Motherlandstomp Day 20 - San Jose Mega Park

I made it in to San Jose this morning around 10:30. I finally got my Nav working so it was soooo easy. I am kinda not sure about them now though, it seems like one more gadget to keep people stupid. I actually like figuring shit out with a map and if the directions are sketchy, you just drive around for awhile and use the old nose to find the park. But it was easy. I definitely needed it for Cali cause this place gets confusing!!




So I arrived at the park, had to pay 6 bucks for parking and another 5 for admission to the skatepark. When i walked up the hill to go in, the kid in the little fortress said I could not skate. There was a BMX session going on until noon. FUCK! I was like, well thanks. So I went back down the hill and sat over by the damn picnic tables for an hour and a half. No biggie though, my back was so tight that I could barely walk this morning. I don't know if it was from snaking around at the SF park or????



So after waiting for my turn to ride I finally got up there. They were filling out paper work with the park rangers for 20 minutes cause some kid busted his mellon (even with full pads???) After waiting patiently, the kid finally said whadda you want? I'm like, well, I filled out the waiver and my 5 is right there - can I go in yet?



When i got into this mega park the first thing that struck me was not the killer 20' extension, it was the fence within the barbed wire fence? I guess this is to keep spectators out of the skate area? but it kinda keeps skaters from getting to the skate area. There is one of these at Louisville too.. Must be a mega-Wormhout thing or whatever. But it kinda ticked me off. I was already a grouchy old man with a bad back and I sure didn't want to go walkin' around some ped fence...




SO, I padded up (they make you wear everything here) and gave it a go. Let me say, it was slow goin' for me today - with the stiff old man back and the damn pads I felt like a pencil riding around out there. I just couldn't get loose and I was kinda overwhelmed again. The park is totally rad and I have no complaints about the bowls or anything but really - the size is out of control. Maybe I am just someone who likes small parks but there seems to me more connection, an intimacy with a smaller park?






On the negative, maybe it represents everything bad about our current times. Build it bigger than anyone else, spend more money, show off, drive a Hummer and super size your House? I don't know. But the park is amazing and if you lived in the area you would never have to go to another. But for me personally, I had the most fun in the pool again.





The other thing is I just like Grindline and Dreamland parks better. But this one is amazing and I am glad to have been able to skate it!! But like I said, my back was so tight that I barely could enjoy it. Finally some older dudes showed up after I was there for like 3 hours and got me riding the pool. After a while my back loosened up and I was able to get some lines. But by then my pussy ass was gettin tired and I for some reason could not get up any grinds. So I was getting pissed. But I did get some good lines and so I should be Ok with it all. I wish i could go back tomorrow and the next day but there is no tomorrow on a road trip - got to move on to Santa Cruz and then on south.






I've run out of time, I'll put the footy up later