Mokpo - Day 1

Today is a national holiday. It's called Samiljeol and it marks the Independence Movement of March 1st, 1919. It is one of the four big holidays in Korea, celebrated by today's people with a day off at work. The magazine staff, a few friends from Kadence and two guests from Aori Park used this extended weekend for another skate trip down south.

Ryan rented a van that was supposed to fit twelve people. We were eleven plus bags and skateboards, plus all of Nak's photo gear. It's funny how the enthusiasm to get up at six in the morning changes when it's not work that you have to wake up to. Anyway, I beat my sleepiness with the thought of Kyeung-min hopefully waiting for me down the street. 

We took a taxi to Jongno where we met Gun-hoo and Martyn. Together we walked towards the parking lot where the van was delivered to. On our way Nak told me that he just got up, so we changed directions and headed towards a convenient store nearby. Cheap coffee that was hot with next to no taste whatsoever was paired with a microwaved hamburger. 

After breakfast we met up with the others, loaded the vehicle and waited for Nak to arrive. We almost drove non-stop. Close to our destination we landed at a highway rest stop and stretched our limps and grabbed snacks. Daniel took the chance and jumped on his board. Within five minutes of warming up he got a superb sequence of a five-oh to switch crooks. 

Amazing how he does that. Throughout the trip we would find out that he's just capable of things like that. We arrived at Mokpo and checked out a nice seaside spot where I got a little nosegrind photo and Bart, our friend from Canada, got a bluntslide. After a late lunch we drove on to another spot where 1JM tried to switch ollie a rail gap. No success. 

We checked out one two more spots and Daniel displayed more of his magic. Imagine a huge chocolate doughnut split in half. That's where he peformed a pop-shove it crooks and a nosebluntslide. And around sunset we all got in the van again and moved to Gwangju. After dinner we checked in our hotel, which was a big room with half a dozen bunk beds. 

The first day of a trip is always the most exciting. It means departure, exhibition and adventure. It's the first time that we made the journey with so many members, but the mix was perfect. A wild bunch of more or less experienced street acrobats. We got plenty of photos already and the first day turned out to be a great success, a perfect start for this adventure.