I am going crazy trying to get these Axle Stalls! I must try about 50 each time I go to the Autumn Bowl! I used to be able to do them at Chelsea but that ramp was a very small 3 foot mini where as the Autumn mini is a 5 footer. I even know what I am doing wrong and I just can't get my oafish body to cooperate. My whole life I have felt like a ham-fisted thug with no sense of nuance. This character trait becomes obvious in skateboarding. Everything is very subtle - how to shift your weight, truck position, amount of knee tuck, etc. Maybe I am asking too much of myself or maybe I just don't have the natural ability but it seems like I should be able to do this trick.

I get exhausted from running up to the platform of the ramp. It's cool though, I am sort of getting the motion and at least I am starting to get my trucks over the coping. The coping on the mini is this crazy fat pipe that I have never seen on any ramp, but the guys I know that can skate well on this ramp say it really doesn't effect them much so I can't blame the coping.

I will not be defeated! I am just going to keep dropping in until I land this thing. I feel strange because I see so many skaters that can do this trick and make it look so simple. I pull a wobbly scrape-y one and it looks like I am on the brink of death! I am OK with this fact though. I don't have that kid like resiliency that I once had and new tricks come to old dogs very slowly. What the heck I'm in no real rush - it would be nice to be able to do at least a couple tricks though...

I can't blame the big fat coping on the Autumn mini ramp...

For this session I decided to try some new wheels. I have been using Bones SPFs but never really dug the shape of them. They are too narrow and the bearing cavity is made so you can't crank down the axle nuts onto the bearing spacer. This means the wheel will rattle a little bit. I used them because they have a great combination of grip and speed.

Bulldog Skates, one of my kind sponsors, just recently introduced the a new formula called Black Death. Besides sounding cool, the press release hinted that the formula was closer to the SPF formula that I have been using.

I received a set of Black Death Winged Skulls in from UPS at work. I slapped then on the board and even before I skated, I was pleased that I could tighten the axle nut down and the wheel would spin freely. I have to admit I was a little nervous though because they looked incredibly slippery - like black glass. I recalled my SPFs looked this way when they were new too.

I dropped in on the bowl and the new wheels were amazing! The width made them grip better which gave me more confidence, but they seemed equally as fast as the SPF wheels. After a short time a was cruising around the bowl faster than I ever have! As a final test I took tried them on the mini ramp with similar results - fast yet grippy! I was able to get some nice Frontside Grinds and the wheels just feel great.

I hate to seem like a tech head, but any advantage I can get to skate a little faster or a little more confidently I am going to take!

Bulldog Skates Winged Skulls - my new wheel of choice...

I bought the Powell-Peralta deck over 2 years ago when I contemplated skating again. The trucks were pretty scuffed up from grinds and the wheels were all coned and shot. I decided to try and restore it before I recreate my skating of the 80's when I used to skate Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida.

Here's what I did to restore it:

- First I took the whole thing apart and cleaned the stickers off of the board with lighter fluid.

- The Rib Bones were in good shape and but it was missing the Tailbone. I was able to find a NOS (New Old Stock) one on Ebay.

- Mile High Skates supplied me with new reissue Powell G Bones wheels and Bones Red bearings that fit the period of the board.

- The Gull Wing trucks were from the 80's so I decided to sand the grinds out and paint them. After stripping off the old paint, I used etching primer and then coated them with new white enamel. I baked them in my oven for about an hour to harden the paint.

- Once I had all of the pieces cleaned, new or refinished, I assembled the board with truss head hardware (consistent with the time period), Madrid Fly Paper grip tape that I got from bro Merlin over at Strange House, and put in some new Khiro Bushings (which aren't period but hey, I have to ride the thing!).

It really came out great and I can't wait to take it down to Kona and ride it!

I rode Kona for a short time in the 80's when I decided I needed some exercise. I fell and busted up my chin pretty badly and that ended that period of skateboarding. You won't hear me whispering "Rosebud" on my death bed as Citizen Kane did, I was lucky to get my Rosebud back.

Now about my lost youth...

My deck from the 80's! I found one in the same color - before and after restoration...

I emailed Armando to see if he wanted to go to the Autumn Bowl for an early morning session. We met at the 42nd street station and took the to the - my new super route to the bowl. When we got there it looked like a beer truck exploded! There was a party at the bowl the night before and it looked like it was a good one! I mean there were probably 300 Red Stripe bottles scattered about. Being a Co-Op soul I did take a garbage can and clean a bunch of them up but I was out numbered by the sheer glass fortress.

It was a great session Armando hadn't skated in about a month, but he warmed up quickly and was hitting frontside grinds in the deep end. He coaxed me to try to Frontside it myself and after having warmed up on the mini ramp and feeling comfortable with the them, I decided to try them in the deep end of the bowl for the first time. Armando carefully coached me by telling me to try and move my rear foot further back onto my kicktail and my front foot further behind the truck bolts.

It felt a little weird at first but after a few tries I was turning nicely in the deep end. I started by pushing down the waterfall but then I realized if I was going to hit coping I had to drop in from the opposite corner. After many attempts I was able to actually get my wheel onto the coping! Yet another first!

I wasn't able to get my trucks on the coping but I will by working my way up slowly. I can not afford to get hurt with what lies near in my future. But what a great feeling! The more I learn the more fun it is to skate. Next I start trying to grab the board when turning Frontside - the next step toward pulling the Frontside Air!!!!

Armando showing me how it's done in the deep end...

I headed over to the Autumn Bowl for an after work session and arrived about 6:00pm. There were only a couple of guys skating. I took a few runs in the bowl and then I headed back to the Mini Ramp to work on my Axle Stalls. I am trying to get this technique down but there are so many things to think about. You have to go straight up the ramp, turn your board exactly 90 degrees and shift your weight back onto your heals. Your outside wheels should actually touch the deck and then you stop your momentum, hang up there or "stall" for a while and kickturn and come back into the ramp. I am kind of getting the idea but the shifting the weight back onto my heals is taking some getting used to. I also need to turn my shoulders so that they are squared or parallel to the coping. I must have tried about 50 of these and a few of my later ones were getting there. I am still sliding instead of stalling which is actually more like a 50-50 Grind, but I will keep working. Sooner or later...

I also practiced my Front Side Grinds some more and they are starting to feel natural.

Practice, Practice, Practice...

Trying to get an Axle Stall - Need to turn my lead shoulder more!

Most skaters I know get a board and stick with it - but not me. I am constantly experimenting and trying to find the right combination of skate stuff so that I can squeeze the most out of my equipment with my limited abilities. There is a long ongoing debate about which skateboard trucks (the pivoting axles the wheels are attached to for you non-skaters) have the best turning response. I started out with Independent trucks which have a devout following from both the old and new school, but I soon switched to Tracker trucks because they made a black truck that I thought looked cool. Man, what a slave to fashion I am. Ever since I learned to carve I have always had the Trackers. I notice that sometimes I have a problem when leaning hard, the opposing side wheels want to lift off the ground (not a wheelie but like a stunt car riding on two wheels). Loosening the trucks made the ride unstable, so I thought I would try the Indys.

Last night I tweaked up my board, I took off the Trackers, put in a new set of Rockin' Ron's Rockets bearings and made sure everything was working good - sort of a reward to myself for the Frontside Grind I had ripped on Thursday.

Arriving at the bowl, I noticed that the Mini-Ramp was not available because some of the bowl creators were doing some construction. I was hoping to work the Mini to stay on the Frontsides but the bowl is so awesome too, and you can never get enough practice carving. I dropped in for the first time with the new Indys and they felt very twitchy, but after a few turns with a skate tool I had them dialed in. I thought I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but I really like them a lot better! This is not to say Tracker does not make a fine product, watch Buddy Carr skate on Trackers and you would think they are magic. But skate set ups are a very personal and individual thing and what works for one skater may not work for another.

After getting the Indys dialed in I decided I wanted to try and get my Backside Carve Grinds a little more consistent. I hit one every now and again, but I have been content with just getting high on the first wall and not grinding the coping. I knew I would have to put this chicken attitude behind me if I was going to progress. Skating is about going for it and that's what I have to start doing.

So towards the end of the morning, it was only Gil and me with the whole bowl to ourselves. I would stop my run if I didn't hit the first grind and start it again. I think I finally have it solid now. I hit a few really nice ones and Gil caught one on video. Grinding on the first wall is now mandatory!

I am going to try and skate as much can and continue to learn. I am really stoked because the more stuff I get under my belt, the more I want to skate!

Grinding a few scratches in the new trucks...

I decided to work the Mini Ramp and try to get some real Frontside Grinds instead of the little wimpy ones I hit back in February. I am also continuing my endless quest to do Axle Stalls and 50-50 Grinds.

I started out by just pumping up the transition from the flat bottom of the ramp and working my way up. I was able to get some pretty decent grinds.

After those smallish grinds, I decided I needed to just really go for it. With blood in my eyes, I stuck my board on the edge of the coping and launched myself toward the other side of the 5 foot ramp. I crashed few time because I chickened out - plain and simple. I then decided to channel Jay Adams and Tony Alva and just try to rip one no matter what the consequences. The result was my first really great frontside grind. It is an undescribable feeling! I felt like I was in the Dogtown and Z boys movie.

It's odd to think such a simple act can produce such joy, but I have to admit I was proud of myself. I risked getting badly hurt to achieve a goal. As barbaric as that sounds, I think it is something innate in male Homo sapiens - proving ourselves by overcoming almost assured peril.

I want to try to skate at least 2 times a week so I can continue to progress. I have been a little lazy in the past few months but I need to get serious again - the rewards are incredible.

The weather is clearing up and the outdoor parks all open again the first week in April. It will be nice to skate in the sun for a change!

Finally, a decent Frontside Grind!!!

Skating seems to help the anxiety though so I just need to get off of my butt and go!!!

I headed over to Autumn today and got there about 10ish. There were several skater's I knew already there. I did a few runs in the bowl, but my new mission is to just get my Frontside Grinds dialed in on the mini ramp. I also am trying to get Axle Stalls and 50-50's down pat.

I just spent a lot of time working on basics. I love to carve the bowl because it gives me that surf feeling but I also would like to learn a few tricks so I continue to progress.

I realize for my eventual goal to do a Frontside Air, I am going to have to be more limber. So now before I go to bed, I stand on my BDS Flat Pig and just bend and stretch. It must be pretty funny for an all to common binoculared NYC voyeur to look in my window and see a 40-year-old man standing on a skateboard in leopard pajamas trying to touch his toes.

These are the thoughts that keep me motivated!

Thanks to Tamara for shooting this short clip...

My speed is improving, but I still look kind of kooky though...

"Dear Sony Pictures:
First of all, as a skateboarder, I am looking forward to the Sony Pictures release of Lords of Dogtown! It looks like a fun and exciting film but, as a purist, I must voice my complaint regarding the gross omission of a link that should be on the links page for the film. It seems that you have left out a link for Bulldog Skates, Wes Humpston and Rich Fosmire's company that creates skateboards in the true tradition and spirit of Dogtown.

Wes Humpston was one of the original founders of Dogtown Skates and a leader in the skate art field. He has helped shape the landscape of skateboarding as we know it today. I am not an employee of Bulldog Skates, but I evangelize their products not only because they capture the true essence of skateboarding, but for their unmatchable customer support and extremely high quality merchandise - traits that are sorely missing from many American companies.

I am sure you know this information, but I just wanted to contribute my opinions. Wes Humpston has helped and continues to help forge skateboarding history worldwide - now how about throwing the brother a link?"

I have mixed feelings about the movie. Sure, I am going to be the first one in line to go see it, but whenever something pure and raw is introduced into the mainstream, there is always the danger of people just wanting to make money off of it.

Old school skating will be placed in the box office forefront for American filmgoers to consume like so many cheeseburgers. Companies not even associated with skating will undoubtedly crank out knock-off Dogtown skateboards right after their run of plastic door stops is completed. These companies will most certainly make inferior merchandise to make a quick buck and by doing so there exists the possibility of discouraging skateboarders.

Example: A kid's mom buys him a board by Dogweed Skates and the thing is unrideable because of wrong geometry, wheels that are too hard, and trucks that don't turn. Do you think this kid wants to skateboard? No way! He doesn't want to ride because it's not a pleasurable experience.

On the other hand, Lords of Dogtown brings awareness to skateboarding and that is always a good thing. In an online correspondence with Michael Brooke from the incredible magazine Concrete Wave states:

"For what it's worth, my take...

Some of you may know that I am putting a book together on the behind the scenes of this film. I have been working with Sony/TriStar marketing dept. and the director. In that sense, I have been given some pretty incredible access to the process here...

Furthermore, I have seen this film and thanks to a terrific new book on the business of Hollywood (Open Wide) I can tell you that I have somewhat of an understanding of what is about to take place.

It is, for all intents an purposes going to be a MONSTER...a juggernaut.

When Hollywood fires things up, and put the button down, well, we are talking total saturation here....EVERYONE who owns a tv or goes outdoors or reads a newspaper or magazine or hangs out on the internet will more than likely know about Lords of Dogtown.

The time is NOW to leverage this to everyone's benefit. Will there be Alva McHappy meals at McDonalds? Most likely no. But, there will be a lot of marketing efforts thrown at this puppy...That's Hollywood. So, while you may cringe at some of the things that the movie may bring, take a step back, use your imagination and then leverage the movie to move things forward. This thread is a perfect example of this... and there are a lot more

The folks who made this film (Stacy and Tony) were HEAVILY involved...Those two care deeply a bout skateboarding. Catherine Hardwicke, the director is also very committed and passionate about making an authentic skate film that is highly entertaining.

At the end of the day, Lords is a "fictionalized account", "based on a true story", "Hollywood version" of something that a lot of us on this board lived through...even though many of us never actually "lived" in dogtown.

The film is going to do amazing things for skateboarding...." Michael Brooke

I guess I fall on both sides of this issue. I don't want the thing that I love to do become corrupt, but at the same time, publicity is good for skateboard companies. Also increased awareness means more skate parks - and that is a very good thing!!!!

Vacant chairs on the set of Lords of Dogtown...

There seems to me a artistic link to skating and I always enjoy seeing the things that skateboarders create.

The below photo is of a painting! it looks like a picture it is so well done! And no, it isn't a painting of me you wiseguys...

Bananas - one of Armando's incredible paintings...