So a couple of weekends ago Dave Vieira, Pete Panagakos, Jeff Fryer, and myself set out for a little 3 day weekend trip to beautiful Brookings, Oregon. Our plan was to skate, drink some beer, and for me to shoot a machine gun in Eugene.

Check out: Brookings Weekend

I like weird things. My friend Jason Beaudry is weird, and he too, likes weird things. So when it was time to build his ramp he decided to make one that is nearly impossible to skate. Which, is pretty weird.

I was stoked to get a little scratch 50/50 and elated when I landed a BS rock’n'roll boardslide on this thing. I can’t even get a frontside grind without falling. But I suck, so that really isn’t an accurate measuring stick. You should instead refer to this little video I put together last summer after a session that involved Jason, his brother Josh, and some of Josh’s friends. The music is by Nik Freitas He’s pretty good too. I asked Jason, when he was building his ramp, “hey man, why is your ramp so steep?” His response was, “I want something that is like skating a ledge…but with transition.” What a weirdo.

Yeah, I’m from Klamath Falls. I know it is hard to believe that a man of my magnitude and exception hails from such a small podunk town. But that isn’t the subject of this article. The subject of this article are these irrigation ditches that lay in the ground some 10, or so, miles outside of town

You see, these ditches carry water during the summer, so our local farming community can get water to their fields. That’s about as much as I can tell you about irrigation…that, and moving pipe when you are 14 years old for $0.10/piece, in the sun with mosquitos swarming around you, sucks. Anyway, on this day, the fat roller turds that run the KFalls park had it locked up for some moisture issues, so I was left to my own devices. Street skating in Klamath Falls is kind of burnt, especially so when it’s sort of wet out. After driving around for about 45 minutes I eventually found a dry manual pad and some plywood, to make a wallride, at the local Community College. After finishing there I decided to head on out down highway 38 (that’s how you say that in KFalls). After about 8 miles I made a right on Old Midland Road. About half a mile down, here were these old ditches, running both ways under the road.

They are probably a good 6′ deep, steep, with maybe 4′ of flat if you’re lucky. I remember trying to skate them when I was 14, and that experience pretty much sucked. However, I remembered seeing them a couple of years ago and it seemed that some sections were redone by the county. Needless to say, there was ice, water, and probably 18 different forms of animal feces in the bottom, so no attempt at even trying to skate these bohemoths occurred. So I took some pictures and remembered how much trying to skate these things sucked when I was 14. Ah, the good old days.

This little Washington town (approximately 20 miles North of Portland) just received a partially completed skatepark by Dreamland. Currently there is a beauty L-shaped bowl sitting there, just off the freeway.

It has an oververt section and a deep end (reminds me of a mini KFalls catcher mitt). The shallow end is pretty tight. The whole place has a nice flow to it, and you really have no problems keeping your speed. Once completed, the whole place will be a great little park to head to. Did I mention it is right by a little pond/lake thing. So if you want to combine skating, fishing, and sunbathing, this is your place.

I forget where I downloaded this photo, but it has been sitting on my computer at work for over 6 months now. I like the Gonz, and you should too.

Uh………yeah, well MTV like, totally has this new show coming out about that one skater guy and his big bodyguard. Oh, my, Gaaahh, those guys were like sooooo funny in the DC video. I’m sure this will be like a total, like reenactment, or something. Industry insiders like know how to sell really great merchandise and stuff.

On the way back from Newberg Saturday, Peter, Ian, and myself decided to go check out the Tualatin Park to see if it was crowded, or not. It was, so we decided to head for these two different sets of banks by my house. On the way there, I remembered these little pipes we found a couple of years ago.

Think this was about 8′-8.5′ tall, with a 6″ hole in the bottom. Challenging, yet pretty fun.

I think I’ll actually head back there again when I’m in the neighborhood. Photos aren’t that great, and don’t really translate how difficult this little thing was to ride. I’ll update with better photos, if they become available.

This company had the coolest name ever.

Seriously, kids love these things. Well, I can’t speak for your kid, because I don’t know your kid. Anyway, my kid seems to like this carpet board for about 15-30 minutes a day. They are really easy to make.

Carpet boards that is. Kids are easy to make too, but that is neither here, nor there. Anyway, the first step in a quality carpet board is……..quality carpet.

You don’t want your child rolling/crawling around on some damned coarse, horse hair carpet board. That would be uncivilized. I envisioned a Shag Carpet board, but alas, I was too lazy to search out Shag Carpet. That’s just the way I am. I want things done yesterday. You know, like a CEO, or something. Next, it helps if you skate, because you should have an old board, wheels, and trucks lying around. Well, if you are married they should be placed neatly in the bottom of the closet, next to your other skateboard stuff, which sits in an old tackle box.

Thirdly, hardwood floors are key. A carpet board on carpet, would be like water skiing on gravel. Not fun. Try using softies on your carpet board. It cuts down on noise for your downstairs neighbor that has splitting migraines, due to a sinus abnormality, and who at times watches your cats when you’re gone. That kind of neighbor is worth their weight in gold. Lastly, remember not to force your child into using the carpet board. Let them have fun at their own pace. Don’t insist that they be able to roll over the french doors’ threshold into the other room, riding backwards on their butt, while eating Cheerios from a snack cup. Remember, we got into carpet boarding for fun. Not competition. Now get in there and carpet board!!!!!!!

It’s true, I was there. His name was Jason Beaudry and he was assaulting that bank to wall with some wallrides. First, he started with a normal backside wallride. Oh yeah, get your bs wallride as high as you can and then move on to another trick.

Way to make that wall, that already has a low self-esteem (wheel marks not hot right now), feel even more worthless. Jerk. Anyway he then hits a wallride to fakie. Oh, but that still isn’t good enough. “I’m going to try a switch wallride fakie, and I’m going to try and hit that no skateboarding sign.” Oh well let’s just see it then Mr. Fancy Pants.

Yeah, that’s what I thought. Choke. Oh, you’re going to try it again. Ok, go ahead, I only have 4 more hours until I need to leave. Let’s just see you make it. Go on, make your little switch wallride fakie. Be the big man your daddy always wanted you to be.

Whatever. let’s go, I want some lunch.