better than ping pong

The first session of the year is ended. It was another great class, everyone doing their best, and helping one another out. It was my favorite when we were rolling in, that everybody cheered each other on. Everybody rolled in tonight, at first holding my hands, and then, except for a couple, on their own. I wish I had pictures of that. And how surprised they all were, how easy it felt, after getting used to the drop. Ah, I love that feeling!


Stickers didn't get finished quite yet, I have to order the clear sticker plastic from an online store. Apparently I forgot that I live in a faraway forest, tiny island village where futuristic clear stickers are a mystery to all those who work in the four local print shops. I guess I have to sort of finish the drawing/design part. The one I've drawn has Jem hair, which I think is only cool to me.



I have two weeks off now to rest my sore bones, and really need to get some new shoes. I think my feet nearly came apart, they are so sore from jumping and running in my old pair of suede gone baggy, worn in, worn out, time softened, rounded cornered skate slippers. It is time.


Almost forgot the most interesting part of the evening! Following the lesson, there was a meeting in the youth centre attached to the park. It was full of city honchos, and the youth centre staff were putting on an open house and presenting their new programs and outreach developments within the community (and there are some awesome developments, the ladies in charge deserve props!). So near the end of the presentations, Kathie, my 'boss' sees me hovering over there by the food table in the corner, and introduces me as 'one of our casual staff and also our skateboarding instructor who is working hard to get girls into the sport'. Yay!
As if having all the eyes in the room on me wasn't enough, there were clear looks of distrust/ disdain/ disapproval on more than a few faces! I got a definite feeling that the skate park meant nothing to them, and I guess- why should it? But wow! In the meet and greet following, this vibe continued as I tried to introduce myself to the mayor and some city councillors. It occurred to me that skateboarding has a pretty bad rep here in this community, and at one time not too long ago, I would have been very proud of that. But then I started to wonder how is that image persisting, with the X-Games being on TV, and so many kids into it now; and most importantly, how will that attitude affect skateboarding's future here-what if they decide the park isn't worth the trouble? This indoor park is run by these people, they decide whether or not to repair it and/ or keep it operational. They got a really decent outdoor park built, and have a one of a kind indoor. This thing is a gem. A city run youth centre with an indoor skate park has an incredible draw. We are so lucky. Now I know that I am going to have to work to get some love for it, to keep it open and operational as well as appreciated. I have some PR to do. Great.

Here is the link to the newspaper that covered the open house. Notice that the skate park is referred to as an amenity alongside and on the same level as a ping pong table (p2). Huh?

http://www2.canada.com/comoxvalleyecho/story.html?id=d523e72a-5a4e-413b-b995-e25233b825fb
This is so much more than a ping pong table!

HIGH KICKS '11!

Alright, it has begun!

Off to a new start in this new year with a batch of new rippers to get stoked on the feeling of four wheeling. So far we are awesome. Monday night mayhem brings one class of 5 boys, another class of 5 girls, soon to be 8 girls. Amazing.

Everyone is off to a radical start, we are all pushing strong. Need to clean up a set of bearings and find wheels for one guy whose board has no go, then collect up some wrist guards so my girls feel free to fall on their fannies. I love whoever it is that brings us the free supply of Skateboard mags, big ups! I hand them out to the newbiest newbies to read through and get acquainted with parts and pieces, the way I did to learn to put trucks on straight when I didn't know which way was up.

Letting all the ladies know about High Kicks For Skate Chicks upcoming this summer at the outdoor Lerwick Park. I'm thinking t-shirts this year. We are going to be a crazy 8's skate gang!

I wish I could take pics of these guys and gals and how hard they're working to get on board. Hopefully you will be seeing them all at a park near you soon.
Here is some great footage of the park I feel blessed to share and get to use here in Courtenay, BC.
Eisei Sugimoto, the man from Japan is here to show the kids what's up and how to charge a park proper like a freight train. I'm so glad he came!

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...