30 August 2011

All Skated Out

I have not done this much skateboarding in years. Soul Brother #2 and I have skated and skated and skated since seeing Malba on Saturday. The child is still gun shy about going to a skatepark. He fears the critical gazes and comments from those who would make fun of him for being a newbie who can barely skate. But let me tell you this kid has come a long way since Saturday. The little boy who couldn't stand on a board on his own is now kicking and pushing, practicing turns and generally looking comfortable on a skateboard.

He's made it clear that he wants to practice. We tried to get our skate on in front of the house. That didn't work because the sidewalk is too uneven and bumpy. (I won't let him skate in the street since we are not off the beaten path.) Since he won't go to the skatepark yet, I was trying to figure out where we can get our skate on without having to worry about the surface and traffic. That's when I remembered a large concrete opening at the home break. I'm not sure what that space is used for. It's wide open, yet barricaded from cars. This, then, has become our skate spot of choice. We can freely skate and practice there without worrying about much of anything except the John Deere-like riding mowers spewing grass cuttings everywhere.

We've skated there two days in a row. Today, we went straight there after I picked him up from school with lunch and a change of clothes (since he wears a uniform). We do a little talking, do a little skating, rinse and repeat. And now, my legs are on fire from having skated so much. This evening, I talked to Tuma about lessons simply because Malba is so far away. There will be days when he won't want to meet us halfway and I can guarantee there will be days when I won't want to brave traffic just for a lesson. Now I've found someone whom I believe Soul Brother #2 will warm up to as quickly as he did to Malba.

Today was one of those days when I surfed in the morning and skated in the afternoon. My legs are unhappily still attached to my body. They hurt. Malba told me to work on tic tacs (tick tacks?) and I've done that. He told me to do 30 consecutive kickturns on the ramp. I've done that too. My skating is improving by leaps and bounds if only because someone has told me things I can do to improve.

I suppose we will keep doing the skate lesson thing for awhile. It's helping my child's confidence and it's bringing my skill level up quite rapidly.

Pray for surf and uncrowded skateparks.

10 Comments:

At 8/30/11, 11:45 PM, Blogger tuskedbeast said...

Off times at tennis courts and some parking lots...maybe school playgrounds after they're closed... heaps of wide open spaces besides skate parks!

Love your drive. I was a big skater in the seventies, let's see if this link works:

http://www.pbase.com/venicepix/_et_motel_pool

I'm the kid with the glasses.

 
At 8/31/11, 5:33 AM, Blogger Surfsister said...

Those OP shorts are classic!! I've seen this site and the pictures before. Right on, tb!!

The spot we found is perfect. And then he tries the ramp at home. No worries.

 
At 8/31/11, 5:50 AM, Blogger Surfsister said...

Oh my god!! Tuskedbeast! When I was a kid, I discovered a pool in my general neighborhood. It was at a place called the Jet Inn. And you know what?

It looks like the same pool!!!!!!! I used to sneak to skate that pool, so I obviously couldn't get over there often. And I started telling the skaters at my school (Uni High) about it. Once other kids started skating it, it got shut down. It looks like the exact same pool!

Is that even possible?

 
At 8/31/11, 6:52 AM, Blogger tuskedbeast said...

Wow, could it be?? Check this out:

http://synthetrix.blogspot.com/2008/05/jet-inn-motel-los-angeles-ca.html

Freaky!

 
At 8/31/11, 7:00 AM, Blogger Surfsister said...

That's the place!! I'm the one who found it!! Oh my god!! The Jet Inn is still there, by the way. LOL! This is incredible!!

I still pass that place every single day. Every day!!

 
At 8/31/11, 7:15 AM, Blogger tuskedbeast said...

Well, that's really neat!!!

When I visit LA, it's sobering how much has changed since I left in 1980. Old places have been torn down, and at this point, even the buildings that replaced them have weathered and aged. It's weirdly comforting that places like that remain- grounding, in a unique LA sort of way.

 
At 9/2/11, 3:41 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You may have already about this movie, but thought I would pass along. It's premiering next Friday in WeHo.

http://www.whitewashmovie.com/trailer/

-A Fan of your blog

 
At 9/2/11, 7:13 PM, Blogger Surfsister said...

Thank you, Fan! I do know of this film. The black surfers who are shown in the trailer are friends, all of us being members of the Black Surf Association. I did not know, however, that the preview is next Friday.

I do want to see this documentary.

 
At 9/6/11, 6:08 PM, Anonymous david scott said...

I'm the guy who took the photos referenced originally above by "tusked beast" and it obviously is the same pool. You might want to check out my gallery again and read the little blurb up top. When I drove the guys out there in my VW van (I can't remember if it was the red or silver one) Froggy (Eric Andersen), the ten year old who facilitated the trip told me that it was the "et Motel". Thanx to synthetrix for the color memories to supplement my BnW ones......

 
At 9/6/11, 6:40 PM, Blogger Surfsister said...

It's so amazing how small the world is, particularly the skating world of the late 70's. Those photos are history, David, and I'm glad you were there to record the scenes.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home