SBEDF - Day 29 - Reflections on a Sunny Day

So, its here at last - the final day of Skate Badly Every Day in February


Off to Cretesham for a sesh with Scoob and DM.

Turned out to be a nice evening. Started on the dropping in from 50-50 and as usual all was not right, but we know how to sort that out so a couple of assisted goes on DMs barge followed by twenty minutes of successful solo attempts then a transfer onto my Sector 9 pool board, and lots and lots of successful solo attempts. Just got to move onto the Creature deck and we're in business.

Two of the many:-

Was it worth it? I've had snow twice, some rain, used the DoomRamp a lot more, learned to enjoy solo skoots in a car park, really enjoyed skating with people, learned a few things. Yes it was definitely worth it. Now I can rest my aching legs for a bit and plan what to do in April. Ollies maybe?

SBEDF - Day 25

Busy day ahead, what with a stag do to go to in Leamington, so there was only time for a car park roll today. And my legs are well sore after the Cretesham sesh last night.

I set up the Sector 9 pool deck with old skool Variflex trucks and Bones DTF wheels, removing the 2ft risers. It feels OK now. I thought that, after the success of yesterday on DMs barge, a 36" deck will give me a fighting chance of replicating it next time I go to Cretesham (which will probably be tomorrow afternoon hopefully). And then transfer it to the shorter board.

SBEDF - Day 24 - Cretesham

So, Day 24. And its dry. So a Cretesham after work.

The usual mix of bladers, BMXicans and skooterists, with me and Dangermouse on stunt planks.

Now for the last few months I've tried in vain to 50-50 dropin on the most mellow of transitions with no joy. Its been very frustrating for me, and those poor sods forced to watch the pantomime in motion. I have developed a gay right foot so keep jumping off and I can't break the habit. After yet another round of fuckin it up DM decided it was time to hold hands - and it worked - 50-50 dropins were nailed, admittedly on DMs huge 40" board but nailed none the less.

Well chuffed. Cheers Jus. You're a star mate (might need to repeat the process for the short board but I reckon we're there).

SBEDF - Day 21 - New Territory

In a change to the scheduled programme I took a look at Harlow Skatepark on my way back from Great Yarmouth.

Its a nice wee park - the first picture, bad though it is, shows the streety bit looking from above the bowled out corner. I had some fun looping round it. Plenty of curved bit and bowled out bits.

And this is the bowl, which looked OK but I wussed out of trying it mainly due to the 100mile drive ahead of me.There was only one other person there, a local kid called Andy. His opening gambit was `Are you sponsored?', followed by a better attempt with `Do you want a beer?'. So we chatted for a bit and skooted round the park. He did manage to fit in the old favourite `Can you do a kickflip?' before I left tho. Seemed like a good kid but with nowt to do.

So, onwards into the 20s - tomorrow is either Cretesham if its dry or the DoomRamp if wet.

SBEDF - Day 18 - Campus-tastic

So, Day 18 - in a change from the norm I went to Campus in Bristol, the only proper indoor park in the area. Bobster and Ricker were out to play, with Ricks youngster Noah on his Ripstik.

It has a nice 4ft mini:-

And a sportshall full of stuff:-

So I had a skoot around in the sportshall, dropping in on the little 2 1/2ft quarters, even managed to get back up onto one of them a few times.

Then into the main hall and dropping in on the 4ft mini - which is about all I can do. Probably once I got used to the speed, things should be less frantic at the other side. Maybe next time.

Here is Ricker and Bob showing me how it should be done:-

So, onwards to Day 19 - probably a return to the DoomRamp, then Great Yarmouth next week.

SBEDF - Day 14 - TURNSTILE

Behind this innocuous garage door lies Swindons secret nuclear skate bunker. If the bomb drops, it could be all we have left...

Ok - its the DoomRamp, and it ain't that secret. Nice wee session - loads of dropping in and a couple of 50-50 dropin attempts, dutifully pussied out on by me, of course. Ho hum.

(and if you don't know what TURNSTILE is then either ask The Gaffer or look here http://www.burlingtonbunker.co.uk/ . Corsham ain't all that it seems).

SBEDF - Day 12 - Damp Cretesham

Wasn't sure whether it would be skateable but took a chance and met Tris, DM and Scoob for a Sunday evening roll at Corsham.

This half was OK but the other half of the park was soaked.

So, a bit of a roll around the transition then titsing around on the flat with 180 no-complies again. And I think I kinda got em - bit of cheating going on but I'm claiming it. Basically I step off, scoop the board round but cos its generally a bit too far to get my foot back on I've been doing a foot swap and riding away regular, not fakie. Is this a 180 no-comply? Don't really know but to be honest, I don't really care either.

Got some of those running-drop the board and jump on - type starts as well, which was a bit sketchy but they are there.

So, onwards to the mid point of SBEDF.

SBEDF - Day 10 - Feck Off Snow!!

Snow....hmmm. Feeling like shite....yup. Must be a garage day again then. Feels more like Skate Badly Every Day in a dimly lit damp garage on me jack. Ah well.

So, can of KX (sugar fee of course) and I'm more wide awake than I've been all day. Rollin back and forth and tappy turns higher and higher. Feelin good. Loads of droppin in and some semblance of balance on the other side. More in control than before, still jumping off tho. Slowly feeling better. Getting to know my old Flip Burnquist with the smashed in nose (too many deck to wall interfaces at Unit 1). Hawkwind on the iplod. Lights better than they've been the last few times. Feeling good (as well as the aforementioned shite o'course, but you know what I mean).

New lighting plan - gonna buy a small generator tomorrow and some halogens. Probably set my hair on fire or electrocute myself but at least it'll be bright in the garage.

Hoping to do some outdoor this weekend sometime. New park in Faringdon looks interesting.

SBEDF - Day 8 - Garage Days Revisited

So, thats the first week out of the way. Sore achilies and a bit of a cold didn't prevent me from trecking across SwinDoom to the DoomRamp in sub-zero temperatures once again. This is the third DoomRamp roll in a week - a new record (but don't get me started on records...).

So, back and forward for a bit then back to dropping in, which wasn't quite as manic as last time. Still struggled to do owt at the far side but at least its a tad more controlled.

The strip lights lasted all of 40 mins before one decided to shut off as I dropped in. Feckin good timing. I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy a small generator and some halogen floodlights. I can get a 750W generator is about 100 quid and the lights are pretty cheap. Just worried about the noise so I need to hear one running before I buy. Wonder if they'll fire one up in Machine Mart for me...

Anyway, out for dinner tomorrow night so it'll be a quick car park roll after work.

SBEDF - Day 6 - DoomRamp Redux

So its wet and miserable in Swindon - no change there then. Undercover or indoor choices are limited, so its back to the (lower) east side and into the garage again.

No daylight this time so rechargeable strip lights only. Quite enjoyed rolling back and forth until one of the lights went out......then another. OK. Time to call it a day but I got 45mins of rampage in and felt better about it than yesterday. Maybe SBEDF is working...?

The iPlod chose an odd selection - Dead Kennedys followed by The Doors then Deep Purple. Looks like its only shuffling the D's but it seemed to work.

Tomorrow...? Praying for some dryness so I can do a skateboard in the open air. Or I might try the works multi afterhours - but I'm expecting the security guards to be humourless. Might be worth a go though.

SBEDF - Day 5 - DoomRamp

After the arctic Cretesham experience of Saturday, today was relatively balmy at a damp +3degC. Swindon had received a covering of snow as forecast so outdoor was off-limits, which only really leaves one option - The DoomRamp.

Now me and the DoomRamp don't quite see eye-to-eye. I bought the makings of the ramp off Ebay about this time last year, then it sat in bits in my garden until I got a council garage to put it in (which now costs me over £40 a month). I reskinned it and its been operational since about April 2011. And I've used it about 4 times...but really SBEDF is an attempt to get to love the DoomRamp a bit more.

Thing is, its fairly tight in the garage and I'm a fairly novice skater. I can drop in on it but it all goes wrong on the other side. There ain't really any room for error, which of course I am quite adept at making.

So today I spent most of the hour pumping back and forth and doing the occasional turn. A few drop-ins but the lighting ain't great when its daylight outside so mostly pumping and turning. And OK I started to quite enjoy it and was feeling the pump and getting close to the coping.

But it would be much better in a less confined space. So, any of you Swindon locals reading this - if you have, or know of, a bigger space I could use, or rent, then please let me know. Decent lighting or mains electricity and preferably not damp would be best. The other side of the deal is that you can use the ramp any time you like - its a 2 1/2ft high, 6ft wide mini with about 8ft flat bottom. If I'm honest I much prefer skating with company than on my own anyway.

Let me know either email (kazz1e@ntlworld.com) or via the blog or Facebook.

Skate Badly Every Day in February - Day 4

Snow was forecast so got up and out for an early Cretesham. It was minus6degC when I left home, -7.5 showed on the car thermometer down the M4 and -4.5 when I arrived in Corsham.

The park was deserted but nice and dry. There was frost on the top of the flat back and on the coping on the small quarters. And it was ferkin bitterly cold.

Spent an hour rollin or droppin in, rock'n'roll on the very small quarter and generally skooting about. I didn't get warm at all. Managed to slam droppin in on the smallest quarter in the park. Proper over the front job but rolled out. Twat.

After an hour the skooter kids started to arrive and swarms were turning up as I drove away. Just timed it right.

Day 5 is weather dependent - dry might be an evening Cretesham, wet will be the DoomRamp.

New Vinyl

This is the first new LP I have bought in 20 years. Alec reminded me of Naz Nomad during his A-Z. I saw them play in Finsbury Park in the late 80s, but never bought the record.
Newly reissued in various vinyl colours, and black or course.