Ozzie Ausband

Sabrina's II

Josh Mattson - lit a fire

Josh Mattson - lit a fire

Rain and wind. Running down the freeways. Again. It seems like a full time occupation. Maybe it is my destiny, to drive frenetically from one place to another. Jousting for position in a metal cage as the sky falls all around me… My life in rain. It was cold. My heart barely beat and I almost expected to see a pale white skeleton peering back at me in the mirror that day. My heart belongs to… a dream.  I ache as I drive west through the morning. Crawling always. The sky falls. I was doing the only thing that could bring a whisper of a pulse through my bloodstream. Skateboarding.

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I arrived at Sabrina’s and found that it had not rained as much where she lives. The pool held a foot or two of rain water. I retrieved the buckets from the truck as MRZ, Jake Reuter, Josh Mattson, Kris Reeves and Al Brunelle arrived. I walked into the backyard and saw the sun wink through a grey cloud bank. I thought of life and the strangeness of things. Why do I dwell on situations beyond my control? How does one turn off this committee of insane people inside my head!? Questions. As the others helped me bucket, I was thankful that the sun was coming out and the rain had ceased. We worked in silence for awhile and prepared the pool.

me, Jake and Josh

me, Jake and Josh

Things began to get heated fairly quickly. I sat back and observed. When you have Jake Reuter, Josh Mattson and Al Brunelle in a pool as stellar as Sabrina’s, you are going to see a good bit of ripping put down. Make no mistake! These guys are top of the line pool riders, everywhere they go. It didn’t take long at all. Josh rolled in and basically didn’t let up until he slammed for the third time. He pulled anything he wanted for the most part and he did the ladder and deathbox both ways his first run. Jake Reuter has the best style going. His Smiths over the ladder were downright pleasing to the eye and his toe control ollies were floaty. Al Brunelle was batting one hundred percent on Smith over the deathbox.

Joshback D

Josh - back D

Jake- rock-n-roll

Jake- rock-n-roll

Al - Smith death

Al - Smith death

Kris Reeves watched for awhile and took in the scene. When he started riding, he was cruising around. He checked it out. After a bit, he threw down the deathbox and switch frontside grinds with ease. It was pretty cool to see. My pool pal Ripperside Shawn came through for an hour and Pat Rat, John Zask and Robbie came as well. It was a full house. MRZ was pretty busy by this point and things grew even more intense. Zask, Pat and Robbie flew about the pool and the coping definitely knew that they were there! Ripperside Shawn blew through the box in classic style and left with a smile and a wave of his hand. Hari Bol.

kris - switch grind

Kris - switch grind

Pat- rock-n-roll

Pat- rock-n-roll

John Zask - deathbox

John Zask - deathbox

Robbie- midwall frontal

Robbie- midwall frontal

Ripperside Shawn - death

Ripperside Shawn - death

When the day was said and done, most of what mattered earlier, no longer held sway. The rain and clouds were gone, apprehensions lifted and hearts were lighter. For a brief moment, everyone felt better about everything. Skateboarding. Few things in life work so well, for so long, when it comes to curing people of life’s little problems. Thanks to Sabrina for the session, thank you to the crew and thank you MRZ for the images. Skate- Ozzie