jerk move?

So...I'm going to be in Mexico City for a day and a night on my way home from my Christmas vacation. I'm excited at the prospect of exploring one of the world's largest cities...and...of course, I google skateparks-mexico city.

Do my friends expect me to take off to skate? Are they going to be so bummed- really, knowing me- if I disappear for four hours to go on a mission to find and skate a crazy park in a crazy place?

I think the bummer part will be waiting at the baggage claim for my board. We've all agreed to not take checked bags...or have we..was that an unspoken agreement? I'm of two minds.

Of course it would be great to skate a new park/city. Is it unfair to my friends who don't skate to have to wait for my board as we change flights three times? Do I want to spend the time at the carousel anxiously waiting to see the board slide down the ramp, hoping it isn't totally fucked?

I suppose I don't have to take my own board...perhaps someone would be kind enough to share with me when I get there.

shiny shiny

I worked hard at the LINC tonight. Soon as I got there for the afternoon shift, I pulled out the wide sweeper, the dustpan, the mop and bucket, and a can of coke. B helped me 'cos B's a fucking champ. He swept, and I followed with the sticky water, sliding the mop up and down the masonite transitions, and all the corners and the mean little pyramid, just for good measure. The place has been a deathtrap lately, just not safe for anybody. I've bailed too many times cos my board just slides away from me, under my feet, at sort of high speeds. Just can't go on letting good people get hurt. My body certainly cannot take it, and it isn't fair to have to take a bodyslam when you aren't even trying anything. It just takes the chance to do anything cool away if you get slipswiped before you're even warmed up. I swept the deck, and all the nooks and crannies, the whole place. It took half the night, and keeping all the dorks from killing each other and making a wreck of the centre took up the other half. After I shut it down, I took a few runs with the music loud. It isn't as slippy in fact, it feels safe again. My body is too stiff today from writing papers all weekend, and slamming unexpectedly in a certain slippery skatepark. I am missing my physio desperately. It was hard to bend, hard to crouch, just couldn't get into it...I have to stop whining and do something about this sore body...

study break!

Ever notice that the more activity you do, the more energy you have, and vice versa? Well, I've been laying here with my laptop doing papers for most of each of the past 5 days. Last night I found myself just unable to read the screen anymore, I had black squares in my eyes as though Id stared into a square sun. Time to move, even though my body doesn't really want to at this point.
Went to the indoor, got my music on, and shoes and all. I get too excited sometimes when I go to skate. It comes out as shaking. It makes it hard to breathe. It takes a few runs to get it out of me. Until then I'm stick-leg-Jane. Two-scooters, two young guns, one old man like me. The bowl needs a mopping, it is scary slippery, and twice I slid out just before my leap over the little hip. Old guy slipped out just carving the corners, on his way to a sick grind, owes. I managed to run away from mine, and just get an ankle chop.
So went back to the no coping pipe ramp for more rock-fakie-rock back an forth, and some ollies up the transition. My music was loud, and I didnt talk to anyone. I said hello when I got there, then went into my headphone world, like always. Familiar faces. Singing to myself. Hand dances. Back up to the big boy bowl for axle stalls. Then more of the gang showed up and messed with me by not wearing helmets. Yes, it is my responsibility as a park employee to make sure they wear them, even if I'm not on shift. But I really was not in the mood to get into it with them. I just wanted to play. So thats where I left off.
A good one hour break from my spot here in front of this thing. Got the word that my January class has three girls in it already! So that ensures me a happy new year.

wows

F'n high kicks!

Lizzie Armanto, winner of this years Vans Combi

Raising the bar.

end of year: big ups!

The second year of my girlskates is done. I have learned so many fun games and things to do on skateboards from these young ladies, and more of what they want to know from me. Its so much fun I don't ever want to stop! For the rest of this year, I have my Sundays at the indoor to play on my brand new board, and heal my stupid, rusty shoulder hinge. Tonight went out with a bang, and nearly tore the roof off the place. Not just from us girls getting rad, but also from the Wizard of Oz winds ripping rain sideways at the shed. I hope the indoor makes it through this winter in one piece and without drowning like it did last year. I have left explicit instructions to call me in the event of a flood. The park militia is at the ready with brooms and squeegies, awaiting orders.

Stay Rad and Have a great indoor skate season!

video nite

Another great class with my two current rippers. I showed them the footy from the Vans Combi Contest on the weekend, and the Skate Like A Girl NYC vid, and then we went into the bowl and I saw some skating with purpose. I saw some gals on a mission to get rad. And I was in there with them. I learned f/s boardslides, and let me tell you how rad it feels to learn a new trick after 20 years of, "I can only do backside". Booyeah.

Check said vids on "the side project" site. Can I put them here??
Well, I can't link, so check out the sideproject website!
Getting me hella stoked. Yes, I used the H word, and no, I am not drunk.

2 on a Tuesday

Tonight's girl's skate went great. Jasmine and Meghan came and we rocked it. I tried so hard to set up the projector tonight before classes. I guess I have to move it closer, cos no matter how low I put it, it showed the movie on the ceiling. Drove me crazy...and tilting it didn't help, I had two skate wheels stacked under each side on the back, so it was pointing at the ground...but playing on the ceiling. I found out, however, that the projector unit has great speakers, so the external computer speakers are unnecessary, and sound way worse and muffled. I'll try again next week. I bought the stuff to build a platform for it, so that I can show movies and skate vids all winter in the park. I'm totally starting with Thrashin'! Wait, are there boobies in that? Probably, it was the 80's. What was the older, Canadian skate film from the late 60's? I'll find that one...
I am beat today, and not really feeling energized. Went on a surf mission to Tofino over the weekend, and got a tattoo. Zapped my go power! But I always get charged when I get to do these so called lessons.
The girl's were wanting to know details about how the boards work, so it turned out great. We sat down and talked about the parts of a skateboard, and how many different combinations you can make. I busted out all the loaner boards so they could try the feel of different boards, wheels and decks. Then we pushed around, they rolled in off the little pyramid- on their feet!, and practiced kickturns on the transition. They are awesome. I gave one of the gals some old trucks and wheels that were in the junk drawer, hers were useless, she couldn't push hard enough to get up the transition, her bearings were so shot. Her trucks might have well have been made of plastic, they clicked side to side. Next week I want to make them videos. This means conquering my computer illiteracy fast!

yes!

I am so in love with skateboarding!
Or, more precisely, I am so loving the sharing of the stoke!
I had such a great time tonight with the gals in their last class! They are awesome! I ran myself ragged, holding their hands, or hand, to help the ride up to the coping, back and forth until I couldn't breathe anymore, so much fun. No more buttboarding! I told them, they have graduated to riding! They must learn to push strong, I told them. I hope they come back for the next round, or to the Tuesday night sessions at the LINC that I am not invited to because I am not a tween.
I spent a half hour after with the stereo turned up just ripping around by myself, so much fun. I can feel the difference the yoga I'm doing is making in my rehab program. It's leaps and bounds more than anything else I've tried. Fuck Yeah.

girlskates

It is very over. I can even put away my lawnmower this weekend.
Girlskates has started again, in at the LINC, and it's going so great. I always forget how much I love love love to do these lessons. For my first round I have such a sweet group of three lasses, who've never stepped onto a board before. They are totally green, and I think that's my favorite, when they are all at the same level, and there's nothing to unlearn. I made up new games of balance, and knee bending reminders and songs even! Who am I!? haha!
They are rocking, but they love to butt board. Im down with the butt boarding for under 10's any day, its fun and not as scary, but these gals are 12 and 13. I want them to have the real fundamentals. I can never tell which one of them is really about to go forward with it and get rad. I am really hoping that next summer they will come out on Sundays and play with me. One of the gals rides goofy. Its never confused me before. Then I figured out what was going on. She wants to ride goofy, but turn normal. I am still trying to wrap my head around how to help her with this. It seems to make it much harder for her to turn. She insists it feels right to her. I guess I'll just let her go with it. If it feels right. If she can figure a way to do it.

awesome morning

High Kicks #5

Got to the park just after 10am, there was a white mist on the blue sky that kept the sun off for nearly an hour. My calf muscles are so sore! I gave two lessons last week and ravaged myself showing boys how to fall down the transition so they'd see it was no big deal and try to just drop in. Then I got to participate in the Skate Camp that is put on by Patrick, who does the snowboarding Jump Camp in the winter. It was so fun.

I didn't know what to expect. I just showed up and got busy skating with the boys. I still think its funny how nervous I get when I am skating with new people. I was all stick legs and odd angles for at least an hour. As the day went forward, I landed most of my tricks on one foot, and then none when anyone was watching. I skated for four hours the first day, until my ankles felt hot and swelly. I had a great time. The second day I showed up, again nervous, and got a cramp in my calf on my second run around the bowl. It was fucked for the rest of the day, but I kept trying for another three hours before I left to chase my lawnmower around some yards.
Again, so much fun.

My legs are polka dot purple, and there are bruises around my kneecaps where I am sure I didn't hit them. Overall they are jelly still, since I didn't do anything yesterday except laze around on some rocks, in the sun, at the river. But I still wanted to do my Sunday Skatechurch Session! So there I went.

I can feel the difference that skating for those extra hours this week makes. I am popping higher, and feel a little more connected to my board, but my legs wouldn't co-operate with me! I popped and flipped and hopped and spun, but I don't think I landed anything this morning. It was still good to be there, in the sun, enjoying fast stretched out laps around the basin in between trying really too hard to land some techy things I want back before the summer's out.

Every second weekend looks like a doable and realistic schedule for me and this project.
Time to make those posters.
Good Day!

I feel the love!

I drove home late last night from camping in Tofino so that I could put on High Kicks#4 this morning. I got home late, and found I was pretty sunburned from hanging out in the sun. This morning I slept in a bit, overtired , whiplashed from really getting into the Bison show, and super dehydrated. I got up to the park for an hour of skating at noon.

The park was empty again, all mine for my endless enjoyment. I put on my headphones and cruised around, getting little pieces of air off the top off all the banks, singing, and hand dancing. I wore a hat today, and I like the way it closes off the outside world and forces focus on the immediate. I could only see about ten feet ahead. My own little world...my favorite! I rode past two decks leaning up against the long ledge at the bleacher side of the park when I got there. They kept catching my eye, and I rode up to the deep bowl to see if there were some kids hiding in it that they belonged to. I scanned the fields and the parking lot...all empty. Were these boards left here as gifts? There was no one else around. And in the hour I was there, no one made any move to claim them. Could I really put these complete and functioning decks into rotation for my girls? Fucking High Kicks!
Way to make my day, anonymous donor! I promise that they will be well used and it is very possible that you could be responsible for inspiring the valley's next girl skater to go on the road and live the dream!

Super Summer Skates!

Awesome morning for me and my new wings.
I had a great time at the park. I did not fire up the hibachi, it was too hot out! I pushed around a few laps, and hung out in the shade next to the deep end of the bowl, back and forth, trying little tricks, laying on the cool cement, and hanging my body over the lip of the pocket.
I stayed for an hour...it felt like much longer. I had a fun time skating, but since the park was still all empty, I got bored...and hot, it was time to swim by 12.
I had a great week skating at the indoor while I worked, although I did get a few more achy parts from trying some new things! After last week's dumb slip on the coping and ensuing ass bruise, I rallied through the healing process quickly and then fell doing a wee backside 180 on the slippery floor. As I tried to save my butt the pain by using my lil hands as shock absorbers I hurt my wrist so now I can't use the thumb side of my hand to grab/turn/lift anything. Last night I was getting kickflips better, popping higher, but I nailed the inside of my sore ankle coming down fakie on a wallride I really think I'll get soon. I had a lot of fun skating with the younger kids, too. I put my jean vest down and we ollied it, just rocking back and forth, trying to ollie, then fakie ollie it on the way back. We all got it eventually.
A really great week!

BBQ#2

I was watching the crows...and I think they flew off with my confidence.

I got there, and it was perfect. Sunny, windy, lit the thing no prob.
Rode around and felt...weak...put music on, and just went fast...for some reason I can't ollie today.
I decided to try to see what I look like and tried to make a video. Battery died...got another, made a little skate away and skate back vid, then watched it. I think I look like a flailing pansy, you know, the girlie hands. My ollie was 1inch...I erased it in a huff. I will make more, it is good to see what I am doing...I reminded myself to strong up my frame, strong stance, do it so I mean it. You have to! And it got better.
I also decided to rewind and just ollie for a bit. I pulled down the 4inch wooden manual pad and just jumped up and rode across it a bunch, doing the really slow roll up and pull one truck at a time up onto it one way, then pushing fast and ollie-manual back over it.
That made me feel better...I have to remember to accept that I am starting over...you can't stop for 5 years and expect to keep the same skill set in skateboarding. It's all practice. I'm fit enough to get it. I just need to do it daily. Paula suggested a skate training program, like I'm using in running, but that feels a little weird for me. I could commit to just doing it daily. It is tough to want to, though, without anybody to go with. I need an MP3 coach! haha!
Friends would work as well...
So anyways, my point today...
I got a little bummed out during my session, so I took it back to the basics, and that made me feel a lot better. I sure hope I can find some gals to ride with here.
I'm gonna listen to the new Roots an chill...

Sun.Jun21st: 1st Day!

This is me.
I teach lessons at the youth centre here in Courtenay, BC. We are so lucky to have an indoor skatepark!! I loooooooooove skateboarding, even though I am not that good at it anymore. It has shaped my life, and helped me become who I am. I am trying to give back to it, and just introduce other people to skateboarding, too.

And now that summer has finally begun, I get to start a new mission!

I showed up at the park around 11, pulled out the bbq, set up at the picnic table, and started trying to light the briquettes. It took about seven tries, an hour and the help of a nice scooter dad.
I warmed up as I waited for it to burn off, settling back onto my shady blanket after every second or third lap around, the sun was out in full effect!
There's a loongboarding crew who meet up there every weekend around noon, and I met a younger girl named Erica, she travels around to longboarding events all up an down the coast, which is excellent!
I stayed for three hours, all told, cooking and eating a couple cheesy dogs, skating, and hanging out in the shade and getting sun. A great session for me, a good excuse to get on my board. I'm looking forward to next weekend, and starting my lessons.
I hope to get the girls from my classes together out at the park by the end of this summer. Every class I teach, there are one or two girls who want to keep on going, and this will be a great way to keep them riding, and meeting up with other girls their age.

I am so excited to see what happens with this!
I need to get onto the poster making!