THE LEGEND OF THE STOKE

DUDE. I work at the mall.... Yeah, I know.

BUT.... I work at Bad Boards which, contrary to popular belief, (and the name) isn't that bad. There is, given, new ownership and we are forming up an entirely new staff. Basically I'm a manager in "training" and the store is going to be entirely different, from name to aesthetic to products. I'm really excited about it. I 've always wanted to work at a skateshop, and now I get to run one in the mall! I'll take it.

I'm gonna start blogging about the store and what is changing and what stuff we're going to get in real soon. I probably need like a smart phone or something so it might take a minute before I really start this, bear with me here. More updates coming in the next year or so... Probably just a few weeks though.

Ian spiffs it up a bit...

... Been getting a lot of feedback on the boards we've been leaking out there this week.  Laminate quality is absolutely killer. 

This one guy put a sick paintjob on his.  He texted it to us just now. 

All you with the Fickleboards,  hit us up with how you dress them up. 

new year, new interests... or rekindling some old ones?

I haven't shared anything lately because I haven't felt like it.... I've been trying to push skating more than I ever had before and it's been emotionally difficult. I feel like I'm either becoming more like my "true self" or just a different person altogether. Skating has started to take a different route too. It's becoming more intense than ever and I don't know what I want to do with this sudden emergence of energy. It's almost like I'm grounded... To tell you the truth, I don't really know.

I've fallen in love with The Smith's and coincidentally I began an extended hiatus from eating meat. Honestly they don't have anything to do with each other, just the harmony that fills... I also recently moved into the third floor of Lew's house, which is a full blown apartment. I'm grateful and also very alone. Even though you're surrounded by people all the time, it's so easy to become lonely and stop participating in social situations. I know because I often avoid circumstances where I have to talk to people, even if I like them. This all could be a part of the natural winter down fall of our emotions and personalities. Our emotions run hotter the more couped up we are from the outside world, thus slamming us into depression. It's especially hard when you are a skateboarder and you rely on this wonderful experience we know as skateboarding to bring you back up again. Well I think that'll be all for now, just had to get these things off my chest. I suppose no one really reads this anyway...

pure shredding....

what's not to love?? come on, the kid rules!! hands down, one of my favorites to watch. he's more than your token punk rock skateboarder, he's an artist and a family man. talk about holding it down, he's been among the professional ranks longer than i have even been skateboarding. Jason Adams is rad.

instead of....

Well I was going to post about switching trucks but that felt rather boring, instead I'm going to take my ongoing conversation and look at it from a different point of view.

I was recently in a skate shop earlier this week and the conversation that I walked into was about what kids at a local were doing. What they seemingly were doing was apparently "bumming" the older skaters out by doing certain tricks. Now how on Earth could something as simple as "fly-outs" bother someone so much that they wouldn't even set foot on said skatepark after the local school let out??? I can understand not wanting to be bothered by kids when you are trying to enjoy yourself at the park, by why should it matter what those kids are doing? Especially within the realm of skateboarding, where there are no rules.... or so it's been said. This troubled me, that the owner of an influential skateshop would strongly discourage kids from having fun on their skateboards...

On the other hand fly-outs can be rather disruptive to the flow of a skatepark, you have all these kids launching out of a quarterpipe where the course starts and stops, jamming everything up and can be quite dangerous with kids and boards flying everywhere. But, they are still skateboarding and enjoying themselves, which is the most important part.

How could you tell kids that they are"blowing it" when they are being kids and having fun skateboarding?? If you are an influential shop owner and you treat kids and potential customers like so, then YOU sir, are "blowing it". Now I still greatly admire and am close friends with said person, but this whole ordeal is part of what I'm talking about.. Skateboarding can't be a list of "should and should nots" it's just not the nature of this limitless and free activity.

to shed a bit of light

Although I may be bitter and full of complaints, I would like to shed a bit of light on the single most enjoyable activity that I have partaken in within my Earthly realm.

I love the way that art, music, fashion, personality, character and all those jacked up feelings built inside you come out when you see someone (who has their heart in it) ride a skateboard. The liberating feeling of the wind in your face, the inevitable crack in the sidewalk that always seems to knock you clean off, the slams, the sketchy landings, the "I can't believe I made that" look on someones face and the feeling of artistic completeness all wrapped up in a single leap, bound, fall, or motion. I love knowing that I get gawked at by people who just can't seem to understand why that young man is still riding that "useless toy" around. I love the sound of loose trucks rattling when I pop my board up. I love the feeling of turning. I love knowing that I am making something happen right under my feet. I love that NO one can tell me I'm doing it wrong, it's merely my expression!! I love dancing my way out of what could've been a horrific fall. I love the inspiring and creative people I meet.

I am so thankful that I have gotten to have all these wonderful experiences. I thank God alone for showing me that I have an outlet, that I can do something and be myself. I'm so grateful for the abundance of energy, laughs, and the grace that I have experienced. Skateboarding is truly an amazing and beautiful thing... Think for once in our lives we get to go out and be free!! I still can't get my head around how free and limitless it all is. If only we as a civilization could be as free...

comes a time.....

There comes a time for a rant about skateboarding every now and then.....

I have grown bitter and fully disappointed with the current state of skateboarding displayed in skateboard magazines and websites as of late. Is there an artful and individualistic skateboard publication out there?? (That isn't full of drunk assholes and naked chicks) Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what the pros and ams are doing in terms of pushing the "sport".... but that's exactly it!! Skateboarding is not a sport and should not be labeled as such. All sorts of guys and girls out there are getting gnarly and pushing the limit of what can be done on a skateboard, but honestly I've grown so tired of watching people jump down stuff or try for hours to land an insanely hard tech trick on a ledge... I don't care that you're "better" than me because you can land a hard trick just please lighten up and enjoy what little time we have here, and be thankful that you're in the U.S. and can get away with riding your skateboard all day!! You lucky fools....

On the other hand, there are a ton of super unique, stylish, amazing skateboarders out there whom I admire in terms of the art. Unfortunately, the aren't being pushed by their sponsors and are not making enough money to even live off of. Let's face it, they aren't getting any sweet pro model shoes either. All I'm looking for here is a community that reflects the sole idea of why I started skateboarding in the first place, the opportunity to express myself, share ideas, be inspired, push myself (without being bullied) and have a shit-ton of fun on my board. Is that too much to ask for?? Your thoughts please??