You're not seeing things: that's a 43-inch semi-pintail cruiser longboard with a reproduction of The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai on the bottom of the deck and, I don't know, some kind of trucks. I bought it at a decent price from a young woman named Sara who told me exactly what I wanted to hear: that it would be pretty slow and sluggish until I broke it in, since it hadn't been ridden much and was still pretty stiff. Those are precisely the characteristics I was seeking; since I have never been any kind of skateboarder ever, I wanted to find one that moves as little as possible until I develop my mad skillz, since I am slow and sluggish as well as a little stiff at times.
The board has a flashy underside but the top is very utilitarian. I went with the longboard because it seemed a less frantic version of skateboarding: I have met students who commute by longboard, and the recreational riding seems more concerned with distance than any kind of stunting. I hope to clock significant miles over the next couple months cruising on the local bike path or around the lake. Folks at lunch asked me about city riding; I thought about something else Sara said: "Don't go down any hills until you get good, because these don't stop very well." Since Seattle is mostly hills, I think the lake and the trail will be all we attempt for a long while.
I've already had my inaugural ride:
Yep, I managed to stay on the board all the way from the car to the fifth parking space over. I call that an auspicious start. Wish me luck!
I really wanted to commemorate the acquisition and end this post by embedding the titular little ditty from everyone's favorite faux-punk princess,
but The Man won't let me.
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