slams

I typically don’t slam that often. I’m talking about those instances when there’s no saving yourself, no tiptoeing or cartwheeling away from catastrophe. The slams when it’s just you meeting the ground, however you find yourself positioned upon impact. For some skaters, not a session goes by where they don’t take at least one solid slam. For others, it’s not even a session without plenty of slams.

But for myself—and maybe you, too—most sessions are about working my way back to that comfortable groove, the one where I’m in control, know the limits of the day, know my range, and can catch a cruise within it. On the best of days, those fleeting days that I’ll forever continue to chase, I try to widen the groove, take it in new directions, expand it, improve it. Most days though, I can’t shape it, only ride it. Other days, the worst of days, I can’t even lock into it to begin with.

I did slam earlier today, a slam that seemed like it should have knocked the wind out of me, but amazingly, thankfully, I met the ground like I was landing on a memory foam mattress, bounced right back up, and pushed off for another run at it. Maybe I’ll feel it tomorrow, or maybe that wasn’t even a slam at all. —Jeff Thorburn

Pictured: Dustin Henry with a certified slam. 2010.