I found my old friend of LDSB

LD skater since 1971 · I found my old friend of LDSB

I am new on the board I have been lurking reading the postings.
Most of you guys are animals as we called them back in my bicycle racing and running days.

When I got out of the air force I started skateboarding in Casl contests.
I was picked up for slalom racing, Freestyle and overall skateboarding By Kryptonics Thanks to Jack Smith.

Back in the 70's my friends I would cover quite a few miles on our skateboards as our main transportation around the foothills of Glendale area of California.

So I had to quit skateboarding to many injuries it got to the point a doctor told me I had the body of 60 year old at age 38.
I have osteo arthritis in my left ankle really bad and the right is starting to hurt also.
The doctor told me lots of guys my age have over use injuries at a young age. He wanted to operated and fuse my ankle I got up said "no" and walked out.

I am 47 years old now I found my old friend of skateboarding long distances and pumping.

So my goals are small and fun compaired to you guys taking long distance skateboarding to were no one thought they could take skateboarding.

I love the pump and the push of skateboarding I even picked up skoging back when I saw Chris Yandall trick tip in skateboarder magazine back in the 70's. Skogings great so you don't end up with skateboarders leg.

I finally met my goal of a 13 mile round trip ride down the bike lanes Highway 101 of Luecadia, Encinitas, Cardiff by the sea ,Solana beach ended my ride at Via del Valle road.I turned around and went back home.

I first started out by going one way and taking the bus home.
Then I went round trip from Cardiff by the sea and back.
I also did lot of short 2 mile training runs.
Than I met my goal.

I did my home work and read the California laws on bike lanes or human powered vehicle lanes. We can be in them if we want to. But I also played it smart and I wear my Mountain Smith hip bag with two water bottles and ride my skateboard like a bicycle and wave hello as I pass bike riders and joggers.

I have not been pulled over yet but I will use the
claim ignorance of the law that got my out so many street skating tickets back in the 80's while I was slapping curbs in the destructive form of street skating I did.

This form of skateboarding is great and yet so simple.
It has given me a new lease on life and I feel great.

pavedwave

Terry, awesome to hear your story of getting back on board, especially distance -- intense enough to keep you pumped for 15 mile runs, and gentle on the body to work through the injuries. Inspiring to say the least! We can only hope enlightened doctors will prescribe skateboard cruising, especially LDP, as low-impact exercise.

You must have been already shredding at the freestyle comps right about the time I was cutting my skate teeth down in Redondo. We'll eventually trip down to SoCal in the coming years. It would be like coming full circle to ride the Strand again. But I think the sandy surface and crowds would probably have me yearning for those bike trails. Got a brother in Venice and cousins in Fallbrook, so all we need now is make some time -- it would be awesome if we were able to hook up for some miles along these coastal routes you're talking about.

As I'm sure you know Jack's still keeping active, he just hosted the Morro Bay slalom champs a few weeks ago and we got to chat a short while at Hood River. He's even talking about yet another Skate across America next summer, going East to West this time - yowzas. So if that happens maybe you can catch him on one of his last legs to the beach?

Hope to hear a lot more about your adventures and any encounters with the po-po. They've been mostly positive experiences here, but we have a long ways to go in changing Seattle's municipal laws toward skateboarding. It's great to have you as an ambassador to the distance scene.

Cheers and welcome!
jp