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Pup-Peroni Pool.

More often than not, when you step into a backyard for the first time you are filled with excitement, wondering if this pool will be the one. A pool so epic that it’s almost as if it was built to skate. 99% of the time you are hit with a sledgehammer of disappointment, but that 1%, when you actually do find something, well, it makes the search all worth it. This was one of those times.

Brant and I drove toward the house, it sat on a corner lot with a for sale sign slowly waving in the breeze. We pulled around thru the cul-de-sac and parked on the side. There was a chest high, black iron fence surrounding the front yard. We went over quickly and thru the old battered side gate. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I rounded the corner of the house and there it sat. A beautiful left handed Rossmore kidney, bone dry with only an old rubber ball and some dead grass gathered around the drain. It couldn’t have been more perfect, except for the neighbor’s dogs continuously barking as soon as they saw us.

As we headed back out the gate to grab a broom and our boards, a car slows down and stops at the front of the house. A young couple step out and we great them with pleasantries. That let us know that they are potential buyers, we tell them we are as well. I notice and old man across the street peering hard in our direction. You could tell he is very interested on what’s going on. We decide that this night isn’t going to work and plan on hitting it first thing the following morning.

We arrived bright and early and the neighbor’s dogs start yapping away and soon as we step foot in the back. But, today I come prepared. I brought some Pup-peroni dog treats in hopes it would keep them quiet. I hand them each a stick and they are happy as can be…but, more importantly, silent!

Death’s view. Brant Austin over the ladder.

FSA

Shallow grindage

Cam Dowse, light/death

Lipslide

FSA

The pool was everything we hoped for, not a kink to be found. We only got to hit it a handful of times before it got shut down. Pretty sure Old Man River across the street had something to do with it. Get them quick as you can because you never know when they will be gone.

Trippin’ Out in AZ.

It’s been a few months since we took a quick trip to AZ. I was waiting to post until I went through the video I shot, but that’s not going to happen any time soon. So here are some images and the short version of the trip to Arizona back in March.

KB and I left Thursday afternoon and met up with everyone at Goodyear. This park was big and rad. After driving for over 5 hours, I was too lazy to shoot any photos…or do anything for that matter.

Michael Serna Jr. over the channel

Danny Sandoval nosepickin’

Went back to Gobber’s to crash out. Before we called it a night, Zach Abrams had to take a plastic banana board to Eggplant on the extension.

FRIDAY
Woke up early Friday morning and headed out to a glorious ditch.

J.r. Lasater, Boneless

Dudes

Sam Keeley, Crail blockage

Kevin Burke, Wall ride

Stopped by Peoria on the way back. This park was super fun and we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves.

Gobber, guns blazin’

Papa Serna, FSG

Back to camp for refreshments
Joe wastes no time

Night fell and things started to get heated. Gobber’s Friday night ramp sesh was going off in full force and some heavy dudes showed up to rip. I fired off a few shots before it got too crazy.

KB, lien on the extention

J.r., layback grind to revert over the loveseat

SATURDAY
Raged most of the night and woke up early Saturday to hit the road to Tuscon.
Stopped by Frog pool.
Lurkville USA

Serna Jr, side wall attack

Stopped in Coolidge. Fun park in the middle of nowhere.

One of many reasons that AZ rules.

Got to Tucson. This happened.

We then went to check out the Santa Rita park. Huge keyhole bowl and some rad little bowl and flow areas.

Checked out this crappy thing, but surprisingly some heavy shredding went down.

Pyrotechnics

pa-pa-Papaya. You had to be there

SUNDAY
KB and I split off from the group Sunday morning to meet up with Chris Livingston and skate some pools. I knew who Chris was, but this was my first time meeting him. One of the nicest dudes ever. Randy Muller from New Orleans was set to meet up with us, too.

Randy Muller, air the box

Livi, lien to tail

KB, 5-0 over the box

Randy, back smith over the box

Livi, front smith over the box

I think KB would agree with me when I say that these were two of the funnest pools we have ever skated. We didn’t want to stop, but it was getting late and we had to head back to CA. We got a few more grinds in and hit the road.

This trip was, by far, one of the best I have ever been a part of. Thanks to Serna and everyone that made it possible. Huge thanks to Gobber for the hospitality and the rest of the AZPX/WSO crew for showing us around. Thanks to Chris Livingston for taking us to some amazing gems. Finally, thanks to KB for co-piloting. Until next time.

Additional photos by Sam Haines and Serna Sr.

Doing some hole searching.

Looked at a handful of pools this weekend, skated six of them. Nothing but love from neighbors and real estate agents this time out. The pool gods were shining down on us.

It can only get better from here.

Not by much.

Cancer Bust.

Tony’s Medallion.

KB has been working out.

Brant tends to the dirty hole.

Ed and Lopez, smiles all around.

Burkeside floater.

Memorial Weekend.

KB and I spent most of the weekend looking for gems. Started out Saturday with a shred sesh at Chino skatepark, then took it deep into the IE for the search.

Brick Bummer

Curvy and Kinky

Blue Maven

Swamp Thing

As we walked up to this one, I noticed trash strung out in the front yard, newspapers piled in the driveway and 2 lock boxes on the front door. The side gate on the right was unlocked and we walked straight in. Everything seemed fine and it couldn’t have been more welcoming as we walked through the second lockless gate. As we got closer to the fence, surrounding what seemed to be perfection, something didn’t seem right. I quickly took out my camera, snapped a few shots and then we heard it. There was music coming from the back room of the house. We both looked towards the sound. A bright red metal chair sat by the back door and a tattered grey sheet, that was used as curtains, blew through the screenless window. Just then, a breeze kicked up and slammed the iron gate behind us. After nearly shitting ourselves, we quickly and silently headed out, as Too $hort’s Freaky Tales provided an exit soundtrack faintly behind us.

We got in the car, took a deep breath, laughed and drove away swiftly to the next.

After the last, we approached this one with a litle more caution. The neighbors were busy in their front yard and paid us no mind. Another side gate welcomed us in and we walked up to this beauty.

Unlike the previous find, There was something about this one that just felt right. With a small amount of rain water, we decided to clean it and come back the following day.

KB and I were both hovered over the muck cover drain. I heard the sound of a screen door shut from the neighbor’s house and knew only a chain link fence separated the yards. I grabbed one of the buckets and made my way up to the shallow end and out onto the deck. Our eyes met. I waved and asked how he was doing. He answered with a smile, waved back and headed inside. With the sound of the screen door closing behind him, I knew it was on. We decided it was best not to wait and ride it now.

Both took a few runs, picked up the towels and buckets and headed out.

There was one more to check in the area, so we headed across town to give it a look. This one was different, very large with an overly tall fence standing between us. We struggled over to get a closer look.

Around 9 feet deep, super mellow trannies and quite a bit of water to bucket with just 2 of us, we decided not to press our luck and come back another time of this one. Pulled ourselves back over the fence, threw up some high fives and headed home.

Jesus Pool.

KB checked out this Sunset a while back and we sat on it for a bit. It was pretty small and the loveseat was a big one. The day we decided to give it a roll the neighbors were out back doing yard work, so we knew it was going to be a quick hit. Burke noticed some ghosted letters on the side wall that read “Thank You Jesus”. Not sure if it was tile that had been removed or just a sign from the heavens. Whatever it was, we came in quick, laid down some grinds, and got the HELL out.

Brant

KB

Going long… light/love