Before...

Birthday toys...

I know my forks got a coupla paint chips.  Didn't really show til I cleaned the shit outa the other stuff.  

Nice IBC. The past couple of weekends, I took the boy to the local skate park. There are mini ramps, half pipes, rails and all kinds of shit there. He can do some of the transition ramps on his mountain bike, so he rides that mostly. 

in 2027, the town is upgrading the skate park and adding a bunch more bike ramps and tracks. They are calling it a "pump track", that will loop around the perimeter of the skate park, and I guess the idea is that you take off from the beginning on a large ramp and the momentum that you catch from that take off, followed by the smaller ramps and angles, allows the bike to cruise the entire distance of the ramp track, without pedaling, hence "The Pump Track".... So, they are all stoked on it, and some local skaters are saying it's a good thing. We shall see.

But the park is really for skateboarding, but I see kids on bikes there constantly, and a lot of the ramps and takeoffs are just too steep or have a sharp angle on the drop so the pedals/sprocket/chain will clip with edge as you try and drop in.....

Last week, I was there with him, and he kept eying up this drop in on a mini ramp. It doesn't look that bad from the side or looking up at it, but when you get to the top and look down at the drop in, it looks inverted. It's one of those mind fucks where you think, oh yeah, I am going over the handle bars on this one....

So anyway, my son was hesitant, asking me "should I do it"? I am fastforwarding in my head and envisioning him going over the falls, smashing his face and all this, and I am like, maybe not... Let's work up to this. It's about a 6' drop, but rounded off, so the bike can make the transition without clipping the pedals.

Anyway, he is like "Daddy, you do it"... I look at his bike. It's a little big for him, but it's still a kids bike, with like 20 inch wheels. So I drag the bike up on the ramp. I stand up on it and push up and down to make sure the frame can handle an adult... I am sitting there, looking down, thinking "This is stupid. This is how guys in their 40s get injured. Hurt their backs, blow out a shoulder....

But the boy is looking up at me, and I am like, well, fuck it, if I can't send it in front of him, than how is he going to listen to me about it?

So, I dropped in, made it. Did it... Wasn't nearly as bad as it looked.... There was a moment where I thought I was going to be too heavy and just eat shit.... But I didn't...

I am alive. And I won't try that again. 

Haha, Zach.  Hey, bro.  It's funny you mentioned the Pump Track, etc.  I just saw somethin local here on IG where they're tryna get the city to upgrade our little skate park.  Specifically mentioned the pump track, explained that, everybody's welcome, bikes, skateboards, y'all just cmon.  I wonder if it's a movement.  

Here we go.  I think some company maybe is runnin around the country sellin these new pump tracks.  There's a city meetin next week.  

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcXWtH4zSl0/?igsi=MWJ0eDZvdXU5OWNvZQ==

Yeah man. For us, we are known as a "Bike Town"... Like, the most bike friendly town in the country..... No, truth be told, I get a little pissed off with some of the street cyclists in the area. While I understand and respect their hard work and dedication to fitness, I just think that a group of 25 75+ year olds, all wearing fake jerseys with motorola sponsors on it, bike tights and the lick clackity shoes is just too much for me....

So, the big deal is this: We have bike paths that run the entire length of the island. Every inch. Even inside the gated communities. You can traverse the entire island on the bike paths.... So to most locals and non-cycle enthusiasts, we all get pissed when we have bikes blocking side roads and groups just taking up space and pedaling at 1/4 of the speed limit...

Now, many a cycle enthusiast has told me: You can't ride street cycles on the paths. Too much stopping. Stop signs. Intersections. All of that. So, I get it... But it creates a dangerous game between drivers and bikers. Drivers are mad because we spent millions on all these bike paths and the bikes are still in the roads. In SC, Bikes are treated exactly as vehicles, so they technically have the right of way in most cases....

So, at any rate, we cater to and market to cycle enthusiasts. So, you will ALWAYS see a ton of kids on BMX bikes, mountain bikes. You name it. I even see a bunch of trick bikes that are bigger than mountain bikes, with elevated chains and frames and 30"+ wheels so these bikes can make the ramps. 

So, all of that said, it was no surprise when out particular town was like "You know what we need to add to the skatepark? Pump tracks for Bikes"....

It's a super cool skate park, with tons of shit.... But it's a wild place. It's also a basketball court and a street hockey rink on the property...

And all the crazy Europeans and South Americans that come here each year on J1 Visas to work, all organize soccer matches on the hockey rink. The goals are small enough that you just run 3 on 3 or 4 on 4, with no goalie. But it's fucking painted concrete. So, I play there like twice per year, but I am always sketched about eating shit and getting hurt on the concrete. I will say, I did put up a hat trick last time I played there.... But a pretty big dude that worked for me, cut through the middle trying to get to a cross that I scored and when he was in the air, I just stopped, volleyed it in, but undercut him. He went over my upper half and ate shit on the ground. He is like 25 years old, so I was like hey young man. Hop up. You good....

But at any rate, the park is wild. People playing soccer on concrete. People riding scooters and mountain bikes on skateboard mini ramps and half pipes, and other kids illegally riding dirt bikes around the perimeter. Good times. 

After a quick look, I think our current skate park users want other skater oriented enhancements, not the pump track.  This came outa nowhere.   Haha

Yeah, I had never heard of a pump track until I started seeing posts from surfer friends about attending the town council meeting and speaking up about their needs. My son skates a little bit, but nothing major. I have a surfing buddy who is a really good traditional surfer and was a pro sponger back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Anyway, he used to video us a lot surfing back in the day, but once his son turned about 7-8, all he would post was videos and photos of his kid RIPPING on a skate board. Like, jumping 8 foot gaps 10 feet up in the air at our skate park. Then on weekends they go down to JAX or up to Charleston to skate the big boy shit.... So, I defer to them in that regard, as I have no skin in the game.... There are some serious skateboard shredders around here, for it being such a small town.... So, if they don't want a pump track, so be it... But I think that ship has sailed, as most people attending the meetings would have been retired and not giving two fucks about skateboards. 

Wonder how rcarter is these days.  That pic of him in the air with the Waffle House skateboard was always up there with the classics.  He helped build some skate parks.  

Yeah, we are still missing some of the OGs. Hopefully they will turn up. There are a handful of guys that never made it out of SI, like the dude that was always talking about wolves and shit. Not sure where they ever ended up. 

Also, I haven't heard from Bassmon in a while on MS, but I would like to see him stop by. If he can ever find the place. 

I found it.  Kinda.  I forget how I even did it one night in the rabbit hole.  Sorry it's got words all over it.  I got sidetracked and forgot to do this.  😶‍🌫️😏

Homey was legit.  I forgot how many years he competed.  Or how many places like that he helped create.  I don't think we had anyone close skater wise. 

Trev probably had him beat on # of different time zones, though.  Loved how he'd drive back and forth across the country.  Skate in Colorado along the way.  Oh, shit.  I think he was out there with Starfish a ways back.  More time zones.  😁  Hope he's well.  😎🌴🤙

bump 😏

That's the rcarter pic.  I think it's from a Raleigh area newspaper.  And I think metard added the Waffle House sticker.  He probably helped build that park. 

Metard coulda been factory sponsored by Photoshop. 

Nice... I wasn't sure of the context or who that was....

Metard.... Throwback.... 

Did he ever re-surface on MoStoke? I feel like I haven't heard from Metard since the SI days. 

Metard = Hangingten?

Do a member search.  He's in here.  Lotta people showed up.  @metard Bro, if that really is you... I know your probably not entirely enthusiastic about how brief 🤣 some of my posts are.   Hey, I'm at least typin this with one finger.  I haven't yet crossed that bridge into talk textin.  😏