Getting Started with This Thing
So, I decided to give this ‘dermer’ stuff a shot. Heard about it from a guy down at the park, sounded kinda weird but, you know, why not? Finding actual info was the first hurdle. It’s like nobody really documents it properly. Just bits and pieces here and there, mostly word-of-mouth.
First thing I did was try to figure out the gear. Some people said you needed special shoes, others said it was all about the gloves. Ended up just getting some sturdy trainers and basic work gloves from the hardware store. Didn’t want to spend a fortune before I even knew if I’d stick with it. Finding a spot was easier, thankfully. There’s this old industrial area nearby, lots of walls and weird concrete shapes. Seemed perfect.
First Tries and Fails
Okay, the first session? Total disaster. I went out there feeling pretty confident. Watched a couple of blurry videos online, thought, “how hard can it be?”. Turns out, pretty hard. It involves these quick bursts of movement, using walls and stuff. I basically just stumbled around, nearly tripped over my own feet about ten times. Felt like a complete idiot.
- Tried the basic ‘wall touch’ move. Managed to smack my hand instead.
- Attempted a ‘ledge hop’. Nearly twisted my ankle.
- Generally looked like I was flailing randomly.
It reminded me of this time years ago, back when I tried to learn skateboarding because my nephew got one. He was zipping around in minutes. Me? I spent an hour just trying to stand on the thing without falling off. Ended up with a bruised ego and sore backside. Some things you just aren’t built for, maybe? Or maybe I’m just clumsy.
Figuring Things Out (Slowly)
But I kept going back. Stubborn, I guess. Started breaking it down into tiny pieces. Forget the fancy stuff. Just practiced balancing, quick steps, getting comfortable near the walls. Spent a whole afternoon just doing short runs towards a wall and stopping just before impact. Security guard came over once, thought I was casing the joint. Had to explain I was just… exercising? He just shook his head and walked off. Probably thought I was nuts.
It’s funny, the whole ‘dermer’ scene, if you can call it that, seems tiny. Like maybe five other people in the whole city are doing it. It’s not like joining a football club where everything’s organized. It feels more like finding fellow weirdos who enjoy jumping off things they probably shouldn’t. Very fragmented, everyone doing their own variation. No real rules, just kinda… doing it.
Where I’m At Now
So, after a few weeks, am I any good? Nah, not really. But I can actually do a few of the basic moves now without falling over immediately. Managed a decent wall run the other day, felt pretty good. Still mostly practicing alone, haven’t really connected with the other ‘dermer’ folks. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. It’s more about the personal challenge right now. Pushing myself, trying something different. It gets me out of the house, gets the blood pumping. Still using the same cheap gloves and trainers, though. If they break, maybe I’ll upgrade. We’ll see.
