Don't Get Lost
Don't Get Lost
By Carmen Varner
I think I've been down this road before.
But it's too early to tell.
The signs are familiar, yet the street is different.
I hope I don't get lost again.
The times they are a-changin.
But patterns are patterns,
They don't alter when you falter.
Q&A with Lizzie Armanto
NAME: Lizzie Armanto
AGE: 19
LOCATION: Santa Monica, CA
How long have you been skating? 5 years.
Why do you skate? People tend to do what they like and for me skateboarding is one of those things.
What do you having coming up? There's two contests coming up this month, one in Portland, Oregon and another in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Schools coming up and filming some more. Hopefully getting to the beach and surfing more. Other then that, lots of eating and sleeping.
In terms of skaters, who do you look up to? I look up to my friends but I mostly look up to Pat Ngoho. There's tons of people who can skate and do tricks but not everybody has a nice style. Pat's got it down, without trying. He's rad.
What do you do when you're not skating? Well, I'm probably eating, sleeping, or on my phone. Other then that I like cooking. I am learning how to surf and getting driving down. I finally got my license this year. I have a blog that I share with two of my close friends [somethinggreatpurple.com]. I sometimes draw. Film adventures/trips and edit videos.
So you were in Thrasher. How did that feel? It's just a building in the sketchy part of town, so pretty good.
What's the next step? Forward.
What advice do you have for the skaters reading this? Do what makes you happy and have a passion for whatever you do.
What's one unknown fact about you? If I told you it wouldn't be unknown.
What's your favorite TV show, musician and movie? Don't watch TV enough to have a favorite show. My favorite musician is Kate Nash/Katy Perry, I like them both. For movies I'd have to say the Original Pink Panther Series.
AGE: 19
LOCATION: Santa Monica, CA
Photo by: Ken Hada, used with permission |
How long have you been skating? 5 years.
Why do you skate? People tend to do what they like and for me skateboarding is one of those things.
What do you having coming up? There's two contests coming up this month, one in Portland, Oregon and another in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Schools coming up and filming some more. Hopefully getting to the beach and surfing more. Other then that, lots of eating and sleeping.
In terms of skaters, who do you look up to? I look up to my friends but I mostly look up to Pat Ngoho. There's tons of people who can skate and do tricks but not everybody has a nice style. Pat's got it down, without trying. He's rad.
What do you do when you're not skating? Well, I'm probably eating, sleeping, or on my phone. Other then that I like cooking. I am learning how to surf and getting driving down. I finally got my license this year. I have a blog that I share with two of my close friends [somethinggreatpurple.com]. I sometimes draw. Film adventures/trips and edit videos.
So you were in Thrasher. How did that feel? It's just a building in the sketchy part of town, so pretty good.
What's the next step? Forward.
What advice do you have for the skaters reading this? Do what makes you happy and have a passion for whatever you do.
What's one unknown fact about you? If I told you it wouldn't be unknown.
What's your favorite TV show, musician and movie? Don't watch TV enough to have a favorite show. My favorite musician is Kate Nash/Katy Perry, I like them both. For movies I'd have to say the Original Pink Panther Series.
75+ Things to Do When You Are Bored + Fun Things to Do at Home
We're human. We all get bored from time to time. But don't waste even more of your life by sitting on the computer. Stay psyched with this rad list of things to do when bored with friends you've got nothing better to do. It's okay. I get bored too. We all have those days. Sometimes you feel like you aren't accomplishing anything. Sometimes you feel slightly unmotivated. Now it's time to get up and do something! Here's an idea: cross off as many things from this list as you can. Try to do as much as you can in one day or take it slow. It depends how bored you are. Check out 100+ Fun Things to Do at Home with Friends - read it here! You can also read 100+ Things to Do on Your Birthday. Stuck inside? Say no to boredom. There's a lot to do.
2. Pick fresh fruit - Take a break from your ordinary trip to the grocery store. Hand pick your fruit from a tree, bush, plant. Blackberries, blueberries, cherries, figs, grapes, lemons, nectarines, oranges, peaches, raspberries and strawberries are in season right now.
16. Make a sandwich - Fun things to do at home? Experiment with the ingredients in your fridge. Mustard? Spinach? Avocado? Olives? Cucumber? Strawberries? Hummus? Falalfel? Try something new!
3. Make your bed - Is it made? If you're anything like me, probably not. Start your day off in a productive mood. Straighten your sheets. Fluff your pillow. Display your stuffed animal collection. Get the kids to do it too.
4. Wink at a stranger - Take it a step further than simply smiling at a stranger. Wink!
5. Smile at yourself - “If you smile when you are alone, then you really mean it.” ― Andy Rooney
6. Go to a record store - There are some excellent records out there. You just have to spend some time flipping through them. I got a Van Halen record for $1 at Burger Records. What a steal! It's practically a crime. A record store is where to go when bored.
7. Call a relative - I get bored too. Phone up a family member or try to see them in person. It's a fabulous day to chat with your aunt or grandpa. How are they? How's the family? Where are they working now? Anything new and exciting going on in their life? I'm sure they'd love to hear from you. The kids can call Nana and Abuelito.
8. Take a trip to the library - Wondering where to go when bored? Remember when you used to go to the library all the time when you were a kid? Continue your literacy. Traipse on over to your local public library and take a gander at the thousands of pages of literature at your disposal. Check out five books.
9. Get a haircut - Snip. Snip. It's been getting too long anyway. Just go for a trim or get a completely new 'do. Switch it up!
10. Go on a jog - Okay, you may want to save this for a non-scorching day. You can do this in the evening, once it starts to cool off. Get some cardio. Break a sweat. Remember: exercise is a good thing. You don't have to sprint, just do enough to raise your heart rate.
11. Nap in the sun - The definition of perfection, no?
12. Watch the entire _____ series - Lord of the Rings? Godfather? Matrix? Indiana Jones? Back to the Future? Harry Potter? Star Wars? Die Hard? Jurassic Park? Pirates of the Caribbean? Austin Powers? Twilight? Watch an entire series. I get bored watching just once thing, so that ought to occupy your mind for many, many, many hours. One of the most fun things to do at home.
13. Organize your closet - There's got to be a more efficient way to store all those clothes. And there is! It's called organization. Take everything out ― yes, everything ― and start fresh. How do you want to store your stuff? By color? By garment-type? By season? It's up to you. Tell the kids to pick a few things to donate.
14. Write a letter - When was the last time you did that, huh? After you're done writing the letter, get an envelope. Put a stamp on the envelope. Put that envelope in the mail.
15. Have a pool party - Fun things to do at home? Invite your friends and neighbors. Bring some sunscreen, snacks, drinks and tunes to stay awesome. Definitely fun things to do with friends at home. Then you can splish splash all day. Pools rule! Sometimes if you don't know where to go when bored, just have people over! This is a good activity to get energy out of the kids too.
2. Pick fresh fruit - Can't go wrong with fresh strawberries. |
8. Take a trip to the library - Run on down to Seattle Public Library for example. |
14. Write a letter - Katie was stoked when she received my letter. |
17. Make a smoothie - Same as above. Add a variety of fruit, ice and some soy milk, coconut milk or almond milk and you're practically there. Snazz it up with cinnamon, flax seeds or vanilla.
18. Breathe - Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in and then exhale. Do that 10 times. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
20. Play a board game - Life. Monopoly. Cranium. Scrabble. Clue.
21. Visit a botanical garden - There's such a vast variety of flowers, trees, plants and shrubbery out there. Take a trip to a garden and view some of nature's most beautiful creations.
22. Try a new food - Seitan? Swiss chard? Surinam cherry? Broaden your horizons. Be adventurous. I get bored but not when I eat something new!
22. Try a new food - Vegan chili fries? Don't mind if I do... |
23. Go to the dollar theatre - Here's where to go when bored! Maybe it's $1 or $3, doesn't really matter. It's cheap and just as good. Going to a regular theatre can cost over $11 these days. That's ridiculous.
24. Drink a glass of water - It's good for you. It's great for you! But how much do you drink per day? Water is imperative to all living life forms. Water flushes out toxins from vital organs and carries nutrients to cells. Go grab a glass and gulp.
25. Count your change - Sort your quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. Then count them out and put them in rolls. Next time you're at the bank exchange the rolls of coins for cash. Ca-ching!!
26. Learn a new word - Expand your vocabulary. Dictionary.com has a Word of the Day. You could also flip open a book until you find a word you don't know. Look it up!
27. Play with your pet - I'm sure your dog, cat, bird, rabbit, snake, rat, turtle would adore some attention from you. If you don't have a pet, I know you know someone who does.
27. Play with your pet - Pebbles appreciates the lovin'. |
29. Jot down a To Do List - Grab a pen and paper. Scribble down everything you want/need/must get done within the 7 days. Buy groceries? Do laundry? Wash the car? Finish building the toolshed?
30. Do what's on your To Do List - Chip away at the list.
31. Donate your clothes - Go through your wardrobe. Get rid of the items you haven't worn in over a year (and can't see yourself wearing anytime soon).
32. Pen a poem - You've got feelings, right? Express yourself...with words. Write a poem. You'd be amazed how thoughtful you can be once you take time to write down how you feel. It can feel silly if you aren't comfortable writing a poem, but try. If you're feeling up to it, write something deep, something personal. Let it out.
33. Smell the roses - Literally. Go sniff a rose or a flower of some sort. They smell heavenly. Pick one petal as a souvenir.
33. Smell the roses - They smell bomb! |
Affordable Things to Do When You Are Bored
34. Jam to some music - Close the computer and listen to some music. Use an iPod, CD, radio or any music player. Blast your favorite tunes, the louder the better. Jam! Thrash! Mosh! Dance! Do whatever the music tells your body to do.
35. Volunteer - Don't have a go-to organization to volunteer at? Click here to search. Simply input your interests (example: animals, military families, hunger) and your area code and they'll match one that suits you.
36. Buy a plant - It just livens up the place a bit, gives you some fresh air. You can get a succulent, flower or whatever catches your eye. Some are quite cheap. It's a fab way to decorate the house as well as help your health.
37. Do a mini workout - Get your heart pumping for a few minutes. Do this: 50 jumping jacks. 50 squats (25 with each leg). 50 crunches. 20 pushups.
38. Clean out the fridge - How old is that salsa? How long have those leftovers been there? Yeah...it's time to clean and toss.
39. Take a self-portrait - You'll look different in a year. You'll look way different in 10 years. And you'll look extremely different in 20 years. Document your life. Aim the camera at your mug and smile. Remember what you looked like today.
40. Make handmade popcorn - It's super easy and even more tasty! Click here to learn to make your popcorn. All you need: corn kernels, pot, oil. Add salt and pepper, vegan butter or my personal favorite, chocolate chips.
41. Read a book - If there's a book that's been sitting unread on your bookshelf for years, today is the day to crack that baby open. Flip to that first page and dedicate 20 minutes to reading.
42. See a foreign film - Support your local theatre, if you can. That's an excellent choice of where to go when bored. Practice your Spanish. Watch that strange French movie you heard about. How about a German film? There are a lot of options out there.
43. Doodle, draw or paint - Get your creative juices flowing.
44. Recycle your bottles and cans - Don't toss them. Recycle! Keep them separate from the trash. Be sure to rinse them out to prevent gnats and stinky smells. Search online to find the nearest recycling center to you and you can earn a few bucks.
45. Meditate - Turn everything off. Turn off your cellular device, the computer, the tablet, the music makers and other electronics. Do your best to clear your mind. Close your eyes. Listen to the silence. Really listen to it. Pay attention to your breathing. Be aware as you inhale and exhale. Know each breath.
45. Meditate - Let peace wash over you. |
46. Save $10 - Save $10 for later that is. Stash your cash or get some to stash. Put $10 in a jar, tighten the lid and save it for another day when you're really, really bored.
47. Develop some photos - Choose some photographs to get developed. It's more personal to have one physical photograph hanging in your room than 10,000 images on a computer screen. You can frame a couple or scrapbook them, if you're into that sort of thing.
48. Create a craft- Be a tree-hugger and reuse what you currently possess to concoct something new. I have three ideas for you: 1. A picture frame using trinkets you've been collecting. 2. A do it yourself aroma spray to freshen up your room. 3. A reconstruction to liven up an old shirt. Here's an archive of everything from Carmen's Crafts. This is one of the things to do with friends at home!
49. Go on a hike - No, not just a walk. Go on an arduous, lengthy, sweat-inducing, uphill
50. Sit on a bench - Search until you find one. When you do, sit your bum down. Perch yourself on that bench and just ponder.
51. Take a bubble bath.
52. Try learning a new lanuage.
53. Bake cookies.
54. Have a dance party.
55. Facial day - put on a face mask.
56. Plan your next trip.
57. Eat at a local restaurant.
58. Write a blog post about something you're interested in.
59. Do a puzzle. Put together a puzzle with a friend or maybe with grandma.
60. Organize your childhood photos.
61. Try a new recipe.
62. Write in your journal.
63. Tackle organizing your office or room.
64. Take an online course.
65. Listen to your favorite song.
66. Do something active.
67. Meal prep for the week.
68. Create a vision board on Pinterest.
69. Print and frame a few photos to put in a photo album.
70. Go to a museum.
71. Go grocery shopping.
72. FaceTime a friend or family member.
73. Get a haircut or trim.
74. Look up concert tickets.
75. Do something that makes you happy.
76. Try Learning a new language.
77. Clean your makeup brushes or art brushes.
Don't worry. I get bored a lot too. Pondering where to go when bored? This list should give you plenty of things to do.
That's all, folks. Tell me which ones (if any) amuse you!
Peace. Love. Good vibes. Seize the day.
All photos by Carmen Varner.
All photos by Carmen Varner.
Strawberry Summer Salad with Key Lime Vinaigrette
Salad doesn't have to be boring! It's not all lettuce and tomatoes! If you're tired of salad, you're doing it wrong. This is a sweet out-of-the-ordinary salad perfect for serving on a hot summer's day. This refreshing salad pairs fresh fruits with fresh ingredients. The fragrant strawberries and tart juice of the limes tantalize the taste buds. Try this easy cheap vegetarian recipe!
Strawberry Summer Salad with Key Lime Vinaigrette
For the salad:
4 Persian cucumbers
2 carrots
8 strawberries
Key Lime Vinaigrette Dressing:
2 key limes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of salt & pepper
Preparation:
- Simply chop cucumbers, carrots and strawberries. Mix together and add to a bowl.
- Cut key limes in half. Squeeze into bowl of minced veggies.
- Toss in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
- Add a pinch of salt & pepper to taste.
- Bon Appétit!
Blissfully Unaware or Unawarely Blissful?
He asked her to tell him a secret, something she had never revealed to another soul. Natalie pondered this question for a while. After all, everything that goes on in one's mind is technically a secret, since nobody quite knows what's going on in there. She wracked her brain and then she thought of it.
"First I was perplexed, blissfully unaware or perhaps unawarely blissful," she began. "I had an unparalleled trust for humanity, the universe."
Natalie looked at Johnnie. His eyebrows furrowed in a look of confusion.
"A stranger offered me candy," Natalie explained. "I was going to say yes. Hell yes! I was a kid; I wanted candy," she continued.
Natalie looked at Johnnie. His eyebrows furrowed in a look of confusion.
"A stranger offered me candy," Natalie explained. "I was going to say yes. Hell yes! I was a kid; I wanted candy," she continued.
"But the older girl next to me declined for the both of us. I am thankful for that moment now," she looked down at her hands, which were clasped together in her lap. Natalie looked at Johnnie again. He peered directly into her eyes. Did he see farther than just her face? Did he see into her mind? Her soul? Or was she just tripping?
"And what's more important is that nobody but the three participants of that occurrence knew. I've never told anyone that. So there you go," Natalie said without looking up. She hoped that was a sufficient enough secret, because she didn't trust him enough to tell him more.
Sweat, Soul and Scabs: the Skate Culture
Skateboarding is more than maneuvering a board on wheels. It’s a way of life.
Then there’s Oregon native Kevin Kowalski, 20, who embodies the skate lifestyle. His eyes shine a bright blue. His fair skin freckled with tattoos. He speaks in a soft and calm voice. Kowalski’s been skating for 10 years. “Maybe longer,” he said. He tries to skate whenever possible, but it rains a lot in Oregon. “It makes you really appreciate just getting a nice dry day to go outside and skate.”
Even after spending 12 years grinding on griptape, Evan Mutter, 22, from Azusa, Calif. still gets a thrill being on a board.
Although skateboarding is not a team sport, the social aspect is another facet of the subculture. Comradery is key. The friendships made through skating are solid. Skaters often share norms and values but aren't as uniform as the media make them out to be, according to the Sociology of Sport Journal. For example, one pal may like to pound beers while another may be completely straight edge, abstaining from all drugs and alcohol. The skate lifestyle ranges per person or per group of friends, said Mutter.
Mutter himself digs partying and mingling, kicking back brewskis. Occasionally, he smokes weed or partakes in psychedelics like mushrooms. “Some people can do them and not go down the rabbit hole, but some get sucked in and quit skating and change.”
Not all skaters get fulfilment from their passion, some are lucky. Kowalski is sponsored by Lifeblood Skateboards, based in Portland. Being sponsored means he gets free merchandise from the respective companies. But this also means he’s a busy dude. Kowalski scored second place at the Palmdale Pool Project, a desert pool skate competition April 28. May 2 to 7 he traversed to Varazze, Italy to attend and compete at the Vans Off The Wall Spring Classic. Then it’s off to Pro-Tec Pool Party on May 12.
Those who pledge allegiance to the skateboard, otherwise known as skaters, put sweat, soul and scabs into it. It’s not a sometime thing.
“It's always on my mind,” said Kaleb Hall, 27, of Santa Cruz, who has been maintaining the skate lifestyle for 15 years strong. “I'd say I'm obsessed with skateboarding.”
Skateboarding spread worldwide in the mid-1970s and gained an underground following come the 80s, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica. Skateboarding has since commanded itself as a professional sport while continuing its independence from traditional team sports.
The skate lifestyle is a world of its own. The skate culture consists of a potpourri of people. There may be the overwhelming commonality of skateboarding, but each skater bears a diverse range of behaviors, habits and likes.
For starters, there stands a separation between a sometime skater and someone psyched on skating. There’s the skater who only cruises on a skateboard to and from campus. Then there’s the skater who’s spent hours each day on a board.
“The guy who breathes and lives it has heart, passion and drive. It's a drug for him,” said Hall, who estimates he dedicates 20 to 25 hours per week to skating. He also works in the skate industry doing sales administration at NHS Inc., a skate, snow and surf product distributor. He handles trade shows, sales meetings, sales reports and domestic and international accounts. When he’s not pursuing paper, he reads skate magazines, scopes skate videos or views online articles.
Then there’s Oregon native Kevin Kowalski, 20, who embodies the skate lifestyle. His eyes shine a bright blue. His fair skin freckled with tattoos. He speaks in a soft and calm voice. Kowalski’s been skating for 10 years. “Maybe longer,” he said. He tries to skate whenever possible, but it rains a lot in Oregon. “It makes you really appreciate just getting a nice dry day to go outside and skate.”
Even after spending 12 years grinding on griptape, Evan Mutter, 22, from Azusa, Calif. still gets a thrill being on a board.
“Each year it gets progressively new and exciting,” said Mutter, who aims to skate everyday. But it doesn't always happen that way. Injuries are frequent, a rolled ankle here, a hurt knee there.
“Everything else that’s not on the legs, I’ll usually skate anyway.”
Vista native Shonn Oquendo, 24, has been on a board since he was 5 but really got into it at age 10. When he was a kid, Oquendo’s uncle bought him a board and took him to an empty pool to skate. He was fascinated by the people and the environment he found there.
“It seemed like these guys didn’t have one care in the world,” he said. “These guys skate this pool and make something of it, even though it’s not meant to be skated.”
Oquendo has hazel eyes and brown shoulder-length hair that hangs in ringlets. He tries to get on the board for an hour every day. If he’s super sore he’ll take a day off. “But some days I go all day,” Oquendo said. “I pretty much skate every single day of my life.” Sometimes he’ll go out and skate. No car, just the board.
Skateboards can range as much as the skaters who steer them. Graphics and stickers make for easy customization, but there are several essential parts every skateboard has. Mutter simplified them for the non-skater.
The board itself is constructed of seven layers of compressed wood for strength. Griptape prevents feet from sliding off. Trucks bolted below the board can be adjusted if necessary. Bushings lie inside the trucks as a cushion; there are two in each truck. Four wheels, usually made of urethane, enable the skater to act as pilot of the board. Located within each wheel, two ball bearings allow the wheels to spin. Last, the nuts and bolts keep everything secure.
Mutter himself digs partying and mingling, kicking back brewskis. Occasionally, he smokes weed or partakes in psychedelics like mushrooms. “Some people can do them and not go down the rabbit hole, but some get sucked in and quit skating and change.”
He admits he has a calm side though, one that reads, reflects and relaxes. When he’s not fraternizing, he enjoys a stroll through nature, either the woods or desert to “get in touch with what’s truly real.”
The social aspect is also apparent for Hall. Cameras, chicks, drugs and friends correlate to the skateboarding way of life in his eyes. He noted the importance of one thing in particular. “Beer. That's a huge part of skating,” said Hall.
Skateboarding is a key component in Kowalski’s universe. He’s met many buddies and made many memories through skateboarding and skate-related traveling.
“I remember every year more and more skateparks got built. My friends and I would just go skate them and take a road trip every weekend around Oregon,” Kowalski remarked.
The skate lifestyle greatly molds a person. Men and women can be shaped by three dominant sources—basic human nature, culture via social roles and personality via individual identity, according to the Journal of Personality; all social animals have at least a basic form of culture consisting of social customs and adaptations. Verbal language such as syntax and grammar was one discussed example.
“Skaters love to make up phrases and nicknames for anything or somebody. It’s in our blood,” said Hall, who recited a laundry list of slang terminology he uses. Gnarly, rad, insane, sick, sweet, pitted, kook, barney, mark, chad, richard head, snaked, dangler, sketchy, buttery, steezy, stoops, hyped, amped, jonezin', fiendin', jockin', park shark, tech, boostin' and lofty.
“I could go on,” he said once he reached the end.
Mutter mentioned many of his most-used vernacular: gnarly, sick, NBD (never been done), ABD (already been done) and tranny, which is a transition in vertical skating.
In other words, skaters speak their own language, which may sound alien to anyone not active in the lifestyle.
Not all skaters get fulfilment from their passion, some are lucky. Kowalski is sponsored by Lifeblood Skateboards, based in Portland. Being sponsored means he gets free merchandise from the respective companies. But this also means he’s a busy dude. Kowalski scored second place at the Palmdale Pool Project, a desert pool skate competition April 28. May 2 to 7 he traversed to Varazze, Italy to attend and compete at the Vans Off The Wall Spring Classic. Then it’s off to Pro-Tec Pool Party on May 12.
Like Kowalski, Mutter is sponsored. Unlike Kowalski, Mutter resides in sunny SoCal. His sponsors include Pawnshop Skate, in Covina, and Vagrant Skateboards out of San Diego. Vagrant supplies Mutter with free loot like boards, t-shirts and skate trips to Arizona and San Diego.
He also landed a gig teaching skateboarding for the summer at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts in upstate New York. Mutter said it should be an incredible experience and he’s grateful for such an opportunity.
“Skateboarding isn't the most lucrative thing to pursue, but I feel like that makes me love it more in some strange way,” Mutter said.
Skating requires setting goals, then blasting them out of the park. Being sponsored motivates Mutter to develop, sharpen and advance as a skater because “you have to go out filming and get tricks all the time for upcoming company videos.”
He sends clips to other companies to try and ride for them as well. “You have to keep one upping the last stuff.” He favors skating at local parks. But when it comes to filming, he'll go anywhere from San Diego to San Francisco to “recreate the streets and explore the concrete jungle.”
“It was out of the blue. They were like, ‘we’re turning you pro.’ And then they made me a board,” he said. “It was really gnarly for me.”
He said he never thought the little hyper kid who talked too much would have a board that other people ride. Oquendo got to assist in designing his board. The underside of the board includes blue, green, grey and white squares outlined in black. The center portion turns tan with ‘Shonn Oquendo’ and ‘Assault Skateboards’ scrawled in black graffiti-style calligraphy. The illustration portrays a male skull with a goatee and Salvador DalĂ-esque mustache. Upon the dead head, a cap with the bill bend up reads ‘Vista,’ Oquendo’s hometown. Small stars decorate the tan behind the skull.
He doesn’t receive money for being pro, but there are other perks. In addition to a board that people can purchase, he scores gratuitous trips and merch.
“No paychecks yet, but I get taken care of pretty well,” Oquendo added.
Another realm of the skating sphere involves the tricks.
“To me, all the tricks I learned in the beginning were the hard ones, like the basics, mainly because I didn’t know how to skate yet,” Mutter said, but he narrowed it down to one trick.
“Let’s just say my best trick on a ledge is kickflip backside tailslide bigspin out,” Mutter stated. His explanation: “I'd roll up back facing the ledge, pop, flip the board and turn 90 degrees, sliding the tail on the ledge backwards, then spin the board once and a 180 out, at the same time, rolling away switch.”
A prime example of the complexity of the skater language.
The skate culture is heavy on the do-it-yourself (DIY) mentality. When driving around the city, Mutter and his homies “stare out of the car windows like excited puppies looking for hidden new spots” to skate. He makes ledges to skate off of, quarter pipes and covers cracks to skate and spice things up.
Hall is also DIY fan. He creates obstacles to skate on at his house with rails and a speed bump. Occasionally he’ll street skate but skate parks are preferred. “You don't have to deal with cops, tickets, people freaking out on you for skating.”
Oquendo doesn’t have a favorite spot to skate. He skates everywhere. Sometimes it’s a ditch, sidewalks, various kinds of concrete. “I try and look at the world in a different perspective than most people.”
He likes street skating though. “It’s making something out of a decaying piece of society. The streets just seem so raw.”
What maybe a simple railing to the average human is where Oquendo spends hours of his day. What maybe a broken concrete slab is where the skaters of the world practice their moves.
Skateboarding is not a habit that can be easily discarded. It’s a lifestyle. Kevin Kowalski summed the culture up concisely: “skateboarders will always be skateboarders.”
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