Boardin' for the Cure!

Me legs and a skateboard. 19 miles. 19 miles along the coast. Santa Monica to Redondo. Pier to pier. On a skateboard. Statement, not a question. Yup, this was how i spent my most recent Saturday. 19 miles on a skateboard, pushin' along the boardwalk, all in the name of a fantastic cause: we were boarding for breast cancer...boarding for the cure!  I first heard of B4BC at Warped Tour a few years ago and now turns out that i work next door to the girls who work the traveling B4BC booth that spreads awareness and education. It's a great organization that encourages awareness of breast cancer and prevention through an active lifestyle, healthy diet and eco-friendly way of life (check out the website for more info if you're interested! www.b4bc.org). I fundraised a bunch online and included the link above if you'd like to donate...it will only be open for another week or so...any amount would kick!

The event day started out at an hour too early for my body to consciously recognize. But immediately upon rolling up to the Redondo parking lot, backpack full of skate survival supplies (ie snacks, helmet, water, blister kit), where we'd be bussed to the Santa Monica pier, the vibe was friendly and excited all over, which helped mask the drowsy lethargy hiding beneath in my 4 hours of sleep (see previous blog entry). Everyone was full of stoke from the onset...such a great vibe! A little anxious too though.... would we still be standing at mile 19 or on our knees pushing like a 2 yr-old? Serious issues to ponder. There were all types of wheels involved prepared to roll down the boardwalk: rollerblades, roller skates, bicycles, and of course, skateboards of all shapes and sizes. As we pushed off, i knew it would be an epic day. Clear blue skies, the sun shining, waves pounding, and a bunch of kids just as excited and smiley as i was.

And we didn't just haul ass through the thing...although, damn can some of those guys and gals push! Oh ya, did I mention that one of the sponsors was Red Bull (how do they manage to get into every sporting event really?), so some of the kids were hopped up on, oh say, 10 of them. Free, remember. There were a number of these "hydration-station" stops to refuel on drinks (yes, there was actual water too), energy bars, and the general goof off session vibe that's bound to happen with a bunch of skaters. Posing for pictures with skateboards raised high, replacing "cheese!" with "boooobies!" was all part of the day. i'd hear the ocean in one ear, the whir of skateboard wheels scooting through sandy sidewalks, and shouts of "save the ta-ta's!" in the other ear. Comforting sounds.

As I looked in front and in back of me I saw a winding snake of wheeling participants dotted along an incredible backdrop of sand, sun and surf. There was no better place to be that day. And as we skated across the finish line, hands held high (had to pose for more pictures of course) we knew we'd contributed to something awesome. We were indeed still standing, and smiling...just as ready for next year. (when we'd also be fit to walk again). I will now increase the cheese factor and say we put the fun! in fundraiser...but it really was the best way to spend four hours on four polyurethane wheels.  There were also fundraising prizes given out and I was completely blown away when I won a beautiful, brand new longboard. I still can't believe it! Thank you to all the generous contributors...it was all you! I can only hope that next time around more people turn out ( I will surely be rollin' up on that sweet longboard!) and raise even more money for a toootally righteous cause....

Tiger Army...

...never dies!! Friday night...in a season right for psychobilly...graveyards, skulls, bats and gouls...i rocked out to Tiger Army for the first time live. I encouraged a young friend who's never been to a punk show to join me. He's listend to them of course before and enjoyed the fast beats and slappin bass. We headed over to the Wiltern Theatre in Hollywood where we joined a bunch of other anxious kids, mostly dressed in tight black tees, 50s style slicked hair, sideburns, girls with fake roses in their hair, rolled jeans and boots. Psychobilly is a rockabilly/goulish punk meld.

well, we all stood and prepared for a thorough rockin. When Nick 13 and the crew came on stage thus began a raucus psycho session. I wasn't disappointed. We were off to the side of the stage at first and then i motioned towards the center (you can't hear anything anyone else is saying of course) and we squeezed through packed punks to get to the eye of the storm...the mosh pit.

We stayed to the outside of the pit for the rest of the evening (in my opinion the perfect place to be. Enough space to dance (even though you may get creamed by someone who breaks the circle now and then), a good view of the stage...we bounced around, jumped up and down there for a solid two hours. At one point Tiger Army started playing some of their older stuff and the pit was a riot...i mean, more than usual...and i literally got pulled into it...only fell over once before some massive dude picked me up and then another grabbed me for a go round....which was awesome... attached to a huge, strong dude to push others out of the way...i can usually hold my ground for a while by myself...key is to just move round the circle fast using momentum to barrel into people ( i'm sure this information will be very useful to all my readers) but when your head comes up to most of the dudes' shoulders, you're at a bit of a disadvantage. plus the fact that with my short hair i look like a 13 year old boy who's trying to act tough which doesn't help my cause. but after one go round the guy who was pulling me along just pushed me away and said "dude...you're on your own now!" thanks. let's just say i'm still sore from that night (big fat dude literally falling into me and then on top of me was the kicker). i kept checking on dylan to make sure he still had a smile on his face and wasn't pleading for escape...but the smile remained that whole show. when you're all sweaty and amped up...nothing matters but the energy (see it's all in good fun you see...really it is...note that i was immediately picked up upon hitting the floor) and the music flowing all around you. the connection you get with those kids rivals any high. they played some of my favorite songs and i'm pretty sure dylan enjoyed the new experience as well. maybe we'll get another smart punk on our side. awesome to finally see 'em live. tiger army, never die!

testing muuusic!

the rhythms are off, the levels are waaay too low and 
it really just sounds kinda crap. but the ideas are there right?

You kids are all WARPED!

Minds corrupted, energies outpouring the angst of youth, miniature rebellions, studs, patches and mohawks. All filled into one sweaty, dusty, feircely revolving circle pit. Welcome to Warped Tour. Well, the remainder of the real punks at warped tour that is...and all gathered at the "old school" stage..or "punk rock legends" area. it's a trip back the 70s...and i liiike it. no i love it. i feel it's where i belong.

POSITIVITIES: All that good stuff.

 -parking my car away from the crowd, in a shopping mall lot for free and riding my bike in...thus escaping all the traffic and $20 parking charge. love it.

-getting in for free (and skipping the horrendous line)! yay work!

-7 yr old girl skatin in the half pipe.

-talking with cool guy from Amnesty International and swapping artistic ideas on how to change the world.

-happy mosh pit antics and skankin, shoe skipping punkers

-guy in the mosh pit remembering me from Ventura. we punks have a connection yah.

-performers who crowd surf ...breakin that 4th wall allll day long

-shade

-packed lunch

-i got a press/photo pass (!!!) randomly from this awesome lady that just started chatting with me.

-amazing pictures granted by sweet sweet press pass (!!!)

-FISH BONE!

-Edward Colver (http://edwardcolver.com/) remembering me from Ventura (Rusty?? i kinda like that as a nickname)

-hanging out and talking with all the old school bands. nicest, coolest guys ever.

-collecting awesome patches from awesome old school bands. my jackets and other random articles of clothing can now be properly punked out.

-last day of the tour: scoring a free shirt from a merch guy tearing his booth down the throwing shirts out to anyone lucky enough to be in the vicinity.

-free beer from Ch3 dudes. i needed that!

-buying vinyl from the actual artists....

-glitter still falling out of my hair while i type, from the kickass crazy performance by the Addicts

-inspired to bleach my hair, dye it and mohwak it. watch out mom. i might just do it this time.

Negativity: There's always a bit

-insanely crowded; people littering shit all over the ground

-partial work day, partial fun day, makes for a carefully choreographed runaround involving a roll of tape, posters, stickers, a camera, mailing lists and attempts to catch my favorite bands. (i did pretty well i must say so maybe this should be a positive)

-getting my feet trampled to bits in the pit; semi-realization that when i remove my shoes my toes and respective toenails may all be crushed and bloody (where da hell are my steal toed sneakers when i need em?!)

-other people's sweat on you (mosh pits are not just all over your personal space...but your whole personal body space as well...thank you mr. badass with no shirt. your tattoos are not keeping the moisture off of me...)

-getting reamed in the back of the head by a crowd surfer.   multiple times.

-90 degree heat; wiping the sweat from your brow only to notice that it's brown.

-merch lady gave me 2008 edition of Addicts album instead of the original release of '79. booo..i was in too giddy concert mode to notice at the time. these things matter to crazy collectors like meself!

-clever bike plan foiled by the asshole that stole my seat. yep...my seat was gone upon return to my favorite mode of transport.

-peddling back to car standing up proves more difficult than i first anticipated....imagine it like peddling up a hill for 10 minutes straight.

really the yays and nays could all mixed in together cause sometimes it's the stuff you hate most that makes the experience. and that makes me love every bit of the punk rockin day. even the lingering sweat smelling, shirt stained, dirt covered kid i am sitting here typing away still on my concert high. beer helps too.