Part 1

It was the late summer of 2002. The sun was beating down on the dead grass around the guest house where I was staying on a small San Jose “ranch.” As I walked outside, boards under arms, I knew this was about to be a hardcore session. The transition from shade to direct sunlight only confirmed this point further. Nonetheless, I had been cramped up in a room full of computers for almost 2 weeks, and was sick of all that. I was ready to skate, and I wanted to skate something new. HC assured me that the parking garage run was a great run – good pavement, tight turns to practice my lean, minimal security and traffic, and, best of all, shade!

As we approached the structure in downtown San Jose, I realized that this wasn’t quite the isolated spot that I had imagined. Driving into the structure (and past a booth manned by a parking dude), I realized that this was indeed a skating experience that would be new to me. Cars parked in nearly every spot on the first few levels provided proof that this wasn’t a “soft-core,” open run.

But the pavement looked alright, and, as I stepped out into the shade provided by the upper level above us, I visually confirmed it: this was going to be a fun ride. Knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, helmet. Locked and loaded. After first stepping onto my Landyachtz longboard (the “Chief” model), I could see why you’d have to lean pretty hard to make these hairpin turns as my speed was increasing quite rapidly (and uncomfortably). I applied some tight carves for speed control purposes, as this first brief run was more of a test of the terrain, auto traffic, pedestrians, and of course possible escape routes. I’d learn later that the escape route inspection should have been a little more thorough.

First run down approximately six levels of parking garage went pretty smoothly. Left-hand turn, carve down the slope as much as possible, left hand turn. HC and his buddy Mark were out of site by the end of the first slope. Their method of choice was something closer to “bomb hill, low stance and hand-drag for the hairpin.” Definitely not the one for me, considering I didn’t have sliding gloves and had a board meant for carving, not speed. As I approached the bottom of the run, HC and mark were waiting for me by the glass door to the elevator room – a mere ½ level above the manned booths we had passed only a few minutes ago. After a quick comment about my snail-like pace and something about their clothes being out of style, we walked into the elevator room where we could go and unload at the uppermost level and begin our “real” (that’s “non-practice”) runs.

As the elevator let us off, we stepped out into the bright sunlight of the upper level – the roof. You could see a good part of the San Jose downtown from the view, but hey, that wasn’t what we were there for. It was hot up here, though, and we all just wanted to get rolling and hardly noticed the “absolutely no skateboarding/biking under ordinance blah blah blah” sign as we rolled by it.

The second run went alright, HC and Mark being even faster this time around, and me being somehow a little slower. I didn’t like that there were cars parked on the bottom few levels, and that I had to jump off a few times to avoid ones that were backing up – how the heck did they get so far ahead without running into the sides of cars? I’d try to “go aggressive” and carve less for the slope portions, but then I was sure I wouldn’t be able to make the turn.

After a few similar runs, me coming up a good 15-20 minutes behind them (ok more like 30 seconds, but it must have annoyed them), and seeing that “absolutely no skating” sign enough to read exactly what it said, I decided I’m too big of a pansy for illegal skate sessions. So what did I do? Claimed I was “so anxious to take some photos of you guys during your run!"

I’d wait around for them to come zipping by me and try to snap off a few pictures, then I’d wait for them to come around again. I decided that some pictures in the sunlight of the upper level might turn out the best, so I walked up to meet them coming out of the elevator. I was in the elevator area waiting. Five minutes. 10 Minutes. 15 minutes. DING. Thank goodness! What the heck were these guys doing for 15 minutes?

Okay, I really don’t remember Mark or HC being a big black guy in a suit. And he’s coming towards me.

Part 2 >>