I am remember this clearly... for the most part. I was up on a family vacation in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Duel purpose trip actually. Little bit of the summer vacation but, more importantly we had just bought the family condo. Here, check out the condo cam for a live update...
By the way. The kids and I, as well as Jenny, and Julia are heading there this Saturday, to spend Christmas in the snow.. I get mixed feelings from people on this one. On one hand... Hey! I want my own new traditions. On the other hand, my Parents, Grandma, and all others involved seem to have their own traditions, which usually involve heading to my Mom's in the morning for gifts, Locks & Bagels, then on to Grandma Kathy's for the BEST MACARONI IN THE WORLD.. I am not kidding, it's the best. Not to mention my beautiful girlfriend, Jenny, and her family traditions. Ok.. I am getting way off track here but bare with me, and quite possibly I will be able to "loop back" ( my new writing term learned from Allan C Weisbecker, my new writing guru) I guess "looping" is highly frowned upon by "idiot editors" and other people in publishing, that "don't actually do any writing" I may loop back to Allan's new book, "Can't you get along with anyone?" but hopefully not in this blog which has gone uncontrollably off the rails. This of course would be a double loop back, which is best reserve for roller coasters, and not early morning blogs.
Looping back to Christmas, and then on with the story, I swear… We are living in the most perfect location in So Cal, if not the world, most of the year so... I want to go to the snow for Christmas. That is simple enough. Although, with the advent of the new Driftwood Christmas Trees, and the likely Christmas Swell… I will stay around next year. (That was almost going in the direction of a triple loop, and it is only 8:30 in the morning) Why Mammoth? The kids don't get off all the time for school these days to go skiing, like I used too so.. Got to hit it for the holidays.. Ok now, here we go..
Back to the summer of '76. The big bi-centennial. Despite the mass genocide we perpetuated on the Native Americans, and recent Vietnam war, not too many people wanted us dead. It was a good 200 years.. The US was a pretty cool place, and quite possibly worth celebrating. So comes the Mammoth Lakes, 4th of July Parade, down Main St.. Starting up at Whiskey Creek, moving on down the slight incline on Main, pass the little hole in the wall ski shop known as The Cornice. (RIP) Then on past Andersen’s Pea Soup Restaurant. (RIP) Yes! Hap Pea & Pea Wee, both lived in Mammoth at one time serving up the finest split pee soup known to man. Oh well, that's gone too. So is the one in Carlsbad, and possibly to one way up north on Interstate 5. Well if you do happen to visit Andersen’s in Buellton. Take a look at the place mats and you will see Mammoth Lakes clearly on the road map. (Don’t forget to head over to the Hitching Post for dinner and a bottle of the Corkdancer, or Highliner, Pinot Noir’s , quite good, and made famous in the movie Sideways) I won’t be looping back to Buellton anytime soon, so this is more of a “Sideways Note”
The parade continued on past Safeway, now Von's, and in a different location all together, and was replace by Thrifty's which as you may know is now Rite Aid. What's this have to do with skateboarding? Good Question.. We sat somewhere in-between Whiskey Creek, and Andersen’s Pee Soup, on the right side on the road for the up- coming parade. Basically it was going like any small town parade . Some floats, mayors, city council, maybe the McCoy’s, the fire dept, ya know... Wait. What's this? Some early skateboard team ( Possibly Hobie, but definitely a team, noted by the matching uniforms... gag) I was a 14 year old, sheltered valley kid, and had never seen anything so cool... My life plans took a direct hit that day, and no longer did it seem I was going to become a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams. This was it. I checked out a small contest they threw in the Cornice parking lot, then went into the Cornice Sports Shop and just drooled over this 30" Bahne they had on display. I had to have that board! Well, my folks didn't see it that way, and it took some time but eventually I was able to procure one from my future arch nemesis, Val Surf... They were after all, the Skateboard Capital of the World. It's was weeks later, but finally, I had in my hands... A Bahne 30" Fiberglass deck, complete with Chicago Trucks, and Cadillac Wheels, just like this one…
This board looked great in the store but, no kicktail, and not really what I was after I think. So I took it to Big Bear with my friend Kenny, who also witnessed the Mammoth Skate Demo, and his folks, Ken & Kitsy, who was fortunately a nurse, for some high speed downhilling.. more on that later...
Note: Since I am now blogging in three locations... I have decided to make this my main blog in which I will repost any other blogs, I might be doing over at the Green Sector Underground, or donjayne music, or anywhere else... Thanks!
More notes and numbers.. I have just past 500 feedback points for RinconRaxWorks. Since only about 50% of the people leave feedback that's not easy. Today as I write this I am at 509 positive feedback points... 100% Positive. See this eBay thing is a piece 'o cake compare to having a store. I guess thats the worry. Also "Reckless Love" has now surpassed 300 Plays, which is definitely, a gold record I think! haha
Happy Holidays to all and have fun. "There is much to think about but, nothing to worry about" - Sara Jayne
