Vert-Skating-Forum

Message 7608 (1. Jan. 2009 21:55) (Tree)

Sender:	ireNe
Subject:	Irene's Visit... San Diego
Content:	It worked, except I had chosen the wrong image, so here's the corrected post. : I hope the pics/vids embed properly, sorry if it didn't work, but here goes... I'll pick where Jay left off. 3 cities, 9 days, 6 parks, more skating than I do all year...hella fun! Monday was raining on and off. This was the morning that President Bush got a pair of shoes thrown at him. Then, Karen tells me she's letting Chris stay home from school today. What a great start to the day! I guess I should set a better example about skipping school to play. Chris was upset at first (he's such a conscientious, responsible and thoughtful guy), but then realized he could make up the work. With all this rain, Lake Rennie formed and Chris and John McCain went bodyboarding together. It was so fun watching them. We three caught up on life, went for lunch at Al-Hamra (yummy Mango Lassi and Turkish coffee), watched home movies of Chris... he's so freakin' cute! Karen's dad stopped over to take Chris to his guitar lesson. Christopher Rennie is amazing, I can't believe it and he's only gonna get better at everything he already excels at. Wow... The next morning (Tues 12/16), I pack up the rental and bid farewell to LA. The Rennie's...what can I say, it's always hard to leave. The last leg of this trip ends in San Diego. It's a 2 hour drive in what turned out to be a beautiful day. Stopped at LoveBurger (Duke's recommendation) for a bite and arrived early afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised to find my skateboarder friend, Rich Lopez, skating Clairemont's vert ramp. Rich and Sanford Lopez are identical twins who both rip vert. They moved from New Jersey some 5+ years ago. It was good to skate with him again. This vert is bigger than anything I skate back home. It was fun, even tho' I was sore and tired by that time. Later on, Rich and his girl came by Papo's (NYC skateboarder who moved to SD, 20+ years ago) to chill and reminisce. I unfortunately did not see much of Papo. He's working long hours, but always opens his home to me. I hope to see him and skate in NYC over the New Year's visit w/his Mom. Rich Lopez @ Clairemont So, Karen was working a deal with the Sun Goddess and all was going well, until Weds. Boy, did it rain. And rain. And rain. So, I checked out Washington Park, a home-made cement park under the I-5 freeway, that is usually mostly dry, even in the rain. But this steady and heavy rain soaked the place pretty good. It was even locked up, not the norm. I drove around, like a good tourist and went for lunch at this fabulous seafood joint on the water. Anthony's Fish Grotto, if you're in the area, go there...kickass view. Later that evening, I drove north to Escondido to visit with Sanford, Priscilla and Elliot. I hadn't seen Elliot in years. I've watch him progress skateboarding vert since he was 13. He's now 20, touring Europe and skating Tony's, Bob's and the DC Warehouse. The rain kept me from Encinitas, where Sanford, Elliot and I would've skated. It was great to see them after so many years and know that everyone is doing well. They insisted that I stay with them for a few on my next trip that way. Well, Encinitas is still calling me... Cali is filled with incredible skate facilities. Toooo many to cover. What kind of problem is that? I wish the eastcoast had similar woes. I dream of the day when everyone on this forum can gather together and spend time skating and hanging out. I hope to skate with all of you someday, it is a dream I wish to fulfill in my lifetime. I can't thank Jay and Dawn enough for their hospitality. I loved their doggies, Pandora and Pogo, and just being in Vegas is somewhat surreal. The Rennie family is truly blessed in so many ways...doesn't get any better. And to my former eastcoast buddies, part of my upbringing skate-wise... a long overdue reunion, my only regret was missing the opportunity to skate together again. All in all, this was a great trip. I got to see rain in California (what the f*ck?) and Christmas decorations when it's 60 degrees out. Weird. I like the spirit, but without the cold and snow... Thanks to everyone who so kindly hosted me throughout my journey. Back home now...I'm pretty tired and really happy. It's snowing here in NYC and near freezing temperatures, but at least it's not raining. There's more stuff from this trip: http://www.myspace.com/irenesk8s Stay rolling everyone! Health, wealth, love and happiness to all in the New Year.
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Jay: Irene's Visit..Photos & Videos Too (20. Dec. 2008 02:04)
	Hi Everybody, Well, as promised, here's my blog on Irene's visit to Vegas & California last week. I hope all the embedding works..... Jay..... Hello Roller-Skaters, Hallo Roller-Skaters Bonjour adeptes du roller Hola patinadores-rodillo Ciao a rulli-pattinatori OK, hope I didn’t forget anybody’s native tongue…..now then. Let me start by saying that this is probably going to be long. I’m sorry. If anyone wants to skip all the text & just check out the photos & videos, I understand. I know our Global Community don’t all speak English, so by all means feel free to just look at the pictures & videos. If, however, you want all the skating details, here they are……. I’m writing this after a week of Incredibly Fun skating. I can’t express how much fun I’ve had (& how exhausted I still am days later!) It sucks getting Old! I just want start by saying thanks to My wonderful Wife, Dawn, for coming along & filming @ all the different parks. Without her, these photos & videos I’m embedding wouldn’t be possible. Also, I want to thank Duke & his Awesome family for putting us up & then Shredding with us. OK…..the skating…… Well, it started Wednesday afternoon(12/10) @ a free park with a 5 foot Spine ramp. Irene & I had spoke about spine ramps earlier & I thought this would be a good way to stretch/warm-up for her after being on a Plane. I was right. We had a great time warming up on the mini. Dawn caught a cool sequence of photos of Irene going over the Spine that I really like. Here they are: We had a good warm-up prior to skating Vert. I really like this Mini-Spine, though Irene found it a little small. I actually agree with her, bigger is ALWAYS Better! But it’s the best Spine we have here in Las Vegas, so I have fun with it when I’m on that side of Town. I Love just doing Aerials straight up & over Spines. Here’s a photo of me doing just that during this session… After about 30 minutes skating the Spine ramp (& amazing all the 12 year-olds there. LOL ) we were ready for the Area 702 Vertical facility. Irene & I are both Vert Skaters & we were anxious to skate the Vert Ramp together. Dawn drove so Irene & I could leave our skates on. We showed up & virtually had the place to ourselves. This seems to be the Sad Truth at most Vert ramps these days. But that day was this vert ramp’s lucky day. We were there to SKATE! We started immediately on the Vert, of course. It didn’t take Irene long to warm up to this ramp. In no time at all she was doing Back-Side AND Front-Side Aerials, Front-Side Rocks, Back-Side Slides & Inverts! I was PUMPED! I knew then the next several days were going to be Epic! We had so much fun on the Vert Ramp @ Area 702, that we actually went back there again on Thursday night to skate it again. Here are some photos & videos of Irene & I from these Two sessions. On Friday we decided to take in some of the local Vegas scene & take a night off from skating. We knew we had 2 hard-core days of skating ahead of us in California with The South Bay Crew (Duke Rennie, Desi Jones, & Lee Ettinger) & Irene had several days after that in San Diego still to Skate. So we went to the Bellagio & did a little gambling. And I DO mean a little gambling. We both put $5 (About 2 Euros!) into a pair of video poker games. We made that last about 3 hours AND had several “free” drinks during that time. Although we both ended up losing our $5, I’d say we got our money’s worth out of the good people at the Bellagio! We then checked out the Conservatory to see their Christmas décor. I got this cool shot of Irene balancing this Giant Ornament We were driving to California to see the South Bay Crew on Saturday afternoon. This isn’t a trip to your local grocery store! It’s about 300 miles (400 km) each way through Death Valley. There isn’t much in between here & there. I drove, but Dawn & Irene made excellent co-pilots! They kept me equipped with beverages, snacks, music & conversation. The 4 ½ hour drive seemed to fly by. We arrived at the Rennie’s house about 7:15pm & the session we were hoping to make was from 8pm-10pm. We were Warmly greeted by Duke, Karen & Chris Rennie, as well as Desi Jones. Even though, we were raring to get to the skate park, we couldn’t quite bring ourselves to leave right away as Karen (Duke’s Awesome & Gorgeous Wife) wouldn’t be going to the skate park with us. She’s still recovering from recent neck surgery & we all wanted to catch up with her & make sure she was getting better. But soon enough we were back into the car & heading to Santa Monica’s The Cove Skatepark. Brother Lee was not available that evening, so it was just going to be the 4 of us roller-skaters & Duke’s Son, Chris ripping both blades AND board. We’ve all skated this park & love it. In fact, Duke told me it’s currently his favorite park. I’ve got to say here that whenever I get together with another rollerskater it’s a great time. But when you get several of us in the same place at the same time, it’s electric. I know it always pushes me to my best skating. And I’m having the time of my life! It took no time at all for the skating to really take off. Duke was…..well Duke. I Love to watch him Skate AND I love to Skate with him. He had his full arsenal of tricks with him. Big Aerials, FS & BS. Inverts, Elgerials, hip transfers, roll-ins & carving that pool like he owned it. And everything just as smooth as Butter. Desi was skating incredibly! As a fellow parallel skater, I really can’t believe some of the stuff Des does! He was doing roll-ins (on a 13 foot deep concrete pool!!), inverts & all kinds of Aerials. His patented Zen Airs, of course, but other variations I couldn’t even keep up with….he kept doing Judo Airs, with his trailing foot out over the edge of the pool. Every time I thought he’d hang up AND break his ankle, but he rode away from them all. On a personal note, it was Desi who got me motivated to finally land 1-Handed Inverts the last time I was in Cali before this. Thanks, Des!! Irene, was still on her game from Vegas & it showed in her Skating. She claimed she was a little intimidated by the size of the Pool @ Santa Monica, but if so, you sure couldn’t tell in her skating! She pulled out her full bag of tricks: FS & BS Aerials, carving all over, FS Rocks, Inverts & all this after 5 hours in a car! I was pumped up & felt I was skating well myself. I know I was having a Blast. And when the session was over (we stayed until they kicked us out) & no one was hurt, I considered it an Overwhelming Success. Here are some photos & videos from that session. Desi Jones: Duke Rennie: And this one doesn’t really do it justice, but this photo is of Brother Duke Screaming around the lip of this Cradle as I crouch in the middle of the bottom of it. He’s going ridiculously fast too. Irene Ching: Yours Truly (Jay): Here’s a shot of Des & Duke just before end of this session: We had a great time. We went home….that is to Duke & Karen’s house. See how comfortable I feel there! Home! Anyway, we had great conversations, a couple drinks & watched videos into the wee hours. It was Awesome. We chilled until I was almost asleep in my chair then retired to our room. The Rennies are always so hospitable & make us feel so at Home. We even have our own dedicated room every time we visit which makes it very easy to reacquaint yourself & get right to Sleep. Although I probably could’ve slept in the car by then. I was Exhausted! In the morning after more great videos (& coffee for most of my friends) we were joined by Brother Lee & Desi Jones. Brother Des was going to be unable to make our planned afternoon session in Fontana. So we’d decided the previous evening that, after breakfast on Sunday, we’d hit an additional park so we could session again with Desi. After a great breakfast at Tomboy’s (my favorite when in Redondo) we were off to Culver City Skate Park. This was the 1st time I’d skated with Lee in some time, as he’s been recovering from knee surgery. You couldn’t tell from his skating though. What you could tell was that his trucks were tremendously loose! He likes them like that. It was freaking me out to see his trucks wobble on his way down the walls, but he was on his Game. As was the rest of the Crew. I really think the camaraderie of so many rollerskaters bumps up the level of skating all round. When we showed up the pool was full of debris. But Duke & Des found a maintenance guy & got a broom & shovel. Between Chris (Duke’s Incredibly Well-Mannered Son), Duke & myself, we were skating it in minutes. Here are the images from this session: Maintenance Crew: Duke: Irene: Desi: Lee: Didn’t get any skating photos or videos of Lee @ Culver City. Sorry, Lee! Dawnie got a long sequence of you changing your shorts, however! Didn’t think those appropriate for this Forum! Got some killer stuff @ Fontana though….it’s coming. Jay: The Crew After Culver City Session: The Hotties After Culver City Session: I’m So glad Karen was able to come out for this session. She brings an Energy that is Unique in this World to everything. She even did some sort of Rain Magic to insure we had Sunny Skating Weather for our whole adventure. And it worked! Sadly, this was when our fellowship was partially broken. While Karen & Desi would be staying in LA County (Karen in Redondo Beach & Des back to Catalina Island), the rest of us were traveling on the 70+ miles (100 km) to Fontana’s new Skate Park! I was bummed that Karen & Des couldn’t go along, but I totally understood. On the plus side, Brother Lee had decided to tag along to Fontana. This was no small thing as he drove alone! I can’t say how much I appreciated Duke AND Lee driving their cars that 3 hour round trip drive just to skate another park with me. I like hitting Fontana on my way back to Vegas as it breaks up the drive, lets me skate another park (usually with my friends) & means only a 3 hour drive home from there. So after a little over an hour in the cars we were at Fontana 2. Fontana’s newest Skate Park. This place was pretty Killer. I’d heard good things about it, but until you see a place for yourself you never really know what it’s like. At least that’s how it is for me. I can see pictures & videos, but it never really does a place Justice. After an amusing exchange with the cutie Lauren behind the counter, we were gearing up to Skate once again. I know I was sore by this time, but I didn’t care. I was with my People & I was going to Skate! OK….I told you I had some killer Lee Ettinger footage. And here it is! Lee: Irene: Chris Rennie: Duke: Jay: Jay & Lee Doubles: The Crew After Fontana Session…(except Irene…where’s Irene?? She must STILL be skating!!): And all too soon it was over. For me & Dawnie anyway. I had a 3+ hour drive home before work the next day, so the good-byes were short & sweet. I hate good-byes anyway. The bitter cold kept things brief. After hugs & promises of picture discs to be exchanged, we were in our cars & on our way. Irene still had a couple days with the Rennies & then a few days in San Diego with some of her other friends. I look forward to seeing the photos & videos from that stuff as I wasn’t there. Robert, YOU should’ve hooked up with Irene when she was in your town, Bro. She’s an Awesome Lady & Incredible Vertical Rollerskater. Not to mention the tidiest houseguest I’ve ever had! Must be from living in that 400 sq. ft NYC Apt.!! You Rule, Irene! I Love You! Alright, people. That’s all. I could tell you about the car ride back to Vegas, but who freakin’ cares! I hope this wasn’t too long and rambling…..but those of you who know & correspond with me regularly can’t be surprised… Take Care And Keep Rolling, Achten Sie daurauf und halten Rolling Prenez Soin de conserver et de roulement Tenga Cuidado Y Mantenga Rolling Prendersi Cura e mantenere la laminazione Peace And Love, Frieden Und Liebe, Paix Et Amour, Paz Y Amor, Pace E Amore, Jay
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ireNe: Irene's Visit... San Diego (1. Jan. 2009 21:48)
	I hope the pics/vids embed properly, sorry if it didn't work, but here goes... I'll pick where Jay left off. 3 cities, 9 days, 6 parks, more skating than I do all year...hella fun! Monday was raining on and off. This was the morning that President Bush got a pair of shoes thrown at him. Then, Karen tells me she's letting Chris stay home from school today. What a great start to the day! I guess I should set a better example about skipping school to play. Chris was upset at first (he's such a conscientious, responsible and thoughtful guy), but then realized he could make up the work. With all this rain, Lake Rennie formed and Chris and John McCain went bodyboarding together. It was so fun watching them. We three caught up on life, went for lunch at Al-Hamra (yummy Mango Lassi and Turkish coffee), watched home movies of Chris... he's so freakin' cute! Karen's dad stopped over to take Chris to his guitar lesson. Christopher Rennie is amazing, I can't believe it and he's only gonna get better at everything he already excels at. Wow... The next morning (Tues 12/16), I pack up the rental and bid farewell to LA. The Rennie's...what can I say, it's always hard to leave. The last leg of this trip ends in San Diego. It's a 2 hour drive in what turned out to be a beautiful day. Stopped at LoveBurger (Duke's recommendation) for a bite and arrived early afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised to find my skateboarder friend, Rich Lopez, skating Clairemont's vert ramp. Rich and Sanford Lopez are identical twins who both rip vert. They moved from New Jersey some 5+ years ago. It was good to skate with him again. This vert is bigger than anything I skate back home. It was fun, even tho' I was sore and tired by that time. Later on, Rich and his girl came by Papo's (NYC skateboarder who moved to SD, 20+ years ago) to chill and reminisce. I unfortunately did not see much of Papo. He's working long hours, but always opens his home to me. I hope to see him and skate in NYC over the New Year's visit w/his Mom. Rich Lopez @ Clairemont So, Karen was working a deal with the Sun Goddess and all was going well, until Weds. Boy, did it rain. And rain. And rain. So, I checked out Washington Park, a home-made cement park under the I-5 freeway, that is usually mostly dry, even in the rain. But this steady and heavy rain soaked the place pretty good. It was even locked up, not the norm. I drove around, like a good tourist and went for lunch at this fabulous seafood joint on the water. Anthony's Fish Grotto, if you're in the area, go there...kickass view. Later that evening, I drove north to Escondido to visit with Sanford, Priscilla and Elliot. I hadn't seen Elliot in years. I've watch him progress skateboarding vert since he was 13. He's now 20, touring Europe and skating Tony's, Bob's and the DC Warehouse. The rain kept me from Encinitas, where Sanford, Elliot and I would've skated. It was great to see them after so many years and know that everyone is doing well. They insisted that I stay with them for a few on my next trip that way. Well, Encinitas is still calling me... Cali is filled with incredible skate facilities. Toooo many to cover. What kind of problem is that? I wish the eastcoast had similar woes. I dream of the day when everyone on this forum can gather together and spend time skating and hanging out. I hope to skate with all of you someday, it is a dream I wish to fulfill in my lifetime. I can't thank Jay and Dawn enough for their hospitality. I loved their doggies, Pandora and Pogo, and just being in Vegas is somewhat surreal. The Rennie family is truly blessed in so many ways...doesn't get any better. And to my former eastcoast buddies, part of my upbringing skate-wise... a long overdue reunion, my only regret was missing the opportunity to skate together again. All in all, this was a great trip. I got to see rain in California (what the f*ck?) and Christmas decorations when it's 60 degrees out. Weird. I like the spirit, but without the cold and snow... Thanks to everyone who so kindly hosted me throughout my journey. Back home now...I'm pretty tired and really happy. It's snowing here in NYC and near freezing temperatures, but at least it's not raining. There's more stuff from this trip: http://www.myspace.com/irenesk8s Stay rolling everyone! Health, wealth, love and happiness to all in the New Year.
	Write reply

ireNe: Irene's Visit... San Diego (1. Jan. 2009 21:53)
	It worked, except I had chosen the wrong image, so here's the corrected post. : : I'll pick where Jay left off. : : 3 cities, 9 days, 6 parks, more skating than I do all year...hella fun! : : Monday was raining on and off. This was the morning that President Bush got a pair of shoes thrown at him. Then, Karen tells me she's letting Chris stay home from school today. What a great start to the day! I guess I should set a better example about skipping school to play. Chris was upset at first (he's such a conscientious, responsible and thoughtful guy), but then realized he could make up the work. With all this rain, Lake Rennie formed and Chris and John McCain went bodyboarding together. It was so fun watching them. We three caught up on life, went for lunch at Al-Hamra (yummy Mango Lassi and Turkish coffee), watched home movies of Chris... he's so freakin' cute! Karen's dad stopped over to take Chris to his guitar lesson. Christopher Rennie is amazing, I can't believe it and he's only gonna get better at everything he already excels at. Wow... : : : : : : The next morning (Tues 12/16), I pack up the rental and bid farewell to LA. The Rennie's...what can I say, it's always hard to leave. The last leg of this trip ends in San Diego. It's a 2 hour drive in what turned out to be a beautiful day. Stopped at LoveBurger (Duke's recommendation) for a bite and arrived early afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised to find my skateboarder friend, Rich Lopez, skating Clairemont's vert ramp. Rich and Sanford Lopez are identical twins who both rip vert. They moved from New Jersey some 5+ years ago. It was good to skate with him again. This vert is bigger than anything I skate back home. It was fun, even tho' I was sore and tired by that time. : Later on, Rich and his girl came by Papo's (NYC skateboarder who moved to SD, 20+ years ago) to chill and reminisce. I unfortunately did not see much of Papo. He's working long hours, but always opens his home to me. I hope to see him and skate in NYC over the New Year's visit w/his Mom. : : : : Rich Lopez @ Clairemont : : So, Karen was working a deal with the Sun Goddess and all was going well, until Weds. Boy, did it rain. And rain. And rain. So, I checked out Washington Park, a home-made cement park under the I-5 freeway, that is usually mostly dry, even in the rain. But this steady and heavy rain soaked the place pretty good. It was even locked up, not the norm. I drove around, like a good tourist and went for lunch at this fabulous seafood joint on the water. Anthony's Fish Grotto, if you're in the area, go there...kickass view. Later that evening, I drove north to Escondido to visit with Sanford, Priscilla and Elliot. I hadn't seen Elliot in years. I've watch him progress skateboarding vert since he was 13. He's now 20, touring Europe and skating Tony's, Bob's and the DC Warehouse. The rain kept me from Encinitas, where Sanford, Elliot and I would've skated. It was great to see them after so many years and know that everyone is doing well. They insisted that I stay with them for a few on my next trip that way. Well, Encinitas is still calling me... : : : : : : Cali is filled with incredible skate facilities. Toooo many to cover. What kind of problem is that? I wish the eastcoast had similar woes. I dream of the day when everyone on this forum can gather together and spend time skating and hanging out. I hope to skate with all of you someday, it is a dream I wish to fulfill in my lifetime. I can't thank Jay and Dawn enough for their hospitality. I loved their doggies, Pandora and Pogo, and just being in Vegas is somewhat surreal. The Rennie family is truly blessed in so many ways...doesn't get any better. And to my former eastcoast buddies, part of my upbringing skate-wise... a long overdue reunion, my only regret was missing the opportunity to skate together again. All in all, this was a great trip. I got to see rain in California (what the f*ck?) and Christmas decorations when it's 60 degrees out. Weird. I like the spirit, but without the cold and snow... : : : : Thanks to everyone who so kindly hosted me throughout my journey. Back home now...I'm pretty tired and really happy. It's snowing here in NYC and near freezing temperatures, but at least it's not raining. : : There's more stuff from this trip: http://www.myspace.com/irenesk8s : : Stay rolling everyone! Health, wealth, love and happiness to all in the New Year.
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ireNe: Irene's Visit... San Diego (1. Jan. 2009 21:55)
	It worked, except I had chosen the wrong image, so here's the corrected post. : I hope the pics/vids embed properly, sorry if it didn't work, but here goes... I'll pick where Jay left off. 3 cities, 9 days, 6 parks, more skating than I do all year...hella fun! Monday was raining on and off. This was the morning that President Bush got a pair of shoes thrown at him. Then, Karen tells me she's letting Chris stay home from school today. What a great start to the day! I guess I should set a better example about skipping school to play. Chris was upset at first (he's such a conscientious, responsible and thoughtful guy), but then realized he could make up the work. With all this rain, Lake Rennie formed and Chris and John McCain went bodyboarding together. It was so fun watching them. We three caught up on life, went for lunch at Al-Hamra (yummy Mango Lassi and Turkish coffee), watched home movies of Chris... he's so freakin' cute! Karen's dad stopped over to take Chris to his guitar lesson. Christopher Rennie is amazing, I can't believe it and he's only gonna get better at everything he already excels at. Wow... The next morning (Tues 12/16), I pack up the rental and bid farewell to LA. The Rennie's...what can I say, it's always hard to leave. The last leg of this trip ends in San Diego. It's a 2 hour drive in what turned out to be a beautiful day. Stopped at LoveBurger (Duke's recommendation) for a bite and arrived early afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised to find my skateboarder friend, Rich Lopez, skating Clairemont's vert ramp. Rich and Sanford Lopez are identical twins who both rip vert. They moved from New Jersey some 5+ years ago. It was good to skate with him again. This vert is bigger than anything I skate back home. It was fun, even tho' I was sore and tired by that time. Later on, Rich and his girl came by Papo's (NYC skateboarder who moved to SD, 20+ years ago) to chill and reminisce. I unfortunately did not see much of Papo. He's working long hours, but always opens his home to me. I hope to see him and skate in NYC over the New Year's visit w/his Mom. Rich Lopez @ Clairemont So, Karen was working a deal with the Sun Goddess and all was going well, until Weds. Boy, did it rain. And rain. And rain. So, I checked out Washington Park, a home-made cement park under the I-5 freeway, that is usually mostly dry, even in the rain. But this steady and heavy rain soaked the place pretty good. It was even locked up, not the norm. I drove around, like a good tourist and went for lunch at this fabulous seafood joint on the water. Anthony's Fish Grotto, if you're in the area, go there...kickass view. Later that evening, I drove north to Escondido to visit with Sanford, Priscilla and Elliot. I hadn't seen Elliot in years. I've watch him progress skateboarding vert since he was 13. He's now 20, touring Europe and skating Tony's, Bob's and the DC Warehouse. The rain kept me from Encinitas, where Sanford, Elliot and I would've skated. It was great to see them after so many years and know that everyone is doing well. They insisted that I stay with them for a few on my next trip that way. Well, Encinitas is still calling me... Cali is filled with incredible skate facilities. Toooo many to cover. What kind of problem is that? I wish the eastcoast had similar woes. I dream of the day when everyone on this forum can gather together and spend time skating and hanging out. I hope to skate with all of you someday, it is a dream I wish to fulfill in my lifetime. I can't thank Jay and Dawn enough for their hospitality. I loved their doggies, Pandora and Pogo, and just being in Vegas is somewhat surreal. The Rennie family is truly blessed in so many ways...doesn't get any better. And to my former eastcoast buddies, part of my upbringing skate-wise... a long overdue reunion, my only regret was missing the opportunity to skate together again. All in all, this was a great trip. I got to see rain in California (what the f*ck?) and Christmas decorations when it's 60 degrees out. Weird. I like the spirit, but without the cold and snow... Thanks to everyone who so kindly hosted me throughout my journey. Back home now...I'm pretty tired and really happy. It's snowing here in NYC and near freezing temperatures, but at least it's not raining. There's more stuff from this trip: http://www.myspace.com/irenesk8s Stay rolling everyone! Health, wealth, love and happiness to all in the New Year.
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Jay: Irene's Visit... San Diego (3. Jan. 2009 04:05)
	: It worked, except I had chosen the wrong image, so here's the corrected post. : : : I hope the pics/vids embed properly, sorry if it didn't work, but here goes... : : I'll pick where Jay left off. : : 3 cities, 9 days, 6 parks, more skating than I do all year...hella fun! : : Monday was raining on and off. This was the morning that President Bush got a pair of shoes thrown at him. Then, Karen tells me she's letting Chris stay home from school today. What a great start to the day! I guess I should set a better example about skipping school to play. Chris was upset at first (he's such a conscientious, responsible and thoughtful guy), but then realized he could make up the work. With all this rain, Lake Rennie formed and Chris and John McCain went bodyboarding together. It was so fun watching them. We three caught up on life, went for lunch at Al-Hamra (yummy Mango Lassi and Turkish coffee), watched home movies of Chris... he's so freakin' cute! Karen's dad stopped over to take Chris to his guitar lesson. Christopher Rennie is amazing, I can't believe it and he's only gonna get better at everything he already excels at. Wow... : : : : : : The next morning (Tues 12/16), I pack up the rental and bid farewell to LA. The Rennie's...what can I say, it's always hard to leave. The last leg of this trip ends in San Diego. It's a 2 hour drive in what turned out to be a beautiful day. Stopped at LoveBurger (Duke's recommendation) for a bite and arrived early afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised to find my skateboarder friend, Rich Lopez, skating Clairemont's vert ramp. Rich and Sanford Lopez are identical twins who both rip vert. They moved from New Jersey some 5+ years ago. It was good to skate with him again. This vert is bigger than anything I skate back home. It was fun, even tho' I was sore and tired by that time. : Later on, Rich and his girl came by Papo's (NYC skateboarder who moved to SD, 20+ years ago) to chill and reminisce. I unfortunately did not see much of Papo. He's working long hours, but always opens his home to me. I hope to see him and skate in NYC over the New Year's visit w/his Mom. : : : : Rich Lopez @ Clairemont : : So, Karen was working a deal with the Sun Goddess and all was going well, until Weds. Boy, did it rain. And rain. And rain. So, I checked out Washington Park, a home-made cement park under the I-5 freeway, that is usually mostly dry, even in the rain. But this steady and heavy rain soaked the place pretty good. It was even locked up, not the norm. I drove around, like a good tourist and went for lunch at this fabulous seafood joint on the water. Anthony's Fish Grotto, if you're in the area, go there...kickass view. Later that evening, I drove north to Escondido to visit with Sanford, Priscilla and Elliot. I hadn't seen Elliot in years. I've watch him progress skateboarding vert since he was 13. He's now 20, touring Europe and skating Tony's, Bob's and the DC Warehouse. The rain kept me from Encinitas, where Sanford, Elliot and I would've skated. It was great to see them after so many years and know that everyone is doing well. They insisted that I stay with them for a few on my next trip that way. Well, Encinitas is still calling me... : : : : : : Cali is filled with incredible skate facilities. Toooo many to cover. What kind of problem is that? I wish the eastcoast had similar woes. I dream of the day when everyone on this forum can gather together and spend time skating and hanging out. I hope to skate with all of you someday, it is a dream I wish to fulfill in my lifetime. I can't thank Jay and Dawn enough for their hospitality. I loved their doggies, Pandora and Pogo, and just being in Vegas is somewhat surreal. The Rennie family is truly blessed in so many ways...doesn't get any better. And to my former eastcoast buddies, part of my upbringing skate-wise... a long overdue reunion, my only regret was missing the opportunity to skate together again. All in all, this was a great trip. I got to see rain in California (what the f*ck?) and Christmas decorations when it's 60 degrees out. Weird. I like the spirit, but without the cold and snow... : : : : Thanks to everyone who so kindly hosted me throughout my journey. Back home now...I'm pretty tired and really happy. It's snowing here in NYC and near freezing temperatures, but at least it's not raining. : : There's more stuff from this trip: http://www.myspace.com/irenesk8s : : Stay rolling everyone! Health, wealth, love and happiness to all in the New Year. AWESOME Writing, Irene! I LOVED it!! I just wanted to see some more stuff with YOU in it. Good thing I filmed you here in Vegas. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! PEACE & LOVE, Jay
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Biffsk8er: Irene's Visit..Photos & Videos Too (26. Jan. 2009 22:06)
	Jay, Thank you, Dawn, Duke, Karen, Chris, Desi, Lee, and Irene, for all the entertainment. I watched every last film, read every word, and studied every photo! I so want to get with you guys in the near future to do some serious skating!! Shazam! I hope that Karen heals quick and well from her neck surgery! This is the first I think I've heard about it. I intend to come and meet everyone possible, at the next SkateCon, in Vegas! See ya'll there if my body is willing. (going in for knee surgery on 1-29-09) Cheers to all! Biff : Hi Everybody, : Well, as promised, here's my blog on Irene's visit to Vegas & California last week. : I hope all the embedding works..... : Jay..... : : Hello Roller-Skaters, : Hallo Roller-Skaters : Bonjour adeptes du roller : Hola patinadores-rodillo : Ciao a rulli-pattinatori : : OK, hope I didn’t forget anybody’s native tongue…..now then. Let me start by saying that this is probably going to be long. I’m sorry. If anyone wants to skip all the text & just check out the photos & videos, I understand. I know our Global Community don’t all speak English, so by all means feel free to just look at the pictures & videos. If, however, you want all the skating details, here they are……. : : I’m writing this after a week of Incredibly Fun skating. I can’t express how much fun I’ve had (& how exhausted I still am days later!) It sucks getting Old! : I just want start by saying thanks to My wonderful Wife, Dawn, for coming along & filming @ all the different parks. Without her, these photos & videos I’m embedding wouldn’t be possible. : Also, I want to thank Duke & his Awesome family for putting us up & then Shredding with us. : OK…..the skating…… : Well, it started Wednesday afternoon(12/10) @ a free park with a 5 foot Spine ramp. Irene & I had spoke about spine ramps earlier & I thought this would be a good way to stretch/warm-up for her after being on a Plane. I was right. We had a great time warming up on the mini. Dawn caught a cool sequence of photos of Irene going over the Spine that I really like. Here they are: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : We had a good warm-up prior to skating Vert. I really like this Mini-Spine, though Irene found it a little small. I actually agree with her, bigger is ALWAYS : Better! But it’s the best Spine we have here in Las Vegas, so I have fun with it when I’m on that side of Town. I Love just doing Aerials straight up & over Spines. Here’s a photo of me doing just that during this session… : : : : : : : : : After about 30 minutes skating the Spine ramp (& amazing all the 12 year-olds there. LOL ) we were ready for the Area 702 Vertical facility. Irene & I are both Vert Skaters & we were anxious to skate the Vert Ramp together. Dawn drove so Irene & I could leave our skates on. We showed up & virtually had the place to ourselves. This seems to be the Sad Truth at most Vert ramps these days. But that day was this vert ramp’s lucky day. We were there to SKATE! : We started immediately on the Vert, of course. It didn’t take Irene long to warm up to this ramp. In no time at all she was doing Back-Side AND Front-Side Aerials, Front-Side Rocks, Back-Side Slides & Inverts! I was PUMPED! I knew then the next several days were going to be Epic! : We had so much fun on the Vert Ramp @ Area 702, that we actually went back there again on Thursday night to skate it again. : Here are some photos & videos of Irene & I from these Two sessions. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : On Friday we decided to take in some of the local Vegas scene & take a night off from skating. We knew we had 2 hard-core days of skating ahead of us in California with The South Bay Crew (Duke Rennie, Desi Jones, & Lee Ettinger) & Irene had several days after that in San Diego still to Skate. So we went to the Bellagio & did a little gambling. And I DO mean a little gambling. We both put $5 (About 2 Euros!) into a pair of video poker games. We made that last about 3 hours AND had several “free” drinks during that time. Although we both ended up losing our $5, I’d say we got our money’s worth out of the good people at the Bellagio! We then checked out the Conservatory to see their Christmas décor. I got this cool shot of Irene balancing this Giant Ornament : : : : We were driving to California to see the South Bay Crew on Saturday afternoon. This isn’t a trip to your local grocery store! It’s about 300 miles (400 km) each way through Death Valley. There isn’t much in between here & there. I drove, but Dawn & Irene made excellent co-pilots! They kept me equipped with beverages, snacks, music & conversation. The 4 ½ hour drive seemed to fly by. : We arrived at the Rennie’s house about 7:15pm & the session we were hoping to make was from 8pm-10pm. We were Warmly greeted by Duke, Karen & Chris Rennie, as well as Desi Jones. : Even though, we were raring to get to the skate park, we couldn’t quite bring ourselves to leave right away as Karen (Duke’s Awesome & Gorgeous Wife) wouldn’t be going to the skate park with us. She’s still recovering from recent neck surgery & we all wanted to catch up with her & make sure she was getting better. : But soon enough we were back into the car & heading to Santa Monica’s The Cove Skatepark. Brother Lee was not available that evening, so it was just going to be the 4 of us roller-skaters & Duke’s Son, Chris ripping both blades AND board. We’ve all skated this park & love it. In fact, Duke told me it’s currently his favorite park. : I’ve got to say here that whenever I get together with another rollerskater it’s a great time. But when you get several of us in the same place at the same time, it’s electric. I know it always pushes me to my best skating. And I’m having the time of my life! : It took no time at all for the skating to really take off. : Duke was…..well Duke. I Love to watch him Skate AND I love to Skate with him. He had his full arsenal of tricks with him. Big Aerials, FS & BS. Inverts, Elgerials, hip transfers, roll-ins & carving that pool like he owned it. And everything just as smooth as Butter. : Desi was skating incredibly! As a fellow parallel skater, I really can’t believe some of the stuff Des does! He was doing roll-ins (on a 13 foot deep concrete pool!!), inverts & all kinds of Aerials. His patented Zen Airs, of course, but other variations I couldn’t even keep up with….he kept doing Judo Airs, with his trailing foot out over the edge of the pool. Every time I thought he’d hang up AND break his ankle, but he rode away from them all. : On a personal note, it was Desi who got me motivated to finally land 1-Handed Inverts the last time I was in Cali before this. Thanks, Des!! : Irene, was still on her game from Vegas & it showed in her Skating. She claimed she was a little intimidated by the size of the Pool @ Santa Monica, but if so, you sure couldn’t tell in her skating! She pulled out her full bag of tricks: FS & BS Aerials, carving all over, FS Rocks, Inverts & all this after 5 hours in a car! : I was pumped up & felt I was skating well myself. I know I was having a Blast. And when the session was over (we stayed until they kicked us out) & no one was hurt, I considered it an Overwhelming Success. Here are some photos & videos from that session. : : Desi Jones: : : : : : : Duke Rennie: : : : : : : : : : And this one doesn’t really do it justice, but this photo is of Brother Duke Screaming around the lip of this Cradle as I crouch in the middle of the bottom of it. He’s going ridiculously fast too. : : : : : Irene Ching: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Yours Truly (Jay): : : : : : Here’s a shot of Des & Duke just before end of this session: : : : : We had a great time. We went home….that is to Duke & Karen’s house. See how comfortable I feel there! Home! Anyway, we had great conversations, a couple drinks & watched videos into the wee hours. It was Awesome. We chilled until I was almost asleep in my chair then retired to our room. The Rennies are always so hospitable & make us feel so at Home. We even have our own dedicated room every time we visit which makes it very easy to reacquaint yourself & get right to Sleep. Although I probably could’ve slept in the car by then. I was Exhausted! : In the morning after more great videos (& coffee for most of my friends) we were joined by Brother Lee & Desi Jones. Brother Des was going to be unable to make our planned afternoon session in Fontana. So we’d decided the previous evening that, after breakfast on Sunday, we’d hit an additional park so we could session again with Desi. : After a great breakfast at Tomboy’s (my favorite when in Redondo) we were off to Culver City Skate Park. This was the 1st time I’d skated with Lee in some time, as he’s been recovering from knee surgery. You couldn’t tell from his skating though. What you could tell was that his trucks were tremendously loose! He likes them like that. It was freaking me out to see his trucks wobble on his way down the walls, but he was on his Game. : As was the rest of the Crew. I really think the camaraderie of so many rollerskaters bumps up the level of skating all round. : When we showed up the pool was full of debris. But Duke & Des found a maintenance guy & got a broom & shovel. Between Chris (Duke’s Incredibly Well-Mannered Son), Duke & myself, we were skating it in minutes. Here are the images from this session: : : Maintenance Crew: : : : : : : : : Duke: : : : : Irene: : : : : : : Desi: : : : : Lee: : : : : Didn’t get any skating photos or videos of Lee @ Culver City. Sorry, Lee! Dawnie got a long sequence of you changing your shorts, however! Didn’t think those appropriate for this Forum! Got some killer stuff @ Fontana though….it’s coming. : : : Jay: : : : : : : The Crew After Culver City Session: : : : : : : The Hotties After Culver City Session: : : : : I’m So glad Karen was able to come out for this session. She brings an Energy that is Unique in this World to everything. She even did some sort of Rain Magic to insure we had Sunny Skating Weather for our whole adventure. And it worked! : Sadly, this was when our fellowship was partially broken. While Karen & Desi would be staying in LA County (Karen in Redondo Beach & Des back to Catalina Island), the rest of us were traveling on the 70+ miles (100 km) to Fontana’s new Skate Park! I was bummed that Karen & Des couldn’t go along, but I totally understood. : On the plus side, Brother Lee had decided to tag along to Fontana. This was no small thing as he drove alone! I can’t say how much I appreciated Duke AND Lee driving their cars that 3 hour round trip drive just to skate another park with me. I like hitting Fontana on my way back to Vegas as it breaks up the drive, lets me skate another park (usually with my friends) & means only a 3 hour drive home from there. : : So after a little over an hour in the cars we were at Fontana 2. Fontana’s newest Skate Park. This place was pretty Killer. I’d heard good things about it, but until you see a place for yourself you never really know what it’s like. At least that’s how it is for me. I can see pictures & videos, but it never really does a place Justice. : After an amusing exchange with the cutie Lauren behind the counter, we were gearing up to Skate once again. I know I was sore by this time, but I didn’t care. I was with my People & I was going to Skate! : : OK….I told you I had some killer Lee Ettinger footage. And here it is! : : Lee: : : : : : : : Irene: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Chris Rennie: : : : : Duke: : : : : : : : : Jay: : : : : : : : : : Jay & Lee Doubles: : : : : : : : : The Crew After Fontana Session…(except Irene…where’s Irene?? She must STILL be skating!!): : : : : And all too soon it was over. For me & Dawnie anyway. I had a 3+ hour drive home before work the next day, so the good-byes were short & sweet. I hate good-byes anyway. The bitter cold kept things brief. After hugs & promises of picture discs to be exchanged, we were in our cars & on our way. : Irene still had a couple days with the Rennies & then a few days in San Diego with some of her other friends. I look forward to seeing the photos & videos from that stuff as I wasn’t there. : Robert, YOU should’ve hooked up with Irene when she was in your town, Bro. She’s an Awesome Lady & Incredible Vertical Rollerskater. Not to mention the tidiest houseguest I’ve ever had! Must be from living in that 400 sq. ft NYC Apt.!! You Rule, Irene! I Love You! : Alright, people. That’s all. I could tell you about the car ride back to Vegas, but who freakin’ cares! I hope this wasn’t too long and rambling…..but those of you who know & correspond with me regularly can’t be surprised… : : Take Care And Keep Rolling, : Achten Sie daurauf und halten Rolling : Prenez Soin de conserver et de roulement : Tenga Cuidado Y Mantenga Rolling : Prendersi Cura e mantenere la laminazione : : Peace And Love, : Frieden Und Liebe, : Paix Et Amour, : Paz Y Amor, : Pace E Amore, : : Jay : :
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