Getting All Your Lilacs in a Row
June 26, 2015
The Great Summer Wildflower Hike
July 24, 2015
Even though I’m busier than ever with all sorts of projects related to the writing including the novel re-focus and getting this book of essays together for publication, I still made time to write a new essay. Rather appropriate, this missive relates to something from my youth and indirectly also focuses on events in my second home-California. Today (7/10/15) would’ve been my mom’s 83rd Birthday.
Word Count: 791
The Lost Z-Boy
Two summers ago I watched as a wooden half pipe was constructed on the lot across from the school for the local skateboard fanatics. Then recently observed that same apparatus being dis-assembled and set-up again for use at the local track. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Additionally, thinking about how things might’ve been very different had they gone in a totally dissimilar direction.
This was followed by a pleasant, but clearly animated conversation with a guy about our mutual love of skateboarding back during the second wave of popularity for the sport in the mid-70s. This conversation also got me envisioning “what if” scenarios. Amazing how certain obsessions from your youth bring back all manner of pleasant memories and visions of how things might’ve moved in a clearly unconventional direction had the situation been out of the ordinary at the time.
Although I’m considerably older (and theoretically wiser?) than I was back in the 70s, that still doesn’t stop me from thinking about “What If” scenarios. I love skateboarding and this brings up another vision. Suppose I’d been able to relocate back in 1972, specifically to the hotbed of skateboarding in the 70s-Southern California.
Right after I read a Sport Illustrated article profiling the sudden rise of a second wave of skateboarding due to the introduction of urethane wheels, I dug out an old metal-wheeled wooden glider I had. Began riding it up and down the sidewalk in front of our house two or three thousand times in a one hour period, and within a week I also got a subscription to the bible of miniature wheeled transport at the time-“Skateboader Magazine”.
A large percentage of the articles and pictures featured in the periodical illustrated events happening in the L.A. and San Diego Basins. Specifically the white-hot center of the sport-Santa Monica. The Dog-Town section of the urban megalopolis as long as we’re getting specific about these sorts of things. Next, I figured out a way to purchase a set of polyurethane wheels so I could assemble my own new board.
Since I’ve always had a vivid imagination (and this situation is no exception), I began to envision relocation scenarios. What if mom & dad suddenly decided for purposes of expanding the Swanson Marketfranchise, we needed to relocate the family to the L.A. Basin? Additionally, it’s vitally important that they must provide a nurturing environment for their son’s budding skateboard career. A family relocation to Los Angeles is in the works and this must take place A.S.A.P.
Soon I’m growing my hair to shoulder length Adonis-like handsomeness, I’m suddenly transformed into a blonde, my vision miraculously improves to the point where I’m discarding the nerd glasses, and my skills as a skateboarder improve to new, unprecedented heights of excellence.
We choose the Dog-town section of Santa Monica for our move and soon receive an urgent telephone call from the real estate broker in L.A. Specifically telling us he’s discovered a 4-bedroom, three bath estate with a kidney shaped swimming pool in the backyard. The pool needs to be empty for a large percentage of time because southern California is currently experiencing drought-like conditions. This requires all swimming pool owners to keep their backyard water amusement containers empty on a regular basis. The house just came on the market, and their son was the first person the broker thought of when that happened.
I’m becoming a Z-Boy before our very eyes and there isn’t anything we can do about it except sit back and watch it happen. We say Z-Boy because the Zephyr Surf Shop of Santa Monica sponsored the original Dogtown Skateboard team. As their fame and renown increased, everyone in the greater skateboard community referred to the team as the Dogtown & Z-Boys juggernaut. This bit of trivial information is brought to you as a public service for all our readers out there unfamiliar with various useless nuances related to the sport.
Although at the time I wished it might’ve taken place, thank God this scenario didn’t happen. I love these mountains almost too much, and have a hard time imagining myself growing up anywhere else in this great big world. Silverton is small, but loaded with all sorts of cool scenarios I can draw off of for my writing.
Winters can get a bit too long in this valley (yes you heard me say that), but I’m thoroughly convinced that if snowboarding had been invented back in the 70s, I would’ve given up skiing. Probably taken up snowboarding faster than I use to dodge the drunks walking out of the VFW Bar on my skateboard. My love of the sport keeps me from imaging that not happening.
