David and I made the hour drive to Heber to skate the big bowls. It was a blast, and I’m starting to finally feel out the pool, with it’s beautiful little tile strip:
Unfortunately, while playing around on the spine bowl I lost my footing on re-entry from a 50-50 and tore/pulled some calf muscles, so I’ll likely be out of commission for a couple weeks.
Just south of San Francisco is the lovely coastal town of Pacifica, where I’m staying for a few days, sandwiching some free time between the NETnet conference, and Usability Week. Pacifica is home to a great skate park, a nice blend of banks and street ledges, a perfectly transitioned set of round walls, and a long, wide, pipe-like bowl.
I’ve been skating this park in the mornings, for two hour sessions, and have been surprised at how friendly (and gnarly) the locals are. Especially cool has been Yong-Ki, a guy who’s flow and speed in the bowls telepath style from across the park. He rides like spring mountain run off, flowing easily over and around corners and angles.
Yong-Ki, I found out, is one of the guys behind Solitary Arts, a skate/design company that produces some awesome goods. I’m going to have to bite for some of the White Yolks wheels (54mm 100a) that I saw several of the bowl riders, including Yong-Ki, sporting.
If this doesn’t make you want to skate more bowls, nothing will:
