Thanks Duke

I got out and skated last night for the first time since June. It was the type of weather that was custom built for skating. The temperature was less than 80, but more than 70, with a very mild breeze. Another thing that was cool about last night, is that instead of freestyle skating, we were just bombing hills on the longboard. I can’t even remember the last time that I rolled out the longboard. I had forgotten how fun it is. Part of the problem is that there is a severe shortage of smooth pavement and of hills in NYC. Even though longboarding is a relatively simplistic counterpart to normal freestyle skating, I think that the simplistic aspect is what makes it so appealing. My friend Col and I were discussing it a bit last night during our session. There is something very liberating about making huge esses down a long hill. It is super smooth and has such good asthetic.

I’m so glad that longboarding has come back with such force. For a while it seemed like longboarding disappeared. The skating, of course all keyed from what was going on with surfing. All of the really old guys, like Duke Kahanamoku rode longboards. But they were also made of redwood, so they probably had to be huge, just for the buoyancy factor. Then it seemed like the 80’s were all about getting as technical as possible on shortboards, even if your style was weak. PS, remember T&C shirts? I had like 10 of them. Hahahaha. The only people who rode longboards, it seemed were the traditionalists and beginners, who needed the extra stability. Thankfully, in the early 90’s guys like Wingnut, started to showcase how cool longboarding really was. Then guys like Joel Tudor and Bonga Perkins (my personal favorite longboarders), who really brought the sport back to the competitive level.

Joel Tudor, rocking the I heart NY garb.

My first Longboard. A Hawaiian built Keoki, 11′ 6″.

Anyway, we owe the old guys, big time. Our session last night reminded me just how much.