Nonetheless, I push forward- actually I’m pretty sure what I need to do in order to get the show back on track. I have three more sequences to shoot and it should be good.

1. Memory Lane

2. Eyota

3. Silver Lake, again.

So it goes.

I was at the Eyota skateboard park just this Tuesday when it happened. I’m not even sure how it happened.  I was having a good time of it. Boardslides. Ollies off of the steps. 50-50 grinds on the quarterpipe and just a really lovely day. Move over Sheckler. Tedfoo pwns this park.

I was having trouble landing the longer boardslides so I kept telling myself to loosen up and relax so I could come off of the rail with more control. Well I think I was too relaxed when I slopped up the rail. My left foot (I think) came off the tail of the skateboard and I rolled the ankle. Done. Bag of suck.

I got ice on it right away. Compression bandage (make shift bubble wrap and tape). Rest and elevation. BOR-ING.

So now I read blogs on sprains and rehab. Sucks. Everyone is like – don’t do this and don’t do that. Basically just sit and suck. I believe I have a grade I perhaps borderline grade II ankle sprain. Suck.

Anyway. I’ve started an ankle journal and have been shopping for a new board (the other one is cursed now). Pictures to come.

First things first though- the list:

Up North, Pale Young Gentlemen

A Day in the Life, The Beatles

How High the Moon?, Charlie Parker and Ella Fitzgerald

Been Caught Stealing, Jane’s Addiction

Boy’s Don’t Cry, The Cure

Things I learned about skateboarding this week:

I never tire of watching videos of skateboarders that are a hundred times better than me. It just pushes me harder. I keep thinking- I’ll be able to do that. Be positive.

Be very aggressive when doing a trick. Go all out. Doing it half-ass is only going to end in a sprain or a lame waste of time. Go for the break and try to get on top of it.

Speed speed speed.

Pulling off a trick and working a remote for your camera is bullshit hard. Bring a friend next time.

Muscle memory is so important. Repeat trick a billion times.

You need a lot of force and tension to pull a trick off, but you still have to manage to remain relaxed otherwise you’re going to lock your legs up on the landing and end up on your ass.

Like I said, relax. Tell yourself that a billion times.

Celebrate wildly the first time you land the trick (180 pop shove-it for me!). Do yell out and put your hands in the air and wave them like you just don’t care. I did.

Don’t try to do tricks in the employee break room in front of co-workers and eat it hard. That’s lame.

Tearing it up at Eyota. Haha.

Today I hit it hard after a week of rain. The last place I left off was at the Eyota skate park doing slappy rail slides after work. I was starting to get some distance on their low rail. I liked that. Wiped out hard once. Tore up my knuckle a bit on the left hand. I always suck at skateboarding straight away after work. Especially in Eyota. So shitty. They have this obscenely huge quarter pipe that I hate.

So crisp this morning. Highlights included ollie to frontside boardslide, ollies down the stairs in front of the WSU library, slappies and speed, speed and more speed. I bailed so hard at one point today I was quite sure I had dislocated my spine. I walked it off feeling tough and cool. Still waiting to feel it tomorrow morning. I also crossed the tracks where Bruce “Ernie” Streng lost his life last week. So sad. A train passed by as I walked between the tracks and the WSU football field. I was tired of skating. The sun was warm.

Lessons learned on the mean streets of Winona:

I’d like to say that all skateboard tricks are 99% confidence but it’s just not true. In fact, thinking that way will get you hurt really quick. I’d say it’s fifty fifty. Physically you know what you can do. Fatigue is my worst enemy. Once I wear out I have less muscle control, things get sloppy and then I fall. I try to avoid those scenarios.

Punks that yell, “kickflip” when you skate by them deserve nothing but your middle finger.

Girls always always like skateboarders.

Careful on wet leaves.

Motorists are completely helpless when a skateboarder approaches an intersection at the same they do. It’s best to guide them.

Playgrounds are sanctuaries from the police and pesky property owners.

Leaves:

Love, The Cult

She Sells Sanctuary, The Cult

Boys Don’t Cry, The Cure

A Forest, The Cure

Charlotte Sometimes, The Cure

Human After All, Daft Punk

Let’s do our best to make up for lost time.

The grocery store is about six blocks away. Beautiful fall day. Bright, crisp and clear. All the cliches in a time frame of two hours. I decided to skateboard over to the store.

Everything felt just right about skateboarding. The poetry of it. I even ollied the “Winona Savings Bank Gap” – about a two foot gap between the bank’s ramp to walk-up service and an arbitrary curb that runs next to it. I’ll take a picture sometime. Regardless, it was one of my goals before the snow flies – which should be any day now. The rest of the run was just nice carves. I like smacking the tail of my skateboard on the curb when I fly off. It’s such a good sound.

Dinner was awesome. Mom and Dad brought a lemon meringue pie for dessert.

Feeling weird and good:

My Old Flame, John Vanderslice

Finer Feelings, Spoon

Silver Lining, Rilo Kiley

To Be Young, Ryan Adams

Touch to Feel, Girl Talk

Goodbye, Asobi Seksu