SKATING - Mass Montage: End of Summer 2011

Here's a massive montage from the last month or so of skating. I found that I just love sittin' back and watching skating with some tunes. No need for every clip to be a banger. It's a long one at over 10 minutes. But, if we skated together recently then there's probably a clip of you in here. This edit covers so much sick skating from skaters all over Cincinnati. Most of the footage is from the east side homies but there's shots of Louisville, Newport UndertheBridge, FLOPA and Matt Siimpson's back yard Mile High ramp.

Skating is always best when you are shredding with your homies. I'm pumped for every session and thankful to still be rolling in my geriatric state.

The Devil's Toy - skating evolution

Trying to take in the enormity of the progression of skateboarding in the last 50 years. I found these two very early (~1965) skate films/shorts The Devil's Toy and Skaterdater. These are some of the first skate films ever made.

Times have changed but the spirit of skateboarding was evident in it's infancy. These kids were the early stoked-out pioneers - bombing hills barefoot with metal wheels on 2ft boards. Full on cop chases, getting booted, hassled. They had completely no idea what they were doing but they were doing it. So, skateboarding was rejected from the start yet skateboarders number in the millions today. Maybe because we're all feeling the same thing that's worth fighting for: that overwhelming feeling of joy, rush, living and freedom from simply rolling!

The Devil's Toy


Skaterdater

Chillin

Got to let my body heal up a bit after going super hard the last few weeks. Goin' hard for an older dude doesn't mean throwin' myself down rails and gettin' crazy. It just means skating hard, non-stop, few breaks, 50-50s, feebles, frontside schralps, super-stretched out layback powerslides, marathon mini sessions, bowl sessions, trains CARVES!!!!! I can't be one of these totally chilled out rip masters who shred some mind-blowing flip trick then sit down for 15 minutes and start complaining that their K-Slims aren't tight enough. Old dudes know that you have to get it when you can - When you have a chance to skate, you have to. Unless your body won't let you.

Lately for me it's just back pain that forces me to take time off of skating. Taking time off is OK - it's good for your body and your mind. Let's you see things differently, helps you appreciate the times you are rolling and helps you think about your own longevity in skating. Will any of us be lucky enough to f/s grab carve the deep end when we are in our 60s? We really don't know yet. That's how young skating is. I think it's possible that we will see a fast growing group of older skaters reaching their 50s and 60s who are still stoked as ever and skating at advanced levels. Guys like Tony Alva at ~55 is doin' it hard still. I'm still ten years away from 50 but find myself consumed at times with skating longevity. I don't want to stop rolling. No skater does. But that's the beauty of life and skating in general. We are all only rollin' a short while so you got to get it while you can. There is no destination in skating - it's all a journey.