Other than simply riding in a straight line, there isn’t much smaller in the small arts than turning, sliding, and pivoting. During the pandemic I came to really appreciate the ability just to roll and really feel the flow, sliding 180 degrees and seeing where that might take me. Stream of Unconsciousness skating.
Slides
Here’s some test footage for a couple of years ago, as I work to restart this project with Dale.
I really enjoy doing simple slides like this. Kind of like doing Monster Walks from freestyle, just gliding across a bank.
Embodiment
My friend David Chaiken embodies the small arts…
The Buddha Bank
A video Dale and I shot about 7 years ago. I can’t believe it’s been that long. The pandemic sure robbed us of a lot of time.
Anyway, this the kind of crusty spot where realness happens.
Buda Bank from Bob Loftin on Vimeo.
More on the Lunatic Fringe
My friend Chris Battle wrote this article on his blog back in 2018 and has added some comments and post-scripts.
The Lunatic Fringe: An Open Letter to Anyone Who Sucks at Skateboarding
When you’ve been skating for decades and seeing the shifts in the culture of skateboarding, and of culture in general, and especially if you’ve never been a sponsored skater, pro, or big shot, watching skateboarding on the Olympics is a weird experience.
I’ve always had conflicting feelings about the notion of skateboarding going mainstream. On one hand I have always wanted pro skaters to be compensated for the life energy they put into skating. I’ve also never trusted “big money” to do right by skateboarding – the skateboarding I know at least. But skateboarding is a lot of different things. It’s not the same thing to me that it is to the next person. I accept that.
Yet still the intrusion of big money, jockism, and investment bank dirtbags into this thing I love irks me.
Anyway, I can’t say it any better than Chris, so read that blog post linked to above.
I’ll leave you with this video of my fat old ass working on a line.
More of the same
A little more of the same spinny stuff. A couple of months ago, before the weather got cold.
I feel like starting a podcast for this site.
Anyway, it is well below freezing here today, so it will be a while before I can skate. Hoping the weekend might be warm enough.
Time To Do this
Well, it is time to get the Small Arts going again, after years of pandemic and strife.
I filmed this a couple of weeks ago.
— Bob