Finding the Tilt

An idle skateboard was resting flat on the path just past the park bench, its wheels wedged into a shallow seam between the concrete slabs. I hopped onto the tail, feeling the sharp bite of the coarse grip tape under my sneakers. The deck dipped slightly as the trucks creaked against the rubber bushings. Instead of stepping down, I shifted my weight forward, centering my stance until the board leveled out and held steady. I locked into that stance for a solid minute, suspended over the wide polyurethane wheels, before rocking the nose back down against the pavement with a clean, deliberate tap.