Dog(town) Days

Skate camp finished up yesterday without any major incidents. One of the instructors, Terry, rolled his ankle, but still did some skating. We went to Niagara Falls, where they have just installed a new skate park. The place is in a new development, surrounded by dirt and boulders and very little else. We had about a fifteen minute walk to the nearest gas station to fill water bottles and buy snacks. With the sun beating down and the wasteland all around, it felt like we were out in the desert.

The park was pretty nice. Some of the Bease locals drove down and were skating with us. It's hard to skate in the morning, and I was tired from the other four days of shredding. I think I hit my peak on Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by the fertile farmland and mud at the little Milton skate park. On Thursday and Friday we hit some larger parks, and I was too worn out to try anything major. I discovered that I enjoy carving bowls. Without pads I don't try any lip tricks, but I love surfing the walls. At night, in bed, I could still feel the undulating motions of riding the transitions, like phantom gravity waves breaking in my skull.

I think the kids had a really great time, and one of the instructors told me that I did a good job inspiring them to skate and getting some of the more difficult kids to participate. It's not that hard to get kids enthusiatic about skateboarding; all you need is a little patience and a can of powdered Gatoraide. So far, the skate camp has been the highlight of my summer, and it really didn't feel like work at all. Next week is the thirteenth annual Beasley Skate Jam: a two day, homegrown skate-out that is like a big neighbourhood block party. People come from all over Ontario to bust it out. This year I should actually have my own skateboard to ride, unless I somehow break mine in the next week.