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.

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!!!"