Who plans a skate trip to Central Oregon in November?
It was completely dark by 5 PM, rain clouds were constantly appearing on the radar, and there was a risk of some difficult weekday skating spots. Honestly, I knew this trip was doomed before it even began. But the forecast showed a rare chance of sunshine. With a generator rented, skaters' disparate schedules coordinated, and an Airbnb booked, there was no turning back. With hope in our hearts and The Prodigy's "Breathe" on repeat, the Tactics team piled into the van and headed back to where we started: Eugene, Oregon.
When we arrived in Eugene, we were greeted with the expected sight...
Rain, wet ground, and mossy roads. After our first stops at Eugene and WJ, we met up with "Tim from Tactics" and headed to another spot under the bridge. This spot looks fun and easy at first glance, but the combination of misty rain, mud, long drops, and short run-ups made it a tricky spot, just like Scotty's notebook. However, as the day progressed, the ground dried out and the business district closed down. After a bit of riding on the classic Eugene "bump over bars," we called it a day.
Tuesday, you know?
Apparently local businesses don't appreciate us sweeping and clearing their sidewalks for them to skate on. David landed a front blunt and got kicked out by "Karen" in training, but I guess that's part of skating.
Eugene's journey concludes...
At the spot we'd prepared at Love Brick the day before. Street Kev landed a big one, but we'd taken a few big slams before that. With just an extra piece of cardboard on the landing, we were able to roll out and blend into the night. We filled our stomachs with Domino's Pizza delivered to the spot, and, exhausted from a long day, we loaded up the van. Next stop: Bend.
It was a great way to end the trip.
We had a jam session at Sisters Skatepark just before sunset, where Kowalski gave us a solo demo and we had a great time skating around the park, before finally heading back to Portland and getting back to reality.
Thanks to the crew!
Check out Isaiah Boughn's video of the non-stop 2.5 day trip. See you next time!
Photos: Noah Smith
Film Photos: Scotty Copalman
