What the Puck?!

Not many people saw my first attempt at making slide gloves.  I spent a grand total of $2.18 on my first try.  I bought a set of gloves and a cutting board at a dollar store, and gave it a shot.  Well, I opened the cutting board to find out it was plastic.  Then, I realized that I don't own any tools.  So...I broke the cutting board (it was just plastic after all) and used shoe goo to apply it to the gloves.

They were terrible.  I was embarrassed to wear 'em.

So, I heard about Phat Deanz slide pucks.  You can buy them with velcro included.  My lack of tools problem was solved for less than 20 bucks delivered to my doorstep.

 

Here is what I did to make my new slide gloves:

1. Cut velcro to the proper size and fasten one piece to the puck


2.  Shoe goo the other pieces to the glove (shoe goo is supposed to help because the 'sticky' from the velcro is meant for things that don't bend...and of course your gloves will bend).


3.  Stick them all together and put them under something heavy to press them together while the shoo goo dries.


Done.  Less than 20 bucks spent...now, to heal up this sprained ankle so I can try them out.  I'll let you know how they work.

Metal Ramps/Metal Music: Friday October 21, 2011

Wednesday's bowl session was cold.  Too cold for October in Memphis, TN.  Either that or I'm just not ready to say goodbye to the summer heat, and I was worried the weekend would end up freezing or (worse) rainy.  Thursday was better.  A little warmer.  And Friday was just about right.

This was going to be a true skate day.  I hit the Greenline for a little slo-mo cruise Friday morning (do my pintail's bearings need a cleaning?).  Went home and had an unplanned nap, and woke up to hit Al Town for about an hour.  I HAD to skate Al Town Friday.  I wanted to be psyched for the benefit show at The Buccaneer that night.



 After Al Town I headed over to a Baptist Church on Union where the Sidewalk Skate Ministry had set up some metal ramps.  While going to a Baptist Church before a metal show didn't seem appropriate at least the ramps were metal...right?

I wasn't sure about skating metal ramps, honestly.  My experience with metal ramps has always been that they're too slick for how I skate, but a launch ramp is a launch ramp and it had been far too long since I've skated one.




Chris N. was  killing it,

and I recognized a couple others from Al Town.  Greg S. brought out the hippy jump (it was too dark for pics).  I'm not sure what it is about Memphis locals that make them so good at hippy jumps.  Somehow Chris (who isn't a tall guy) and I cleared the bar at its highest level while Dalton and others were close on our heels.

Anyway, the sun was down and it was time to get ready for the metal (music, this time).

The Al Town benefit was awesome!  Turnout was great.  E. Pidgeon, Sneed and Jungle brought the O.G. vibe.  The raffle was a huge success (thanks Andy!).  The music was great.  The beer was cold.  What more could you ask for...oh yeah, nearly $1,000.00 toward Al Town.  Huge success!

Around 2 a.m. I made my way home and set up a new longboard deck up to ride (my slide board is ready...now to get some gloves).  A great day to skate and a great night for the future of Memphis skateboarding.

A week without (and a D.I.Y. Benefit) UPDATE

I’ve been dealing with bruised heels on both feet for the last two weeks.  I decided that, after Slidefest at Shelby Farms, I’d take a week off from skating…well, almost.  My birthday was Wednesday night and I figured that would be my one session.  I patiently waited for Wednesday, but Wednesday poured down with rain.  I should’ve known, my birthday plans never work out right.  I’ve given even telling people it is my birthday for the most part.  I’m not superstitious, but…

On Monday morning I decided I’d had enough of this waiting, and it was time for a skate.  I had a new set of Powell Bowl Bombers in 95a to try out.  Of course I immediately hit my heels just hard enough to feel pain (before I did any skating), but I soldiered on to get my Al Town skate on:

Al Town.  This haven for the misfits has continued to grow.  The new pump bump…
 

(built the same morning as Slidefest) helps bring all the obstacles together so well.  It is awesome.

If you skate, come show your support for the spot.  Friday October 21^st at the Buccaneer is the Trife Street D.I.Y. benefit show.  Show your support, buy an “Embrace the Suck” DVD, hang out with the coolest cats in M-Town, AND...

Get in on the raffle.  Raffle?!

Five bucks a ticket for some awesome stuff:

2 $75.00 gift certificates to underground art
a bad ass grab bag from goner that includes records,cds,zine and $25.00 gift certificate  
$25.00 gift certificate to murphys
free rentals from black lodge video 

and more to come from your favorite local bars, shops and even an o.g. tony hawk complete. this is the real deal, not a reissue.tracker trucks and bullets. ready to ride or hang!!  And just 5 bucks gets you a ticket.

Sorry kids.  This one is 21 and over.


Here is the facebook event page
  
Raffle Update from Andy:  "$50 credit to slider inn(thanks Jessie)!!, $25 credit to young ave delli( thanks Phillip )!!!, $20 credit to Celtic crossing( thanks Jamie )!!! and still a few to hear back from. Thanks for all you support guys. Now come out to the buck and have a beer and help support your local d.i.y. Skate scene!!!"

Everybody Hurts: The best bails of Slidefest 2011

Again, thanks to Lindsey Rowland for taking all the great pics of Slidefest 2011.

What a Great Day!!!

I’m amazed at the growth of longboarding. 20 years ago longboarding was a dead art. Longboards themselves were almost impossible to buy. Downhill was never in the magazines. Sliding was what you did to stop a run when you were street skating. Who would have though sliding would become a discipline unto itself and “slidefests” would start popping up around the country?

About a year ago, thanks to Greg Simmons...

...DSL started to get organized. The group DSL (Down South Longboarding) was formed on facebook, and we began to have some push rides to bring together the Memphis area longboard community.

As the push rides grew, it was decided that we should finally have a real longboard event. Get sponsors. Get the word out throughout the Southeast, and have a day of longboarding.

The sponsors came along quickly, and we can’t thank them enough.

And the skaters showed up too.

Congrats to the Confederate crew who came in and showed some great skill on our little hill.

Here are the results:

SLIDE JAM

#1 Mason McNay (120)
#2 Jake Galloway (112)
#3 Drean Whitner (103)
#4 Alex Dingman..

Best Trick

#1 Mason McNay
#2 Dalton Downing
#3 Alfredo Lopez

Longest Slide

Henry Pham (soft wheels)
Mason McNay (hard wheels)

Top Gear Race

#1 Mason McNay

Hippy Jump

Chris Nosille

After leaving the slidefest for the day I had the opportunity to hit the bowl and skate a session with Mike and Wrex. If y'all haven't seen Wrex Cook skate, you're missing out. The Toast Skateboards pro lives not too far from here and makes trips up to skate the area all the time. And he's always killing it. The guys even dropped in and took a run on my usual board bowl, a 43 inch longboard (I ride a longboard for all disciplines).

It was a great day that made me a little jealous that I was sitting at the judging table, and didn’t enter. I’ve decided to step away from transitions a little more over the next year and get my board sliding more often. In fact, I’m setting up a deck for freeride/slides next week. So, next year, look out young’uns. This old dude is gonna be sliding.

Special thanks to Lindsey Rowland for taking all the great pics btw!

Are You Ready?!

Slidefest is this weekend. It sounds like the weather is going to be perfect.

Here are a few things to keep you stoked:

Sponsors:

Outdoors Inc.
Mudge fasteners
Bustin
Arbor
Longboard Loft
Dregs
Do901.com
Gravity
Original
Sector 9
MG Boards
Nersh

Who would have thought we'd have this many?!

A video to get you stoked:

Brad Edwards always succeeds in getting me stoked to skate.

And finally...

...This is what the luvmud event is REALLY ABOUT!