As we get older i think most people start to look back at their life and it's path. It's natural to start to analyse the journey (and possibly disappear up your own rear end, so top me if i am!). With time comes perspective and it's amazing to see how major directions in your life can hinge on small , seemingly innocuous events.
In my case, my friends younger brother getting a "Pacer Road Hog" skateboard for his birthday started a path that has led directly to my current situation some twenty years later
I had a pretty comfortable middle class upbringing with great, supportive, loving parents who sacrificed much to send m
e to a private school in the nearest city. I was never especially good at the normal school sports but enjoyed being active. A happy but somewhat protected existence.
Enter the Road hog, my own Variflex and my first copy of RAD magazine. I can still picture it, Ken Park eggplanting on the cover, Hosoi advertising aquamarine Chuck Taylors inside and pictures of people grinding things, ollieing off things and how to "Hail Mary" inside (full marks if you 1. know what that is and 2. can still do them!)
It was a whole new
exciting world that my school friends knew nothing
about and frankly looked down upon when they did. Ultimately my taste in clothes, music, culture and people were based on my skating experiences. All of a sudden i was meeting kids from all sorts of backgrounds as well as some older ne'er do wells i would never have met otherwise. It gave me self confidence and a sense of place and i am sure that i am a more well rounded and grounded person as a result. Full credit again to my parents for supporting me in my obsession and letting me find my own way.
From there I can trace a direct line through snowboarding obsession, back to skateboarding, to the friend that convinced me to give surfing a proper go, to sacrificing big bucks in my career in favor of living by the sea with an older car. What's more, I couldn't be happier. I have an amazing family, some very close friends and a focus on fun in my life. Not everyone can boast that.
Makes you wonder if it would all have been the same if Rob had wanted a Scalextric that year!
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8 comments:
Come for a skate CP!
Barnstaple park is beckoning... bring the Holga :-)
rad photos- nice work with the holga
Cheers, really loving it so far. Really enjoying your colour shots from your cali trip glider
GW (not sure i want to know where that moniker comes from) am definately tempted, her indoors is less stoked about re-opening that obsession, how's your hip by the way?
Hey CP - bizarre coincidence. Just read your blog as I finished posting. Am feeling sooo sore from skating each day. Still reckon I am too old though. Surfing is so much nicer on the joints.
CP - lets meet up and skate Barnstaple, i hear there are some older classic lines to be had in the bowl. Really itching to skate it on my return and get some good photos too. Can totally relate to your skate article. I have literally almost written a book, on similiar experiences growing up in the early 80's Vancouver skate scene. Moved to England and then it all went down hill, that is of course until we moved to North Devon.
hey dude,
so strange to read this - such strong echoes. Even down to my first yellow and black variflex, then onto a hosoi later. A cory o'brien deck which i snapped in two weeks sandwiched the two.
I rediscovered by love of the board a few years ago and ride a couple of things now, a alva ramp board and a sector nine longy with twin kingpin trucks for cruising and drawing surf like lines.
RAD!
Being close to birmingham you would remember Stampy's skates in Aston and the the skateshop in Oasis Market in birmingham Ya Dude Skates!?
Hi
Yeah oasis/yah dude was such a rad little rabbit Warren if cool stuff. We used to occasionally make trips on the train to drool over decks then on to wheels to skate the ramps
Had a rad day watching Tony mag Ron Allen and I think gonz at a demo there killing the indoor bowl!
Oh and Aston banks were really fun too!
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