Skateboard Mom is about a kid who gets a skateboard for his birthday only to see his mom zoom off with it and become a skateboard star in the process. The boy, who didn't know his mom had been a skateboard champ in her younger days, tries all sorts of way to get his board back. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens. A lot of skaters--young and old--have read sample copies of the book and really dug it, so that was really satisfying. David Hackett, a former Z-boy now with Deathbox, read it at a skater party in San Diego and was giggling like a kid over it.
Writing a book is similar to learning a new skateboard trick. You get this idea and you just have to try, try and try again until you get it right. There's usually no way around it--you have to suffer your share of setbacks before you get to where you want to go. Sometimes when I feel blocked with my writing, I hop on my board and skate around the house a bit. Or, I work on my ollie on the floor of my office. I ollie and ollie and ollie until--wham!--an idea suddenly comes to me for the book. Then it's back to my computer. I find writer's block is good for my ollies, and vice versa.
Where do you want to go from here?
I want to drop in on those HUGE vert ramps some day. At least before I'm 50! And pools! I want to ride pools like the pros. Let's see...I'd also like to skate Bob Burnquist's back yard, and...OK, I'll stop there.
I am spending a weekend at Woodward West in a couple weeks. It's part of the Op Girls Learn to Ride skateboard clinics. I went to a one-day event they did at Van's in Orange a few weeks ago and it was awesome! We had the park to ourselves and a bunch of female pros as our instructors. I worked with Kim Petersen, who was so great. I highly recommend it! But that's basically my goal--to improve every time out and keep challenging myself. And to get more moms out skating!
