So anyhoo, after Junior’s we headed to Gabriel skatepark in Portland. No that’s not true! First we went to the Brooklyn Street spot. That was ABSURDLY FUN. It is a small spot at the end of a street and under a footbridge. The tranny is low sort of pool-ish coping…I think. Maybe I would not make a good police officer because I was there and looked around and I don’t remember. If ever I witness a crime I will just say it was some jerk teenager with an axe to grind. But anyway, there were two young Russian men there skating and taking photos. Check out the place:

I guess the coping is more like noping, and it’s the tight bowl at the top that has pool coping. But anyway. It took me a while to warm up and get the place but once I did, it was pure pleasure. The Russian boys were thrilled to be in Oregon where there are so many skateparks. They said they grew up skating street because that’s all there was, though they said slowly some parks are being built. They will have a lot of ammo with which to taunt their soft and useless children whose arms will be forever slim sticks with which to poke at the air where the hologram of their keyboard exists. Bacon skateboards is next door and the distribution house for several skate brands. There was a “Keep Skateboarding Gay” board I didn’t see but heard about later. I am hoping to have it sent to me. It is sorta lame in light of the fact that there is so much homophobia in skateboarding, and it’s hard to know with what spirit the board was made. Maybe it was made by wonderful, loving and evolved humans who want to be provocative because they see how terrible it is to have so much homophobia anywhere, much less skating. I will purpose this board with positivity and won’t that be a major victory. Maybe after that I’ll buy vitamins at a discount.

We left Brooklyn Street for Gabriel skatepark. Oh my WORD! It was extremely enjoyable. I don’t have any photos. I had been there once before, earlier in my development as a skateboarding older woman. Today I hit some solid frontside grinds, which was super exciting. We all had fun. Then we noticed a fantastic skater who I called The Frenchman, or Senor Baguette. He was probably about 29 years old, looked a lot like Jesus (the guy in Christianity), had a navy blue horizontally striped boatneck shirt on with navy blue pants, braided leather belt, Chuck Taylor’s and a flat old-school board with a short nose. He was KILLING IT. He led a line for Bob to follow and, unlike most people, gave Bob a good time. We had lunch sitting around the van and it started to rain.

We drove to Burnside. A pilgrimage. We got out of the van and there was a lady sitting in the back of a red Ford Escort station wagon eating a sandwich. Bless her for that alone. But then really slap her around with your blessing stick when you realize she was eating while sitting next to the car engine she was rebuilding. She showed Bob what she was doing. I didn’t understand it so I tuned out in that really wonderful way I am capable of, which might make you think I’m in some sort of sky lobby doing crosswords while waiting for Joni Mitchell to float by playing guitar in a dinghy. Bob and Scott skated while Victor, Yong-Ki and I watched from a hillside. The Escort lady finished her food and was skating and was completely amazing. She had many different lines and had great style. Very easy and responsive.

We bought beer and drove to Tigard skatepark. Which is giant and rough. Like Myrtle Creek, it seemed as though the designers thought you may just be blazing through in a speedboat built for land. We took a few runs. Then it really started dumping rain so we had to leave. We headed East for the coast and Seaside skatepark. When we arrived there was about an hour or less of daylight so we skated vigorously. I think I use that word a lot. I loved this park. It had many different bowls, each with its own challenge. I was trying to drop in from many different locations. Sometimes if I’m not dropping in a lot I start getting scared of it, which is ridiculous and maddening. So I had to break it. As it got dark I kept trying to hit a very tight pocket but bailed over and over. Finally I got it while everyone watched from the sidelines, drinking a beer and completely cheering me on. My friends are unbelievably supportive of my skating and for this I have infinite gratitude.

We drove down the coast a bit to find a place to camp and then went out for Mexican food at a bar. We were a little doubtful that such a thing could be good up in Oregon, but it was delicious. I don’t remember what town we were in but the place was called Dos Rocas. When we entered the bar it was completely like the small town thing you see in movies in which the entire room, formerly boisterous, goes silent. We walked to a table and then a lady who grew up in Albany or something like that, Pinole, whatever, came over to chat with us. She had short curly brown hair and a hot pink giant t-shirt and was suitably drunk. She talked to Bob about campsites then went back to sit with her friend. Every now and then she would say things like, “Hey Bob, let’s go to North Beach!” and it was a way of saying she knows the Bay Area. Pretty cute. We ate a ton of food then went to bed.

Again, I must continue later for I am so tired!!