improvdanceskate

A new way of being on the skateboard begins to seep in.

As I flow around the San Rafael medium sized bowl my arms dances with the curves of my flight. I am within myself and listening to the body talk.

As I flow around the big bowl my upper body dances, dances in a way that helps me feel the bowl more.

I come from a dance background, a contact improv background where I feel with my body and let if flow the rhythms from within. Contact improv is a dance form where you are in constant contact with another as you dance - rolling your arms, shoulders, back, legs, head across each other. My body softens is this, listening to the other.

As I dance on my skateboard my body begins to listen to more, to new forms of movement appearing.

As I come out of the big bowl where I had some privacy as its sunk in out of view from the other parts of the skatepark, where in this privacy I could try out some of these dance moves. As I come out and scan across the park looking at the kids skateboard, I realise something new is dawning. A new way of being on the skateboard.

danceboard

my shoulders and arms sway forth in a dance as i carve down the street. and they flow in the rhythm of the side to side sways. and i feel the beauty, the glide down the hill with the body dancing with the carving...

circulate

I am leaning over in the bowl. 30 degree angle. Gravity pulling me down as I circulate.

I can shove the board up or down the incline and do different arcs.

I rotate my shoulders first, and they pull the hips around, which then pulls the board around the circle.

My hips softer from some inner bodywork releases I've been doing on myself, I can feel the board through my legs as I guide it around the concrete.

expression

I am on the hills of fairfax. I grab the board with my hand, and go down close to the ground. Skimming along the ashphalt.

i sit backwards, and slide down the road on the board, my slippers fall off, and i drag my feet to a stop.

at each moment there is a choice, of how to go down the hill, of what to do . at each moment i express who i am...


i put a log on the board, and started skating..

kierkegaard

when i began this journal i thought of calling it something like skateboarding and kierkegaard, even thogh i did not yet know what kierkegaard wrote about yet. i knew he was a philosopher, and i liked that idea that skateboarding could shed light on a kierkegaard, and kierkegaard could shed light on skateboarding.

i looked him up, and he wrote a book called fear and trembling, and talks about a knight of faith, who trusts in something beyond reason. he is willing to give everything up because he trusts in the absurd.

so it is with skatebaording, one can let go of what your reason says is a good idea. let go, rush down that slope, and trust in something beyond reason, trust in the absurd.

i go into the hills, looking for the right slope road which will give me a good downhill run, like a snowboard run on snowy slopes.

i ride down with my purple flannel jacket.

the skateboard carves back and forth. i lean, my shoulders lean back, hips follow and i carve. and then i lean forward, my hips pulling skateboard the other way.

its a way of expressing oneself. i can carve softer and tighter, or fling my body way back and do broad brushstrokes.

the trees are light green as the morning sun flows through them...

i find one steeper slope. and that fear mixed in with excitement gives me a rush and i throw my fist into the air.

i skate attack

i skate angry.

the concrete curves above my head. small hills around me.

i attack the curves. sink deeper in my knees. the anger releases a certain abandonment, that leads to creativity. something opens up.

i feel less intimated by the skaters around me.

...

i had been making clay sculpture earlier today. read a book called 'zero point creativity'. about not worrying about product and letting go. i attacked the clay with my elbows and forearms. thwack! i shoved it around. not worrying about product. the experience of the clay itself. i could see a form come out of the clay.

something released in me as i did the sculpture. something about following my instincts.

so i got in the car and drove up the 101 to the skatepark.

and as i skated i noticed that i dont let myself feel angry when i skate. not spiritual. the 'zero point creativity' book talks about following your feelings. its ok. something else opens up.

and so i skate angry.

and my soul opens up

as i drive home ...

i feel more rugged. more man. more wild. and strong.