Myth Uncovered

Rumour has it that there is a skatepark somewhere in Hobart... today after a very boring day of lectures, ive decided to be adventurous for once..

Armed only with a bottle gatorade, an extra t-shirt, a would-be torn apart pair of jeans, 60dollars and a mental map of the route to the skatepark i scouted out using Google Earth, i straped on my ol faithful pair of in-line skates and headed Northwards.

Tasmania is an island, and like most islands, the topography of the surrounding is mountainous and i tell ya, skating up and down hill around blocks is no easy task. i was 3 blocks from my starting point and i can already feel the strain on my shins.

i am terribly out of shape.

the feeling was almost like Frodo Baggins trying to return the One Ring to Mt Doom in Mordor. except there was no Sam, and no fear of orcs cutting you up to pieces. nonetheless the journey was long and perilous.

just when i was about to ask for directions because ive been skating forever, i heard the familiar sound of skateboard decks landing in concrete, the even more familiar smell of wax applied to hand rails and more distinct was the metallic clinking sounds of grinds and rail kisses.

i was close, very close.

with the rest of my strength i paddled up one final hill and there it was -a heaven made out of grey concrete instead of fluffy clouds.

i took a moment to catch my breath.

at first i thought with my fatigued state and the sight of a skatepark would have completely turned my lungs inside-out but it didnt. mainly because the park was rather small, to be honest it was quite dissapointing...

with 5 feet half pipe (im used to the 11-13 feet type) and a launch box so small, it could only hold a 6 pack chewing gum stick. there were a couple of fun boxes but it was the least of my interests because i dont grind, i can only do aerial tricks. there wwas also a round-edged square bowl where most the skateboarders were at.. it was a realm i couldnt infiltrate.. i can do jack in a bowl :p

so 1st impressions were bad.. but you can never tell a shoe size and wheter it was comfortable or not without wearing it, so in i went.. cruised around the park and i felt so alienated.

in-lining was my passion, almost in my blood but when i entered this ring, i felt so out of place.. like a bacteria in a system and there were white blood cells attacking me, coercing me to get out.

but i stayed on. thinking it was only my imagination. there is a saying "it is not the park, it is the skater".

the 1st thing i tried was the half-pipe.. after 3 loops, i fell and landed on 1 knee.. thank god for knee pads.

i did it again and i fell...again...again...and again..

i am terribly out of form.

cruised around abit more and found even more weird pretrusions and angles no in-liner would wanna take.. the feeling was more awkward than the time you lost your virginity.

but i was no virgin to inlining.

so i took on the miniature launch box. doing what i do best, a 360 launch.

so i did

crashed in a manner my pants wedgied myself.

clambered up, went back up the ramp and the not to distant history repeated itself.

"man this sucks" i told myself.

then a cold breeze swept across my face, i closed my eyes and immediately snowboarding came to my mind..

:(

in the snowy mountains i was really free, free from hassles free from worry and ive got the license to wipe without hurting myself..too much.

in-lining has just lost its high. it isnt as fun anymore.

guess its time to move on to my next sport.




btw, the expression "once you learn how to ride a bike you will never forget how" has a variation which is "once you learn how to skate you will never forget how"..

today, i proved that saying wrong. i've forgotten how to skate.