Skating Izu

Skate Bear

911

My part from Lisa Whitaker's "911" video, 1993-1994.

Tamari Park

Skating with Bwana and Naoya at Tamari Park.

Skating Izu

Hachioji Planet Park

Planet Park skatepark just opened a couple months ago in a suburb of Tokyo. I checked it out the other day, and the place was amazing. I've never seen anything quite like this in Japan. It just might be the biggest and best park around. There are areas for all levels and all kinds of terrain. The surface of the entire park is excellent, the smoothest cement I've ever skated. Feels like you're on ice. I only wish they had some transitions in the street area, like a quarter pipe or launch ramp or something. Everything there is banked. Definitely fun though, and well worth the 500 yen entrance fee.

Skating The Quarter

Quarter Pipe

In the eighties and early nineties I used to make skate obstacles all the time. Launch ramps, quarter pipes, wall ramps, boxes, rails, and half pipes. My backyard was a mini skatepark. In Japan it’s pretty much impossible due to space and cost issues. I think it would cost three or four times to make one there. Anyway, since I was going to be in the states for nearly a month, I thought I’d try and make one again to pass some of the time. A day and a half later, my quarter pipe was done. The most challenging part I think was deciding on the transition and coping placement. In the end I went with a 7 foot transition (radius). Unfortunately, by the time it was finished my muscles were too sore to shred it. Just got a few pivots and sweepers in. And then it snowed. Now I’m waiting for a sunny day.

Nogawa Park

Nogawa Park is huge, with lots of green, trees, and a river running through it. It features facilities for barbecuing, sports, and even has a small skate park. And just a short drive from home. Bwana and I visited the other day, took a little walk along the river, and did a little skating.

Downhill In Tateshina

Short downhill run through the forest in Tateshina, Nagano Prefecture.

Slider Volume 1

Just received Slider magazine from Amazon Japan today and man was I disappointed with this dumb-ass cover. Slider is a new skateboard culture magazine or "mook" as they say in Japan. For those familiar with 80s skateboarding you might be able to recognize the Bones Ripper graphic in the background there. Amazon actually listed the magazine with the Bones Ripper on the cover, so I was getting pretty stoked. I guess the publisher made a last minute change and decided to go with the singer of the goofy boy band Tokio. Anyway, huge FAIL in my opinion. On to the contents. There's a rad article on the original Bones Brigade and Powell Peralta including current photos and interviews with all members, awesome section on 80s skateboards, stickers, clothes, fashion, etc. Definitely worth getting if you don't mind looking at the SUCKY cover every time you read it.