Found an adventure in the desert.

I got my tire plugged at a little Mexican shop, after the first tire shop told me I couldn't get it patched and had to buy a completely new tire. After that, Heavy D and I set out to hike Lava Butte, but got distracted.  We took a few small walks in between driving a gravel road trying to find a trail head.  As we wandered up a dry arroyo we saw shot up metal, an old record player, tires, and many old car parts.  We picked gypsum crystals up off the ground.  Down in the dry stream beds were many old car parts.  We figured this road, outside the big Sin City, was a popular place to bury bodies.  After that we stopped and sat up on a knoll, looking out across the barren mountains towards the grand canyon and Lake Mead.  Down over the hill was a car so rusted it was the color of the red dirt around it.  I thought about pushing my car over the hill and imagined it in 100 years looking like that artifact that air and water had rusted so that it was like a part of the landscape.  Broken glass and bullet shells everywhere, we felt like we were in a lawless land where you had to look out for armed rebels.  A place where your car was not safe left alone.  A land on the outskirts of a rigid and controlled city where only spirits and the occasional jackrabbit roamed.  At the other end of the road, we came across a man with an 18-wheeler stuck in the sand.  He had no way to get help, so we took down some info and called a tow truck for him at a CVS.  We hope he is out of there because because the desert is very cold at night, and he was at least a mile from anything.  A little ways on Hollywood Blv. and we arrived at another skate park.  The Hollywood park was part of a recreation center, and cost 3 dollars to skate and 4 if you need a helmet(required).  Two kids who worked there, Alex and Chris, were very talkative and let us look at the features.  I learned that every Thursday they have competitions there on the stair sets.  Along with the street skating this park offered numerous bowls, and a full pipe.  At last, time for In n Out, then home.

Stormy Weather

Went to sleep last night to a mighty strong wind.  In the morning, snow covered the mountain tops.  Nine inches at Mt. Charleston; looks like wonderful wild West Virginia White Grassers' got some too!                

3LooseScrews

Walked up and saw a kid with sweet dreds pull a 360.  Later found out that he and his bro (seen here in video) are on a team.  3 Loose Screws is their grandfathers' skateboard company.  They were sick!   Notice me doing nothing in background.  And thanks to Heavy D. for the video.                                                                                     

   3loosescrews.com

Some sweet moves @ Bunker...

    Been hiking in Red Rocks, eating junk food, and having the time of my life.  Took the little St. Bernard Biscuit with us, so we moved slow, but everything is better that way anyway.  Revisited Desert Breeze, my favorite so far.  Woke up this morning to a flat tire, so I'm running on a spare.  Plan to hike the Black Butte tomorrow.  Where the heck is Tony Hawk?

Not faking that smile!  This kid Josh was cool.  He is from around Fresna, CA., and is awaiting a court date for drawing a music note coming out of a heart upon a table.  He spent time in jail, and his court dates keep getting pushed back. 

This is how I feel about all these skateparks out here; like wtf!  Back in W.V. we have to drive to Margantown, a 2 hour drive for an ok skatepark.  Then there is a good park in Wheeling, W.V., even further away, but built like those out here in Vegas.  There is a park in every neighborhood it seems; most kids only go to the one closest to their home, and don't even know of the others. 

I met a kid named Jason @ Desert Breeze who was only 15, but had visited every skatepark possible in Las Vegas, which is my mission.

desert breeze skate park



Biscuit the St. Bernard!                                                                                  

Some other sites...

http://www.whitegrass.com/     

  Check out my dad's website.  It is updated every morning, giving insight into beautiful life in West Virginia.


http://www.slowsmooth.blogspot.com/  

    This is my brothers blog.  Very interesting stuff and entertaining blog.

Other Parks

Big gap @ Morrell Park.  

 It took me 5 or so tries to stick it.  Visible is vert half of the park.  On the other side was a whole street section that was really fun.  Also not seen is a concrete 3/4 bowl.  There were a lot of kids here, maybe because it was the night before Thanksgiving.  Almost like a circus.

  Anthem Skate Park

Here I am riding my Sector Nine medium board at one of the nicest parks around.  The kids here were super good.  One, Antonio, was only 15 and could launch 4 feet out of the bowl.  I saw a BMX do a back flip.  I only shredded the stuff under the coping, but I hope to get better.

Some of the Guys at Anthem

 

MLK

This park was small and had good street skating.  The homeys there told us how to get to the trail head of Frenchmans Mtn.  After skating Heavy D and I hiked up it, and it started to get dark on the way down.  Once the road came into view, we looked down to where the car had been parked.  But we could not see it.  The thoughts that came to our heads were, "those kids from the skate park told us where to park, knowing we were going for a long walk, and they came up here and jacked our vehicle!"  Alas, only when we were very close to the car could we see it through the last remaining light of dusk.  We were both relieved to get back into it and drive down into town to eat In n Out.  Oh Yeah!

Bunker Park

Kenny kills it!  Bunker skate park.  video by Heavy D.

On my Way

                                                                                 OK, dont tell me this isn't Star Wars!   
   

    These are Earthships in New Mexico, built out of old tires, dirt, bottles and cans. They have waterfalls and gardens in them too!

 

Inspiration to Bring Home

    I am trying to visit every skate park in Las Vegas, Nevada, in hopes of getting ideas for building a skate park back home in Davis, W.V.  So far I have hit up 7 in three days, and I hear there are 26 or so, not including private ones or backyard pools.(not to mention the sweet ditches that are dry and totally rippable) 
    With a few hikes and morning runs I can say I am sore, but I go to sleep satisfied.  I awake early excited to discover new parks, meet new people, and rip.  I have skated on and off since a little one, and I am slowly progressing.  Just watching these Vegas kids shred is awesome, and I learn a lot from them.  Most that I have met are genuine people/punks, that I would gladly call a friend.  I skate a Sector Nine board that is heavier than a trick deck but half the size of a longboard.  The big wheels roll over any bump or crack in my way, and the old school shape makes me feel retro. 
    This blog is a way for you to see skating in the great Sin City, and also a way for me to document my adventures shredding the concrete waves.   

  I think we need a designated place to skate board back in Davis, W.V.  When I return home I hope to raise money to have a skate park built so that kids can really learn to do one of the most fun and challenging summer sports; skateboarding.