why do we skate? maybe you're friend already skated so you thought you would give it a try, or maybe you found an old pair of skates in the garage that you're mum or dad had when they were little and you thought you would have a go. how ever it was that you had you're 1st roll you fel in love with it and wanted o do it more and more. thats what happened with me, my friends and cousins had skates that i was always borrowing until i eventuall bought my own pair in germany.
Back in the early days you would put on you're baggy jeans or shorts and put you're kneepads on and go session a kerb or small set of steps all day. you would try sidewalks, souls rocket makio's or whatever else. there were no trends. skating was still in its early stages compared with skateboarding or BMXing, but we still had as much fun. skaters skated street, vert, mini, bowls, concrete parks or wooden ones. much like australia is today they would skate whatever was in front of them and have a good time. everyone was unique in the tricks they did and the syle in which they did it.
So why when i look around today to i see 5000 dustin latimer or brian shima clones? people who will only skate rails? people that skate with their buckle un-done or wearing 1 wrist guard just because some american pro does? suddenly at a comp you see a guy with odd skates on and a t-shirt around his head. why is he wearing that you ask? "oh, some american guy was wearing it while he was here on tour" im told!
Maybe everones reasons for skating have now changed. its not fun anymore as such, but a way to be cool. wear what everyone else is wearing, only skate rails because thats what chris haffy skates. Slag off competitions saying the people winning are sell-outs when really you wish you could win, its just that you arent good enough and buckle under the pressure.
"Why do you skate park you park rat?" "Whats the point of the IMYTA? its just gonna end up like the ASA" "Oh, you shouldnt wer you're skates like that, it looks gay" SHUT-UP!!! the beauty of skating is that there are soo many fields. you can skate on you're own, with friends, in competitions like ASA or IMYTA. you can skate street, bowls, vert, skatepark, mini, gaps, rails.....etc. you can be like shima and just be a street dog, or a vert dog like Taig, there are all-rounders like matt salerno or sam fogarty. however you choose to skate just enjoy it. Its not selling out winning money at a comp, or doing demos and getting paid for it. infact those very people who are calling you sell-outs are making money off you buying their pro skates. what? you think shima puts his name on a boot and makes no money? lets not get twisted here: the best possible thing that could happen to you in skating is getting paid to skate: you dont needa job you can just do what you love everyday with the knowlege you are going to be able to pay all the bills.
But its not like you need it,as soon as you find you are skating and geting paid and going out skating is a chore, thats when you should quit. because without money and sponsorship you should want to be doing the same thing. you should want to go out skating everyday.
I'll tell you one reason why it seems like vert skaters like competitions more than street skaters, and seem to really want to go to the x-games instead of "skating just for themselfes", its because there are so few vert skaters in the world compared with street that its only at these competitions that these guys get to skate with other vert skaters. all the street skaters go out and session street in a group everyday, but ask most vert skaters who they skate with and lot of them will say on their own, or with people who just get up onto the ramp to have a lil mess about. so thats why competitions are more inportant for vert skaters- just a chance for a good session with other people into what you're into.
poeple that slag off the "yasutoko's" must be stupid. those guys are pushing the sport and getting the sport respect among the other sports. some street skaters have called them sell-out, just skating vert in the x-games etc for the money..... erm.... at least they are still skating 4 years after they get into the spotlight. they go home and session everyday because they love skating. think about some street skaters that got into the spotlight a few years ago, bought out a pro skate and have now dissapeared. hmmm, i wonder if their just living off the profits of their pro skates much?? its not down to a certain type of skater, the sell-outs are just individual people.
i wish skating could go back to the open mindness of 5 years ago, but sadly too many people are just in it to be cool nowerdays, maybe i should move to australia where the is no money and all the skaters still just skate because they love to skate, whatever it is that they are skating. like blake dennis: street skater, competition skater and also vert showman. bet you didnt know that? best friends with cesar mora who helped him come out.
anyway, this is way too long and dribbled way too much, but hey, what can u do- i was bored!!!!