To quote a book
which I enjoyed, but went largely over my head:
"talented surfers think like great jazz musicians, using invention, complex rhythm, timing and spontaneity to turn impossible wave scenarios into beautiful but challenging music"
Don't great skaters play jazz, too?
It certainly looked like Carlotti was, winning a world cup race after being involved in 9 overtakes in 3km.
But you don't have to go mach 10 to play jazz, or to be a great skater. Just opening your eyes to an extra street feature will allow you to improvise, and soon you will be singing.
Who better than Loaded to show us the ropes?
You don't have to ollie to have fun with a curb - drop it, bonk it, slap and slash it.
Drain covers are another good one. Slide out over it, pull a wheelie, just jump into the air! Let your board roll over it, land back on and ride away.
Any change of tarmac is a manual gap (or ollie gap if you're more energetic than me).
Throw in a grass ride - careful after rain - and suddenly you're playing jazz.
Loaded know this - they feel this in their bones - and as such the new Bolsa II graphic is aptly named: Jazz.
Available now:
I'd actually love to ride this one round town with TKPs and a ~60mm slidey wheel for maximum jazz... but we didn't have time this week to do the photography for that. Give us a call if you fancy it.
The book, for anyone interested, was "Surfing Brilliant Corners" by Cornish longboarder Sam Bleakley. I'll leave it at that - this is Vandem Longboard Shop not Vandem Book Reviews.
May you find your brilliant corner,
Matt @ Vandem
We know Loaded have a lot going on right now so were stoked to see a few of these new graphics dropping recently... we'll get our hands on the others just as soon as they become available in the UK!