I'm not the best at skating. I'm able to get from point A to point B around town, but most of the hills up here in New Hampshire get me going a little too fast for my liking. However, I was really excited to take this March Intensive course. For the past three months or so I've been researching shapes and wood types, but I've spent the most time trying to decide what type of graphics to put on the bottom. Art is my thing, and I couldn't wait to paint on an entirely new surface.
To be honest, I
might have rushed though the construction of my 55" dancer a tad so I could get to the final stages a little more quickly. The first three days were all carving, sanding, and putting on the clear coats. I put three coats on the bottom of my board so that the surface would be nice and smooth for the paint. When I came in on the third I still didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted to paint. I was toying with the thought of painting a Chuck Close-style portrait of someone, but I eventually decided to do something completely out of my element, much like this entire course has thrown me into the unfamiliar world of longboarding.
I ended up painting a hula girl, to pay a little bit of homage to the roots of long boarding. It took me most of the day, around six hours, to paint the two or three foot figure. It probably would have taken less time if I hadn't had such a rough time painting her hands. Even though they look like I attached the arms and hands of a five year old to an eight foot body, I'm still really happy with the result. I might add some beachy stripes at a later time, because at this point I just want to get it off the drying rack and under my feet.
I'm going to add the trucks and wheels as soon as I send this over, and I can't wait to see how it rides. I loved the whole process of building my board, and just looking at the finished project makes me smile. I'm thinking that I might try building another board just so I can do a little more painting, or maybe I'll just beg one of my friends to let me try something on theirs. Either way, I definitely have a new diversion from my homework.
Colleen
We would also like to thank our school for making room for boarders' needs for one day and blocking off parts of the parking lot so that our students could test and ride (or shred, as I've learned) on their new longboards. I also like to thank the community for their understanding and tolerance ... and as for myself: I haven't ridden a board before, tried it today and had lots of fun - now, I do understand how much fun it is ... you should try it, too.
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