Pete Pachota
Member
Warning! WALL OF TEXT! If reading is not something you enjoy, click here http://www.andrewbroussard.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewforum.php?17 .
Okay. Today I have realized that Twan Bustos' motto "Scoot or live" is not only a funny paraphrase of the skateboarding slogan 'Skate or die'. I have actually discovered some kind of philosophic meaning of this one. Actually, not one but two of them.
The first one is that scooter riders have no life. You either Scoot, or have a live. This is not true in general, but it certainly applies to some riders like the kid from the other thread about running away from the law, those who spend all their free time at TIC or ride for 5 hours every day. This can prove either that these kind of people show extreme commitment to scootering, or maybe they fail socially at life. I guess that scootering is a time and life consuming activity to any rider, it is also a way to get a life, to set up your free time, meet new friends etc. Scootering can be a way of life.
The second meaning is what I have really learned about today, and it was a painful lesson. I have dislocated my knee twice when riding today, once when doing a front scooterflip off a tiny grindbox and once when trying to feeble-whip-feeble on a pyramid ledge thing. Actually, my past two years of riding seemed to me like a never ending string of knee injuries. I have tried to minimize the risk gradually, first by stopping riding street, then limiting myself to tiny ramps and curbs. But that didn't work and despite using all protective gear I can get, now I'm afraid that I could mess up my knee once more doing a stupid tailwhip on flat ground. A video will be up today for everyone to see what Im talking about.
Another thing is that I HATE POLISH HEALTH SERVICE SO BAD. Ive been going around from doctor to doctor, and each other one told me something different. I have just waited THREE MONTHS to see a doctor in a hospital just to have myself put on a queue of people waiting for a knee surgery. And now I have to wait ONE MORE FUCKING YEAR to have my knee fixed. With a period of rehabilitation, I don't see myself riding full- or part-time any sooner than the 2010 riding season.
For me the choice is clear: Scoot or live. You probably know that scootering is a huge part in my life and it's something I really love. This a very strong kind of love if you love something or someone, even though it harms you so bad. But my love of scootering is the kind of love that's killing me and it's not strong enough to give my life for it. I can either keep on riding and possibly end up injured really bad which might ruin my whole life, or just try to live like a normal person. The choice is obvious. I want to LIVE. I know I will probably do my worst to keep a 'not riding for a year' resolution, haha, and I just can't see myself not touching a scooter for a year but I really have to limit myself anyway.
Scootering was a huge adventure to me, the past years have been awesome for me as I think I can safely say that Ive been the best rider in my country. Sadly, this period is coming to an end. I got to know many great people, even though I haven't been as active in the so called 'online scene' as I could or maybe should be. I guess I have made my mark and really it's not the end for me. As Steven Tongson once said, "You can stop riding but you can't quit scootering". I have already faced the fact that I'm probably never gonna be an awesome rider and now my other dream, which was to give it all Ive got to film, edit and release a really good video part is also crushed, or maybe just fading away in far future.
The good thing is that still I will be active, and I really want to contribute in the scootering scene somehow, for instance I finally need to make myself make some parts and sell them to people. It's just sad to me that I won't be able to back up my scootering experience and knowledge with real riding and footage, as since the beginning of this sport, riding skills have always been something that marks a rider's place in the community. I will still be around though and I will be at any competitions that will take place in my area such as the Meatfly Jam, just not as a rider but probably a coach of the national Polish scootering team, haha, a judge or maybe a sponsor, who knows.
To sum it up, this was just me ranting about how I feel about needing to take a brake in riding and fulfilling my need of bombing SR with a massive piece of writing, something I haven't done in a long time. This whole thread might be pointless, but it's also me willing to feel this 'I quit' drama mood for a while, haha. If you're like 'what's the big deal?', feel free to bash me in comments below. If you have got to this point, thank you for reading and if you are one of this few people that enjoyed my riding at any point in the past 5 years, you will have to wait till 2010 to see more.
WALL OF TEXT END! Thank you.
http://www.vimeo.com/1307855
Here are the clips from yesterday, as you can see I did nothing which would theoretically hurt my knee, but I still did.
Okay. Today I have realized that Twan Bustos' motto "Scoot or live" is not only a funny paraphrase of the skateboarding slogan 'Skate or die'. I have actually discovered some kind of philosophic meaning of this one. Actually, not one but two of them.
The first one is that scooter riders have no life. You either Scoot, or have a live. This is not true in general, but it certainly applies to some riders like the kid from the other thread about running away from the law, those who spend all their free time at TIC or ride for 5 hours every day. This can prove either that these kind of people show extreme commitment to scootering, or maybe they fail socially at life. I guess that scootering is a time and life consuming activity to any rider, it is also a way to get a life, to set up your free time, meet new friends etc. Scootering can be a way of life.
The second meaning is what I have really learned about today, and it was a painful lesson. I have dislocated my knee twice when riding today, once when doing a front scooterflip off a tiny grindbox and once when trying to feeble-whip-feeble on a pyramid ledge thing. Actually, my past two years of riding seemed to me like a never ending string of knee injuries. I have tried to minimize the risk gradually, first by stopping riding street, then limiting myself to tiny ramps and curbs. But that didn't work and despite using all protective gear I can get, now I'm afraid that I could mess up my knee once more doing a stupid tailwhip on flat ground. A video will be up today for everyone to see what Im talking about.
Another thing is that I HATE POLISH HEALTH SERVICE SO BAD. Ive been going around from doctor to doctor, and each other one told me something different. I have just waited THREE MONTHS to see a doctor in a hospital just to have myself put on a queue of people waiting for a knee surgery. And now I have to wait ONE MORE FUCKING YEAR to have my knee fixed. With a period of rehabilitation, I don't see myself riding full- or part-time any sooner than the 2010 riding season.
For me the choice is clear: Scoot or live. You probably know that scootering is a huge part in my life and it's something I really love. This a very strong kind of love if you love something or someone, even though it harms you so bad. But my love of scootering is the kind of love that's killing me and it's not strong enough to give my life for it. I can either keep on riding and possibly end up injured really bad which might ruin my whole life, or just try to live like a normal person. The choice is obvious. I want to LIVE. I know I will probably do my worst to keep a 'not riding for a year' resolution, haha, and I just can't see myself not touching a scooter for a year but I really have to limit myself anyway.
Scootering was a huge adventure to me, the past years have been awesome for me as I think I can safely say that Ive been the best rider in my country. Sadly, this period is coming to an end. I got to know many great people, even though I haven't been as active in the so called 'online scene' as I could or maybe should be. I guess I have made my mark and really it's not the end for me. As Steven Tongson once said, "You can stop riding but you can't quit scootering". I have already faced the fact that I'm probably never gonna be an awesome rider and now my other dream, which was to give it all Ive got to film, edit and release a really good video part is also crushed, or maybe just fading away in far future.
The good thing is that still I will be active, and I really want to contribute in the scootering scene somehow, for instance I finally need to make myself make some parts and sell them to people. It's just sad to me that I won't be able to back up my scootering experience and knowledge with real riding and footage, as since the beginning of this sport, riding skills have always been something that marks a rider's place in the community. I will still be around though and I will be at any competitions that will take place in my area such as the Meatfly Jam, just not as a rider but probably a coach of the national Polish scootering team, haha, a judge or maybe a sponsor, who knows.
To sum it up, this was just me ranting about how I feel about needing to take a brake in riding and fulfilling my need of bombing SR with a massive piece of writing, something I haven't done in a long time. This whole thread might be pointless, but it's also me willing to feel this 'I quit' drama mood for a while, haha. If you're like 'what's the big deal?', feel free to bash me in comments below. If you have got to this point, thank you for reading and if you are one of this few people that enjoyed my riding at any point in the past 5 years, you will have to wait till 2010 to see more.
WALL OF TEXT END! Thank you.
http://www.vimeo.com/1307855
Here are the clips from yesterday, as you can see I did nothing which would theoretically hurt my knee, but I still did.
