CSIT RTW Bulletin #26: May 2003

sk8parx, or Trick Skating

well www.sk8parx.com.au to be exact, with 4 ***** skate parks and another 15 places designed for skating (well ok I don't really think the Hackett drains count but they are cool to skate) Canberra is an awesome place for trick skating, be that technical things like grinding a rail (sliding along a raid) or just busting some air.

The best way to get an idea or trick skating is to see some - get on down to a skate park on a sunny weekend afternoon, watch the X-games and be amazed at what the human body and mind can do or even easier is to watch some video from the website mentioned above. If your interested may I recommend the following vid's all from the Weston skate park, a really nice and new skate park with a good horizontal climbing wall for anyone else you take along.

www.sk8parx.com.au/images/vids/weston5.mpg (576k)
www.sk8parx.com.au/images/vids/weston2.mpg (1.7mb)
www.sk8parx.com.au/images/vids/joel8ball.mpg (1.1mb)

The first is by far the most amazing, and once you get to the skate park you'll be even more amazed as it even bigger and scarier than it looks on the video. Whilst none of the videos have many technical tricks in them they more show the reason I skate, to feel free, to be able to think of something and just do it, or more probably hurt yourself trying.

Whilst all the videos shown here and on the website are skateboarders, they are by no means the dominant species at the skate parks around Canberra. On a good day (or bad if your there to skate, the less people the better, more turns, less embarrassment) you will find bikers (mainly bmx, but sometimes mountain and trials bikes), roller bladers, skateboarders, and people on scooters.

The two best things I have found about trick skating is the weightlessness when you are floating above the coping of a half pipe looking at the ground before you zoom back down to earth. The Belconnen half pipe is 12 foot high, a long way to fall if you stuff up - it hurts a lot, although you normally don't fall that far, only 3/4 of that, before you hit the curved section and slide out, pads and a helmet are a NECESSITY for trick skating, or initially anyway. The other thing I love is the feeling of pulling off a new trick, most probably something you have been trying and failing at for a while, better than sex, you smile for the rest of the day and your skating improves immensely.

Recent Events

• FEIT (CSIT) Team in the The Big Canberra Bicycle Ride, Monday 17 March
  It was a perfect autumn morning, with 5 of the FEIT-sponsored team already assembled outside CSIT when I got there slightly late at 7:55 (they seemed quite prepared to follow my own directives on not to wait for any stragglers...). We then proceeded to Blundells Cottage, where we picked up the remaining 2 of the team, and got ourselves a good place in the already long lineup.

  In the 1st leg to Dickson Tradies, we kept together well in the `peleton', and were early enough to get a cuppa. The rest of the ride was relaxed and social; as well as being part of demonstration of Canberra cycling, it was also nice to promote ANU/FEIT along the way. Many thanks again to FEIT for sponsoring our entry!

• Heart Week Ride, Fri May 3
  4 csitRTWers wore Red from the bikeshed at noon on a warm and bright autumn day, making it a very pleasant and relaxed ride to Deakin. Once there, there were about 100 other riders plus the Heart Foundation people, including the president (a rider himself), who then proceeded to give a short talk (albeit to the converted :). Speaking privately to him, I also learned that as well as promoting exercise, a major focus of the Heart Foundation was the increase in obesity in young children. Maybe they are the ones we should be encouraging more? After a light but tasty lunch (profits to the Heart Foundation), we had a nice ride back.
  

  Well thats it for these 2 months. Happy cycling! -Peter.

  ***** If you'd like to make a contribution to the next bulletin, *****
  ***** please email it to me by the end of next month *****

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  RTW: sponsored by Pedal Power, HealthPact,
  ACT Heart Foundation & Mont Adventure Equipment
  

  oooooooo Be Active for Life ! oooooooo
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