Heroes and Villains, Flip in Arizona
September 01, 2007 @ 5:34 PM
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The bushes rustle. A howl in the distance.
It is most certainly alive out here. No matter what the time of day. I think that’s why Geoff is out here. It’s alive. Suburbia had lost any lure for him long ago. There is something about being surrounded by vast openness to make you feel alive. The air is fresh, the sky is bright. It makes your senses kick in. Your lungs seem to fill up easier. Each breath gets deeper. Is this madman actually on to something?
I was called out of the blue by the madman known as Geoff Rowley. He was calling to invite me to shoot on some ramps out in the desert. Obviously I was in. The last time I got a call like that I ended up skating a mini ramp in the mountains of California with some of the greats in skateboarding. You don’t pass on things like this.
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I didn’t know what to expect. You never do with Rowley or any of the Flip guys for that matter. I certainly didn’t expect to be rolling out to the desert in a caravan consisting of the usual Flip Van, an old tough ass Mustang and Arto’s Chinese Chang Zing sidecar motorcycle in tow. Just another surprise from the Flip lunatics.
The location was the mountain desert of Arizona. Not many know that Arizona isn’t just a heated wasteland but it is also a mountainous area with snow capped peaks and hot desert valleys. Geoff seems to have built a little oasis tucked neatly away from anything and on the property he has set up a haven for skateboarding. A massive (and perfect I must say) six foot mini covered in the best ramp surface I have ever ridden. A porch on the side of his house. No barbecue on this porch but you will find a granite hubba on one end and a perfect handrail on the other. Forget beers and a football game. You can have beers and catch David Gonzales invent a new rail trick. Amazing.
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That’s not all there is out here though. The massive 4-car garage doesn’t house a BMW or anything all that luxurious really. Just a 5-foot ramp to a 2-foot high ledge. Makes sense right?
The lifestyle out here is slack. You wake up and make a hearty breakfast. Have a coffee and take a stroll. Wear what you like. No one is watching. Aside from some cows, coyotes and the occasional elk. After your coffee maybe you’d like to have a roll on the ramp. Sounds good. If you want to get it on film you better holler for Fred cause he is definitely out there somewhere filming time lapse of a dead tree and some storm clouds.
Tricks come easy on this ramp. Be it the air, the scenes or just the epic construction of the ramp itself. Something makes you skate that much better.
Depending on the time of year you might have to shovel snow off the ramps. I know that sounds harsh but worry not. That snow will be gone in no time and the desert sun will have you sweating.
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The nightlife is a little strange in this land. Arto might opt to build a sauna out of plywood, tinfoil and desert rocks. Geoff will disappear wearing all black and not uttering a word. Its best not to ask. Meanwhile Jimmy Boyce and Freddy are getting the cards ready for a heated game of Rummy. You fill your time with what you have out here. There is no TV in this place. It seems fitting to read an old novel sprawled out on the big couch in the living room. It might be hard if the boys have got their hands on some red wine but fear not. They will get the wise idea to run off into the night any minute now.
After the wine hangovers have worn off and the hipper you have from sleeping on the floor subsides you might not feel like skating. Anyone up for a ride on the ATV?
The key to sanity out here is filling your time. Long rides out in the seemingly unlimited wilderness out here are a great way to reflect. My favorite was a ride on the ATV on a snowy morning. It was so quiet and as I looked back at the house the coolest site was the snow covered coping on the 6 foot. In some ways out of place here but in others it really makes sense. Why is it skateboarding takes us to some of the coolest places on earth?
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You might not have access to this particular situation but with a little ingenuity you and your friends could always wander out in the woods in your area and build your own skateboarding sanctuary. What is to lose really? Could end up being your get away from the rat race we call the real world.
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