Tobey is Open!

After spending three weeks on the sidelines I finally got to skate Tobey last week.  Knowing full well that my ankle (though not swollen) wasn't healed completely, I couldn't resist the bowl anymore and I went for it.


Friday I was tentative.  It was frustrating to be scared of hurting myself, especially since we were filming.  My ankle held up well even if my skating wasn't stellar.

Saturday brought in the rippers like Wrex Cook, Mike Lasiter, Ulander etc...and I forgot all about my ankle. 


Until it folded on re-entry from a frontside air.  My ankle folded, and left me at the bottom of the bowl. I threw my board, crawled out of the bowl, and did a butt scoot downhill to the fence where nobody would be able to see me writhing in pain.

So, back on the shelf.  I will wait it out a few more weeks, and I'm getting a new splint ankle brace to wear.  It should keep my ankle from folding while it strengthens.

Oh, I'm looking for realistic looking Viking Horns.  I've been looking at my helmet and thinking, "Something is missing here!"  Vikings Horns.

Whining and Designing

My ankle hurts.  Yeah, I'm griping about it.  Still.

BUT.

Tobey opened this week, and the grand opening was awesome. The park was so full of skaters and families that it was nearly elbow to elbow.  Skaters were getting to know the lines of the park.  It was all good.

Mayor Wharton gave a nice speech.  Aaron "Shafe Run"  Shafer gave a great talk about mentoring and teaching the youth of our communities through skateboarding.  We had a good laugh about the state of Memphis this morning at the bowl...when the role models of your community are the skaters you know this place is messed up.  In all actuality, guys like Aaron Shafer are great role models, and skateboarding can be a great learning tool.  You have to set a goal each time you try something new as a skater and "try try try again" to accomplish that goal whether the goal is a kickflip down some stairs or learning to carve.

Two weeks off has given me time to get some things accomplished.  I just finished an article for Memphis Health and Fitness magazine on the skate park.  I have written a little something that may be in the next issue of Concrete Wave and I finally got the logo design for MG Boards in Millington finished.

Here is the logo:

After a three hour session at Tobey, my ankle is feeling jakked.  Who knows, if I have to take another two weeks off I might just get a lot more accomplished off a board.  We'll see...I just hope I don't have to find out.