|
On 12/7/1997
Eric Broadhead
wrote in from
()
A Skateboarding story
I Don't Care
Late one October night in 1996. I was sitting in my dorm room about to go to bed
when I had a sudden urge, I felt like Going Skateboarding. The mission that popped into
my head was to down hill skate Crawford street. I had seen this hill while looking for
skate spots around Salina, Ks. after I moved there from Wichita, Ks. This hill didn't look
extremely big ,curvy or dangerous compared to some I've ridden. It was straight, had four
lanes, and was about three blocks long. There were only small problems with skating the
hill, like making a ninety degree turn down a side street before you hit a rough bridge,
and finding a time when there was no traffic. In Wichita the only way I could downhill
was in parking garages with blind one eighty degree corners, potholes, and lots of car's.
So I thought; man this will be a walk in the park'.
My new roommate Corey was still up. I told him my plan and asked him to come
along just in case I killed myself. He said, "All right," and put on his shoes. Corey
doesn't talk much usually only when he's spoken to. He's a farm boy from western Kansas
near Colby which is as flat as a board. I don't think he really understood what I was about
to do. He must have been curious though to go out in the middle of the night like that. We
jumped in my truck and headed for the hill. We were about two blocks away when I saw
a policeman pull over a car. I got a little nervous about that PD being so close, but I
figured since he was going the other way, he wouldn't show up any time soon'. I pulled
off on the side street at the bottom of the hill and parked. It was a no parking zone but I
thought Corey will be with the truck, and this won't take long'. I got out my four foot
Powell longboard. It wasn't built for tricks but speed and stability. It had seventy
millimeter wheels which gave it a nice smooth ride. I instructed Corey to stand at the
corner and totally freak out if there was a car on the side street that I couldn't see. I gave
him my car key's just in case I needed a ride to the emergency room, and off I went on
my walk to the top.
The night was cool and calm and the air was moist almost like a fog. The sky was
dark and cloudy. You could see no stars. As I walked I saw dark houses, and deserted
streets. The hill seemed to stretch longer as I walked. It took longer to get to the top than I
had planed. From the peak I could see in either direction a mile. I watched a lone car pass
by as I stepped into the street. I laid my speed demon down and took a few deep breaths. I
looked both directions once again and saw no headlights. I gave my skate a push and
started rolling. My mind was clear. I pushed a few more times. I didn't even need to think
about my actions. Skateboarding had become instinct. My body gave a couple more
pushes to get up to speed faster. Gravity was taking over now: I was just along for the
ride. I made long carves like a snowboarder or surfer. I heard the soft rumbling of my
wheels on the smooth asphalt. Which could rip the skin off my body. The smell of damp
air was all around. The wind was picking up, flowing through my hair. My clothes started
to flap and stick to my body. I saw white center lines zipping by. My mind began to
wander. I thought to myself man this is heaven it's so easy but fun, I'll be able to do this
till I'm old and gray'. There was a feeling of peace. Like the calm before a storm.
I looked around and saw three car's passing by going uphill. Some teenagers
yelled " yaaaaa!!" or something out their car window. Some time later which was
probably only ten seconds, I looked behind me and saw some headlights coming over the
top of the hill. If the car was going faster than me, it would just have to slowdown
because I wasn't gonna bail at that speed. The car came closer and slowed to around
thirty- five miles per hour. I had a block of hill left. My wheels were screaming now, and
my eye's were watering because of the rushing wind. I'd hit terminal velocity: the ride
was starting to get bumpy and wobbly. Like a roller coaster. I looked at the car again. It
was closer within twenty- five yards. The calm darkness was then shattered by flashing
lights and sirens! I laughed for a second then started worrying about making the corner.
My mind and body had been distracted for just long enough to miss the chance to make a
wide and easy turn. There was no peace now; it was time for war with the corner. I got
low and started my carve, my muscles were starting to tighten. There was a deep ditch
and trees on the other side of the road. I could tell I'd get hurt bad if I didn't make it.
There was a small bump I hit and it made me speed wobble. My wheels began to screech
as I powered into the turn. I was on the razors edge. One of my worst fears began to
happen. I started sliding on sand. It was like ridding on ice. There was little control. My
hand drug the ground as I turned into the slide. A sigh of relief came when I hit clean
asphalt. As I stood upright, I saw Corey and my truck fly by. The cop was even closer
now, probably ten feet. The side street was lined with trees and was totally dark except
for the red and blue lights flashing off of everything. For another block I rolled slowing
down. The street looked like a disco. It was kinda trippy like a strange dream. The air was
calm again. I rolled to a stop and stepped off my trusty board.
I calmly picked up my skateboard and started to walk back toward the police car.
There was a man's voice that yelled "Stand in front of the headlights"! The lights were
blinding. I couldn't see what was going on in the car. As I stood there for ten minutes I
started to think about how in the past I would always be angry or scared when being
busted for skating. I used to start big arguments and almost get hauled away. But now
after years of harassment and paying fifty dollar tickets in Wichita, I suddenly realized I
was now used to it and really didn't care to fight anymore. I decided I'd be nice this time,
and they might leave me alone'. Two pigs stepped out of the car and slammed their doors
shut. Cops always try and act tough at first to intimidate ya. I got my first look at them.
Both men were in their early twenties about five foot six inches tall, medium build. They
hadn't put on the doughnuts yet. They were rookies for sure, out on the graveyard shift.
The driver stepped forward. He had brown hair, black uniform, and was clean shaven.
The other cop hung back. He looked the same but with blond hair.
I said to them," Umm did I do something wrong?" It's kinda like a joke to say that
to cops.
The driver yelled, "We're trying to find out!!" It sounded like he wanted a fight.
But I didn't feel like it. I could hear distant talking on the radio, but I couldn't make it out.
The driver whipped out his note pad and said "Give me your drivers license or
ID!"
I handed it to him. He then said, "Do you have any warrants for your arrest?"
I said, "Na... I'm visiting from Wichita." There was only the sound of scribbling
on his notepad. I broke the silence by saying, "Man that was fun. How fast was I going?"
The cop said, "I don't know. I didn't have my radar turned on."
I said," What'd ya speedometer say?"
"I wasn't paying attention," he said. I was thinking Salina had cops that didn't
even know how to drive.
I asked, "Did you pass me going uphill?"
The cop replied, "Ya we saw you and whipped around up at the top."
I said to them, "I saw you guy's pull over a car down the road. Whatcha get them
for?"
"I can't tell you," he replied. They were probably just badgering someone.
Corey then slowly walked up. The driver cop spoke to the blond cop, "Hey get
that guy's id."
I said, "You don't need his id; he didn't do nothing!"
"We can ask for anyone's id we want to!!" the driver replied like a little yapping
dog. Corey handed his id to the blond cop without argument, and he started to write on
his notepad.
The driver said to me, "We have to wait for headquarters to call back so sit tight."
So we stood in silence for a few minutes. I looked down at my feet. There was a large
four inch black and orange butterfly on my leg. I said to the cops," yo check out this
Monarch." I reached down and it stepped onto my finger. I held it up and showed it to
them. It was peaceful to look at. It stayed for a few seconds; then it flew off into the
darkness. It was nice to see the beauty of nature in that ugly time. I heard a woman's
voice come from the radio.
She said, "What was the person doing again?"
The driver cop replied "skateboarding down the street."
The woman replied "There's no ordinance about that."
I started to grin. I think; yes, I've come to a town that can't give me tickets.
The cop turned to me and said, "Well I guess we'll let you go this time. I don't
wanna see you doing that on my street ever again. Especially on Crawford with all that
traffic it's dangerous."
I laughed a bit. It was funny hearing that kind of parental talk coming from
someone only a few years older than me, and what's up with this "My street," business?
I said," Man you don't need to tell me it's dangerous. I've been doing this stuff for
nine years."
He replied, "Well if you must do it, stay on the sidewalk." I thought to myself;
this guy's crazy. That's more hazardous than the street'. I didn't want to start an argument,
and I'd had good luck, so I asked, "Can I go now?"
The cop replied "Yes."
Corey and I started our one block walk back to the truck. Corey didn't say a word.
I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or not. We arrived at the truck. Corey handed me my
key's and I put my board away. As I was about to get in the cab, the cops drove up and
stopped.
The driver said "Do you know you're in a no parking zone?"
I said," Really?" I was getting a little nervous. I had never had a traffic violation
before, only skating tickets. Then he drove away. I couldn't believe it. I was almost sure
he would give me a ticket for that. Then I said to Corey," I bet you've never seen anything
like that in Colby."
He just smiled and said "Nope." We jumped in the truck and headed home,
kicking it with the Beastie Boy's
|
|
|
