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8.14.99 Road Tripping OK, so summer has finally arrived. Long days and no school means unlimited skate time for you and your friends. But those spots that seemed so fun during the school year are getting old. You've thrown just about every trick you could think of onto that puny curb. Your style is cramping and your soul burns for fresh terrain. It's time to get away from familiar things, and adapt your skills to meet the challenge of uncertainty. Traveling is the key to keeping skateboarding interesting. No one can become well rounded skating the same curb or set of stairs. You want to be able to land any trick, off of any obstacle, onto any type of terrain. The only way to become diverse is to skate as many different spots as you can. This will allow your brain to deal with many different factors at a given moment, which in turn will lead to more consistent skating. OK, enough technical jargon already. Traveling is fun, but how do you go about picking a place to go? The closest city should have terrain worthy of your time. If it happens to be a legendary city like San Francisco or Philadelphia you're in luck. If you live elsewhere your best bet is to ask local skaters or skate shops for the best spots. Now you're gonna need a map of the city. Make sure you get one with a lot of detail, then look for infrastructure that might lend itself to skating. Industrial buildings, city parks, and monuments are usually sure bets. The hearts of cities often have the most plentiful terrain and are a good place to start if you've never been there before. Now that you have your city all mapped out, it's time to find a way to get there. If you own a car, you're set. You can drive directly into the city, or park on the outskirts and take a train or subway in. Parking can be both expensive and scarce in major cities so plan accordingly. If you don't own a car or are too young to drive, you have a few options. You can befriend a skater who does drive, get your parents to drive you, or take public transportation. If you live near a train or bus station that goes directly into the city take advantage of it. Just remember to get a schedule and plan your return trip ahead of time. Getting parents to drive is a major pain in the ass. However, there are a few tricks. If you can con your parents into taking a trip into the city, you and your friends can skate while they tour the historic or cultural sites. You can also try to get a ride to the nearest train station, then take that into the city. Many parents don't like the idea of their children "alone" in a big city. If this is the case, a simple lie can buy you enough time to get there and back without them suspecting a thing. Who you bring into the city is as important as where you go. Someone to document your trip is recommend, so be sure to bring a camera or camcorder. Make sure you bring friends who can stay out late, so you can get maximum session time out of your trip. Bring at least one friend who shreds so your group will turn heads and represent your hometown. Bring at least one person who completely sucks at skating. That way no matter how bad a day you're having, you can always feel like your better than someone. Lastly make sure you look like skater so you can get harassed by as many people as possible. Remember that you'll be away from your cozy home for quite a while. Bring extra decks, king pins, and tools to change them. Bring a black hooded sweatshirt for when the sun goes down (Hey you gotta look bad ass right?). Skating works up a thirst, so a water bottle, or extra money for drinks is essential. All right, you are now ready to venture into the dark underbellies of America. No trip, especially your first one, will run smoothly so plan extra time and effort for set backs. Summer's here people. Time to take advantage of it, and all this amazing country has to offer us. Well, my time here is growing short. I'm off on a three week long road trip to test my skills on copious amounts of American concrete. See ya next month. |