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.