Friday, August 1, 2014

old, stale(tail), negative......


        
the sessions we've been having at the vert ramp in berkeley are some of the best i've had in my life. Fun, yet painful, good times. There's a whole new generation that is half my age, that constantly pushes me to run with them, and challenge myself. It's a lesson in patience and listening to my body and waiting for the moment it says "go", almost as if you were pumping a shotgun that only a had couple rounds in it, and you had to wait for its random firing, but were prepared to take full advantage of the explosion. I have to treat the sessions without ammo in the gun as.... exercise, comradery, and support this new generation. The other guys my age seem to only complain about how much better they used to skate and how bad there bodies hurt, i avoid the boredom and cliché of that speak but trust me, the thrill of these skates are peppered or maybe heavily salted with pain. My eyes have welled up with tears on the solo drive home thinking about how much i took a more sound body for granted, but now is simply now... and i continue to drop into the now. love is the silence in your head at this moment when everything stops, the only noise is your ball bearing whirling and your mind and body allow you to continue up the next wall. when your card gets pulled as mine did two nights ago when i over rotated on a backside smith and lost my footing.... adding another scab to my elbow and smacking my head, you simply hope that all the change you accidentally dropped on the floor can be picked up, put back in the same order it was in when you were going up the wall. Maybe short a few cents but enough to get on the ride again and chase the feeling i've felt since i was 10. No gasoline, no motor, a rather primitive tool (me and the skateboard) and a wooden U. I've seen these U's entertain robots, ninjas, cavemen, astronauts, magicians, scientists and many artists. I believe i've heard the roar of the  phrase "many are called but few are chosen" thundering above the wooden U.

8 comments:

Throwback said...

When I was in the 7th and 8th grade I used to frequent a ramp in San Jose owned by Mike Griffin who you may know. Him and his buddies were in high school and his parents were cool enough to allow him to have a 9ft vert ramp in their back yard and allow saturday sessions to occour. Well some bad ass skaters used to show up like Jim Namba, Steve Cab, Ray Barbie and other sponsored dudes. This was 1986 87 and ramps were it. Being on the deck with these dudes was sureal and I'm thinking your probably making the kids half your age feel the same way. Pretty rad Max

a. said...

now is now is now.....that's the blast in anybody's language, roll on max

tattered said...

living the dream...the dream is now. way to go - for being cool enough to know what you had and what you have are but blips on the continuum of what is...and what throwback said' about keepin real for the younger guys...access

max schaaf said...

thanks guys.. for reading it and getting it. Josh.. i haven't heard the name jim Namba since the first S.J. warehouse, where is was $100 membership, If i;m remembering it right, he was a super friendly dude. Thanks for writing.

Bruce said...

thanks Max, nice read

BUZZARDSALINAS said...

Amen, Max the Motivator...good words

Dan said...

I got to skate Kennedy warehouse a couple times. Ross and Wade tore that shit up. you still rip Max. that will never change. i feel you on the pain, I am 42. It hurts. my left hip clicks, knees pop like walnut shells, back is mangled, shoulder never healed up right. fuck it though,we keep rolling. still got my tre flip..that's a plus i guess. rest in Peace Robin Williams.

Unknown said...

beautiful max. You are speaking my language..