...bastard child, monster truck, big foot. Those were just a couple of the insults I had to put up with when people saw my little interim board solution for the first time. I have to admit, it's not the prettiest thing ever built and does look a little awkward at first glance – like a pumped up toy board or something – but, it's so much f***ing fun to ride! Something all haters – mostly spoiled-by-perfectionism product designers – had to agree with in the end :)

I mean this is how a skateboard should be – smooth and fast on long straight flats (thanks to the big trucks and wheels) and with superfast response in tight turns (thanks to nose, tail and concave shape). Only problem is that due to the weight of the trucks/wheels and the resulting bulky overall shape, pulling tricks is almost impossible – at least for me. But hey, I intended this 'fun thing' for cruising the inner city and for that it works perfectly. Not counting the four or five heavy crashes I've had in the three days I've ridden it that is...

:)

Ooouweee, diploma update. Work is progressing at an ok speed I think. Last week my prof and I decided on two pretty nice theses on which I will base my illustrations: "In fear, one cannot but spread fear." and "Can there be monsters in the eye of the one who knows why they are, how they became and how they should not have had to become what they are?".

Since then I've started with some rough pencil sketches – probably none of which will be part of my final result – and am in the midst of trying out old school watercolor paints. Pretty excited as I've never really worked with these – I'm just not a big painter, always been more of a 'drawer'. Anyways, here a couple of the very rough pencil drawings.

Feel it.

I wish I had 2% of your skills...

Sniff. My trusty little self-made longboard has rolled down its last hill after a very short life of only 1 1/2 years. Last Wednesday, at another parking lot session, while trying to avoid crashing with Alex on his fixie, I slipped, fell and somehow in that process managed to break the wood. Funny in a way, since just before that crash I was talking to another rider about how my board might be a little too flexible and lightly built for my weight. But we both came to the conclusion that it was still within the limits and if it did break – after several years of use – I would just have to hope it wouldn't happen while riding. Oh well...

But, since more than half of the riders I know are product designers who are currently building boards for themselves on a 48h basis it probably wont take too long before I have a new one. Until then I'll just pop the trucks and wheels on my old skateboard, should make for a fun toy as well :)

Still, kinda sad to lose my first love this fast. Sniff.