Working at my skateshop one block away from the skatepark allows me to see and meet a lot if different skateboarders. I can’t quite remember when or how I came up with the idea, but I thought it would be awesome to have photos of every skater from our scene (and maybe some non-locals as well) all together in one nice place. Of course that isn’t as easy as it sounds.
I’m not sure what’s more awkward, me asking to take the photos or the skaters having to stand there getting their photos taken. Either way, I am stoked I got through the awkwardness and managed to hit over seventy-five portraits. Now, lets see how many more we can get.
People ride skateboards in a lot of different ways. Some people skate for fun, while others get serious for themselves or competition. Some skaters ride solely as a means of transportation, and others skate because of their friends. There are a plethora of reasons and ways to roll on a board, and that is perhaps the best part of skating. Personally I skate for a mix of many reasons, but the main thing that keeps me going is the fun I have challenging myself to no end.
Clay Shank rides his skateboard in a way that is challenging just to watch and understand. He flies around looking simultaneously in control and sketchy, his face flashing big grins and intense focus, all with a healthy dose of humor. When he first came into our scene and started skating our park I was intrigued by his style and trick selection, and I have been a big fan of his skating ever since.
In this excellent short film Clay has taken the concept of challenging yourself to another level. I have actually played games of SKATE with myself, but this is just ridiculous. Enjoy this beautiful piece of work shot and edited by Sam Coodley and starring, written, and directed by Clay Shank.
Having a non-bust spot to skate that isn’t a “skatepark” is a great thing to have as a skateboarder. I grew up skating in a storage yard that my Dad manages, we call it The Yard. I learned how to ollie there almost 12 years ago and I am still learning new things there today. We used to have big sessions there with all sorts of different skaters, but for the past seven or so years it has been mostly me alone.
Now the big sessions have begun again. I have set the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month as official days to meet up at The Yard. On the first Sunday it was raining, but 10-15 people still showed up and many of us skated despite the rain. It was a harsh yet awesome start, proving our devotion to skating.
With the stoke set high, the second session did not disappoint. This time the weather was perfect and The Yard was dominated by the younger generation of skaters in our scene. It is rad to skate with another batch of little dudes just like i used to with all of my friends when I was their age.
One of the best things I see about skating now is that it brings people of all ages together to do the same thing. I love how in the footage and photos it switches back and forth between the young faces and my big beard. Everyone is equal, size or age difference doesn’t really matter, and no one is in a coach like position. We even all played hide and go seek tag together, and I can’t remember the last time I did that! Skateboarding keeps you young.
Photo Credit to April Adams and Video Credit to Ryan Cedro
