Three weeks ago I was skating down my hill. It’s where I got comfortable cruising down hill. I’ve wiped out a few times and considered it part of my warm up on my way to rehearsals. I go fast but am still in control. Earlier this summer I was cut off by a van cross and blocked the whole street because he suddenly stopped to watch a woman cross. There was a little space in front of him, but, of course, he just as suddenly started moving forward without looking as I decided to take that little alley there in front of him. I cut wide and dodged him but had to jump off my board because there was a large curb and a board with no way to kick up(I’m no good at that anyway). I messed up a back that was already blocked. He apologetically shrugged his shoulders and drove off. I was in a hurry to bring someone to the train station so I got back on my board and took off. As I got back on my board the woman the guy was distracted by asked if she should call an ambulance(ha!).

This street is a one way, so it is generally open for me if I make sure there is no one right in front of me when I head down it. I cruise down pretty fast and it opens my mind to the moment. I love it. But there is one intersection…. Traffic needs to yield to traffic from the right in unmarked intersection. There is one intersection with traffic coming from my left that can be a bit busy in the morning and cars often roll through without stopping. I usually take it wide and slow down to not get hit by some idiot. However, this morning three weeks ago: I was on my way to rehearsal. Was feeling pretty confident on my board. In fact, I had wiped out just after I started down the hill playing with lifting my weight up more in my carves and my board slid out from under me from a little wet gravel. Got a nice little road rash on my thigh from it. I got back up(in front of a school teacher and a parent), a little more ‘one with the road’, and continued down my hill. I rolled up to my intersection and saw there was a good amount of traffic. I slowed down and watched a silver luxury sedan pull and slow to the intersection. I started pulling wide to the right thinking he would stop, but he blasted forward clearly not seeing me. So I quick carved to the left. That’s when he saw me. Then he stopped in the middle of the street and my path behind him was blocked so I jump off my board. I didn’t catch my board in time and it kept rolling toward his car. It got just under his wheels and then he took off. There was a loud crack when my board broke in half. He kept driving. I looked at my board, then in disbelief that he was driving off. The next moment I had my board and was running after him. For two blocks. Well, it’s part of my warm up, I thought. Luckily, there was traffic in front of him and some road bumps so I caught up to him. He certainly saw me earlier than when I ran up tapping his driver side window. The indignant dickhead rolled down the window while I spouted, “Man, you ran over my skateboard two blocks back.”

“I didn’t see you! You can’t ride that thing in the street!”
“Yes, I can. I have the same rights as a bicycler.”
“Bah, that’s just a piece of wood. I’ll give you fifty euros.”
“No, no, no, no, no. This is tempered bamboo. I bought this in Hawaii for around $300. I can’t get a board like this over here easily.”
“Well, I only have 90 Euros in my wallet” He shows me inside his wallet. True enough.
“Ok, then let’s call your insurance company.”
“I don’t have time for this. I’ll give you 200.”
“Ha! No at least three hundred. I am late for work now, too.”
“Ok, let’s call the police.”
“Ok!”
“….”
He pulls ahead to let the cars behind him pass.
He grumbles, “I don’t have time for this. 250.”
“No!” Exasperated. “Let’s wait for the police and insurance company.”
“Look, I don’t have a meeting. You’re gonna get what you want.”
He takes my bank account number and transfers the money on his phone in front of me. He speeds off, I write his license plate down on my iPad and walk to the metro, broken board under my arm. My first board. R.I.P.,  my beautiful, bouncing, bamboo baby. Maybe I’ll cut off your nose, reshape you, and give you a new life… if I have time.

I took the trucks and wheels off and stuck them to a little baby board I got at the second hand store last year. I rode it down my hill yesterday. I bit precarious, but carves like crazy!!!  I barely have room for two perpendicular feet on it. But fun!

I checked out the boards at the skate shop I like here, but didn’t find what I wanted. I finally found something that makes me excited on the Sector 9 website and ordered a full board since my trucks are worn. The wheels are ok, but I have to search/order the hardware for the drop mount style board I ordered. Here she is. Second generation:

SECTOR 9 FRACTAL

I am super excited to get it. Got to send it to my mom first and have her send it here. I’ll probably still have to pay 50 – 60 EUR for duty taxes, etc. The complete board is $209(free shipping in the US!), so my request for 300 EUR was pretty accurate.

In the meantime, I will bike to work. Only in September my bike was stolen. Lock cut and stolen. Was a piece of shit, so the joke is on them, but I was left bike-less since. However, I found a really nice bike for cheap at the second hand store today that will keep me moving fast, awake, and saving 5 EUR a day from not using the metro!

Stoked!