times. But he’s right, aerial spins like these mean tons of crashing, and not little minor slides down the ramps either. We’d both be covered in bruises and risking more serious injuries if we went for that next level.
“So I should just give up on the 720 because it’s too risky?”
Beck doesn’t answer right away. “I’m not planning to go for a 1080 anytime soon. To be honest, I don’t think I could pull it off on a vert. It’d have to be on a mega ramp, and even then it’s a long shot.”
“You don’t want to try because you don’t think you can?”
“I guess when I weigh the odds of me pulling it off against the risk of hurting myself, I’m not real motivated. Only a couple kids have done it and they were much smaller than I am. I’ve got plenty of other tricks I want to keep working on and getting better at. A 1080 isn’t calling to me.”
“So, you think the risk outweighs the odds for me too with the 720?” My chest squeezes just asking the question, and I hold my breath waiting for him to answer.
He looks me in the eye when he does. “I don’t want any risk to you, Jordan, but this isn’t about me. If you want to know if I think you can pull it off, then yeah, I know you can.”
The tightness radiating in my chest dissipates with his faith in me. Given his own decision not to tackle a 1080, I know he’s not placating me. “But I’m torn here about everything, Hotshot. I’ll beat myself up if you’re back in the ER because you tried a trick I encouraged you to do, but I’ll also beat myself up if I discourage you from going for it if it’s calling to you.”
“It’s calling to me, Beck,” I confirm. I know exactly what he’s talking about when he says that. Getting back after inverts was one thing, but a 720 is something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time. “I know it’s not going to be easy. I don’t want easy.”
Beck studies me. “You’ll wear knee pads, elbow pads, wrist pads.”
I nod, because he’s not making a request, he’s telling me this is the only way I’m getting his support. “Your helmet’s still new,” he goes on, and I nod again. “You know the ramp here isn’t ideal. A bigger one would make it a lot easier.”
“It’s big enough,” I tell him. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I’d much rather practice this kind of trick in privacy than on a perfectly-sized ramp with an audience. With the exception of that moment after the invert this morning, I’ve never experienced anxiety in this park.
Beck grabs my hand again and brings it to his lips for a kiss. “Let’s do this then. First lesson, learning to fall.”
I roll my eyes. “I know how to fall, Beck.”
“Knowing is one thing, but let’s make it muscle memory so that even if panic sets in, your body does what it needs to do to protect you, yeah?”
He’s referring to what happened in December on the Riptide half pipe.
“If it makes you feel better, sure Beck.”
So the lesson starts with both of us in knee pads sliding down the thirteen-foot half pipe. There’s also the giant bowl in the back yard, but that one’s around eight feet at its highest.
When we finally get to skateboarding, I’m determined to put Beck at ease. We’ve been laughing and smiling and kissing all morning, so I’m loose when I make my first attempt. Panic and doubt are the furthest things from my mind as I try again and again. Hours pass, and by the time I’m ready to call it a day, I’ve almost got the double spin down. The landing is going to take a long time, but I’m determined. Aerial spins are my thing, and while I want this for the pure fun of it, the joy of the challenge, I also want to stick it for another reason. I need something in my arsenal if I’m ever going to beat Sarah Kase, and this trick might just be what it takes.
Chapter Four
Beck
My girl is covered in bruises and there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s been almost three weeks since her first day attempting a 720, and at least she seems to have perfected the fall technique for this particular trick. Three days a week she’s at Summerside taking classes,