Ah it has been forever since I have updated!!!!!! alksjdf;klajsd;flja;lskdjfklasjdfklasjf  This is my mind right now. It’ state. At a cafe right now trying to pump this out so that I can go to V’s house and hang out with him and Carl sturgess and maybe help film a short film. Maybe. I live in SF right now and STILL adjusting to the idea of being in one environment for longer then a few months. If you know my past life patterns then hearing that I am living in one spot, witha  girlfriend, dog, and having a cell phone sounds unheard of. It still sounds unheard of to me as well.

So the edit above is made from the 2 days of skating that Tom hyser and I did while  visiting the skateshops Aggressive Mall and Rollerwarehouse to show them the new Solo Skates. We first met up with Jayson Reduta at the Sunnyvale skatepark which is a freeway exit away from Agressive mall. We had a great time doing some lines on the quarter pipe and Tom worked on his filming skills. Tom was also shredding with some blading skills as well on the second obstacle in the lines.

Me and Tom after the session.

Me eating an amazing veggie wrap my girlfriend made for me. I love avocados!

My brand new Solo Estilos I started riding that day fresh out the box. I love skating skates fresh out the box, everything slides so fast. The plasic on these skates is incredible, and the size of soul plate and frames make locking grinds super easy. I know some people may say this is “cheating,” that is, when a skate makes doing grinds easier, but its really an absurd thing to say when you think about it.  Skates are just the vehicle for you to use to express the movements of your body. It is the forms of movement that the body makes which is impressive and what makes rollerblading fun and stunning to the eye, not so much what the skates are doing, so why not have a skate that best helps you do that? In the end what seperates you from another is not difficulty but individual style of movement. I should actually say that individual style opposed to difficulty of “trick” is what appeals to me the most in someones blading. I want to try and be careful not to make any grandiose statement about what rollerblading “should” be.

After we went to the sunnyvale skatepark, we drove over to Agressive Mall to show Justin Hertel the new skate and have him try them to see what he thought. Although he wasn’t impressed with the initial look of the skate, it did not stop him from lacing trick first try one after another for over an hour straight on the practice rail in the back of the shop. Others who were at the shop who had the opportunity to try the skates did just the same. I noticed that all of them were skating to the rail with great speed, something that the 72 mm wheels make you do. Speed give you confidence, and it was definately the first thing I noticed when I first started skating the skates as well. A new found confidence with more efficient movement because you don’t need to use as much energy as you normally would skating smaller wheels. Not to mention that your locking ability is not compromised at all due to the size of soul frame matchign the size of frame holding the 72mm wheels. They really are amazing blades and I think alot of the un-educated opinions which are running rampant on the internet will be deaded once they are actually skated on.

Here is the description of the new skates Tom and I filmed with David while at Rollerwarehouse. As you can see I kinda just stand there while Tom describes the blades, but that is because  Tom designed them himself and knows all the specifics of the blades, and does a great job describing all the simplistic additions which make the skate so advanced while at the same time appearing as a throwback to the dirk skate. As we are learning about many areas of rollerblading right now, moving backwards and fixing some minor simple details is the key to moving forwards. If you were to apply this equation to other areas of rollerblading which “need to change” you would see it apply.

In other Roller Warehouse related news. David came out to SF to film a little interview about the cover Kevin Dowling and I shot for 09′ Catalog. We ended up skating this spot for over 3 hours, and initially didnt plan of filming any skating until about an hour and a half after we were already skating. I was actually pretty tired for some reaoson and had a pulled abdomanal muscle which was bugging me, but when David asked if I wanted to get a clip for the interview as well I couldn’t say no. So much like most pains go away when you start focus on the manuevers at hand and not the pain, so did my silly little aches and a line formulated. And it formulated pretty quick and easily as well. It did not take too long, although i got stuck in a bit of a vicious circle after landing one of the lines but coming off the last trick in an unsatisfactory manner…SOOO….of course I said the every dreaded phrase “one more time,” which as you know for the most part usually means a hundred more if you even end up landing what you were trying before getting soo frustrated because you could have landed it but desided to get a bit lazy at the last moment.

Wow, sorry about that. That topic just turned into a serious rant about my past experiences with saying “one more time.” Guess I still have some unresolved emotions involving that situation. hahah. I suppose this blog is also simotaneously a therapy blog.  Anyways, this line above did not end even close in such a dramatic scene, but was landed shortly and cleanly after my first failed attempt. Hooray. People do change.

Here is a random picture Kevin Dowling shot of me against this wall in Downtown Atlanta while on our 6 mile trek back to his house.   After a hip hop show he was shooting photos for, we failed to get a ride back and decided to just hoof it…at about 3 in the morning. It was definately a spiritual journey. At times kevin was somehow able to walk and sleep  (and I think even sleep talk) at the same time. There were points where he would just say random things, and upon asking him what he was saying, he would reply with “what…I was talking?” The comedy/insanity just made the trip that much more worth it. I love you Kevin. Can’t wait to come out to the ATL again on some official D & G business.  “D & G” is the crew consisting of Kevin and I, and is in regard the the voltron like team work which occurs when we are in the same environment on blades. It really is uncanny what gets achieved on blades and behind camera when we team up. We some how balance the vibe blading had back in 98′ with the business blading side of things and come out with the biggest smiles and best times as a result. It is truely a rare connection I fully appreciate.

Another friend I can travel back in time with and do some business blading with is Lonnie Gallegos.  Above his the trailer for his and Brandon Negrete’s Fade Nation 2 or “Too Faded.” I was lucky enough to be in the Los Angeles area hook up with Lonnie as well as J.C. Rowe and Kevin Gillan.  Before this day I did not have any clips for this video, and it would have been the first video of Lonnies I had never not been if I didn’t meet him this day, get in the zone, and handle some business. And I did just that. Suprisingly the first line I did, I ended up doing first try which is pretty unheard of. Well, it is more unhear of as Lonnie will know from his past experiences filming many sections with me. I almost jinxed myself ont he last trick on the line because it was going so well. I for some reason have this self destructing habit of messing myself up via my thoughts right before im about to finish or complete a task of any kind. And it came up like the great wall of china, but I relaxed and busted right through it looking up at lonnie after with a face of astonishment at what had just occured. He had the same face as well and was in utter disbelief at what had just happened. Thank god too, because chances are I would have probaly said “one more time,” which would have resulted in serious frustration not only on myside but im sure lonnies as well. Or actually mostly mine, Lonnie is actually a really good sport when it comes to skaters taking hours to do just one trick. Thanks for all those times you were patient while I got lost in my mind and all the vicious cyclic patterns I ahve been known to go through.

I am now going to end this blog with an old Blog entry I recently found on my Old laptop. I wrote this because at the time I was in atlanta, I was talking with Justin Eisenger about doing a “Blade Life” journal entry type deal for 7 or so days. We lost contact about the situation and I didn’t get past the first entry, but I thought it was an entry worth seeing anyways. It was fun to write, and is a little glimpse into my mentality and how I choose to observe myself and thought process.  Enjoy.

“Today seemed sort of a bleh day. Wasn’t too really pumped on anything. Maybe its because I’ve been drinking a lot of milk lately? Hahaha. I don’t know. I havn’t drank milk since I was in highschool, but lately I have been drinking it a lot. Different environments yield different patterns, I have learned. About myself anyways. So Brian Sandford, Tom Hyser, and myself skated this park today with this curvy C ledge. Immediately after I had heard that it was a C ledge I became excited. I love C ledges. I can skate them all day long just doing the same tricks over and over. Something about the gravity of them that keeps you in them surfing for days. I love them.

When we got there though, I immediately became not as hyped. There were hella people there, as the ledge was at a baseball field, and games were going off left and right. The ledge was at a playground where kids were running around all over the place, and I thought it might be a for sure bust cas it was next to a “snack shack.” I admit it, I immediately took the negative stance in the situation, do to my prior outlook on the day in general. I brought the mood to the park, and I have learned that your moods do not always reflect reality. I immediately was discouraged by the crowed, and sat down on a bench in a mopy mood until Tom and Brian began to blade.

By the way, this is random but I’m drinking a New Castle and listening to 2mex. I just got back from a dinner with Tom after he taught skating lessons at pikneville skatepark, and I played hockey in the hockey rink with some kids. After Tom’s lesson he also joined in. We played 2 on 2 with some 13 year olds. I love playing hockey. I used to play almost everyday with the next door neighbors kids when I was living with Lonnie Gallegos in the Westminster house filming for Feet.  So yeah, today these kids had extra sticks so we went all out, and it was a lot of fun.

But the real reason I brought up 2mex was because there was a track he had with Awol One, and I went to a Awol One/Josh Martinez show with Kevin Dowling Last week. There was probably a total of 10 people there including me and Kevin, and yet they still put on a dope show. Some other dudes and myself took advantage of the empty dance floor and cut it to shreds. If you know me, and have seen me out dancing, you know how I do. For those who haven’t, well…when my dad gets down he calls it “doing the funky Guerrero,” and those who have seen me believe this statement I’m sure haha.

But back to the session, Brian happened to be set up in the jungle gym playground and catch this sequence, and seeing it today for the first time actually brought a smile to my face. It brought a smile because the day felt so down for me, and to see that I actually at least did “something,” is satisfying. Whenever I have those sort of “down” days, I tend to be extremely critically and over analytical of myself, and bring myself more down then I need to be.

Also, I had been nursing a hurt knee that I got the weekend before. I hurt my knee filming with Kevin Dowling at this kinked ledge For Lonnie Gallegos’ and Brandon Negrete’s new flick “Fade Nation.”. The day had also started pretty weak, but once Kevin And I started skating, it was like I had taken a time machine back to 1998, as Kevin and I have been boys since at least then, when everyone that was in the know used to get together in the aol chat rooms and talk for hours. Those were the days when the internet used to be used for the good of blading, and not the ridicule of any and everything which arises in blading whether good or bad. Trash talking on the internet is truly the Cancer of the day. Everyone talks about wanting respect and getting recognition, when we can’t even respect each other, and what each other is doing. We are holding each other down, no one else. Believe that.

On the Brighter side of things,  I did get a pretty sweet line, with a new trick I have never done before. I sure hope Lonnie uses it haha. I know how picky he is, but I also have been in every single one of Lonnies Videos with at least a section, so I’m sure he will. I Also will be In Atlanta for another week and a half, so I will have more opportunities to film, especially this weekend, as Kevin says Walt Austin will have the Camera and will be ready to blade. That’s right people, I said Walt Austin. Believe it.

So yeah, I havn’t even described my present reality. I use the word “reality” because when you were in Atlanta, everthing is either a reality or a delusion. Comedy is key in Atlanta, and if you don’t know the language, then well you may never know. I’m staying with Tom and Erin Hyser, and have been here since superhick helping out with watching the kids and what not. Tom’s Daughter Bella and I shred up the front yard on the blades. Tom, the gunius that he is, rigged up some fisher price skates with some senate wheels so we get down. I will have to get some sequences or something for the next entry…Until then…HOLLLAAA!”

And now, I am off to eat at one of my favorite veggie restraunts in San Francisco. Hope you enjoyed another late and lengthy installment of Controlled Accidents. Happy Holidays!

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