So Trevor sends me an email, (what a weird but now everyday concept), and tells me that he and Todd were thinking about going to that Van's skatepark in Novi. While the idea of skating again with some of the old crew, after all these years was exciting! the thought of going to a "pay to skate" type place just didn't set well with me. 'Especially since it was going to cost $11 for a 2 hour session!


Chris Becker, who I found through an internet search, sends me a URL to a new cement park in Mason, Michigan. So I fire up netscape and go check it out. "HOLY FUCK!" ... look at this place! bowls, half pipe type area... vert extentions.. even a small "pool stairs" gig up againest the one wall. The listed rules were "no bikes, no pads" and it was free! Sounds perfect to me. I fired off the link to Trevor and he talked to Todd and the plan was set.


Ok.. so we get there.. and the place is just dream like. There is curved cement all over the place! I felt like a kid again as I rolled into the one end.. hit the wall and pretty much ate shit. *laugh* Ok...it wasn't that bad... but you get the idea. Being a ramp rider, it took some time to find a good line. Todd sure had no problem though! He would pump all the corners.. carve the flat walls. and use that weird hump to his advantage. Touched every wall. True bowl rider. I seen Trevor axle up a few times. He was enjoying himself. Cool enough.


I heard one kid go "All right! OLD School" .. I should have talked to him more. He whipped off a slide on this one banked part..oh! also he was wearing this funky hat that had nails sticking out from all over it. Wild. One of his buddies yelled "Take the stupid nail hat off!" He replied "Fuck you!" .. I knew I liked this kid. ;-)


It was VERY cool to get out and skate again with friends. I'm ashamed to say that I have only skated on transitions once in the last 10 years. That will change. The energy was there.. I could feel it.. in between horking up chunks of bonglung. My body felt every bit of its 42 years old,(it was my birthday the day before), but my spirit was 16 again.

I'm down with that.   ---Wes



photos by RATBONES