Of Rabbits and Skateboards

Yesterday I skated at the park in Ocean Beach on the way to my weekly Writers' Workshop, where I read my story "Mother of Rabbits". (Go! Read! If you like it, please click Recommend and I just might win the weekly contest.) It was only my second time back in several months, since I finished a four-pack of lessons with Andrew of SD SkateLife. (Highly recommend him if you're looking to learn/improve.) I'd cruised a couple of times around the neighborhood in the interim, but hadn't donned helmet/pads/guards and pushed myself until last week. That first time back, I had trouble with a basic frontside turn on the flats. Although I kept at it until I made it around, it was a really wide turn.

The second time, more of the skills came back and I pushed through my hesitancy, telling myself to Go! Toes-toes-toes! You can do it! My turns got tighter, until by the end, I was taking on the ramps again. Next time I think I'll get back into the pool and take it up a notch. After all, on my final lesson, I was carving up to a spot on the pool wall about shoulder high. Pretty proud of that, actually!

One reason I've been hitting the skatepark is that I've been struggling with surfing lately. I'm not sure why, but suspect it's mental (I've been surfing badly; therefore I will surf badly) as well as physical (I mostly dropped out of my fitness regime when the doctor re-injured my back last fall, and hadn't restored it). Skateboarding has a lot of parallels to surfing, especially using my Carver board, and will help me build confidence, consistency and strength.

I also decided to take Ashley's advice and go back to a longer board to, figuratively and literally, find my feet again. My "longboard" is only 6'2", but Rocket and I had some good times together before I moved down to the 5'4"s.

Spring flowers

I surfed Garbage this morning with Steve - just us and sometimes a seal on the north peak - and it was fun! I didn't get into any green waves, but two broken lefts on the inside reformed beautifully. It'd been too long since I enjoyed a green wall, and they gave me back some of the stoke that I've been sorely missing. Yay!

North Garbage

And now for some more inspiration: