Got off work just before school let out, so I ran over to the skatepark for an impromptu and short lived session. It was surprising to see the park empty as I half drove by and half slowed to pull into a parking space.
Maybe it’s that I’m getting old, or maybe I’m a total introvert, or maybe it’s just teenagers, but I’m not keen on being at the skatepark after the final bell. Too much bustle?
Nothing new happened, as could’ve been anticipated. Not much in the way of showing progress either. I’m still starting out too far back on this tail stall (what I now see is a step toward a blunt but should probably not go by the same name) I’ve been working up to the bank lip, and in the time crunch, tricks I usually work on perfecting were…kind of accurate, but definitely wonky.
If I’ve learned anything today, a relaxed skating style isn’t my thing. Going out and casually popping an ollie or spinning out of a stall all nonchalantly just isn’t in the cards for me. There needs to be a lot of effort, even intensity, to feel like I’m skating. Mike Vallely’s style has always appealed to me because of his intensity and, as I see it, intention.
To be active, kinetic, to be in charge of bodily momentum while throwing every ounce of muscle into a narrowly balanced movement, there has to be clear intention, a known trajectory. Otherwise, the skateboarder’s inertia goes everywhere, anywhere. At least mine has.
Now I’m hoping for a clear, dry, and, might as well, frigid morning tomorrow to see if focusing on what intensity of my movements means for my concentration and attention.
Please, February, let me skate on!
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