What is Skateboarding?

[Antwan]

Well, I guess this is a rant.. Anyway..
I was talking to a 14 year old the other day, Likes Skateboarding.
Hasn't Figured out the Ollie Yet, His Friends are in a Local "Skate Group" No Sponsors
but this group just recently Submitted footage
(it's four kids) and are all getting sponsored by the Local Shop.
That's cool.. They are all the same age, 14.
I talked to him about what skateboarding is, Showing Him How I skate.
He said it was crap, and this is not why I'm upset..
I even told him Just Have fun.. But it's all I can seem to say in these situations.
I know I'm still progressing, Doing something different ain't easy. Mainly because not everyone digs it.
I've met quite a few kids in my time skating..
I'll be 22 This December and I've probably skated I don't know 4 years is a guess, Real off and on.
So About 4 years, maybe 2 years I've gone to skateparks, Met some cool people
and some kids that hated what I'm about.. and I don't blame them.
I think it's the media.. Kids are afraid to branch out, Try different things before going right into some
Haslam, Daewon, Jaws-Type Shit and I don't even care.. Do what You like.. but I wonder if what the younger crowd likes is influenced by the attention skateboarding gets based around Pros.
I kind of think this is true.. I don't really seem to connect with the kids like I do the older guys.
I can talk with kids, anyone can.. we've all been that age but when it comes to skating I'm not sure.
I'm not saying all kids are the same just who I've come across seems to be following the now.
Dismissing Skateboarding's Roots, Dismissing the fact that it is all fun, It's all Skating.
I've even seen some cases where Teens look down on other kids trying to learn..
That's not what Skateboarding is about man.. shouldn't we be helping each other to get better?

Anyway, That's my rant..
I don't expect many to agree with this but I'm Throwing it out there.
Gotta get up early to do some shit, but it was on my mind.

[r0ke]

Nobody can help you to get better because noone skates like you. Just skate more and talk less; always found that helped me as a kid.

-R

[fallingskyline]

skating for 20 years now, i can say i don't give a shit about what skateboarding means any more. for me its having fun, gettin' a little adrenalie rush once in a while or a place for myself where i can about anyone and everything else when i need that. helping someone to proceed isn't possible, cause the only person able to help you is yourself, like roke said. if someone doesn't like the shit you're doing, so what? being honest i'm not a fan of "individuality" with forcing something "newish" by doing freestylesque stuff, but if you like it, do it. i won't blame you for doing something you like, and kids are just kids, they'll get older and will someday understand, what you are about... this has nothing to do with skateboarding!

[Slamooh]

oh wait ... is this real life ?

[bengrover]

You had a disagreement with a 14 year old and took to the internet to rant about it?

Always a pleasure Antwan.

[Antwan]

I'm not saying this one kid, Several Kids..
I was thinking more along the lines of This is what skateboarding is becoming.
It sounds similar to jocks and nerds in school, if that helps as a reference.
Obviously I wasn't around when Skating started..
I give props to people skating big shit like pros do but it's all that seems to be respectable.
I'm not saying people need to tell me or anyone else how to be better, just seems like a lack of respect toward one another.
IN GENERAL. I suck at what I do, I'm experimenting I'm not going to lie about it.
But You know you're going to hype someone up if they are trying to 360 flip into the bowl or fliptrick off of a big drop, hit a set etc.
In the end it doesn't really affect how much I like skateboarding, I'm just thinking about skateboarding as an image
painting it, with what I have observed.

[pawnluvguitarist]

I've seen it go both ways,some kids practically worshiping me for my freestyle skating and others pointing and laughing calling me a poser that can't even kickflip.

Back in high school when I was first starting out I was really self conscious about my skating, the whole wanting to fit in thing, it comes with being at that age and maturity level. Now I have been skating 11 years and couldn't care less what others think about my skating. Yeah it feels nice when people dig it, but I know who I am and love what i'm doing and thats all that really matters. All the dudes I skate with might not love how I skate, but they respect what I do and vice versa.

[MarcoPoloUSN]

Gotta stop analyzing and defining and just skate.

[Hitmanx123]

fuck little kids, if they wanna try and be the next nick tucker or mike-mo, let em. that shits harder thana motherfuck, gotta devote 110% if you wanna be that good, im just saying the hard truth. those kids.....eh, maybe theyll make it, fuck maybe only one of them is goo and the others suck ass, thats normally how a skate group works anyways. but you ant1, just do your shit and fuck everybody else. besides skateboarding is about doing crack and getting high anyway

[MF JORDAN]

Skateboarding is what you make of it..don't get butt-hurt just skate.

[Antwan]

I don't know man..
just seems this way.
I don't see why we can't all relate with the one thing we all have in common, a board under us.
I guess this is Life though..
It just became more obvious to me recently that people just aren't always here to motivate you.
I hate it.. that's all I'm saying.. Just added some notes about what I've noticed.
Maybe I am thinking too much on it, but It's hard.. To share what you love, you feel.. to have it rejected.
It hasn't been an effortless journey for me.. I know not everyone knows it but I have progressed in self expression.
Even if my stuff isn't top notch, I share in hopes of getting encouragement.. but maybe it's just time to face facts.
I won't find it if I don't find it in myself.

[Slamooh]

oh shit... life is a struggle and humans are morons.
Where's my rainbow spewing unicorn ?

[fallingskyline]

Skaters can be dickheads, there are many judging you by the set-up and gear you have...

"oh, you have a wrecked up board, not so hip shoes... YOU SUCK!!!"

in the end, no one will be able to realize how YOU feel when landing a trick. skateboarding is you and your damn board, the perspective to see things and so on. it isn't really about the people, its what you make out of it...

quit whining and just fucking enjoy it for YOURSELF!


and i what a rainbow spewing unicorn aswell!

[Legba]

Meh, Skater camaraderie is a really locational thing man. I've lived in some small towns here n there growing up, and in places like those, skaters all flock together. Cuz there's just so few of them. Regardless of how they dress, or what music they like, or even how they skate, they all just respect & roll with one another. But in other places (most of nyc included) it almost doesn't exist and dudes just like or hate based on how they skate.

As far as what skateboarding means; IT'S COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE TO ALL WHO SKATE!

& that's the beauty of it. To me it means to have fun. freedom and relief from all the stressful bullshit I endure off-board.
But to others, it may just be something to get better at, or a way to boost confidence, or some shit to show off on.

And while we may not agree with how some kids see it, the fact that we can all enjoy one thing in so many ways is astonishing.

I tutor kids' skateboarding, and there's this one 4 year old who just goes on and on about how skateboarding is the funnest thing on earth (& he's damn good for his age). Then I teach a 9 year old whose sole motivation is to be the next PLG ( which isn't so earnest, but isn't a bad goal cuz PLG is nasty). Our differences keep skating fresh.

[jimmy2times79]

this is skateboarding

[m.seven]

^ fuckin awesome

[Monk]

jimmy that was legit! my favorite are the little turds that start out and go straight to flip tricks without even mastering ollies, pop ,or control of a board.. i remember one of the last sessions i had i ollied a bike rack flatland from the side and overheard some little smartass in the corner of the park saying to his buddies... i can hardlflip and he cant.. fuckin poser.. i just laughed at him and rolled on.. because yes i never could hardflip- but that little bitch couldnt ollie over a shoelace. funny thing about that is i could switch hardflip over knee high. if you want to go straight into tech thats fine.. if you just want to cruise around and carve and do manuals and powerslides-great! but dont be a dick about it; if you dont have control over your deck in the long run your just going to get hurt trying stupid shit you never were ready to do in the first place.

do your thing- skateboarding is about YOU and you only. dont bag on someone because you can do something they cant. because it will come back and bite you in the ass one day.