall or a 50-50, and didn't skate the skull bowl, as it was in full session with GvR practice. Definitely need new knee pads, these old ones are pretty blown out. I'll hook that up this weekend. Looks like any skating will be at Costa Mesa, as the contest will run all weekend here.

Skate Log: #5, Etnies, round 2

Just 2 days since my last session, but I'm feeling good, and more than that, my knees aren't feeling bad. My first trip here wasn't all that productive, but I'm up for the challenge this terrain provides. Well, well, look who's here, Lester Kasai! Never really knew him all that well, and I wasn't really sure what to say to him, so I let that go, and just rode. Afternoon sun-gouge is a factor here, and will be until the time change, I think, but that will come soon. Traffic not really a factor, and it's only 10 miles anyway. Still looking for the lines here, and I do not seem to have much flow tonight, can't really even stick an axle stall. Still, I tried the combi-bowl out, and if nothing else it's fun to ride...

Skate Log: #4, Now we're getting somewhere

Saturday afternoon, weather cooling, kids at a party, I've got time to stretch and prepare, and skate as long as I want. The park is semi-busy, and there appear to be a few old-timers like myself. I've picked up a good line from watching the locals, and now I'm getting some good speed in the kidney and ripping around the bowl. Nice! b-side D, continuous motion, 50-50s wall-to wall. Lien-to-tail laugh er, but I rode it in. Hit the big bowl, f-side grind on the face wall, posed a f-side air, maybe that will be a while coming...

Knees: still good! Slams: 1 minor one.

Trick List: Axle-stall, b-side 50-50, f-side grind, rock-2-fakie, fakie disaster, b-side disaster (smooth!), lien-2-tail.