The Darkshredder's struggle

[Darkshredder]

problem solved. not going.

staying in town and maybe shredding with Josh Digges and Ben Rea



Oh I got back from Rochester not long ago. Sucked for me. Mike A. was playing not bad tonight. Hit some reeeeeeal nice long strings and very difficult stuff. Doug was off and on, but hit e-wok and almost got the flip frantic set off. It was cleared but it couldn't be worked with.

I need to take it slow with footbag for a little while I think. I'll still play just about every day. Just not for like . . 3+ hours each time. Ugh.

alright I'm off to watch jimmy kimmel be a d-bag and watch vasek bust huge on NATIONAL TELEVISION!!!!!!1111111

[Darkshredder]

Well there's a lot of talk in the forum about the Kimmel live spectacular (TM). Meh. It's fine. At first I was kind of annoyed by the fact that they called it footbag once and made it seem a little pathetic to be as good as Vasek is. But that's just my enthusiasm for the sport coming out. No one likes comments like that, but I realized right away WHY they were doing it and I could just shrug it off. Didn't find it funny though. George Lopez. Never found him funny, and his interview only reinforced that. But Vasek seemed like he was enjoying himself fine, it got the idea out to a lot of . . . those kinds of people who watch the jimmy kimmel show . We probably could've chosen a better show to be on. Conan O'Brian. Colbert Report ( not sure where it would fit in in the Repor but whatever)

I played a little today against my better judgment. I'm just so bored. It was an alright session, though. I played it kind of slow and skooled some stuff like vortex and DLO (pdx too). I had a flip quantum set cleared. Hit slapdown and tripwalk a few more times. I should push this concept and do it midstring now. Maybe next time. When I played with Doug that night I first had the set I tried to do it from a BOPing string and couldn't QUITE get it. Pretty close, though.

Fooled around a little bit with spinning ducking. SD clipper bsos. I'll go for SD butterfly on my flip next time I get around to it. I never think of doing any spinning ducking because it's just so weird. I should practice it more, though. It's right up my alley. I can spin and spot the bag on the way up on my flipside - weird. . . but convenient. My strong is never "crowny", though. I just never see the bag. *shrug.

I'm taking the next few days off to let my legs recover. I need to juggle recovery and massive skooling before the jam at Wahkahakee. Yeah. I'm going.

[DTank126]

Dude, you cleared the quantum dex after a pdx mirage, like, first try or something you just didnt do anything after. Props on the spinning ducking, you SHOULD work that into your strings more, it realy does fit your style quite nicely. Good to hear you plan on attending wahkahakakhakahakeheeee too. Hey, if you find a ride that happens to pass thru Boston.... well, ya know what to do.

[Darkshredder]

dougdougdougdoug. YOU'D be coming through NY on your way. If I want to do what I think I should do I would just force you and your Bostonians to pick me up on the way. I'm 60% sure you have to get up to NY and get on 90 W anyway so you'd be going through Syracuse. What I could do is drive to syracuse and then have you dudes pick me up.


buuuuut I'm bad at making plans. Maybe that wouldn't work. I have no idea. It sounds good to me in my head. My head of heads. Like the king of kings only higher up and you can make it wear strange and exotic hats.

oh and this is a shout-out to Tom Mosher for being the mack daddy of throwing together this random and very cool gathering of legballers. And this is a wide-eyed smiley for Tom. I don't give these out to just anyone:

[Darkshredder]

short skooling session. Trying to give my knees a break. Very little in the way of just casual shred but what little I did just mucking about it was actually pretty good and long.

eggbeater bs
pdx eggbeater bs
pixie ducking/diving osis
pixie diving butterfly
swirl > whirl > reverse swirl > reverse whirl
amadeus > ripwalk bs
magel. > smudge > p ss mirage > plo > plo > smear > dimwalk > string
pixie osis > stepping far legover rpt. - smoooooth . easy. Just an idea I hit.
new ripwalk record = 11 (used to be 7 or 8. . . )
footed flip spinning ducking butterfly. Sooo close.
pdx DLO ALMOST bsos'd guiltless. : parkwalk > pdx dlo > ss butterfly > ripwalk > pdx DL.....off the side of the foot. Both dexes cleared, though so that was cool. Just needed a bit more HUTSPA.

[Darkshredder]

- - bored post - -
footbag is talked about. Just scroll down. I'm not playing today so nothing from me. Just some thoughts. but if you're wanting to just read this blog and don't care it's not all about footbag then. Read.

Well I'm just about packed up to go back to Siena. I leave tomorrow. My parents are coming home within the hour and I have no idea what they'll have me do from now till they go to bed. I hope it goes smoothly - the day, I mean. Lately (the past two years) I've been a little off-kilter with my parents. Not the usual anxty shit teens go through. No, we never really went through that (I was too boring and agreeable as a teenager). This is a bit more strange. It goes a bit deeper than anything I can put a name to and that's saying a lot since I'm pretty good at self-diagnosis and getting to the root of problems. Odd.

I just went to the bookstore for some coffee. The girl at the counter thought I asked for raspberry shots in it when I said I wanted hazelnut. I thought that was pretty funny. Raspberry coffee. That's insane. It tastes good, though. I'm still drinking it.

The two guys I'm rooming with are going to be a hoot to be around this year. See, I've only been at Siena for a semester and I don't know ANYONE except one crazy like 27 year old who thought I was a hacky sack god and we kind of became friends. He worked at the dining hall. BUT I met these two guys, Christian (he's from Bavaria) and Rob, and a couple others through them. They're nice as hell. That's why I'm friends with them. But good god they take life waaay too seriously. It's going to be a 24 hour job trying to get these guys to do things other than manage the international students association and the other 4 or 5 things they're presidents of. And poker. They play loads of poker. That's cool, I guess, but I hate card games (it's a malfunction of my brain I've inherited through my father. It sucks. I just can't stand card games. And I really would like to get into them. Ugh)

Trying to think of some interesting things to bring with me this year. I'm thinking of bringing some board games. Risk and Axis and Allies are my favorite board games of all time. I might bring risk at first and then bump it up to the next level with A&A. I think I might also bring my tiny plastic snowboard and my inflatable pool. We'll see if I have room.

I watched Undefeated on youtube today. I have it downloaded on my old computer. It's such a great movie. Haven't seen it in a while. Sends shivers down my spine every time he says "I know it's just a game. But to me. It's everything." oooooo! It's up there with the best footbag (short) films ever. EVEN BETTER THAN DER BALL!

And speaking of footbag, while I was waiting in line to get coffee I was thinking randomly about atomic and flailing. I came to the conclusion that paradox flailing is very possible and I'd like to know who's done it. So it'd be like. . Symposium nuclear. I was trying to picture it two ways: done kind of broken up a bit and really high and huge dexes as well as set > super fast plant > low flail dex. The latter is probably how it'd go in order for more things besides clip, butterfly, osis to be hit out of it. I could picture henry g. hitting it easily. Jeremy Mirken (if he'd just start shredding again without a net!!!! ) and Chris Pinkus too. A lot of people could get it set I think. Those three just came to mind immediately.

anyway this should be a good school year. I'm taking a class on Arthurian Legends which will be great. Also taking a biology class which will be my first non arts/writing/blah course since high school. So that should fuck up my GPA

[mosher]

Thanks for the shout out! I was reading and then I was like 'oh, how nice!'.

Did I read correctly that you were implying that Bostonians were coming to Wakahakee? Cool!

You'd think I would know this kind of thing!

[Darkshredder]

it was an implication on an implication. I thought Doug was coming up with Bowler and the other BSC people. Guess not.

thanks for reading, Tom.

me

[Darkshredder]

I'll be in LA from December 19th until January 3rd.

I want climas

Can't seem to get this homework done

I have an 8:15am class tomorrow

I want a bumper sticker that says "I'd rather be playing footbag"

Had a talk with my parents the other day about footbag once and for all. My mom thinks I should stop for my knee's sake and she thinks I'm negatively influenced by it (i.e.: I sacrifice other opportunities in my life so that I can play footbag and "mess up my knees"). My dad doesn't care as long as I know that I can't become a professional and make a living on it and I need to at some point make something of myself. All in all it was a good talk. It was about 2 years in the making and needed to be done. Too bad it was done over dinner at a really nice sea food place as my final supper before going off to college. - - I had mahi mahi in a pineapple salsa with some other crazy side dish that tasted like ketchup. It was delicious.

I had a short session today just to say I could play still. I'll get back into the swing of things now that I've rebooted and am fresh. They've done some construction on campus since I was last here and a few places are 10x better to play near. Well lit, etc.

[BenRea]

I want a bumper sticker that says "I'd rather be playing footbag"

.

Thanks for the idea man!!!!

im gunna do it.

[Darkshredder]

I'm pretty sure I've actually seen a picture of one. . . or no. A shirt. That's it. I think flipsider or somewhere used to sell a shirt that said I'd rather be playing footbag. It was sweet. But a bumper sticker would be cool because it'd go better with other stickers that say "I'd rather be _____" . Obviously.

but yeah. Do it. And then I'll want to get 1 or 8 from you sometime.

My 8:15 cultural anthropology class is strange. It's really interesting but it's too early for my brain to be working and the prof's got this whole "don't raise your hand" thing that some people do. Pisses me off. I can't just blurt things out after being told to raise my hand since I was 5. Ugh.

I'll probably be playing some legball later today so check back here for an edit. Unless I don't do anything worthwhile. I'm still going to use today like I did yesterday I think, just long easy strings to get back into the feel of dialed things. Pretty soon I'll get into Siena mode. Returning brings me back to that semester and a half. ooooo I shutter to remember all those days. Those HOURS of nothing but footbag. It was nuts. I played more footbag in those months than I have ever till now. Crazy. It's funny, though, I can remember what I was doing during those endless solo sessions and what I was drilling and it shocked me last night to realize how much better I am than then. A guy saw me last night who recognized me from before and told me how much better I was. It was pretty cool. But I had to smile and shake my head and say under my breath 'pff. tip of the iceberg, mate. This is just BOPing.'

Yeah. Siena's going to get ripped a new one with footbag this year. Two guys I don't recognize (probably sophmores and they had just come in last year while I was away in Ireland) saw me and said I should definitely start a hack club. I told them I've tried and people weren't interested. They said try again. will do, comrads. will do. Club fair is this friday and I didn't register for any footbag club, but I think I'm going to run to the store, get a poster, and make a quick poster that says "Siena Footbag _______" and I'll just be on the side shredding.

I really want to call the club something cool, but I'm having trouble coming up with a name. Kingston Footbag Militia is quite possibly the coolest club name ever. So militia is out. Revolution? Too cliche. Same with Resistance. Deviants? Meh? Squirrels? Siena Department of Mastery in the Craft of Footbag? Well I have 48 hours or thereabouts to come up with something. Any help would be appreciated.

[Darkshredder]

this is a picture of me. . it was taken not too long ago by a friend of mine at Siena. It is quite possibly my favorite picture ever. Of myself. See I don't really take good pictures. Not photomagenic. But this is just great.

[Darkshredder]

had a session that lasted about three times longer than I thought would be. It was supposed to just be a break in session to get used to my new lavers, which was good - I'm pretty much comfortable in them now.

overall it was a real sucky shred. I wasn't playing nearly as well as I thought I would, but that's alright. Then these three guys from across this brick courtyard I was playing in called me over to them so they could get a better look at the bag. They loved it. More and more people came and soon I was constantly surrounded by about 15 people at all times. Pretty insane. They stayed there for a long time, calling more of their cronies over to watch me. As usual, they liked the ducking and dynos and they thought the osis was the bee's knees. They threw down a hat for me and helped me raise 5 dollars, a cigarette, and a ball-point pen. I hit far symple swirl for them , a bunch of atomic things, and a string where I used dragons bsos and flapper on my good side. That was cool. Felt like a real demo-man.
such good publicity for footbag today. It's the club fair tomorrow so I'm going to get out of class, see my advisor, and then finish the Siena Poster I made today. Maybe color my new lavers and officially induct them into the "Use Pile".

*exhausted sigh*. Well I shoved food down my throat, watched an episode of Trailer Park Boys, and now I'm heading off to get some work done.

[Darkshredder]

Siena Footbag poster finished! Just need to outline and color.
New Lavers painted and modded with a new lacing style that I think will prevent the gathering of the mesh at the toe box. . . we'll see later today at the club fair if this does the trick. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AT WORK.

check back here tonight for pictures of the shoes and the poster if you want. And maybe a quick recap of what the fair was like. If I got told to leave. How much I got told I look stupid. All that kind of stuff. There's going to be a DJ, breakdancers, HIP HOP, and a whole bunch of other things there so I'm really looking forward to what I can do. I'm going to have to drink some coffee or something beforehand, though because I'm beat. Had another really early class and I've been running around campus all day so far. AND IT'S NOT EVEN NOON!

footbag

[Darkshredder]

k These are some pictures for you to see!!


This is the poster. It took entirely too much time and energy to make. But it was a lot of fun. I liked it.


here are my new lavers I painted today. Same colors as last time only in a different pattern. I like them. The lacing style I used kind of worked. It's tight and reinforced lacing at the top and uses the vertical lacing to make the bottoms loose.

the fair went okay. I didn't get any energy unfortunately so I had to rely on the whole natural high I got playing in front of crowds. Same old story I'm used to around here. Lots of people walking around smiling and saying it looks cool and that they can't do that. Yeah. I know. Not many people can.

two girls came by and talked with me about it for about 10 minutes which was awesome. They sounded like they'd like the challenge. One said they might go to Finish Line and get a pair of lavers. I told them I'd help them mod them.

a guy I met when I first came to siena is still here and he walked up to my little stand and we got to talking. I think he's ready to actually play this time. he showed interest before but we had met at the end of the year and so there wasn't much time for him to get into it. I'm glad he's still here and hasn't graduated. He might be a senior this year. Not sure.

another person came over and told me I should get a form filled out to have an official club made for it so I could get funding but I told him if I'm the only one playing I don't need funding (unless they WOULD get me money anyway. . . I could use the funding to get myself some footbags alone ) And he said he'd try and find me and maybe he'd play.

shrug.

Like I said there were breakdancers. They were cool. From harlem and all that. THE ORIGINAL as it were. They were doing this free for all dance thing where anyone could come up and dance. I was dared by some kid to go up and play on stage with all the people dancing. He said he'd come to "a meeting" if I did it. I said I'd go up on stage anyway and that if he didn't want to play it's alright. I really was considering going up and shredding on stage just for the hell of it. So I did. That was funky. It was crowded on stage and I kind of sucked but I got two or three good simple tiltless/guiltless stuff to the beat of the music and people liked it. One of the bboy people walked up and started dancing into my and around me and stuff and it was funny. He was quick and would dodge my legs and stuff. I knew where he was and he knew where I was. Pretty sweet.

anyway I sucked today as far as shred goes. My legs still hurt which bugs me. Not sure what that means. If I should take a long term break or what. . . I have been dumb about stretching the last few sessions. Maybe that's the key. Blah. Sucks. Oh well. It was a good day for footbag. A moral victory, as they say. People know about me. They know it's footbag.

[BenRea]

NICE POSTER!!!

i like the guy, he has really cool hair.

HOW OLD ARE THOSE SHOES?!?!??! just kidding but really, they look all old and sweet!

[Darkshredder]

yeah but the truth of the matter is that they look new as hell without the paint. I hated the way they looked and it sounds strange but I think it was even effecting the way I was playing. They were too white and too stiff-looking. Now at least they look like they form to my feet with dark colors and I can forget about the fact that I've worn them a total of like 8 times since I've gotten them. . . I have vans. Those are my civi shoes. And I have three other shreddable pairs of shoes.

just need to take a lighter and melt the edge of the mesh on the sides of the toe box so that they don't tear or unravel now that I'll be using them all the time now. It's a little lacrosse player trick I learned and I wish I hadn't. But it helps. So I need a lighter.

ow. My knees hurt. This better not be a problem up till Wakahakee. I want to at least have the potential to perform at 100% while there. It sounds like it'll be well worth the ridiculous amount of time it'll take driving there and the fact that I'll get there after the sun sets on Friday . People had better want to shred with me when I get there. I'll be bugging out and wanting some hack.

Oh and I went to a couple house parties tonight and saw that guy who wants to join in the footbag fun. He was either stoned or pissed off when I saw him, though, and we gave the little knuckle punch "hey" thing and talked for a second and then he walked off smoking a cigarette.

well both roommates are off to bed, I'm spent looking at modified, and I can't play wii. Huh. Later

[DTank126]

Bring me with you!!!!! Ahhhh, I wanna go to wakahakee soooo bad, but alas, the distance, the lack of car, therein lies the quandry. Ugh, have fun without me ya jerk. Cool poster by the way. Shoes look good too, good and used.

[Darkshredder]

yeah it's going to be strange not playing with you or Ben. All summer. Man, I'm going to be lost without ya. I'll probably be all quiet and not knowing anyone. Buuut probably I'll just be loud and talking and nobody knowing me.

K so here's something new. I woke up today kind of normally. Went to class, had fun with that, came back, napped, and then woke up a completely different person. For some reason I woke up and wanted to play footbag. But not in a good way. In a way I thought I'd never do. I want to play footbag with VENGEANCE! if that makes sense at all. Like. Tie a headband around me and play with a bottle of gatorade at my feet in an empty gym with a single overhead light shining down on me. Like. I feel like playing because I NEED to get good, not just because footbag is fun as hell and it makes me happy to play it. It's a duty today.


and it sucks.

it makes the sensible side of me (the one that moves my limbs and picks up the footbag. . the one in charge pretty much) feel like taking one more day off though I'm definitely healed up and ready to go.

yeah so there's a conflict with footbag and it's unfortunate because I really DID want to go and play. It's been a few days. But I'm never going to play footbag for the sole purpose of "training" or do an angry shred (unless it's with Ben and I can't hit drifters for some reason)- I've never done that and I'm never GOING to. It's just not kosher. It's like visualizing a line of like 70 kids all doing monotonous synchronized drills of toe stalls or clipper stalls or something.

Yeah "Angry Shred" is a term I've coined where I change the CD in the player from like. . whatever is playing to one of my punk CDs like Minor Threat or Garden of Concrete or something fast and pissed off. It's fun. I'm not actually mad (usually) and I can get the energy and the "getgo" to do some runs I wouldn't normally do with things that would usually kill my knees. All fear of injury is gone and I just let rip. To give you an idea, that session I had the other week where I hit pdx egg bs for the first time pretty much first tries each. That was an angry shred. It was intense. I get things done during that time in those minute-long anthems of nonconformity, food, beer, and banging your head against a wall.

anyway it's shitty and rainy here but the ground dries every so often. If I'm going to play today it's not going to be in a gym. I know I'll be in there playing way too much this winter so I need to play outside for as long as possible. Yeah and if I can't get anyone to play that's also going to be a pain this winter. Ugh this place.

[BenRea]

footbag has become my duty in a way, i know how you feel.