Thrashin' Thursday

The good vibes from skate nite in Corydon spilled over a bit and I had yet another good session. Skidzilla joined me in hopes of beating the afterschool crowd, but alas, Indiana schools are on spring break and the place was loaded with ollie-hoppin'stair-freaks who have no concept of park etiquette and little theoretical ideas on how to ride tranny. 'Tis ok, we were able to get several long runs in. I did finally ball-up and drop-in switch in the mini capsule. (after doing tons o' nose stalls for prep) The nollie pivots (pivots in general) proved elusive though. Even got a nice bruise from a nollie-to-ass-on-coping combo. Dave held his lines with groms droppin' in on him and managed some good frontside airs. He worked on the 8' bowl lip and did get some stalls and rentry. He's damn close to 50-50s in it. I give 'im about a week or so (2 more sessions) and he'll have 'em. My BS airs were flowin'-n- floatin'. Dave said they were BIG, but while they didn't feel big to me, they DID feel smooooth and relaxed. Hope I can keep 'em that comfy. Not a long session, but a good one. Even met more of the Skid clan(uncle) as PapaSkid and bro-SkidS put off work just a bit to have a looksee. Besides, I had to post something to get that idiot picture moved down on the page! Right? Seriously.

Kyle Hublard Honorary Big fat MoFo Award Goes to...NICK!

Ever have one of those sessions that you are totally stoked for your fellow sk8r because he is having such a ripping nite, yet, at some point in the evening, there is something in the back of your mind that tells you that you should, in fact, choke the living shit out of the individual in question because the amount of shit he is landing seems completely unfair compared to your paltry bag of tricks? Well, welcome to Skidzilla Versus Nickatron at MoFo Mansion (Kyle's House) March 29, 2006.

Don't get me wrong - I got a lot to be thankful for and I had a solid session. I finally got my frontside stalls and grinds down with a respectable re-entry (instead the Duane Peters 'hang-up, lock -up, make it' method I have always employed on this trick in the past). My slams were minor, and St. Swinging Richard, The Patron Saint of Yer Twig -n- Berries, had a watchful eye and thwarted what could have been a very nasty smite to my jimmy (I felt turbulence - my board passed that close to me Lovelies). I also got a smoking Pivot and even a couple of Disasters with some decent air. But, Mr. Skidzilla, there will be no 5-0's for you this evening. No Sir.

But, Nick - OH NICK! The guy was on fire! Landing Half-Cabs like he's been doing them all his life. Tries a nose stall - lands it second try. So, then he hits a nose stall to revert like he was born to Nose Stall to Revert. He dialed in his Pivots to the point he was dizzy from doing so many in a row. Then Pulls a Nollie to Pivot on, like, his second try. Then he drops in switch. So, hats off to you and yer Big Fat MoFo Award, because tonite you were definitely the Big Fat Mofo That Makes Me Feel Like an Amateur.

Kyle on the other hand was on his home ramp. So that feeling I normally get around him at the sk8 parks (you know the one that earned him the title of Big Fat MoFo that Makes Us All Look Like Amateurs) is amplified to the point of calling him A Big Fat MoFo That Makes Me Wonder Why I Bother and I Think I'll Go Home Now You Bastard. I can't recall any of the tricks he pulled because they were all done so fast and in rapid succession that it was mostly a blur and I don't know the names of 'em any way cuz there's never a chance in hell I'll learn 'em, so piss off. I do recall Nick saying, "Doesn't it seem like we have to o like 5 set-up tricks before we attempt something moderately difficult?" Kyle just throws 'em all together and I continually resist the urge to ask him to sign my board.

When I grow up I wanna skate just like Nick and Kyle.

Skidzilla

Killa session!

It was one of those days... ya show up at the park... and ya rip! What was crazy is that EVERYONE had a good session. It started out at 36 degrees, but with no wind and the sun shining, it really wasn't that bad. OMP(OldManPaul-until he picks a better name) and I started off with the park virtually to ourselves. We only had a few runs in when SkidS, Skidzilla&Gib, and Werkin'Kyle rolled up. My plan was to film all day - but I was skatin' so good that I didn't want to stop. After finally gettin' the doubles run with OMP and a good "nutter" slam(all on film!), I busted out the new cam toys.

SkidS helped do some "how to" footage, that will eventually be part of the videography blog-showing the skatecam, streetgrip, and ghettoboom in action. While that is more for the videography geeks, I did get some excellent skate footage too. Kyle's tail slide from the 6' to the 4', Paul's pipe runs and grinds in the 12', and a couple of ledge tricks, by Kyle of course. We met more tourists, from Virginia, and Sellersburg, IN, but that's not really that far. The Hoosiers left to go "street skate." With a park like this, why would you go to a spot where you'll just get kicked out? Kids today.

The bros. Skids,Gib, and I hit the HardRockCafe for lunch... and with a birthday party there, a new venue idea was hatched for the next Premier Party... hmmm... I'll find out this week how totally insane the costs for that would be... BUT, imagine 10 big screens showing Lil'Tony Adventures! Damn... but that's getting WAY ahead of ourselves, considering it's only March. Oh yeah, and I pissed off the wife with a prank call that she had to pick me up, inferring serious injury, but I was just calling to see what she wanted me to bring home. The chicken fingers were good, but not good enough to eliminate the "stink-eye" completely.

A good time was had by all today. We've skated all winter every chance and at a hint of nice weather, and sometimes without it, so we're all "warmed up" and ready for consistent sunny rippin' days at the park. In the words of Werkin'Kyle, "We're gonna have a great summer."

Concretins ARE Famous

KOTR 2005.

The video is good enough I guess, if you want to watch a bunch of fuckers doing a bunch of moronic shit and occasionally skateboarding - so, it is pretty much right up my alley.

Kyle picked up a copy today for the post-10K vegetation period that typically follows running too far, then eating too much - which is exactly what we did today while your lazy ass was sleepin or somethin equally as useless. Anyway, the first thing I noticed about the video was the cover - LOUISVILLE. I made a loud comment in the skateshop; something along the lines of "Those fuckers! Badmouth Louisville then put us on the cover! The granny buying buyin her kid something gave me quite the stink-eye, but Hey!, I was riled. The next thing I noticed was that if you squint really hard, and you were there to know where he was sitting, and you use your imagination, you can see The Gimp'd Out Jon Burgess! RIGHT ON THE COVER (IF you squint really hard, and you were there to know where he was sitting, and you use your imagination).

Like all skate videos I watched with some intent interest and thought about how stupid and/or smelly those guys are and how I sure would like to hang out with 'em and stuff. But the credits - OH THE CREDITS! Right at 46 minutes and 41 seconds the video cuts to Bill Danforth doin some stupid trick with two skateboards that Nick is always pullin when you leave your board layin around and he rides right by The Concretins! The ones that were there anyway. Kyle, Nick, and Jon! You can really tell they are Concretins, too, if you squint really hard, and you were there to know where they were sitting, and you use your imagination - and you have to pause the video and use the frame-by-frame advance, of course.

So, boys, you made the cover and the video! Good on ya!

I knew we rocked - now we rock that much harder

Skidzilla

Check out rainskates.com

Hey, I bought the 62MM x 98A Yellow Jacket wheels from Rainskates.com Check out this guy's site. It sounds like it's a small self emplyeed business. You communicate via email and pay via Paypal. He has several types of wheels to choose from.
Now, here is an option that I haven't seen from any other shop regardless of size: He has a collection of old school decks. (A really nice collection)
He will make you a custom board patterned from any shape you pick. You pick one of the old school decks, and he'll cut you a new deck using the old deck as a template. Pretty interesting!

He is based in Alaska...It will take a while for the wheels to arrive.
But, hey, it's still cold outside anyway.

Can't wait to try them out.
See you at 10:30 in the full pipe!!!!!!!
Coak5

Skidzilla Hits the Concretins

Yo Oldsters!

Just a quick note to strike fear in the heart of a Blog Owner!

I will bestow my standard, less-than-adult humor speckled with more-than-adult language on this wee little spot in the electronic ether from to time to time.

Consider yourself forewarned!

Skidzilla

It's cold again...

Damn it was cold this morning. The Bros. Skid, weeGib, and Kyle even showed up for an early and freezing session. Not a bad ride really. Started "practicing" again just because it was too cold to rip, 'cept for Kyle, the bastard. We started trying hip airs, and he was hitting frontsides above the coping second try, even if it was in the shallows. We'll both also have heli-pops(nollie 360) out of the bank very soon. Him first I'm sure. Also debuted the newest skate cam. I'll post pics to the videography blog later this week. I did get some great shots just shooting practice footage.

Al & I hit Indy for game day with some Hoosiers. They all enjoyed a bit o' Roadtrips&Sessions. They liked your shed Kyle! And everyone rolled at the credits tune - I Whooped Batman's Ass!

Welcome to a new week skaters... stay warm...

Wheel Durometer discussion

Wow! We're now a bunch of old farts on a Blogspot!

I'm in the process of putting together a new set up. This board will be
made for high speed, concrete parks & pools (when you can find them).
Hard carving, grinds & (small...wish they were bigger) airs. I've scored a set of Bones Swiss Ceramics! Even went the extra mile for a bearing press! Now it's time for some SMOKIN' wheels!

I'm thinking about a set of Rainskates 62 x 98A Yellow Jackets.
I've read they are up and coming as a force with "older, serious" set of skaters. They are touted as a great highspeed wheel that still has plenty of grip (which you usually give up for speed).

Do any of my cohorts have thoughts on this topic, or know anything about this company out of Alaska...Rainskates???

Later SK8RZ

Midweek Session

Ya try to take a "mental health" day - so you can chill out and get your head back together because so much shtuff is goin' on - 3 divorces across the board(not even mine) and work has been a bit hectic lately. But I was caught up. So if I was gonna split for a day, it had to be now... NOPE, got called right back in. Guess I'll just have to deal with it like everyone else. Dammit.


I finally get home and Skidzilla calls... "Can you come out and play?" Kickass. Skate session is on. Gorgeous weather meant
no hesitation on my part. The bros Skid, wee one Gib, and I had a pretty good session. I was "practicing" skating more than truly skating. I've realized that on days that I don't automatically rip (we all have those good days, though mine are more rare than others), I really need to "practice." Focus on a trick and learn it. Do it over and over 'til it's second nature. That's how it used to go, only practicing seemed more fun in 1988. And I figure that will make those rare autopilot days even better. Dave attempted a couple of 50-50s in the 8'. He's just about got them. That's gonna piss me off. The deep end session was probably the most fun. Everyone was flowing. We headed out just in time to hit rush hour. Wouldn't be so bad if the Jeep had tunes. Sorry you didn't get a movie Gib, skating is more fun anyway.

We skate. We rule.

8:30 am: Warehouse session on a 2' quarter pipe. What a blast. 5 friends, a couple of wives, a kiddo, and tunes. How many boards should you bring to such a session? Paul says 3. Skidzilla started his birthday off with a fresh hair-do(n't) - the infamous FauxHawk. It really didn't look that bad, 'cept that he's 39!
10:30 am: Off to a birthday brunch at Skidz house. Damn, his woman can cook! Wives rule. Roadrash and bloody wreck stories were shared while we ate. Mmm mmm good. The kiddo helped dad open gifts which included an excellent haul. Fresh ProDesigned knee pads, skatemag subscript, and a cool painting representin' the fam. The "Day of Dave" was already a success.
I owe much to him for allowing me to ride his coattails and premiering Lil'Tony's Sessions & Roadtrips 2005 video. I'm deep in debt here 'cause not only did he help complete the project and do awesome dvd authoring, he got us all access to a killer venue for the screening... Next door in a super fresh basement theater on a 6' screen! Thanks again Werle! Even the crappy mpeg sections of the vid looked so much better on a real screen. (I'd been working on it for weeks, the largest screen being the camera screen at 2 1/2"!) Everyone loved the vid and props, and jabs, were thrown to all. Now the challenge is how to get Tony his copy, personally, not just sending it to the corporate office. (Tony=Tony Hawk for the pedestrians reading the blog. You'll learn to speak Concretin the more you read and hang with us.)
A good session, great food, good vid, and too much beer, made me useless for much more than typing for the rest of the day. Thanks for a great day everyone. Here's to tons more of these all year!
I've also made a public committment to edit vid footage as I go this year, preventing a last minute freak out for the next premier. You may even see the occasional clips and/or images from sessions and trips here. I really shouldn't say that shtuff with so many witnesses.
Keep Skating. Don't Quit.

It starts...

Remember when you were 16? Looking at magazine photos, (no, not THOSE magazines, SKATE mags you dolt) seeing the parks of SoCal you'd think, "If I had a place like that to skate, I'd skate it all the time." Well, this is a simple forum for a bunch of friends who still think like that. Only now, those places exist all over the country, hell, all over the world, and with an average age over 30, we have the means to get there. Join us, won't you? The Concretins.
Check here for session recaps, roadtrip stories and plans, the occassional ranting, Lil'Tony and Animal Chin sightings, and other photos. To be brutally honest, whatever we want you to see.
If you enjoy skating, and like what you see here, let us know. If you don't, bugger off.