Brad Barrish - skateboarding

spiegelman:

This is the best skating video I’ve ever seen. Not because of the moves demonstrated (which are fantastic). Not because of the photography and production values (which are far better than average). It’s my favorite because I’ve never seen a skating video that was sad and defiantly hopeful all at once. This place where people once gathered to enjoy life is now abandoned and rotting in the desert sun. One skater takes it upon himself to bring the uplifting spirit of pleasant diversion to its rightful home, and he does so with greater skill than most people possess. He is the hero artist of the park. Skate park, water park, what’s the difference. The park is the park. Ultimately we know he will fail. The beauty and dedication of his choreography will not bring this place back to life. But it’s such an effort that we can believe for a moment that just maybe, maybe it will. With any luck that spark will apply to other things, non-park things, where it is needed. I want this to be a metaphor for something.

(via the video watchdog at the Atlantic, who I think is Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg but I’m not sure because their Twitter is anonymous.)

Man, no kidding. Great video!

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Exercising without the gym

I’ve always had trouble motivating myself to exercise. I know it’s good for me. I know I’m not getting any younger, but I’m not fat (though my cholesterol is high now) and through the miracle of genetics, I have a decent build for someone who hasn’t consistantly worked out in years. I want to exercise, but I don’t want to do the work. Apparently there’s a pill now, but I’m not into taking pills. A couple of weeks back I was reading my daily dose of RSS feeds and came upon a pushup workout. It required little time, worked all sorts of muscles and it sounds pretty badass to say you can do 100 pushups, which, if I followed the regimine, I would be able to do in 6 weeks. Sold.

I’m a week in to the workout and while it’s not easy, it’s pretty fun to do and is a great, energetic start to my day. I’m taking a photo of myself after each workout, and will do one of those fancy time-lapsed movies at the end of the 6 weeks. Hell, maybe I’ll go for 200, but I don’t wanna get to far ahead of myself. If you’re curious about what I do pushups to every morning, my choice:

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In addition to the pushups, I bought a new skateboard over the weekend and plan on skating around Hollywood a little during lunch and to blow off some steam during the day, when possible. It’s a Mark Gonzalez Krooked deck with Independent trucks, Bones Swiss bearings and Spitfire wheels. After years of not skateboarding following a nasty fall, I’m super rusty, but getting my confidence back little by little.

I may need to add another activity in there somewhere, but I’m totally determined to get in shape without stepping foot in a gym.