Lauri J's diar...footblog

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 11 Oct 2004 06:28

I'm Lauri Jaakkola, a 15-year-old athletic (and handsome and...) guy from Finland, the home of sauna, booze, some footbag players and...uhm...Finns.
This blog starts now after I got my CT300's a couple of days ago. I've been playing footbag for a year and half now, but the last time I played footbag regularly was last spring. My not-yet-so-glorious "history with the amazing sport of footbag" is something like this:

May (2003).
I get a 32-panel footbag. I've been kicking with my friends before.

Summer '03.
I play footbag a lot, I learn basic 1-add tricks and more. My friends don't get into footbag (burn those heretics...) so I'm playing all alone. I become the leading "shredder" in Mouhijärvi (my homeplace) after I learn ATW's and Legovers. And I still am.

Fall '03.
I'm still into footbag and keep training though it's getting darker and colder outside. I don't have proper equipment and company at all so my progress isn't so fast. Though I learn some more 2-add tricks and try to do them both sides.

Winter '03.
I have no place to play, so I'm forced to leave my footbag in my book shelf for a while.

Spring '04
I restart my foobag career for a while and play a lot, but I reduce it cause my shoes are getting too small and they're full of holes. And I almost get flat feet cause of footbag, so I replace it with running for instance.

Summer '04
*Sad* No footbag at all, cause of no shoes

Fall '04
I start this sport again, for the third time. I finally get proper shoes after my message at the Finnish discussion board. I buy them from another Finnish player.
I'm back in black, thrilled to get in action.

Winter '04-'05
Fast developing. Need a better bag.

Spring '05
OK I now have a FelixBag and a huge hunger to get better. Only problem is that the NBs are getting too small for me (they are 10½ US) so I probably have to get Lavers. I think I'll go something like 11½ or 11. This time I won't quit.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 31 Oct 2004 01:28

Sorry that I haven't posted a thing in my blog. That's 'cause I haven't had actual sessions at all, only playing in my room.
I feel like I've developed a lot after I got good shoes. First I was like "Man, can it be any harder?" because I wasn't used to playing shoes on. After that I've been only happy.

First I was at the level where I could hit two-adders.
Now I'm hitting stuff like Dimwalk, pdx mirage etc.

I'm sooo close to hit Ripwalks, PS mirages (which I find easier than normal symp. mirages), ducking butters,...
Only thing I'm really waiting for is whirl. I really don't know why I still keep footing that and won't get it properly.

Now I'll start skooling and learning magellan, datw, parkwalk, sidewalk and ducking and diving. After those'll come fairy, spinning and pixie duckings.
Wish me luck.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 20 Feb 2005 01:49

February the 20th

-The day my blog got a new start-

I've hit that PS mirage. I'm very close to hit Phoenix and Torque (quite embarrasing). Yesterday I was goofying around in my room with my socks on (can't use shoes in my room anymore

) and suddenly got the idea how the Atomic set goes. All this time I've done tricks like rev mirage awfully wrong! Always have somebody to shred with - someone who can tell you that you're doing it all wrong...
I just can't wait 'til tomorrow to try some atom smashers with my shoes on!
Stepping set is the thing I need to work on much more...

Those tricks I've mentioned there above - I've pretty much just ignored skooling them.

I've just skooled my strings longer and trained only a few new tricks. But it'll all change next week...

Anz · Post by **Anz** » 20 Feb 2005 03:42

sniikeri wrote:All this time I've done tricks like rev mirage awfully wrong! Always have somebody to shred with - someone who can tell you that you're doing it all wrong...

Come to Turku

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 20 Feb 2005 07:27

Ei ole rahaa, kun ostan sen mini-dv videokameran ja sitten FelixBagin.

Kerätkää kolehti!

Anz · Post by **Anz** » 20 Feb 2005 10:16

whine!!

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 21 Feb 2005 06:30

I know, Anssi, I know.

Today I had a nice 1h shred. Trained asmashers and steppings but I still need to work on them.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 24 Feb 2005 05:29

Fuck...the whole next week without footbag!

The gyms are closed for the winter holidays. I'm not allowed to shred with shoes on inside our house anymore. Dad got worried cause the windows started to jingle.

So be it! Just barefootbag for a week. Kind of sad; I was just getting the touch back and starting to hit lots of new tricks and then this came up.

Today I was supposed to shred for a couple of hours after school but 11km of cross-country skiing right before the end of the school made me think again...

I've got to get a new bag soon. I've got only one hardly playable bag, but it ain't very good aswell. And it's a sand.
But I'll buy a digital videocamera first, so it may take some time.

Roger.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 13 Mar 2005 05:22

March the 13th

I had a couple of nice sessions this week (in Finland Sunday is the last, not the first day of week). The best was probably at Thursday when we had sport at school.
I haven't mentioned this before (I think...

) but I and two others in our group can do almost whatever we want during the sports lessons.

So the others went to cross-country skiing (first two kilometers walking carrying all the stuff, then skiing for over an hour and finally two kilometers walking and carrying back to school) and I and those two stayed at the gym.
!!! FOOTBAG !!!
It was the best session I had had for a long time. And the strangest thing was that usually I'm nervous when other people are watching me shred, but this time I hit good strings (NOTE: good strings for _me_).
And even though the girls came to the gym (they had been ice-skating) I didn't lose my concentration.

Some of them even said: "Wow, that was so fast that I couldn't even see the bag!" when I did consecutive legovers starting from clip set ss...

They were all a bit excited. The other one of those two guys who also were at the gym with me wondered if he would start footbag (he plays soccer). So maybe when the weather is warm enough and I can shred outside, I may get some new people to play with me.

Tomorrow I'll have a session at school and I hope I'll get my steppings finally sealed.

Please give me more challenges! (My challenge thread is in the challenges category - surprise, surprise).

Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention that I "founded" a footbag club (Salmi FTBG).

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 17 Mar 2005 03:53

March the 17th

I've had only one "shoes on -session" this week (tuesday) but lots of ok barefoot sessions. Today I was trying to have a decent session with shoes on. Unfortunately it didn't work out as I had wished.
Two hours playing floorball had "some" effect. After the lessons and lunch I changed shoes to NB's and _tried_ to start shredding. Not a chance. It felt like my feet were stucked full of lead and all my dexes were irritatingly slow. I quit playing after 20 minutes when it was no use.
Still, I hit one of my challenges; illusion>legover>mirage>rpt. Not very hard for a drill, but I was still pretty satisfied to hit even something. (I had hit it yesterday barefoot but I don't give it so much value).
This week there'll be no more shred with shoes on unless I'll manage to get an hour or two in a gym at the weekend.

Anyways, shred goes on.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 24 Mar 2005 10:26

March the 24th

"Another one bites the dust."
What a sweatful session I had today. At school's sports' lesson we were indoors. We played badminton, basketball, floorball, indoor football...and of course footbag. Actually I only played footbag and a bit basketball and badminton. "(Serious) Butterfly and Osis Drilling school" continued today (started on Tuesday), there was some ordinary tiltless shredding with butterflies, pdx mirages and dimwalks, and ripwalk training. Ripwalk _will_ be hit soon (hope so). Or then it's gonna keep teasing me and won't get sealed in a few months...

I noticed that I shred better when there are people around me. They don't have to kick with me or anything, but still I keep on playing longer and don't get frustrated so easily.

This weekend is the Easter, so no school for four days! Though...if I can't get to school, I can't play footbag too.

Shred goes on. (Mom bought us a package of cereal today - "Shredded Wheat".

)
-Lauri

EDIT: I'm not very pleased with the lack of arch support the NB's shoes have. And in clippers I lean with my support leg to the inside of the foot to keep my balance, so my foot arches are not very good.
So I went to a sport shop I know very well (I've worked there for a week) and asked if they have any supporting sockliners (which they didn't have) or arch support pads (are they called pads). I heard that with some Nike shoes they had got some extra supports, and they gave me a couple for free.
At home I put them under the sockliner with two-sided tape and tried them on. I shouted a little "wow". The support was way much better and it didn't cost me anything. I can't wait to get to shred now.
I recommend this to anyone who wears NBct300's or lavers (I'm sure that the lavers' support is as weak as in NBs.). I don't know what kind of support do the NB520s or Climas have.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 04 Apr 2005 06:11

April the 4th

Spring.
The birds come back from the south, there's not so much snow in the ground and the days are longer and warmer. And of course, outdoors season starts.

Mine started yesterday, when I decided it was warm enough to go out. Well, actually the only thing I was waiting for was that the snow on my shred spot would melt and I could shred there without having my bag all wet. Wearing shorts and a college shirt I had a nice session, so nice that I won't go back indoors for a while.
Too bad I have a head ache now, I was supposed to go to play again.

Only thing I want right now is a new, well made 32.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 13 Apr 2005 10:08

April the 13th

I've played outdoors for about 4-5 times now. From this on, I'll try to double the time I'm shredding.

Ja sitten suomalaisille: en tiedä lukeeko teistä kukaan tätä, mutta pistänpä kuitenkin. Olen siis keräämässä porukkaa Tampereelle kesällä erittäin pienimuotoisiin peleihin nimeltä Ristiretki. Tarkoitus on elvyttää kuihtunutta skeneä täällä päin. Kysyn siis, että keillä olisi kiinnostusta tulla pelaamaan. Siis kiinnostusta, mitään päivämäärää ei olla päätetty. Niitä saa ehdotella, ja yleisesti haluaisin tietää, kumpi sopisi paremmin: ennen vai jälkeen MM:en?

_Dimi · Post by **_Dimi** » 13 Apr 2005 22:38

Minä voisin ainakin tulla, jos oon pelikunnossa sillon. Mielummin MM:ien jälkeen, koska nyt on selän kuntoutus aika hyvässä vaiheessa niin olis hyvä antaa sen vaan parantua kunnolla ennenkuin rupee kunnolla taas pelaamaan.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 14 Apr 2005 10:21

OK, voidaan pitää jälkeen. Hyvä että olisit tulossa jos selkä on kunnossa.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 30 Apr 2005 10:08

4/30/05, JUGGLING starts here

Q: I sprained my ankle this week and I'm on a break right now. No shredding or such. What can I do?

A: Simple. I start to juggle.
I started yesterday and just got 34 throws with one hand and two bags.

My both-hands-and-three-bags technique isn't so good yet, I get around ten throws. Juggling is cool but I'd also like to shred. Fortunately I can already walk nearly properly but I still have to wait for a few days.
Before this accident (i.e. this ankle sprain) on a soccer field I played every day. See, last weekend I was visiting Anssi in Turku and bought a bag from Felix. Playing first time with others and seeing their styles was great. After the weekend I played at least an hour every day until I broke this damn ankle. I just really can't wait to get back to play.

(Niin ja kommentoikaa vielä parhainta mahdollista ajankohtaa kesän Ristiretkelle, sikäli kun tätä nyt kukaan suomalainen lukee.)

Virppa · Post by **Virppa** » 01 May 2005 11:24

Lukee lukee. Hyvä että jaksat yksin pelailla.

Omasta puolesta ei ole mitään väliä, koska näillä näkymin on taas taas kesä pelkkää joutenoloa.

->>ehdottomasti mukana

Air · Post by **Air** » 02 May 2005 04:48

Mäkin voisin ehkä tulla. Kattoo ny.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 02 May 2005 06:20

Damn, I couldn't find my own blog because you two had posted to it. (Se oli niin ylhäällä.

).
[some ristiretki aka crusade stuff]
Pitäis varmaan mun alkaa pikkuhiljaa katsastella millaisia halleja Tampereella on, siis sateen sattuessa. Ehkä joku Pyynikki... Vaikka retken tarkoitus onkin nimenomaan pelata "kansan keskellä".
[/some ristiretki aka crusade stuff]

I hope that expression "both-hands-and-three-bags technique" doesn't sound pervert in any level.

Anyways, my latest records are with two hands a bit over 30 and with one hand 118 throws. Must be pro.

Oh, I'll be probably playing again in 2-3 days. I should also run more because we have the Cooper's test (12 minutes of running, 3,000m = A or 10) next week. All I've done has been kicking...

SandWraith · Post by **SandWraith** » 02 May 2005 20:19

Yeah, I sprained my ankle around when you did (4/18 ), and only started hacking again on 4/28. It totally blows cause your clippers with that foot are horrible, and everything that involves a clipper sucks too. If you haven't started already, I'd suggest working hardcore on getting your ankle flexibility back. Like, stand with the outside surface of that foot on the ground and try to stretch it. Made a huge difference for me. And I'm really envious of your juggling skills... I have tried before and totally suck at juggling.

Keep at it though, it'd be pretty sweet if you could get really consistent with your juggling ^_^

modified

Lauri J's diar...footblog

Lauri J's diar...footblog

October the 31st

April the 4th