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Skater's Edge
by Bonnie Blouin
One of the most exciting aspects of
skating, other than the act itself, is a road
trip. Whether the journey is for a weekend,
a week or a month, the stoke level is in-
variably high. The anticipation of "terrain to
conquer" is enough to boil any skater's
blood. Ask any skater if he wants to "go
check out that killer new ramp." Will he say
no? Not hardly.
Unfortunately, road trips require several
things, half of which we usually have or can
acquire, the other half we fudge, hoping for
the best. The list includes money, a car,
parental permission or leave of work, direc-
tions, a place to stay, friends to travel with
and, of course, equipment. These things help
us go with the flow. With out one or the other,
the flow is hindered. However, if we always
waited until the timing was perfect, we'd
never go anywhere and we'd never have any
fun. So take it as it comes.
Most weekend road trips are pretty spon-
taneous. Wednesday or Thursday you start
getting restless. You're sick of riding the
same old ramp and grinding the same old
curbs and you just gotta get outta town.
Sometimes you'll hear about a contest or a
big session at the last minute and it's all you
can do to wait out those last few days until
the weekend.
Weekend trips are almost always lacking
at least one of the above-mentioned
elements. Usually we head out with basic
directions and a phone number which will
put us within fifteen to twenty miles of our
destination. Fortunately, skaters seem to
have a built-in sense of direction when it
comes to locating terrain. Nowadays, even
local non-skaters can give you a clue as to
where "that skateboard track" is located.
Finding a place to spend the night usually
works itself out after you session all day with
the locals. Most of the time they are just as
stoked to skate with you as you are to be there
skating, so hooking up with a little floor space
is not that difficult.
Sometimes, though, it is downright impos
sible, especially at a contest where every
local already has ten people staying at his
house. If you visit a scene that is mainly com-
prised of younger skaters, their moms are
probably not yet conditioned to "skater ways.""
Cheap motels are one solution, but most
of the time you are already on limited funds
and this can be a "food vs. sleep" decision.
If I'm traveling by car, I always bring my tent.
Campgrounds aren't hard to find and only
cost about $6 a night. It's a lot easier to con-
vince moms to let you take up six square feet
of yard space than dump your stuff on the
living room floor. This is not always a solu-
tion, but beats sleeping in the car or having
to drive home that very night.
Running out of money is a harsh reality
most of us have experienced. Usually there
is someone in your group that can flow the
cash until you get home, but, still, it's an
unsettling position to be in.
If you travel a lot, a gas credit card is a
must. Get one from a gas company that
doesn't charge more than cash price for
using it and also has a service station. When
you have a credit card, an untimely car repair-
can be brushed off as a minor inconven-
ience, at least until the bill comes in. Your
trip can continue undaunted. I have to cau-
tion you to show a little responsibility when
using a credit card, especially if it's your
parent's. The bill has to be paid by somebody
in the end, so use it wisely.
If you are running low on money, buy food
from the grocery store. It's cheaper than
McDonalds and better for you. Or you can
gather your friends and hit the "all you can
eat" salad bars and buffets. For a few dollars,
you can all dig in.
Weekend trips never last long enough,
especially when you know you have to return
to school or work. Every time you leave for
home, you swear you will plan ahead and
Most weekend road trips
are pretty spontaneous.
take Monday off...but you never do
because when the urge strikes, it burns hot.
and no cold shower will douse that fire.
Week long trips require better planning.
Make sure you can take the time off, you have
a semi-definite place to stay, your directions
are pretty clear, and you make an attempt to
have enough money. These trips are the best
if you are visiting one particular city or skate
scene. You have enough time to skate all the
hot spots without burning out, and you can
stay long enough to make new friends
without wearing out your welcome.
If you, say, fly from one coast to the other
and have only one week, you will undoubted-
ly run yourself ragged trying to see and skate
everything. It's impossible. The best thing to
do is to pick a spot where you know there
will be plenty of terrain within a two-hour drive
of your "home base." This way you can make
the best use of your skating time and still
come home feeling like you saw a little bit
of the country. There is always "next time."
Month-long trips are for the hard-core.
Usually you are hopping from one scene to
another and absorbing as much skate time
as possible. The advantage of a long trip is
that you have time to take a breather now and
then, to enjoy your surroundings and get
dialed into a particular ramp or terrain. You
aren't rushed to "see and do." You see and
do as you please, when you please. Basically
you have more fun because you have time
to enjoy your environment to the fullest.
ROAD TRIPS
Whether you are away from home for two
days or thirty days, the best thing you could
ever carry with you is your health insurance
card. Yeah, I know, insurance is a big has-
sle and a rip off, but you've gotta have it,
especially if you're a skater. If you slam hard
and have to go to the hospital, it can mean
the difference between ten minutes of waiting
and several hours. It can also mean the
difference between a $50 hospital bill and
a $500 hospital bill. Some places won't admit
you at all if you don't have health insurance.
So, if you live at home with your parents,
ask them to give you a card of your own or
at least get the insurance number. If you are
out on your own, take out an insurance policy.
Thirty to fifty dollars a month is a minor
investment when it comes to your body.
As a skater, you will undoubtedly enjoy
many a road trip. It seems that much of our
existence depends upon our ability to skate
with other people and on new terrain. It's part
of our past and our future. It's part of our
culture. We save our hard-earned dollars for
those moments when we are free to do
nothing but skate new realms. After all,
that's what skating is all about. freedom,
adventure, fun. SKATE AND EXPLORE.
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