◆◆◆ Chapter 4 ◆◆◆Competition day arrived cold and clear.The sky was a sharp, endless blue, the kind that makes every breath feel like it’s cutting through crystal. I stood at the top of the run, surrounded by other riders, some I’d competed against since I was twelve, some new faces, but feeling utterly alone. My board felt heavier than usual, my stomach a knot of nerves and memory. Then I looked down the course and saw him.Garrett, in full patrol gear, red jacket stark against the white, standing at the midway checkpoint where he had no business being. Our eyes met across the distance. He didn’t smile, didn’t wave, just nodded once, slow and certain.That nod was enough.I dropped in.First run was cautious — clean, safe, no heroics. I finished solid, middle of the pack, and the announcers called it a “smart ride.” Second run, I pushed. I went bigger off the kicker, added the rotation I’d been too scared to try since the crash, modified the double cork 1080 to make it mine instead
Last Updated : 2026-04-23 Read more