Snowboarding!

(Yes, it is the height of summer, but...)

One of the most fun things I've ever done is snowboarding! I started learning to ride back in February 2006 and have ridden quite a few times during the past few seasons here in Oregon.

Click here to see some of my snowboarding trip photos on flickr.

My favorite place to ride is Willamette Pass on highway 58, because it is pretty close to home, the conditions and runs are pretty good, and the scenery is amazing. There are beautiful views of lakes, wilderness, and other peaks in the Cascade Mountains. I've also visited Mt. Bachelor near Bend a couple of times and had fun there as well.

Riding my board down a fast run feels almost like flying. It is a very freeing and confidence-building experience for me. I have a similar interest in skateboarding, and recently started riding a longboard. It's not quite as thrilling for me as snowboarding, but it's a very cool way to get around, and the feel of carving a longboard can be similar to connecting turns in snow on a gentle slope. (I've yet to dare going very fast on concrete. The street is a little less forgiving than snow!)

boxes of blank paper (2005)

boxes of blank paper

(he checks the skirts like)

most,boys do

i feel kinda sorry for him

he wears the required:shirt

it's black,polo

and carries a box to punch things into

as he works.on unloading

boxes of blank paper

unlike the coral white neck-lace

and skateshoes that say

life is for-fun

or at least beer and balls

(8/18/2005)

I wrote this one a few years ago while sitting at my desk at work, looking outside my window. I had a lovely view of the nearby city park through the alley access to the building where I was working at the time. Generally I wished I was down there doing something more fun and interesting and alive, instead of sitting in front of a computer contemplating how I was going to keep doing a good job as the odds seemed to get stacked more and more against me and my ability to stay interested in my projects waned. In reaction to the moribund company spirit and my own boredom and feeling of not wanting to be there, I was writing more poems just as a way to help keep myself sane.

I have a "wandering eye" for all sorts of beautiful things. I think this poem is a reflection on identity and a feeling that your life is divided up in ways that maybe you wish could be more unified.

Let the Summer Begin!

Today I brought home a new piece of sports equipment that I've been looking forward to owning for a while: a longboard skateboard. I picked up an Arbor Koa Fish longboard at the Tactics Boardshop in downtown Eugene. I found that Tactics' location on 4th is nice and spacious and has a great selection in this department. The salesperson who assisted me was very friendly and helpful, so my overall shopping experience was terrific. She admitted to not being an expert in all aspects of their longboards, but I'd done some homework and had looked at boards elsewhere, so I had a good idea what I wanted, and she did great at helping me find it.

The pavement was wet today and I have never ridden a longboard before, but I was eager to give my new ride a spin. So on my way back toward the bus station I picked a moderately dry and clean sidewalk, set the board down, and pushed off -- and I almost immediately felt at-ease with the feel of this setup. The 38" length is just perfect for my 6' 3" height. I found myself able to step a little forward or back and still keep a solid stance on the deck.

As I rolled up my driveway on my new bundle of joy I immediately felt like I wanted to take it back out on the streets! This is a great feeling to be so excited about riding again. In fact when I saw that the clouds had parted for a bit, I decided to take my new prize for a spin right after dinner. And it was a pure joy to push around the neighborhood. I found it able to handle turns fairly smooth and tight with the trucks adjusted for just a nice amount of play. Cruising and carving were totally fluid - a big change from what I've been used to on my 30" trick deck. If the Oregon liquid sunshine had not started up again I think I would still be out riding. I literally could see myself riding for miles on this thing.

The deck is concave with 7 plies -- 6 of maple and the top one of Hawai'ian koa wood. Arbor uses a clear re-grip so you can see the rich koa wood grain. Overall this makes for a fairly rigid setup, but I found that it does have a nice touch of flex under my 200 pound frame. I could see that being useful in some technical turns and pumping, but I'm not that advanced of a rider yet. The slight flex also provides a little more spring to pushing action, so the ride is that much more fun. There are no wheel cut-ins, but between the risers and the placement of the trucks I can't imagine wheel bite even being possible. The wheels are size 65mm at 78a hardness, which I'm finding quite agreeable so far for traction and smooth riding. Combined with the risers the bumps and cracks in the sidewalk give a very slight, low ping that is very easy on my 35 year old joints. The trucks are Gullwing Chargers, and appear quite sturdy without being overly heavy. The whole rig weighs about 6 or 7 pounds, so it's not too bulky. Bearings are Grease Ball ABEC-5's, not super fast, but very smooth. With a little breaking in so far they are feeling faster, so they are probably literally greased and if I degrease them when I clean them perhaps they will be faster.

For looks, the graphic is gorgeous and really sold me on this model. The fish scales and water ripples are cleverly ornamented by small versions of the Arbor tree logo. The blue wheels coordinate well with the print, and I like the look of the Arbor logo on the top and the koa grain. Really, aside from how it felt to stand on in the shop, the looks are what sold this one to me. Or as I told the salesperson, this one wanted me.

I'm definitely looking forward to riding this baby a lot this season!

• Arbor Skateboards
• Tactics Boardshop in Eugene
  

A little outdoors fun to start 2009

Fun! Today was my first Saturday of the new year, and the weather was actually pretty decent outside: no rain, some sun, temperature up to the mid-50s. So after breakfast and a little housework, I decided to play outside for a while. :)

I got out my skateboard and rode around the neighborhood and over to the park for a little while. I was just taking it pretty easy, working on getting back into shape for riding, and watching my technical form. The Bethel neighborhood skate park was really busy with kids, so I rode on by. I decided to come back out with my basketball and shoot some hoops, because the court was deserted and I haven't played that for at least a year.

I am still pretty novice at basketball, but it's a game I feel I might like to play. I'm looking for more activities I can get involved with for fun. Today I played for about 45 minutes, so it was not bad exercise, too. I practiced dribbling with each hand, and picked a spot near the hoop and practiced shots. I aimed to get as many in a row as I could. I got up to 6 or 7 in a row without missing. Perhaps next time I'll be able to do 10 in a row.

I have always enjoyed playing physical sports, but as a kid I had a lot of discouraging experiences and learned to feel that I wasn't any good and wouldn't ever be "good enough." So, unfortunately, to protect myself I learned to avoid most organized sports, and I rationalized that playing sports was nothing important. I was very talented in all my classes at school (even probably decent overall in P.E.) and doing well in academics was much more important, right? Well, since then I've learned that I need to not give in to the fear that says I am "not good enough" and discourages me from being open to experiences. I really always wanted to be a "jock" and secretly envied those who were successful in sports. I don't even like to watch sports at this point because it reminds me of how I wish I were doing and not just watching. Obviously I was not being honest with myself when I was denying this interest area of mine.

This year I haven't made any serious resolutions, but one thing I plan to work on is being more open to my experiences and interests, including exploring my desire to have fun and play.