About Skateboarding

Vote Comet Skateboards for $50K Grant from Pepsi

2010-02-08T18:12:40Z

Comet Skateboards is trying for a $50,000 grant from Pepsi in the new Pepsi Refresh Project. Pepsi is looking for "people and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact." You submit your idea, and people can vote on it. At the end of the month the top ideas get grants for thousands of dollars.

Comet Skateboards is in the running for the $50,000 grant to improve the Oakland and Ithaca Skateparks, and to run a mentorship and cultural exchange program. You can see a breakdown of how they plan to use the money, and what their program entails on the Pepsi Refresh Everything website. Watch the video about what Comet Skateboards would like to do, and push the white "Vote for This Idea" button on the right side of the screen. Comet moved from 200th place, up to 70th, but as I write this they've slipped back to 82nd. The top 10 ideas win the grant, so vote now, and vote every day! You can vote once a day until the end of February, it costs you nothing to vote, and every vote counts!

Vote Comet Skateboards for $50K Grant from Pepsi originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 18:12:40.

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Jimmy Gorecki: Professional Skateboarding Consultant...?

2010-02-05T21:30:02Z

Disney XD's show Zeke and Luther has been a major hit, and is coming back for a second season.� In case you've never heard of it, the Zeke and Luther show follows two teenage boys who dream of becoming pro skaters. In a lot of ways the show is everything you would expect from a show for kids, except for one major improvement - they're trying hard to make the skateboarding look legitimate.

The main factor in creating realistic skateboarding is the man behind the scenes, James "Jimmy" Gorecki. Gorecki is an ex-pro skater who, through a crazy series of events, ended up being a "Skateboarding Consultant". Not sure what that means? Gorecki wasn't either - he's one of the first people to do this! With skateboarding becoming more and more popular in TV shows and movies, production companies that care are looking for people like Gorecki who can find real pro skaters to do the tricks, and who can teach actors to skate!

I was able to talk with Gorecki earlier this week about what he does for the Zeke and Luther show, how he ended up there, and what he thinks about the mainstreaming of skateboarding. Read the James Gorecki Interview - the guy has some great stuff to say!

And if you are a fan of the Zeke and Luther show, or if you want to be, check out the Zeke and Luther Photo Gallery! Season Two of the show kicks off with a clever episode when Zeke attempts his biggest skateboarding trick ever - jumping a shark (get it?! If not, ask your parents). New episodes start March 15th (7:30-8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD and DisneyXD.com.

Jimmy Gorecki: Professional Skateboarding Consultant...? originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 21:30:02.

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Waveboard Rider Sues Hunting Beach, Wins $30,000

2010-02-03T16:10:58Z

Thank you Huntington Beach teenager Douglas Young, for ruining things for the rest of us.

This was reported earlier this week in the Orange County Register - "A Huntington Beach teen got $30,000 from the city because he fell off his waveboard in a public alley, breaking two bones in his right forearm, officials said." A Waveboard, in case you don't know, is one of those skateboard-like toys where you twist it while standing on it to make it go.

Young's paperwork read, "That day, (Young) played on his waveboard in favor of his skateboard because the waveboard is more challenging, more fun, requires more skill and is therefore, less boring than is merely using a skateboard."

"(Young) readily admits that falling is an expected result of people who skateboard or waveboard; he further admits that he has 'fallen off a lot of times'," court documents said.

Does this kid have any idea how much he is making things worse for skaters?! Skateboarding in California is already a touchy subject, and we don't need people like this suing over getting hurt, when it's his OWN FAULT! He KNEW the risks of riding his silly Waveboard, and he KNEW he was skating in a place with a lot of construction going on. Does Young know how city officials react after they are forced to pay money for things like this? They make more laws, and restrict skateboarding even more. It's not free money! It's money paid for by tax payers, tax payers who don't need much of a push to put in bans against skateboarding when things like this happen.

I'm also disappointed in City Attorney Jennifer McGrath, who apparently didn't want to fight this. This SHOULD be an open-shut case. Skateboarding SHOULD be an at-your-own-risk activity in California, like it is in many other states. We skaters all know getting hurt is part of the bargain when we skate. There's a difference between the city doing something stupid that sets someone up for injury, and me breaking my arm because I can't skate well, but insisted on doing it anyway. Young even said that he thought the Waveboard was "more challenging", meaning that he wasn't as good at it, and also meaning that he wasn't a very good skater, either.

There's my rant. What do you think? Do you think skaters should sue cities more? What do you think about America's sue-happy culture? Post your comments below!

Waveboard Rider Sues Hunting Beach, Wins $30,000 originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 16:10:58.

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Posers vs Slow Learners - What's the Difference?

2010-02-01T16:57:12Z

Skateboarding has a strange culture, doesn't it? I mean, skaters aren't like anyone else out there. We do our own thing, but we're also a group. And we're fiercely protective of what it means to be a "skater".

It can be rough when you are a new skater, or when you just aren't learning tricks as fast as your friends. Sometimes skaters are really encouraging to each other, but sometimes we rip our brothers and sisters down. That's not good. Everyone learns at their own rate, and if someone is trying to skate and willing to put in the blood and sweat, I say build 'em up instead of calling them a "poser". Besides, we ALL started at zero - and became a skater the moment we fell in love with skateboarding, and got on a board.

Not to say that there aren't posers out there! Kids who buy a skateboard and carry it around, just to look the part ... they're a different story. And I find them just as annoying as you probably do.

But for people who are trying but who just learn more slowly, I say encourage them and help them get even better! What do you think? Have you ever been harassed because you didn't instantly learn several hard tricks? Or do you think that until you have reached a certain level, you aren't really a skater? Leave a comment below.

Posers vs Slow Learners - What's the Difference? originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 16:57:12.

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Dew Tour Announces 2010 Dates

2010-01-27T21:35:54Z

There's not much more info out right now than dates, but here they are:

June 25-27 (skateboarding only)
July 23-25 (bmx only)
August 12-15 (multi-sport)
September 16-19 (multi-sport)
October 14-17 (multi-sport)

The 2010 Dew Tour should be along the same lines as last year, only even bigger. Earlier this week Mountain Dew signed paperwork to stay as the series title sponsor for several more years, and they're committed to keeping it growing. That's good news for us who like to watch it!

Dew Tour Announces 2010 Dates originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 21:35:54.

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Skateboarding, Prejudice, and the Police

2010-01-25T17:28:24Z

A skater wrote me today and told this story:

"The other day, I saw my friend Mathew BMX'ing at the local high school, and went to skate with him. We saw a cop and I started to get worried. I was all like,"What if he kicks us out?" So,my friend waves at him. Later I asked if he was scared, and he said no. I asked why, and he said that he used to skate, and the 13 times he skated at the high school, he got kicked out 9 of em. But when he picked up biking, he started going to the high school every day, and has never been kicked out. My point is that I think cops and the high society people are prejudiced against skaters, which isn't right. They see inliners and bikers, but don't get mad till the skaters show up. So do you think this is wrong to? Is this against what America is about?"

This is a great question, and something that most skaters deal with. Have you dealt with this? Here's a poll: The prejudice that exists against skaters is wrong, but it's there because a lot of skaters don't know how to deal with police, and people who hate skaters. Read How to Deal with Police Harassment to get some ideas for how to deal with bad cops and people who might get in your face. Being a skater can be tough, depending on where you live. Some places it's worse than others. Read other skater's stories in Worst Police Harassment Stories - you can even share your own if you have one.

It's sad that we have to deal with so much prejudice, but believe it or not it DOES make you stronger. People always judge each other shallowly - don't let it get to you. Know you YOU are, as a skater, learn how to deal with bad cops, and you'll be one step closer to being a commanding member of your community. And when that happens, use your strength to change the culture from the ground up! I think that's the best way to do it. What do YOU think? Leave a comment if you have an idea!

Skateboarding, Prejudice, and the Police originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 17:28:24.

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Warning: Watching "Let Go" Will Make You Love Longboarding

2010-01-20T19:48:08Z

I love every video Adam Colton makes. I wish he made regular skateboarding videos too - longboarders, you have no idea how spoiled you are!

There's a new 5 minute longboarding hill riding video out by Adam and Orangatang called Longboarding: Let Go. Watch it. It will draw you away with the smoothness, the colors, and the perfectly blended music... In this video, Kyle Chin skates from the top all the way to the bottom of a windy hill out in the middle of nowhere. Adam says he, "Wanted to capture a bit of free-riding, DH, slow motion and scenery. This video captures the beauty of riding." It does. Watch it.

While you're at it, see Longboarding: Sun Dried Tomatoes, in case you missed it. And the Make You Smile DVD is another Adam creation focused on the beauty and art of longboarding.

Warning: Watching "Let Go" Will Make You Love Longboarding originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 19:48:08.

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What if You've Been Skateboarding "Wrong"?

2010-01-18T18:43:21Z

I got an e-mail from a reader who says he's been skating for two years now, and he knows how to ollie, heelflip, a really sketchy kickflip, pop shuv it, fakie/nollie bigspin, bs 180 ollie, fakie/nollie heel, and the basic grinds. Pretty great work for two years of skating! But here's his question - he's always pushed mongo. Pushing mongo means that you push with your front foot instead of your back. This reader played a skateboarding video game, and noticed the rider pushing differently, so he tried it and liked it. Now he's a goofy skater, but he has one problem...

He can only do tricks if he pushes mongo...

So what should he do? Has he been pushing wrong all this time? Should he re-teach himself how to push? This is a GREAT question, and if you dig a little there's a bigger question underneath. The question really is, has he been skateboarding "wrong"?

The answer, short and simple, is NO.

If you don't know how to skate, or are pretty new, I would highly recommend that you push your skateboard with your back foot. Pushing mongo usually stunts the skater's learning all kinds of tricks. But if this guy has been pushing mongo for two years, and learned most of the tricks that an average skater dreams about learning, then he wasn't doing it wrong, was he? Skateboarding is ALL ABOUT finding what works for YOU.

And on the other hand, if you are in a similar spot, changing things up isn't wrong either. If you've been skating regular for a few years, and decide to switch it up, then great! Go for it! Pushing yourself and being creative is fun!

For more, read "Is it OK to Push With My Front Foot?"

What if You've Been Skateboarding "Wrong"? originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 18:43:21.

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Go to the Warped Tour, Get Educated, Win Stuff

2010-01-15T14:03:26Z

Each year the Warped Tour not only brings you great bands and a piles of fun, but also offers an opportunity connect with great non-profit organizations that are present within the community. At the Concrete Wave booth attendees will be able to pick up their very own paperback "passport." From here they will go around to different nonprofit booths and learn about the organization. After a brief run down of the company the person will receive a customized stamp from each designated booth. Once the passport is filled the "traveler" will return to the Concrete Wave booth where they will then be entered to win prizes.

For those who will not be able to attend the tour or would like a take a web approach to this program, a Virtual Passport Program has been created. This will take on the same goals as the paperback version. To enter the program simply logon to: www.Goldcoastlongboards.com/virtualpassport. At the site you will learn about different organizations like peta2, Keep-A-Breast, Unite the United, Boarding for Breast Cancer, and Create-a-Skate.

A number of unique prizes will be given out over the next six months, including 12 signed mystery gifts from 6 bands and 6 prize packs from Concrete Wave Magazine, which includes a subscription and a bunch of other fun stuff! For more info, visit www.warpedtour.com.

Go to the Warped Tour, Get Educated, Win Stuff originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 14:03:26.

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Keep Skateboarding Fit All Winter

2010-01-13T18:27:20Z

Winter is often a time when skaters lay around and let their skateboarding skills rust. Don't give in! Stay active! I'm not saying you can't play video games and take naps, but there are also some things you can do to keep your skateboarding fitness level up over the winter:

Stretching - If you are older than a teenager, you need to get into stretching before you skate anyway. But everyone should get in the habit of keeping themselves flexible, especially over the winter. Flexibility is key to many tricks, and also VERY important to avoiding injury. Not sure what stretches to do? No worries - read Skateboarding Stretches, written by a physical therapist!
Cardio - Any cardio you do will help you overall. So, if you go jogging, run on a treadmill, or roughhouse around with friends breaking furniture for at least half an hour, you will be exercising your heart. So if you do something BESIDES skateboarding, and keep your heart rate up, you will be able to skate better, longer and harder. It's kinda wierd how the body works, huh? Of course, skateboarding is cardio if you push hard ... but during the winter, you might need to ride a bike, jump rope or join a fight club.
Core - Your core is the area around your middle (so your back, abs, sides, etc). The stronger this area is, the stronger you are. A lot of focus has been given to core exercising over the last few years, and a lot of it is good. Things like pilates are actually good for you, but I tend to shy away from things like that ... because I'm a boy. It's not very often you see a masculine guy saying much about working your core. But it IS important, and there are things you can do for it that don't look anything like pilates. Sit ups, crunches, pull ups, even push ups all help the core. But if you can deal with it, buying a pilates video to work on at home would be good for you...
Weight Training - I love weight lifting. Not a lot of skaters do - you look around, and most pro skaters are super skinny. That's good - they have good core strength, they're loose and skateboarding itself provides a lot of cardio. But you CAN weight lift if you want to - you just need to also be doing cardio and stretching or you'll end up big and buff and slow and heavy... I recommend working out the legs, back and stomach. The last two overlap with core workouts, but that's OK. With core exercises, you do a lot of reps with low weight. With weight training, you do the opposite. Do them both, and you'll be balanced. For leg workouts, squats (get help on how to do it, or you'll kill yourself), leg extensions, leg curls and calf raises should be fine.

Don't lose all the fitness you've gained from skateboarding - keep yourself active and healthy, and you'll do even better than you did before, once the sun comes back out!

Keep Skateboarding Fit All Winter originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 18:27:20.

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