YONDER BREAKS

Here is another post on aging and skateboarding . I hope you're not sick of them, but if you are...deal with it (there is one of those perks to getting older). I recently watched a video on Tony Hawk turning 50 , and performing 50 tricks that he either invented or popularized. Here it is, for your viewing pleasure: The part about this that struck me was when he said he adjusted his skating to keep going. Such a simple concept, but so true, right? If I can't jump down big sets of stairs anymore, but still want to skateboard, find another place to do it. I suppose the first post about this was the baby steps of this transition (though it still didn't end well), and if I'm honest, this has kind of been a long time coming. It is still difficult to see these awesome skate spots and dream up tricks I used to be able to do, and couple probably do again if I wanted to hurt myself, but is that really enjoying the sport, or just prolonging the inevitable? So today I to...

Years ago I had a memorable session on Black Friday. It was an unexpected huge day at Dockweiler, with offshore winds that blew back white caps like snow flurries. The water was glassy and it rained, the gentle rolling clouds only adding to the epic waves we were riding. I faced fears that day, though unfortunately, I caved when the big ones came. That session has always stuck out in my mind, and every Black Friday , I find myself wondering if it will ever return. Another epic session, another chance at redemption. Well, this must be the year, because yesterday, I had one such session. Los Angeles has been mostly flat the last several weeks, but like a Thanksgiving gift, we are receiving a nice little swell, directly hitting the Angelino shores. My brother-in-law was in town, and he is always down for a surf, so I know I had an extra reason to paddle out. (A couple springs ago, while we were in Charleston, SC, he came down to visit and got me out in very  cold, sloppy surf for t...

My kids really love getting band aids. Maybe it's an art thing, or something sort of elusive but still somewhat attainable, that attracts them to band aids, but the whole thing is kind of ridiculous to me. When we found My Little Pony  bandages at the dollar store, it was a practically a race for whoever could get hurt first to claim one. Every "booboo" is a chance, even if it doesn't warrant one, and trust me: most of them don't deserve the prize. They often come to me with bruises and claim a band aid will make them feel better. Usually I say no, I need to see blood (too morbid?). I should probably just give it to them, but I don't want them to be too sensitive to pain, since they will likely be pro skateboarders , and need to get used to getting hurt. What I end up coming back to is that they should be happy when they don't need a band aid -- it means they didn't get hurt! This doesn't register, and today the band aid dance reminded me of this...

I'm pretty good at being an  old man . Maybe better than being a young one, some would say. What I mean is, things like getting going slow, waking up early, enjoying a scotch on the rocks and watching  The Andy Griffith Show  come naturally to me.  They always have. I used to love piddling around with my Grandfather, lazily going to lunch or shopping for cars (which he would take months to purchase, to the chagrin of the salesmen he made sure to spend  lots  of time talking to). Those were great relationship-building days, by the way, which I think a slower life lends itself well to. The thing is, though, I'm not really old. I'm only 32. But since  moving to a big city , and experiencing a different slice of life out here, I am finding new ways to feel old. Things move faster here, which is a given -- I can deal with that. I still drive slow and consider it my mission to slow this city down. People are more career-focused -- I've been there and can r...

I wrote recently about my struggles as an aging skateboarder. Tonight I went out for my first session since the one that inspired that post, and was dismayed to find a new thing to feel old about... There is always a certain hesitation when approaching a new skatepark -- Is it built well? What kind of skaters frequent it? Are they nice? Will I be disturbing the homeless man living behind the quarter pipe if I skate too early? Tonight I tried Hazard Skatepark in east Los Angeles, and felt that familiar anxiety as I walked up. It was moderately populated, and had a very unique layout. But I immediately felt different in a few ways, all leading up to one blaring observation -- I'm kind of old. I wear a helmet most of the time now, mostly because I have two kids and my wife reminds me that I need to be a good example for them (as well as keep my brain intact). This headpiece right away sets me apart from about 99% of skaters at the typical skatepark in Los Angeles, because most ...