Why do I skateboard?

So theres been a bit of talk recently on the interwebz with people talking about why they skateboard, sparked by a most excellent Don and Giovanni post with a link to Mark Gonzales talking about why he skates.

So why do I skate?

Its not an easy question to answer. Since I discovered it, skateboarding has become an obsession and taken over my life. You might as well just ask why I'm here. I'd give the same answer.

Some things I love about skateboarding:

• Getting excited like a little child every time I stand on a board.
• Laughing at myself
• Being on the edge of grip when railing a corner, feeling your wheels start to go, knowing you are on the edge of sliding out and falling on your face
• Going fast
• Skating parks with mates and getting fun from skating EVERYTHING there
• Sliding
• Hard wheels on slide decks
• Soft wheels on slide decks
• Stupid setups
• Setups that make you wanna go fast
• Wobbles
• Spastic mates (Banditos and co)
• Banter
• Making stupid skate noises
• Making stupid edits
• Being scared but doing it anyway

Some things I hate about skateboarding

• 99% of skateboarders think that skateboarding is just the local park and trying to ollie.... its that but SO MUCH MORE, and they'll never know
• Hipster twats
• People who are in it only to gain a sponsership
• People who think they can tell anybody else how to skate
• The whole "yeaahh brooo its progression and like longboarding isnt skateboarding its better and longboards are better and yeaaaaahhhh brroooooooo progresssion maaaan" thing
• That Original exist and their bastard videos exist
• That some peoples primary goal ISNT having fun...
• The ones that take it too seriously

Skateboarding makes the weeks mean something. It gives me a focus, gives me drive, gives me something that I will spend my life progressing in and never perfect. It gives me great mates and fun times and stupid moments and even stupider banter. It makes me scared. It makes me happy. It might get me hurt, it might do worse but im here now and im living and having fun. Im making the most of my life through it and its only going to get better.

Im going to go fast and get slidey and who knows what else? Im going to crack 40, 50, 60. I'll get all manner of slides. Eventually I might get sponsered by who cares if I dont?

Skateboarding for fun, pushing myself to the edge and having a blast with mates.

And thats it.


Will