No Country For Young Men?

    It's interesting to see the different styles and methods of skateboarding over the past few decades. There have been changes in the environment (such as the massive switch from flatland to street) and even in personal style (such as large baggy jeans like JNCOs to skinny jeans) of skateboarders. One trend that I have noticed while around skateparks is the generational gap between street and bowl skaters. Although I grew up skating street (largely due to a lack of options), I have since found myself enamored with mini ramps, flow bowls, and even pool skating. These had no appeal to me years ago, but I now find them to be attractive. I suppose getting back to the roots of skateboarding has something to do with this or maybe just because bowl skating allows me to be in the company of the generation (sometimes a few generations) before me. Either way, the last several years have opened up an entirely new avenue of skating to me. I have recently declared my love for the pool.

I just learned how to get to the tile on the backside.

Now I just need to learn how to do it frontside.

       What I find really interesting though, is that this happens to be an area of skating which very few people under 30 participate in on any real level. I am sure that there are plenty of younger skaters out there who can rip in the pool, but if you were to go to an average skatepark with a pool and look at who is skating it you are probably going to see an older demographic. It's interesting how much of a thrill it is though. I have to admit for all the years that I focused on street, I can think of nothing as physically intense as pool skating. It truly works your entire body.

      For some reason I grew up under the impression that pool skating was really boring. I was certainly not alone in this either. I recall watching skate videos and always fast-forwarding any vert or ramp skating in the films. I even hated how the X-games and Tony Hawk gave people the impression that skateboarding was only about vert skating. This was especially annoying since I had never in my life seen anyone in person actually skate vert. Further, I don't think I had even seen a vert ramp in person until 5 or 6 years after I begun skating. Nonetheless, I have since learned why an entire generation grew up with this and was completely content with it. In many ways, it can be more exciting than street. I kind of think of street like bullriding. A trick only lasts a few seconds, but its a very intense few seconds. Bowl skating is different because it takes a lot work to keep your momentum going. This, however is rewarding when you get that sense of wieghtlessness as you pump the bowl. So no matter what trends seem to come in and out of skateboarding, let's just hope that pools remain! Besides you could never have this much fun swimming in one.

You might notice that I have a strange obsession with celebrating

a new or difficult trick by drinking a cream soda.

Getting a little bit of tile here.

Another tile shot. Thanks to the my beautiful wife
(you can see her shadow) for taking these.

This picture should have been the tell-tale
sign that I would throw my back out in this
pool a few days later.