Slick Concrete

Canon EOS 7D

f4.5
1/125th sec. with built in flash.
ISO 400
EFS 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 @ 38mm

I got a call yesterday from a friend who invited me to come and skate with him and a couple of mates in a multi story car park in town. It sounded cool so I took him up on his offer and headed over there at about half-past nine in the evening. We had to go there after the offices and most people that were out for dinner had all gone home so there were less people to complain to the security. We were obviously not supposed to be skating there.

I used to skate when I was younger and had been pretty good until I got over being injured all the time, swapping it for kite boarding. I had never done long boarding though…

It had always kind of interested me. When someone shoots past you going super fast downhill with a look of extreme concentration, which turns into a broad smile, as they reach the bottom of the hill, you can’t help but think how awesome it must feel and the adrenaline rush it provides. I’m an adrenaline junkie and I love anything that gets my pulse racing.

Arriving at the undisclosed location, I paid my way into the car park and proceeded up to the top level where I was told to go. Driving up the inclined ramps all the way to the top I began to get super excited. I got to the top level to find Justin buzzing about his last run down to the bottom. The others hadn’t pitched, so we had the whole car park to ourselves. Using his sector 9, we started taking turns to ride down the levels of the car park (which was downhill all the way) to the bottom and then catch the lift back to the top. All I can say is that I have found the coolest thing to do at night in Cape Town and it only costs as much as the entry into the car park, which was cheap.

Cruising down the slopes and picking up speed, you slide into the corners hoping that you can stick the turn. The floors are really smooth concrete and you seem to glide along them. By the end of the night we were carving between the concrete pillars, grabbing the board with one hand and leaning right out so as not to fall inwards on those really tight corners, all the time trying desperately not to slam face first into a wall, or worse, someone’s Porsche 911 that was parked at the bottom!

Justin had found something special. The perfect spot. Free of crowds and onlookers, just an empty car park with slick concrete floors and a lift to save you from the walk back up. Helping us to ride again and again.

I didn’t take to many pictures whilst I was there as I was too busy riding. I did manage to get this one of Justin as he carved through the pillars with a huge smile on his face, which kind of illustrates just how much fun it was, which is the whole reason we were there in the first place.

I finally know what it feels like to ride downhill and experience that ‘YES’ moment that I have seen so much of in the past. All I can say is that it’s truly awesome. I will definitely go back.

Check back soon, P.S.