This is an awesome gif. I'm going to nail it tomorrow.

I'm

 then going to learn how to embed a gif into blogger posts. Apparently it's easy but there were ten steps in the post I read #notfrictionfree 

http://i.imgur.com/GtIHW7j.gif

Van tactic

Ok, so last outing into this 'blogger sphere' ended up with a confession, a confession routed in me bottling my after work skate session for fear of embarrassing myself in front of a bunch of teenie blooper scooter kids...

Well, the following weekend I grew some potatoes and realised that I could indeed coexist with my potential teenage tormentors. 

I got up early. Now I'm owning the skatepark!!! At lest until 10am. Below is some sort of proof...

  

The awesome thing is, both myself and the Dutch kiddies are loving it! There are no switch 360 flips, no frontside 180 kick flips, not even a pop shuv-it in sight. There is some good ol' fashion shreddin'. I even managed a rock-to-fakie on my first drop in 17 years... Don't knock it haters!!

Skateboarding is for winners - especially before the baying mob arrive to remind me I might be having an early midlife crisis. 

By the way, you see what I did with the title? Genius!

Word

Taking the plunge and dropping in.

Ok, previously I talked about the skateboard shaped itch that needed scratching. Well a few weeks ago I took the plunge...

I took myself along to the Bucks Boarding Centre and, despite my inner skateboard snob screaming at me bought myself a complete deck. The man with the awesome Mohawk was super helpful and made me feel as though the plan I wa hatching was one of genius not complete folly - he'll go far!!

That very afternoon I took myself along to the skatepark enroute home from work - Marston Mortaine. I was ready to 'tear that mother f@@ka up' as Ice Cube once said...

Thing is, when I got there around 6pm having fled from work in a whirlwind of excitement, the place was full. A tiny park fully occupied. 15-20 10-16 year olds tearing it up on skateboards, BMX's and contraptions they didn't have in my day - stunt scooters.

You know what I did? I stood there awkwardly for about 5 mins then got in my car and drove home. 

Epic fail.

Probably something deep in their about courage of convictions and good ideas only being good ideas when they are acted upon but that all sounds a bit like I'm working.So I'll just keep it real - I felt a bit like a knob.

Next time!!

Scratching the itch. Should I?

So, 17 years ago I was a skate dude.

I rode a plan b deck, spitfire wheels, gullwing trucks, carried a spanner and had pants that sagged embarrassingly low. There were a range of tragic clothing adventures but it was all done under the guise of thinking I was cool. I skate therefore I am... that kind of thing.

I was a bit crap, that's an undeniable fact but I used to love tearing it up (or trying at least) at places such as Harrow Skate Park, St Albans Pioneer Club and of course the Mecca of the UK skate scene London's South Bank. 

Here's the thing, I kind of just stopped because I turned into a bit of a dick and started doing other stuff. 

There have been a few prompts in the past 5-6 years that have made me want to get back on a deck. 

1) the mini ramp I walk passed when we go for a nice walk in the local country park.. It looks so lonely

2) a guy I played football with had one in his car, I rode it in the car park and could still olly... Sort of.

3) I went to NYC in 2011 and loved that it was just ok for people to roll

4) We went on our hols to San Diego and everyone seemed to be a roller - my kids loved it. Telling them I used to roll projected me to hero status.

5) last week #goskateboardingday was trending on both twitter and Instagram - it demonstrated to me that this interweb has made skateboarding a much more globally accepted past time.

I want in again.

So... Should I be scratching this itch or what?