6/30/04
I went back to Riverside Skate Park
to face the Blue Metal Demon where I got my injury. I was not going to try to drop in from the top but
just pump up and down to see how high I could get. Vert is a weird feeling - it's like you are weightless the more vertical you get,
and your board is barely touching the ramp surface. I didn't get all the way up to the top but almost, and I am just trying to program
my muscles so that they become familiar with balance, weight shifting, and all the other intricacies of skateboarding. I am not a person
of nuance in anything I do, so I am trying to learn how very subtle movements can affect the way I ride. It's tough and at times - I feel
like a ham-fisted oaf, but I realize learning anything takes time. I rode for a little over an hour and it felt good to overcome
some of my fear.
The Blue Metal Demon - where I smashed up!
6/27/04
The weather has been pretty bad so I have been unable to venture out until today. My shoulder is still giving me different waves of pain.
It feels better and then worse again. I eat Aleve like M&Ms but it still doesn't help too much. I went to
Chelsea and kind of just went
through the motions. I did land a few Axle-Stalls which are a really good trick to know, but still need to get them consistent. I am going
to concentrate on the Mini-Ramp I think until I get that wired and then try to move up to bigger ramps. Had a lot of fun but wish I was
100 percent healed so I could go for it a little more.
6/25/04
I just found out that a Joe Popp song is going to be on an CD called
Gnarly Dude 2! which is a record put out by Carl Arnfield and Tim Walker,
the blokes who run a great UK older skater site called Middle Age Shred! The record features
music by skaters and I am really glad they are including the band on such a cool album!!!
There will be a Joe Popp somg on this record from the UK!!!
6/20/04
I felt the need to skate once again. My arm and shoulder are healing but very slowly. I went to
Chelsea and just practiced pumping up
and down on the vert ramp. If I couldnŐt practice tricks, at least I could work on minimizing the beer gut. It was a beautiful day,
cool and bright. I was able to rebuild some of my confidence by dropping in on the 6-foot ramp over and over. I am not afraid or
timid at this point but I have a new found respect for the drop in. I worked the mini-ramp for a while and my
50-50 Grinds are coming
along well, but I tried an Axle-Stall and my shoulder twisted wrong,
and shot a good dose of pain right up to my brain. I didnŐt even
fall! Man, it hurt! It was a fun day but I still want to feel good again....
6/18/04
I skated for the first time today out at Owl's Head
in Brooklyn. I was pretty nervous because I am still in great pain. It was a nice
day and I met a couple of guys, Nelson and JD, from the BDS message board out there. I only
dropped in once and it freaked me out! I
did take a couple of runs by pumping up and down but my arm and shoulder still stabbed at me every time I twisted my body. I told the
guys that I was afraid I would lose my skills but Nelson said, "Man, that's just in your head". He was right, but I still want to feel
healthy so I can skate without pain. I left the park after about an hour watching everybody shred it to pieces and wondered if I will
ever get to that level myself....
6/09/04
OUUCCHHHHH!!! Ok, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later and it finally did! I was at Riverside Skate Park after work and
I decided that it was the day to try and Drop In on a vert ramp.
I have been slowly working my way up to bigger ramps and after the Jam I was all excited about improving my skating. So I walked up the
stairs of the 11 foot high ramp. I got psyched up put my board down and pushed. I wobbled a little bit but I made it without falling!
I was so excited that I went right back up and tried it again. I dropped in and fell but not until I got to the opposing wall. A typical
slam but nothing bad. Well the third time I walked up to the platform I was determined to pull it off. As I pushed my board down from the
coping it just shot out and I fell right to the flat bottom onto my shoulder. I thought I dislocated it but it was just a really hard slam.
I limped to the subway and looked at my arm and had no regrets for trying it other than I think I am trying to progress to quickly. I need
to realize that the skill will come and I have to
give it time. I am going to try and skate again next week but I am out for at least 7 to 10 days. Pain is part of the sport and I can
accept that, I just wish that pain didn't hurt so much!!!! I now refer to the ramp at Riverside as the Blue Metal Demon....
Ouch!!! - The Blue Metal Demon got me!!!!
6/06/04
I had been waiting for this day for a really long time! A guy named John on the
Bulldog Skates Message Board organized the
East Coast Old Skool Bulldog Skates Jam. It was held at a place that is closing soon called Wooden Waves
in Reading, PA. I had Filmmaker/Performer Carmine Covelli
pick me up to start the 2-hour drive at 8:30am. Well, right off the bat we got lost.
I was interviewing Carmine while he was driving and we ended up way too far south in Jersey. We had to just double back because
we couldn't figure out the country roads. We finally got to Wooden Waves at 12pm (an hour late). It was a cool thing to finally
meet the guys I have been chatting with online. We all felt like we already knew each other and introduced ourselves to each
other by our chat names! Everybody there was just killing the bowl except yours truly, but I think I did OK for a guy that has
been back for just over 2 months and everyone there was very supportive. A lot of the crew brought their kids and they were skating
AMAZINGLY!!! Watching fathers skate with their sons was a really beautiful thing. It was a great day except a woman named Brittany
had a very bad ankle injury and had to be carried away by the ambulance (after a standing ovation!). We all skated and talked about
our boards and went to a place called The Crab Barn
for dinner. They had Karaoke there so I sang "Surrender" by Cheap Trick and
"Whip It" by DEVO which a couple of kids sang along to and skanked with me onstage.
The coolest thing was that Carmine could just shoot video and not get hassled for not having permits like you need in NYC.
It was probably the most fun I have had in a long while because all of the guys from the BDS message board are really into skating just to have a good time.
It is a really great
group of guys and girls and I am glad to be a part of it.
Everybody in the Bowl! - The First Annual East Coast Old Skool Bulldog Skates Jam!!!
6/04/04
I was off from work today so I thought it was Saturday, which lead me on a wild goose chase around the city to find an open skate
park. I went to Chelsea at 10am only to realize it didn't open until 3.
I have been working on music for a play called "Of a White Christmas" so I decided to drop off the CDs of the music and then head down to
Tribeca only to realize that they didn't open until
2pm (it was about noon)! So I went home, got some rest, and then went back to Chelsea at 3pm. I met a really cool guy named Geno,
who is the Team manager for a skateboard company called LittlePaw
and I also saw Allen again who was shredding as per usual. I worked
on my frontside turns to no avail but got my 50-50's pretty consistent
on the mini-ramp. I did a few Rock to Fakies and they need
some work too. I slam a lot when I try them so after a few falls I can't practice anymore. The worst thing was I was skating out
of the park and my wheel locked up on a pebble and I went smashing to the ground (no safety gear on!). I smacked my wrist pretty
good but nothing serious. I am really excited about Sunday, there is a Skate Jam in Reading, PA that a guy named John From the BDS
message board organized. I wrote a song to commemorate the event - click here!