Making the drop

Finally I had a chance to get at the bowl at Five Dock without any pesky kids or anyone else. All I had to do was take a day off work and get there at about 9 in the morning.

The bowl is about 6 foot at its 'shallow' end. It is actually a series of three bowls - people that can skate say it is one of the best, if not the best, in Sydney.

Up to now I haven't had the guts to try this drop in - partly because I go to this park on Sunday mornings when the old boys come out and most of them are really good. I suppose you would be really good if you skated since the 80s.

Anyway, I finally dropped in - a bit sketchy but made it. I did it lots of times - couldn't quite get my front foot slamming down, but good enough to make it.

Since then I have been back to the mini-ramp at Glebe - the ramp I firt almost knocked myself out on - and I can now drop in no problems. At last.

About time

A few days ago I left work and went skating. I was alone at Dulwich Hill skatepark - just how I like it. This skatepark is where I started way back when. Like about two and a half months ago. Until the other day I had never tried to drop in there. There are lots of slopes and banks that don't require dropping in off, and the smallest ramp that you can drop in off is about five foot high. That's fully three foot higher than what I have made so far.

Anyway, the other day I gave it a go and, a little bit unsteadily, I made it. I did it about six times - wobbled a bit, but made it. Yay.

That night I went to the ramp at Glebe. This is a little mini ramp in the shape of a 'U' with a flat bit in the middle. It is made of metal. It is the scene of my first really hard fall on a skateboard. When I had been skating for about 4 days I decided to drop in on that ramp. The first time I nearly made it. The second time I found myself on my back, looking at the stars with a sickening pain throughout my back. The entire ramp seemed to be resonating like a giant bell. That was about two and a half months ago.

Anyway, encouraged by dropping in at Dulwich Hill, I went back Glebe. There was some other guy there, an old guy like me. I let him do his thing and then he invited me on to the ramp. I didn't try and drop in, but just went back and forth a bit. He gave me some tips, like I had never been on a skateboard, which is fair enouth.

Then I decided to drop in and almost made it. I tried again and made it and made it a few times after that. Then my new friend told me to try and bend my back leg a bit and that was it - I was off. And, even better when I got to the other side, I could turn around and come back and so on. Yay.

Since then I have been back and I am going tonight - now if I can just get that frontside...

RIP stick - the post mortem

Well, on the video it looked easy - dropping in on a ripstick, that is. So I gave it a try. The best thing was the strange looks from the kids and others in the skatepark. You don't see many ripsticks at Five Dock, let alone many dropping in.

To be fair, I tried to drop in off a very small ramp, but a ramp none the less. Anyway, after that I took it in the shell. I'll try and get a photo - it's a funny little bowl type thing - it was a surreal feeling heading off into this thing on a ripstick and, most amazingly, I almost made it back out again and only fell on my arse a few times.

I haven't bought one yet, but you never know...