she so rad

Twice As Nice

Just home from the second hourish spin in as many days. Keeping it slow, keeping it mellow, and it really feels good to do something rather than nothing. My knee isn't super happy, but it's not super happy off the bike, either. It doesn't like walking up or down stairs, it doesn't like bending super fast or extending super fast. It doesn't like getting bumped. And it doesn't like Mariah Carey or Celine Dion. Can't say I blame it.

I've got ice on the thing now and it's fine and dandy.

Three weeks from skating, I'd guess, and that makes me a little insane, but I'm trying to keep it together. Still have tons to do before the weekend and we're a little past deadline at The Mag. Found out yesterday that my sister Annie will be in Cali the same time as me with nothing to do but fart around. My niece, Adeline, my brother Pat, and his lovely lady Jane all live in Venice, too, so I'm looking forward to some quality time wasting. Couldn't ask for a better crew of time wasters, either. Complete professionals.

I built a couple of those homemade "gel" packs for my knee-icing duties and they're totally killing it right now. Only had one at first and it wouldn't refreeze fast enough for a second or third icing in one day, so I got backup going and the rotation of the two is working perfectly. Thanks, ice bags.

The recipe is a simple one:
Three cups of water
One cup of rubbing alcohol
Two zip lock bags

Pour the stuff into one bag, get the excess air out, and seal the baggy.
Put that baggie inside a second one, get the excess air out, and seal it too.
Put the whole thing in the freezer over night and there you have it. It makes a kind of soft ice pack that forms around any sore spot regardless of its angle or shape. Works as well as any $25 gel pack from the health supply store and it's only 10% of the cost.

Okay, this thing's getting cold as hell. Gotta go.

Go See The Doctor

Got massage from Tara at Bella this morning. She usually works on my back and hip but today was all about my knee. She knows what she's doing and is really good at moving the the waste and bullshit out of the affected area. It's weird. I almost always feel better walking out of there than when I went in. And 48 hours later it's even better. Those pros who get massage or PT everyday are so stoked. Huge advantage when you're trying to win the recovery battle.

I have an appointment with the doctor today to get my knee looked at. I know how it's going to go:
"Doc, it hurts when I do this."
"Well, don't do that."
Maybe he'll have some nuclear anti-inflammatory or some new instant ligament healing compound, but I doubt it. Still, I'm going. Need to get my vitals taken by someone other than the blood pressure machine at Walgreen's.
Cian's home from school today, so I'll try to get him to go with me, but he likes to chill on his days off. I don't blame him. Couldn't even get him to go get a doughnut with me this morning and doughnuts are his favorite.

The other day I told someone I had Brian Howard knees, and then Brian himself made a couple comments on Facebook that made me feel a lot better. He's kneeslid and slammed on his knees way, way, way more than I could even imagine and he's a regular and veteran cyclist, so it was cool to have him chime in and confirm what I was hoping was true — I'll be fine.

Sometimes a few well typed words are all it takes to make you feel right.

Post Cruciate Ligament

I slammed on my knee last Thursday. I knew it was bad right when I did it. Fell about six feet straight to the joint right under the knee cap. It's where I usually fall, but this was a full-weight, full-speed thumper. I tried to get up super fast like squirrels do when they fall out of a tree. Almost like I was trying to get out of the way of the injury. Didn't work.

I've fallen like this before — a lot — but not for years. It's the kind of fall where what you hit doesn't even hurt that bad — the opposite side of where you hit takes the brunt of the slam. Like if you slam to your hip, your groin hurts from your femur tearing into your crotch. I hit my right knee on the front and right so the back left hurts. It's a bit of pcl and a bit of mcl aggravation, not sure about the tearing, but it's definitely sprained. The swelling is minimal, but it doesn't take much swelling inside the knee to make it tight and painful.

Still ... icing three times a day on two different spots on my knee. Ibuprofen too.

I'll go to the doc on Monday, but I know the drill: stay off of it, maybe see an orthopedic specialist, maybe see a physical therapist.

There's been improvement everyday, which I love. I can walk pretty good, but lifting my right leg while going up the stairs hurts.

I think I can ride. I might spin around for a half hour or so nice and easy. Get the blood going and stretch things out little. No skating, though.

Cyclists will say stop skating, just like the skaters question cycling after a bad crash.

I can think of like half a dozen people who do both and they won't say anything. They'd do what I'm doing: serve their sentence and then keep going.

Not bad for a 15 year old

Just got back from co-teaching a photo workshop at Woodward East Skate Camp.
My son Sage was skating and taking a video workshop from Ty Evans. Here's the video that Sage made. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olkPZLkRgiM&feature=related

Machotaildrop Trailer

Gou Miyagi Is The Change We Need

Gou Miyagi is getting a guest board on Heroin Skateboards. This video part is why.

"PR"

Hi there. Incase just launched a new campaign for the Paul Rodriguez Signature Collection. Mike O'Meally worked the shutter, and Felipe Lima created a superb picture show (seen above).

Later!

Coastal Carnage Footage

(via socalskateshop.com)

My progeny ...

... is way better than I ever was. And he just turned 13. I should be embarrassed, but I'm STOKED!

Big thank yous out to Rick, Guy, Alex and Mike (yeah, that Rick, Guy, Alex and Mike) for making this birthday session a crusher.

To The Tail

A Display Of An Unashamedly Shameless Lack Of Shame
or
Enough About Me; What Do You Think Of Me?

Skateboard Magic

Magic Board part from Girl Skateboards' Yeah Right!

Perks

You know, I always love shooting photos and being "a photographer," but it's times like these that really, really make me love being on the side of the lens I'm on.

Truth

The Best Problem I have in my life right now is that I'm so swamped with work that I don't have the cognitive resources to post something worthwhile on this lovely blog. So instead, here's an amazing skateboard shoe commercial.

Yes, in his backyard

Notice that he isn't wearing Adidas:

Incase for HUF and DQM

Watch Incase for HUF and DQM

Incase launched the HUF/DQM Messenger Bag collaboration yesterday. Pretty schweet schtuff.

Connections

For a couple of years kw's family has kept me subscribed to the music publication Waxpoetics where fellow Husker, Carter VanPelt, regularly contributes about reggae culture. The current issue (No34) mixes two of my favorite things, skateboarding and music, for the first time. Many of you GP readers may already know Seb Carayol but he was new to me until I read his article, connecting Stereo Skateboards' A Visual Sound with the soon-to-not-be-rare Ululation album by John Krasnow, used for much of its soundtrack.
The article not only got my learn on, but has me stoked for the release of Ululation and the previously unreleased Ululation 2. With song names like Borderline Case, Hunca Munca, and Song Without Mayo, who wouldn't be stoked?

It Happens.

People always, always, always say "it's not what you know, but who you know." I don't have definitive proof, but I would say that the skateboarding industry is THE prime example of this modern proverb. Hollywood may have us beat, but I'm guessing not by much.

Anyway, Fred Gall has always been one of my favorite guys to watch ride a skateboard. Having grown up in West Virginia, I felt like he skated the types of spots we had to skate and I was able to "feel" his skating more than most of the guys I saw in the magazines. Of course, we weren't switch tailsliding Hubba Hideout at 15 years of age, but I digress.

Imagine yourself sitting at a charity volleyball tournament, watching your wife's team play the mayor's team when your phone rings to display a number you've never seen. You answer to find that one of your childhood idols is on the other end of the line and wants to go skateboarding with you. That was my experience meeting Fred Gall for the first time. Apparently he'd gotten my number from Paul Zitzer (another childhood favorite who has, in a weird twist of fate, become a good friend, but that's another story for another time) and was looking for someone to show him around Louisville. Paul had made it sound like I was a good photographer, so Fred and company were looking to shoot some photos as well as looking at spots. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance.

As it turns out, this photo didn't peak the interest of anyone at the major magazines. It could have something to do with the fact that a month after we shot this, Fred had like 3 interviews come out, one with a photo from this same spot. Or it could be that the photo just isn't good. Regardless, I will forever love this photo because it reminds me of the day that a guy that made me want to ride my skateboard called me to do just that. And the only reason he did was because he got my phone number from Paul, who I nervously introduced myself to years earlier. It's funny how life works out.

Freddy Gall::Nosepick::Louisville, KY

Rip City Trailer

Premiering on FuelTV this Friday, March 27.
Time to upgrade your cable subscription (or climb that utility pole over by your neighbor's yard).

Go ahead, touch my lens

Touch it!