Original S(p)in.

If you've ever crossed over from the wobbly "I want to spin" realm into the zen tranquility of a whirling dervish on wheels sensation, then you probably remember the exact "a ha" moment when your roller enlightenment took place. I assure you, for most, it was no small feat in the book of skating achievements. Learning to spin is akin to actually meditating. One can get up there and give it a go... even look like they are in the zone, but to master the technique takes true dedication. And surrender. Few people do it well. Even fewer are true masters. I've seen some greats in my time.... Christopher does a great one legged spin that seems to last through twenty rotations. There is also Terrell, who manages to spin faster than anyone else I've ever witnessed, while covering his eyes. And Nelson can remain spinning longer than most people take to copulate. But at the top of the spin chain is a woman from the San Diego skate crew whose name escapes me. She lowers herself into a one-legged sit spin whose force is pulling from a single front wheel. Now, try this at home. Lower yourself into a sit spin position wearing regular old shoes and then put all of your weight in the outer front corner of a single foot. Hold for about ten seconds and then raise yourself up without falling to the ground. Yeah.... okay, so in the world of spinning, I consider her a bona fide yogi.

I've learned that trying to control and force a spin is where one flounders. The origin of any true spin, if not completely by accident, is in finding your "sweet spot"-- the angle at which your two front wheels are rotating around their base. Skateboards have a similar sweet spot that allow for a few amazing rotations on the two front wheels, but being that skates are attached to one's feet, rollerskaters have the advantage of being able to power an infinite spin (thoeretically) where a skateboard eventually loses force.

Prior to discovering my sweet spot, I found my spinning "master" in fellow rollerskater Nelson Bracamonte-- a true expert in the mechanics of skating. With his occasional observations and sound advice, my first success at spinning was akin to riding a bike-- a perfectly natural and incredibly easy thing to do from that moment on. How strange it felt to suddenly know how to do something that had eluded me for so long. But even stranger that I could no sooner tell another person how I landed that spin than prior to its occurrence.

After a few years of improving and tweaking spins and mastering them from both left and right sides (important!), my advice to those still learning is to never lose hope because the causal chain in rollerskating is unpredictably bizarre. Only days after I finally understood how to launch into crazy legs, I was spinning. I never connected the two moves as being related, but once one was mastered, the other came easily. The connection is in learning one's outer from inner edges. The wise instructions of Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid, "Wax on, wax off" never made much sense to me until I hit my original spin. That day marked a key moment in which I had finally learned the basics... and spinning nirvana was only a breath away.

Note: this video, as well as a handful of others posted on my venicerollerstar YouTube account was taken by the talented Carlos Avendano-- a gifted artist, bad boy rollerskater, and amazing friend. Muchas gracias Carlito!