SKATEBOARDS/SKATEBOARDING
skateboards
I was never much of a skater
skated some street and a little ramp
well the ramps were not little, they were big, but I skated them infrequently
never really got off the ground, total land dweller
no more than dropping in, riding fakie, carving, some sketchy grinds, and some rock and roll slides that never reentered the ramp
all this with no pads and no helmet
running out when bailing a trick

transportation and recreation were more my thing on the skateboard
sure we use to head down to G-town in the 80's and skate the brick quarter pipes by the canal
but it was as much about hanging out as it was about skating
just something to do

hardesty and I would head to the tall parking garages in downtown bethesda and mess around with the tricks there
but it was often more about a hoot, a holler, and a giggle
we would run the stairs up and skate down doing long glorious power slides on the sharp 190 degree downhill turns
wearing down our leather tipped gardening gloves
running over our hands
wiping out on the slick concrete
never careing that a car may be coming up as we sped down
friday nights of a simplier time
not just a simplier time of my life
a simplier world
now bethesda is so crowded you could never expect to have a vacant 6-8 story parking garage for skateboarding

the most fun skating in those tall garages was the CATAMARAN!
each of us would sit on our own decks
then we would put our feet on the other's decks, each foot to the outside of the seated rider
then we grasped hands and hiked out
the speed was awesome!
the outside rider had to really get back
and the whip sensation was phenomenal

I recall one friday night getting some of the younger more pumped skaters to join us in the garage right behind Bethesda Square
these guys were all use to living at the ramp
pushing their tricks farther, further, and higher
they were all reminded the simpler more laughable aspects of skating

here is a downhill ride that is a rush to watch
not sure who it is, but it makes me want to go out there and break my wrist

soon Dean and Grant are going to be wanting these
TERMITES