Road trip number 17.

We spent three great days on the road this past weekend. We set out from 1320 Chase Ave. in Northside around 11am on Thursday.

It was a crew of 12 comprised of Van A and Van B.  Lew's van (calm) and Matt's van (crazy).  Van A featured a trip-long delight of great music and discussion. Van B played "Total Eclipse of the Heart" on loop for 2 days.

Among the mob were Native Nik, Tennessee Josh Viles, Weston Vickers, Ben Osborne, John Brumley, Kris Link (bowlripper), Sunshine (photography), Kwaleb (video), Ian Brown, Riley, Matt and Lew, and a little kid who was raised by pteradactyls on a solitary Japanese island...

We motored out and skated three parks Thursday...

first we skated at... well I don't remember.  I will have to write that one up later.

Greensburg? Greensville? Green something. It was a pretty epic park.  We will hit that one a million times for sure. Bikers there were cool to us and the kids rode their scooters.  the session ended with epic bowl to flow transfers by brumley, sickness aplenty from Viles and Weston, and mileage of style from Native and Ben.  Lew tried to pick fights but everyone knew he was packing a huge hunting knife in the small of his back, so fickle had the run of the place. 

we were flat out tired by the time we got to Major Taylor in IndiAnapolis. But the young bucks ripped that place in the midnight darkness... these youngsters can flat out see in the dark! Such illnesses were perpetrated! Old Lew and Matt were tuckered and we all crashed at a hotel in carMEL IN.

The next day we started off with the complete destruction of our  hotel rooms with imaginary battles between the King of Evil and the Prince of Good Guys. Pteradactyl Boy enlisted the help of Van B and vanquished his bearded nemesis with minimal effort. 

We packed out to the Rise Skate Shop in Carmel IN. Shoes were cheap. Shoes were bought. Slayer slip ons. Bad brains mids and highs. Vans. The brand skaters can trust. Started with hand made, serving skateboarding since longtimeago. 

Rise was kind and helpful and we hope them healthy. 

We hit the Carmel park.  Even old Lew got a piece there.  It was empty. We always have a blast.  Only like 2 locals were there.

Then we motored up to Ft Wayne.  Not. A. Mistake. maaaaaan, we saw more epicness in that session... we are still getting emails and Facebook messages from the cool folks of the frozen north. We welcome you all to balmy Cincinnati soon.

One cool as hell thing about this trip was the massive quantity of high-quality footage and photos we came home with. Is hell really that cool? Maybe only in the movies and on our vans slayer slip ons. But there is no doubt that it will take a stout heart to drop any clips on the cutting room floor. Good thing Lew always has a massive hunting knife hidden in the small of his back. Mass thanks to Kwaleb and Sunshine, who are quickly getting chops in their chosen trades.

There was a dance party in the parking lot after the Sesh. It was high calorie. Cheese puffs were thrown. olsen twins were sung along with (gimme pizza slow version), breakdancing on gravel, shirtlessness, hairy chests were bumped, non-hairy chests were bumped. Dragons were slain, ninjas were repelled, dreadlocks were flying everywhere.  who knew Lew was a dancer?

We retreated to a hotel closer to our next stop.  Van B, Still playing Total Eclipse of the heart on loop, went straight to bed. Van A, the calm van, headed to a local McDonald's to feast and behold the local late night gothic and special needs community out in full force. No kidding. Faces painted and strapped pants and all. Out in the cornfield. It got to feeling time for bed. Early morning saw us to sleep.

The morning attack by Pteradactyl Child was rendered particularly memorable by the employment of a sharpened pencil.  Full-on stabbing attacks were withstood, endured, and overcome by the Bearded King of Evil using his extensive training in the dark arts and the liberal brandishing of his ever present hunting knife. You don't stab the King, son. Nightmares for years and years? Not the Pteradactyl Child.  He flat out THRIVES on terror(izing you). 

We headed to Kokomo.  That park is sick. You know it. There were those among he who prepped up. Clips and shots were taken and gotten. You shall see.

We hit the road for major Taylor once more and finished off anything that was left of the coping on the big quarter. Seriously, Viles and Weston. Somebody's gonna have to pay the bill in the coping damage there.

No radness was neglected. No sickness left untouched. He boyos laid track, mang. Old Lew was left shaking before the great responsibility of hand making boards for these young soldiers of Gnar. 

That's what we returned to: a burden to start fresh crafting handmade boards of our best possible quality. At first they'll be rustic, but over time we will get them polished and shiny.  Whether fickleboards are amazing, mediocre, or poor depends on our Passion and growing technical know-how. No matter what, though, we simply cannot keep putting out cookie cutter popsicles and say they're made by us or made in Cincinnati. It's got to be done right no matter how small, poor,or hated it might make us.

But we found flat out nothing but love out there in the road. Thanks go out to YOUthe reader and rider and writer of your own story of movement on your board. Special thanks to locals who moved over a notch for us and let us take up your parks on our visits.

We would love to succeed and have a great line of wood available soon.  It looks good, but we are humans and must move at an honest pace. By spring, you'll be able to find rough-hewn fickleboards here and there. We are shooting for epic.

Pray for Jason Jessee.