SPoT Spot Check: The Texas Ditch Article at Skatepark of Tampa

SPoT Spot Check: The Texas Ditch

Posted on Saturday, March 6, 2004 by Rob

SPoT Spot Check
The Texas Ditch
March 6, 2004
Words by Rob Meronek, Photos by Rob Meronek and Brian Schaefer

Schaefer and I hit up the pretty well known Texas Ditch on our way back from San Francisco to Tampa for Tampa Pro 2004. It's right off of Exit 400 on Interstate 10 that cuts through Texas. If you ever find yourself driving across the country, you'll have a pretty fun time there. It looked like it hadn't been skated in a while when we got there, which isn't surprising since it's in the middle of nowhere. The little bit of dirt and rocks were easily swept away with a little shoe brooming. As you can see by the photos, it's a pretty perfect hip. The surface is great, too. Leading up to it is a nice large drop in so you don't have to worry about speed. We’re not throwing down switch tre’s over that thing, but we’re having just as much fun. Oh and speaking of switch, it's double sided. A nice equal opportunity stance obstacle. Check out a few photos to your right.

Rob
A wide view of the ditch. That's me on one of several attempts it took to kickflip the hip.
Brian Schaefer and I put Skatepark stickers on the pole there. We wrote a number on the sticker with a Sharpie. The first person that emails me that number (rob@skateparkoftampa.com) will be sent a free deck.
Have you ever tried to change your style? No, I don't mean throwing out your fat jeans and trading them in for ones you spray paint on because it's the hot $h!t now. I mean change your skate style. That's got to be a pretty difficult thing to do. I'm going to attempt to change my style on kickflips a little. I don't like how my kickflips look. We'll see what I can do about that.
Rob Meronek - kickflip over the hip
Now this is how I'd like my kickflips to look. This reminds me of Tony Tave's kickflips except all I'm doing here is an old man one footter over the hip. One other problem I have is the crazy lobster boy back hand steeze. I'm not in many photos, but every one has me doing that Mork From Ork Nanu Nanu thing with my left hand. What the hell's up with that?
Rob Meronek - one foot ollie
Brian Schaefer backside ollies while Knuckles wonders why we're in the car so much lately
It wouldn''t be an old man session without a backside grab over the hip. Shazbot. Check the Nanu Nanu steez.
Here are a few other photos from our trip:
Somewhere in Texas...
We first found this eternal burning flame in the Texas desert on the Damn Am 2002 tour. We found it again on our trip back to Tampa in 2004.
The pool at the Ozona, Texas Travel Lodge where we're staying right now. Cell phones don't even work here.
We're leaving Cali now. Everything from skating at rest stops to getting lost finding places is putting us a little behind schedule...
Brian Schaefer's apartment in San Francisco is right next to Dennis Busenitz's place. That's Dennis' roommate Dan.
If we had to buy gas at these prices all the way home, we'd be broker than a joker.

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