It's that time of year again...
Family dinners, knit sweaters and grandparent stories.
That moment when it's your turn to tell the family exactly what you are thankful for this year.. some kids will get the "look" when they say they are thankful for skateboarding... but let's unpack that for a minute. It is possible that skateboarding can be something to be thankful for on many different levels. Skateboarding can teach us many things about ourselves, our friends, and even society as a whole.
Skateboarding is not a team sport, it is an individual pursuit. Everybody who is able bodied can achieve enough success on a skateboard to have fun. That is all that matters. Not everyone is built to
skate 25 stair handrails, and thats fine, but everyone is built to have fun. Whether its a perfect slappy with a clean roll away, or a buck flip trick down a hefty set, We can all feel that sense of satisfaction from rolling away from a trick you have been working for. Self reliance and motivation.
Although skateboarding is a individual pursuit, it can be the most fun when done in groups. All skaters can relate to landing a trick that you might not have ever even tried before during a heavy session with the homies. There is something electric when the session is getting heated and everyone is banging out tricks. During these sessions you can really get a feel for your friends, whether they are hyped and motivating, or aggressive and competitive. You can really feel out a person during a heavy session.
A skatepark is allot like a mini version of the world. It has it's rules and pathways, people group up and politics always get involved, you have to wait your turn, oblivious people are always getting in the way... etc. If you can navigate a skatepark on a busy day, then you can just about get through life if you keep your head up.
So this year at the family dinner, if someone says they are thankful for skateboarding, give them a big hi-five and congratulate them on having a productive hobby.
words by Keith Halterman
