The weather in VT can be pretty predictable... rainy. This, the fact that the weather is getting colder, and school have kept me inside for more than I would like.
That said, I am not above driving my girlfriend crazy by trying tricks on my carpet. I have yet to land a kickflip which is killing me slowly, but I have landed an old school kickflip which is awesome. Most of my time, however, has been in getting my balance. I like riding around, and I am ollieing up stuff although I drag a foot, land on the nose, or don't pop the board and mess it up just as often as I land it.
Progress is pretty slow, but I don't mind it. The problem with being old and picking up skateboarding is you don't have a lot of people you get to skate with. That is generally pretty okay, but it would be nice to go out and dick around with some people on occasion.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Success and Frustration in Equal Measure
Well, I have had some success. My balance is noticeably better, and progress seems to be going faster. I am able to try a variety of different tricks. Currently in the works:
Toe and heelside railstands - I am still working on these. I can get it onto its side easily enough. I can catch it heel side almost 100% of the time. Toe side my balance is still a little off. Now... how long can I stay up there once I'm on. That varies.
Kickflip - I'm trying it. I have yet to land one. My rotation is good, but I either kick the board away from me (too much kick... not enough flick), or I kick it straight down.
Kickback - Easily the coolest looking of the tricks I am trying out. It is wearing out the toe of my shoe at an alarming rate though. I land it maybe 25% of the time. I sometimes kick it behind me, but my rotation is pretty solid and consistent. Just a matter of time before I am comfortable with it.
Boneless - Holy fuck is this terrifying. You step off and the board jumps up at you as if it wants to hit you in the face. I have almost landed it, but I am always going so slow that the board stops and my body doesn't.
I am also working on shuvits and ollies and tictacs and other basics. I am fairly consistent with them, but I want them like second nature.
Toe and heelside railstands - I am still working on these. I can get it onto its side easily enough. I can catch it heel side almost 100% of the time. Toe side my balance is still a little off. Now... how long can I stay up there once I'm on. That varies.
Kickflip - I'm trying it. I have yet to land one. My rotation is good, but I either kick the board away from me (too much kick... not enough flick), or I kick it straight down.
Kickback - Easily the coolest looking of the tricks I am trying out. It is wearing out the toe of my shoe at an alarming rate though. I land it maybe 25% of the time. I sometimes kick it behind me, but my rotation is pretty solid and consistent. Just a matter of time before I am comfortable with it.
Boneless - Holy fuck is this terrifying. You step off and the board jumps up at you as if it wants to hit you in the face. I have almost landed it, but I am always going so slow that the board stops and my body doesn't.
I am also working on shuvits and ollies and tictacs and other basics. I am fairly consistent with them, but I want them like second nature.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Progress with lessons!
Lessons:
1) You will fall. If there are people around, your chance to fall grows exponentially. This may be mitigated by practice. I'm not sure, yet.
2) If you attempt to show a loved one/significant other/cute person on the street a trick, you will not land it the first try. By the 10th try, they will roll their eyes and go inside. You will then immediately land it.
3) The older you are, the harder you fall, and the more it hurts.
4) Skateboarding is fucking fun... even if you are terrible at it.
5) Confidence does not mean you'll land your trick, but it can help.
In about two or three weeks, I can see noticeable improvement. I have just been skating around to get my balance. I may spend the last few minutes trying to land small tricks, and on occasion I'll make a day of it, but for the most part I am just enjoying cruising around my neighborhood.
I spend most of my "trick" time practicing tic-tacs (starts easy and gets progressively harder), manuals (hard), kickturns (easyish), and a running start (easy).
My railstand (both toeside and heelside) is coming along nicely. I can spend far too much time just standing in the middle of the street practicing that.
Anyway, I'm off
Spencer
1) You will fall. If there are people around, your chance to fall grows exponentially. This may be mitigated by practice. I'm not sure, yet.
2) If you attempt to show a loved one/significant other/cute person on the street a trick, you will not land it the first try. By the 10th try, they will roll their eyes and go inside. You will then immediately land it.
3) The older you are, the harder you fall, and the more it hurts.
4) Skateboarding is fucking fun... even if you are terrible at it.
5) Confidence does not mean you'll land your trick, but it can help.
In about two or three weeks, I can see noticeable improvement. I have just been skating around to get my balance. I may spend the last few minutes trying to land small tricks, and on occasion I'll make a day of it, but for the most part I am just enjoying cruising around my neighborhood.
I spend most of my "trick" time practicing tic-tacs (starts easy and gets progressively harder), manuals (hard), kickturns (easyish), and a running start (easy).
My railstand (both toeside and heelside) is coming along nicely. I can spend far too much time just standing in the middle of the street practicing that.
Anyway, I'm off
Spencer
Thursday, September 1, 2011
I needed a hobby
I bought a skate a few days ago. I have been spending too much time behind my computer, and I am quickly growing out of shape. I decided I needed a new hobby. I remembered skating (and sucking) as a child, so I decided to skate (and suck) as an adult. I am 28 which in skate years means I might as well be 50. I am mostly interested in flatfland skating, but I will try to learn as much as I can. I am about as close to a beginner as I can get with a two inch ollie and balance which is doing its best to hurt me.
This blog is really just an attempt to update my progress so I can see how far I have come when I get frustrated. I will put tricks I am currently working on along with tips that made them easier and pitfalls that made them harder for me to learn. This may help any errant internet wanderer who really must be awfully lost and interested in also starting to learn.
This blog is really just an attempt to update my progress so I can see how far I have come when I get frustrated. I will put tricks I am currently working on along with tips that made them easier and pitfalls that made them harder for me to learn. This may help any errant internet wanderer who really must be awfully lost and interested in also starting to learn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)