Ed

I’ve been skating in the mornings before work at the lot across the street for the last week. I can ride the bank, and occasionally ollie a soda can. Life is good.

So, on to new business. One of the other reasons, I think I, and Ryan have started skating again, is because of Ed. Ed works at our office as well, he is interning I think, and is planning on getting in to development and construction. Anyway, what did Ed have to do with my skating resurrection? The man is sponsored… like we all dreamed about when we were 14. I’ve asked him a little about it, but my understanding is he skates, companies send him stuff, and in turn send him places (like Spain) and he skates. Seems like a good deal to me.

I’ve informed Ed of my desire to start skating again, and I’ve invited him to one of our early morning skate sessions. (Sessions, oh yeah). Ed met me yesterday morning at the good old lot. I had been there for about for about 15 to 20 minutes before Ed arrived. By the time he got there, I was exhausted. I was just skating around, trying to ride the bank, and pop a few ollies (I think I am averaging about 4-6 inches currently). Ed on the otherhand can skate, he starts throwing out some kick flips, shove-its, and a bunch of other stuff I can’t remember what to call it, but were talking, ollie, 180-Ed, 180 board opposite direction, land fakie, kind of stuff.

I was trying to land a kick flip, and Ed was quite kind with his help. He told me to envision a pole running up from the center of my board, up through the center of my body. The attempt was to help me keep the board centered under me while I tried to ollie and do kick flips. I didn’t land any kick flips, but I did get a whole lot closer. I am going to keep working on this.

By this time a few other people had started showing up at work, and were watching us skate, well Ed skate, me more roll around. I successfully ollied a 2x4. Ed ollied a 30-36 inch high wood palette. Nice.

It is fun to skate with Ed, although I am light years away from skating at Ed’s level, and most likely never will, I do think being around someone who can skate is helpful.

I’ve been trying an old school trick from back in the day… I’m not sure what this might be called. It is a combo of a no-comply, impossible? Trick like so: step off with front foot, like you’re was going to do a no-comply, then slap down the toe edge side of the tail to get the board to spin 180 and flip over, try and land on the griptape side of the board… If anyone has any idea if this trick has a name… fill me in. I haven’t come close to landing it, but I do seem to hit the side of my planted ankle a lot. I think I am going to start wearing a kneepad on my ankle, as it feels quite bruised.

Later skater.