When most people think of skateboarding I would imagine they think of something juvenile delinquents do, Tony Hawk video games, or that horrible MTV television show Scarred. In reality this could be the furthest representation of the truth. Skateboarding is a brotherhood, passion, and I even read some where that more kids take on skateboarding then play little league baseball (this may not be true) but it is becoming extremely popular. Within a 50 mile radius of Detroit I can name about fifteen free outdoor skateparks, and currently know of one currently being drafted for the city of the Detroit, that will be built in Roosevelt Park on Michigan Ave in the near future. Here is a link to the article Roosevelt Park Revival It is hard to really define what skateboarding really is, but I can tell you what it is not. It is not the X Games, nor MTV, or some Olympic sport. It is a more of a lifestyle or art form than anything else. Similar to how a painter expresses his thoughts on a canvas, a skateboarder can express themselves by using their natural surroundings as a canvas. Here is a trailer to a video project I was involved with for two years with some great friends of mine. (Full video will be posted soon).
Labour of Love Trailer
Love skateboards is small independently run skateboard company from Toronto. I have been lucky to meet some of my closest friends by being involved with this video project. This video showcases the skating of myself, Joel Watamaniuk, Isaac Watamaniuk, Justin Bohl, Ben Locke, Drew Williams, Rob Mentov, and Ryan Kehrer on the streets of Toronto, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. The entire video was edited and filmed by a close friend of mine Jim Tumey.
Ultimately skateboarding is something I will be involved with forever. Even though I made this blog initially for a school project, I hope to continue to use it in the future to keep skateboarding moving in a positive direction. Skateboarding and social media go hand in hand. Nobody likes to skate alone, so why not share that experience with others. After all its much more fun to skate with your friends than by yourself.
I agree with you about the misinterpretation of skateboarding. I actually love it myself even though I only watch it and don't really know how to. Great topic!
ReplyDeleteAround the Globe,
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear that you like to watch skateboarding, even though you don't know how to do it. The beautiful thing about it is you can try if you want, on your own time and work at it, at your own pace.
Skatethed