“Please see Skater Glossary on page 15 for definitions of any words marked with an asterisk.
Recently I made plans with my friends Adam, Alex and Jared to skate at the West L.A. Courthouse. While I waited for them to come over, I began to think about the primary trick* I wanted to learn—a frontside, nose-slide shuvit-out.* I heard a knock at the door. With excitement, I unlocked the door and greeted my friends with a pound* and a bear hug.
I was filled with joy as we skated over to the Courthouse. I couldn’t wait to see my partners in crime (crime because skating is illegal unless you do it on your own property). The courthouse skaters are the only guys I feel comfortable around, where I don’t have to play a role.
After we arrived and greeted our friends, I settled down to practice. I hid my back-pack, loosened my belt, tied my shoes for ankle support and practiced my foot positioning on my board. Once I was comfortable with it, I checked the plank* to make sure my board can slide on it, and that it didn’t have any jagged edges. I kicked rocks and pebbles out of the way, and took one last moment to think about the trick. Then I skated up to the ledge. I ollied* and slid along the ledge. I didn’t pull out correctly, and couldn’t land on the board.
I kept trying, even though I was frustrated
I kept trying, and kept failing. I was getting mad. I wanted to quit or break my board. I’ve gotten angry and broken boards before, but that’s a real bummer, because then you have to walk everywhere, and you can’t practice until you get the money for another board. Finally I landed the trick for the first time ever. I felt all warm inside, powerful like I could do anything. That’s a skater’s high, stronger than any drug, because the feeling of accomplishment stays with you. It’s like getting an A on a final exam.
I heard someone yell “One time!”* That means cops. Everyone scattered. I saw my friends leaving on the other side of the courthouse, and I yelled, “Meet at Subway.”
I got to the Subway right away, but my friends didn’t show up. I was sweating it, remembering the time we got arrested. That time, the cops held us at gun point and confiscated our skateboards until our parents came to pick them up. One cop told me it makes his day when he can bust a skateboarder. We didn’t have to pay anything that time, but if we got caught again, we faced a fine of $200 or more.
Finally I heard the clicking of skateboard wheels against the sidewalk. Another escape! We made donut jokes, saying the cops were so fat and slow, they could never catch us. We took the bus over to Westwood to skate up at UCLA, feeling pretty good.
Skateboarding requires skill and persistence
Skating is a lot harder than any other sport, except maybe soccer, but skaters are stereotyped as brain-dead kids who take drugs and have no ambition. Even my own friends sometimes don’t get it.
My friend Justine Freeman, 15, who goes to Beverly Hills High, told me, “Skaters are such losers. Skating was such seven years ago. Couldn’t the teenage population find something better and more productive to do… like get a job at Coffee Bean or something?”
It didn’t really bother me because she’s my friend and I know she doesn’t look down on me. But a lot of people do. I wish I could show them the positive side of skateboarding.
Skateboarding brings happiness, self-esteem, confidence and laughter to teens of separate races and religions. As a united community of skaters, we put down our differences and share the one thing we have in common—skating. If we see someone land a trick for the first time, we’ll cheer them on and if they fail, we’ll still cheer them on, just for their effort. True, some skaters smoke pot, but most who value their health and skating profession don’t attempt to skate high. Skating high is equal to driving drunk.
Skaters are not druggies
“Skating is not just drugs and alcohol. It’s an art, a form of expression only a true skater can understand. Writers have novels, artists have exhibitions, skaters have decks.* I love to skate,” said Alex Kudo, 17, a Culver City High student.
Skating relieves me of stress. When I have problems and need to vent some of my tension, I skate. It relaxes me and puts me in a peaceful state of mind. Maybe if everyone were skaters, there would be more peace and less violence, because of the bond between skaters.
Skateboarding is a positive sport in any skater’s life. It sharpens the mind and coordination, providing happiness in a disappointing world. Without skating, many teens could end up in gangs, crews, using drugs or doing other things that could get them in trouble. Skaters deserve respect. Next time you see a skater, give them a pound.*”