Mow It Down

What do you think of people? I’m mostly into them. I went skateboarding a couple Saturdays ago. I set my ALARM. I drove to Long Beach to meet up with my friend Zedonk. We met up with two more dudes, Karl and Steve, in Cardiff. We bought iced coffee (Zedonk, a tall and handsome skater dude who repairs cooling systems on freight ships got a cappuccino because he’s become horribly addicted to the cappuccino machine at his work) (this is the same guy who can’t use the elliptical at his gym because it contradicts his gender expression) and walked down to stare at the ocean for a bit before leaving. There were dolphins zooming around and a lot of surfers. This was a poetic moment before hitting the concrete: needing to stare at the ocean. Zedonk and I talked about how much we love the water. I like when doodz are soft like this and so brazenly love the biggest lady I know: The Ocean. I often look at Zedonk’s face and try to make it look like my brother’s face in my mind, because they remind me a lot of each other. Zedonk’s coloring is somewhat like my brother’s was, though my brother looked more like a Viking and Z looks more Irish. Sometimes I think, “Why do I like bro time so much?” Then I think, “Well, I grew up with a brother and four step-brothers. Perhaps it’s just easy and familiar.” Then I think, “It’s also nice to be around people who aren’t intense.” Then I think, “Man, I love cats.”

We drove out to Pala skatepark. Oh world, this is now one of my favorite skateparks of my life. There is a pool in the back that is glorious fun, though I didn’t hit any tile or coping. A woman can always go back. The park is nestled in the small Pala rez east of Oceanside, where we went next. Oceanside! I have no use for you! If you are possessing of rad people, you are hiding them well! Are they between the cushions of your couch like a bunch of pennies and potato chips?

We rolled up to Oceanside, and I took a spin around the perimeter with Zedonk. A girl of about 8 years ran up to me and said, “I thought girls couldn’t skate.” I was so stunned at the terribleness of this that I was speechless. What angle to take? 1. Yes they can! 2. Who told you that? 3. Do you think that’s true? 4. Why would that be true? 5. (Ignore her and keep going) 6. Punch her 7. Make her take me to her mom 8. Make her take me to her dad 9. Spin in a circle holding a super long jump rope lined with those hard plastic tubes and slap everyone in the face. I think I ultimately did #4. Then two little boys walked over to her. I would guess they were 5 and 6 years old. They started yelling at her in an abusive, disgusted way that I don’t think anyone who doesn’t coach Russian gymnasts should use. They were admonishing her to return to their family event. It was hateful and those children are future rapists. It was actually MORE depressing than her not knowing that girls could skateboard. I wanted someone to push me into a vat of beer and seal the lid.

Despite this wholly terrible interaction, I went around to the bowl-ish to skate for a bit. I don’t want to bother describing this park because it’s just too dumb. You can look at it if you are done googling fracking. Oh who was skating the bowl-ish? JEFF TATUM. I watched Grosso’s Love Letters to Skateboarding about him last year with Bob Lake so I recognized him right away. He was riding a board that was a million miles long and doing some nice backside grinds complete with that dog-fart look-back that some people do while they grind. I don’t know how the hell he rides that long board in the bowl but RESPECT.

We drove back to Cardiff so the doodz could doobie up and we went to some kind of beer shanty for a drink. Zedonk and I talked about women. I said, “You need a strong, feminist woman. Anything else will bum you out.” He said, “Yeah. I just want to be with someone that I can be like, ‘Let’s mow this place down together.'” I really felt him on this. When I think of teaming up with the right person (my psychic friend Sarah Adams says my true love and I will be “love shamans”…cool! Hand me that crystal-encrusted WAND, foo!) I admit I don’t think of taking only snapshots and leaving only footprints. I think of interacting with this joint a little more. So.

One thought on “Mow It Down

  1. Jenny

    I like your writing. I found you through your appearance on girlskatenetwork. Loved what you said about skating and age. Really inspirational. Also cool to find out you write and perform!

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