As the old adage goes, “all good things must come to an end.” And a lifetime holds many of these: A school year, a relationship, a career, Lost….
Okay, maybe I’m the only one who’s categorizing Lost up there.
With the end of the semester comes the end of my wonderful blog.
For now, anyway.
A loaded semester – breaking only skin, not bones this semester – calls for a well-deserved vacation. But once I return I will not be posting as often.
However, Team Tastyskates is slowly building – they now have a sponsorship with Kracked Skulls – and there might be a documentary in the making. And I will get out the news – when there is any.
So if you’re new around here or awaiting my return, here are some of my better stories to hold you over:
Board? Watch movies! – In the midst of Snowmaggedon 2010 I compiled a list of skateboarding movies for your viewing pleasure.
Throughout this semester I looked into many different aspects of longboarding. I presented and created news. I covered events. I learned the mechanics, the how-to’s, and the first-aid of longboarding.
However, I haven’t looked into why people spend so much money or risk their lives for this sport. I mean, what’s the appeal?
I asked a few students at Rowan University – varying in longboarding experience from commuter to knowledgeable to a sponsored longboarder – and this is what I got. Enjoy!
Special thanks to Steve Orlando, Jon Soong, and Tyler Mahool for assisting me.
Coming up in late June is the 4th annual Maryhill Festival of Speed in Goldendale, Washington. Priority registration is is going underway and open registration begins on April 24 at 8 am PST, but prepare saving up for that $225 registration fee. Even if you don’t compete it’s worth watching Downhill Skaters and Street Lugers conquer the 3.5 km track. Last year’s event was pretty crazy and this year should be no different. Here’s a look down Maryhill Loops Road.
This year, Maryhill kicks off the 2010 IGSA World Cup Schedule, found on Silverfish and the IGSA official website. The World Cup (soccer isn’t the only sport holding one this summer) has a point-based system to determine the World Cup Series Champion while a predetermined race at the end of the season determines the World Champion. This year’s World Championships will take place in Kogelberg, South Africa. Check out IGSA for more information on the races and the history itself.
I’ll leave you with a practice run from last year’s World Championships in Bathurst, Australia.
After a rain delay and some scrambling to find another date, the Tastyskates Push Race went off without a hitch.
Over a dozen racers showed up ready to skate, and after a few falls, scrapes, bruises, and a two-person crash that nearly destroyed a longboard, Rich Nelson emerged as the race winner (and new owner of a Green Banana deck). The guys boarded to Beau Rivage afterwards for a downhill skate session.
“Overall, I think it went well for our first real publicized event. We had kids from all over come, a lot of fun was had, and it was nice to meet new people,” said Tyler Mahool, Team Tastyskates co-founder.
The success of yesterday’s event helped spawn new ideas for the future.
Longboarding is a growing trend at Rowan University. While many students use their board for commuting purposes, others wish to speed downhill, slide, or attempt other tricks. During my exploring of campus the past week on my longboard I have found some of the better places to skate at Rowan (for various reasons). While this is only a guide, I strongly urge you to explore Rowan on your own to find out which places suit you.
Be safe, be aware of any students walking around campus, any cars, and any skating laws.
J. Hayes of Brooklyn Barbarosa, a New York-based longboarding blog, pondered this very idea in the middle of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Hayes explained how a sport becomes Olympic and offered the longboarding community suggestions on how to spread the word about longboarding (on an international level).
The topic of expanding longboarding to a larger audience and making it an Olympic sport has long been a heated debate on Silverfish, with strong arguments for and against this proposal.
I’ll leave the floor to you. Do you believe that skateboarding and/or longboarding should be allowed in the Olympics, or are the X Games and longboard races enough? Sound off below!
I had quite the successful and productive weekend at home. The abnormally warm weather was in my favor. My final class today got canceled so I had the entire afternoon to explore the south side of campus. I always previously managed to abandon the board before I injured myself, but it was only a matter of time before I wiped out.
I attempted to film Rowan’s campus, and this is what I captured before I obtained brush burns all down my right calf.
Don’t try this at home, kids.
Before long, most longboarders experience their first wipe-out, and attending to your ‘battle wound’ is simple. eHow.com offers a step-by-step guide on how to treat your wound (if you haven’t performed any self-service first aid recently and a verbal explanation below if you work better that way).
The most important thing to keep in mind is to clean the wound so that you minimize the risk of infection. Either attend to it with rubbing alcohol or soap and warm water. Wrap and bandage properly. Make sure it heals properly so you can get back out on your board as soon as possible.
Side note: These tutorials are for minor scrapes and cuts only. If you have a serious injury, have any suspicion of broken bones, or your cut becomes infected, see a doctor.
From a young age I was stressed on the importance of helmet safety. I was accident prone as a child (and still am), but once I became confident enough riding my bike and zooming around on roller blades I abandoned the helmet I always wore. It looked clunky, it was very uncomfortable, and it wasn’t like I would try complicated tricks on either.
Unfortunately, far too many skip the safety gear. In most states it is state law. In New Jersey, children under 17 are required to wear an approved helmet when biking, roller blading, inline skating, or skateboarding. The law says nothing about wrist guards, elbow pads, or knee pads. Safety.com, the official safety site of the Internet, gives a good outline of skateboard safety (aside from helmets). There are two kinds of helmets: Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and all other helmets. Basically, CPSC are certified (and would fit the NJ State Law requirements) while the other helmets are more for style and comfort.
Helmets are easy to acquire. If you cannot afford to purchase a helmet you can obtain one for free with the Ian Tillman Foundation (with a $7 shipping and handling fee and the promise that you will wear it when skateboarding). The downside is that it takes approximately 8-12 weeks to ship out, so if you need a helmet sooner, you’ll have to stick to the sports equipment stores. Yesterday I went to the local Modell’s in search of a CPSC helmet.
I’ll just let the video speak for itself. There was nothing I could do about the lighting, and my voice is a little low so just try turning up the volume. Also, I will have the narcissistic longboard photos up shortly in a separate page if anyone is interested in viewing them. Enjoy!
James Giberson, owner and operator of Green Banana, is friendly and easy-going with a have fun, stress-free, positive outlook on life. He has been skating since 1987 and skating seriously with his friends since 1995. I recently sat down with him to see what the Green Banana was all about.
New-Boarding 
