I’m writing this on a warm sunny friday in London – a perfect Stockwell or Cantelowes day. However I’m sitting at a desk overlooking the Thames (could be worse) at a temp job in a Government office. I'm 36 in May. I started skateboarding at 14 and stopped a few times. Never succesfully.
I decided a while back, that that even though my knee is shot, my wrists are pretty bad, and I now have a son that needs me in one piece for when he’s growing up – I can’t and don’t want to stop skateboarding. I will one day, when I have to, but am selfishly willing to push it as far as my body will go.
For some reason the pic above, from Transworld just reminded me of all the things I love about it – and even though I’m basically just carving around popping the odd trick nowadays – and trying to learn mini ramps again, it’s basically been the most consistent thing in my life. And look at that roll-in up top
Scary as hell – and the caption says ‘no you wouldn’t’ but damn doesn’t that look crazy fun? I think the reason it stirs feelings in me is that back in the day Roskopp face boards and bright green Slimeballs - when we were all learning and everything was new, Transworld was one of the mags that gave you a glimpse of a side of skating you didn’t have in Grey London. We even nicknamed those perfect summer skate days as ‘Transworld blue’ due to the cloudless skies that appeared so often in the mag photos.
My point is (I think) that sometimes you go in phases with things that you love - when they frustrate you to the point of wanting to stop, or other people don’t understand what you’re doing and why and it effects your thought process ‘why AM I doing this?’ But whatever. Really – whatever. Even if it lasts only a couple months, I am still skating this summer, and hopefully for a lot more to come.
Click the title to link to more photo's of Bob Burnquist's 'open day' at his home/ramp/complex thing. Enjoy the sunshine.