#74 - Skateboard

When I wrote this item, I wrote, "start, skate at least 100 meters, stop."  At the time, that seemed impossible.

Last year, I chose to surf at least 10 times.  I knew I loved surfing, so I made it a priority, put it on my to do list.  In January I decided to sign up for a wakeboarding class.  I'd been wakeboarding for years but wanted to really learn more.  I also went snowboarding this year.  I have come to realize I truly love board sports.  There's something about connecting to the ground, the water, in a new way, moving fluidly, moving laterally.

With just 2 weeks left in California, it was now or never in learning to skateboard.

Well, not really.  I could skateboard anywhere.  But I had access to a board and it is such a California thing.  For those who haven't spent much time here, many people truly skateboard everywhere.  It's so popular that there are bike/skateboard paths on campus at San Diego State University and there are not only bike racks but skateboard racks outside my place of work.  It seemed like the right place to start.

Riding & Foot Selfie-ing

I'd spent probably a year playing with the board indoors.  We have a huge living room and long hallway, so I'd push around, knowing there were walls to stop me before I gained much momentum, even with the sloped floors.

On Monday, I decided to take the board out and skateboard to grab lunch across campus.  There are so few people on campus in the summer, and, like I mentioned, there's an actual bike & board path.  So I kick-pushed, slowly, across campus.  And realized how much skateboarding is like any other board sport.  And how much I love board sports.  They're so wonderfully challenging and comforting at the same time.

It's been over a week that I bring my board to work every day, ride from my far away parking spot every day.  I'm still bad at it, but I love to ride, and I'm getting better all the time.  Thankfully I've spent enough time on other boards, wheels, and blades that I know when to bail, and I'm too chicken to go down any steep inclines, so it's been a good week injury free.

I can't wait to be a poser Californian riding around campus, fighting for a campus path, searching for other board sports so I can keep riding in Massachusetts.  While I'm sad it took me so long, I'm pleased I didn't let a limited amount of time stop me from trying something I'd always wanted to do.  I hope to bring that attitude with me to Massachusetts too.