Skateboarders are an underground group, especially around here. When thinking about skaters some stereotypes come to mind. “I know it’s not really true but I think that a lot of skateboarders have a reputation of using drugs and being part of a gang of other skateboarders,” Brooklynn Kaster ‘22 said.

Some skaters disagree with the common stereotypes associated with their sport. “Yeah those stereotypes are BS,” Riggen Snyder ‘22 said. Not all skateboarders are the same. While those stereotypes might reflect some in the community, every skateboarder has their own unique story. 

Skateboarders get into the sport for a wide range of reasons. “I started skating cause my friends started skating, and I thought it would be fun to skate with them.” Alan Klimov ‘22 said. “I saw them learning to land tricks and riding around with friends, and wanted to experience the thrill.”

 Sometimes skaters get interested in the sport via media. “ I started skating because I watched skate videos and played Skate 3,”  Konrad Rohlf ‘22 said.  “I thought it might be a cool thing to do, so I just went for it.” 

Skateboarding tends to spread among friend groups in a unique way compared to other sports. “What made me want to start was Konrad. He randomly told me he was gonna buy a skateboard and at first, I was against it but I ended up getting one anyway. It ended up being a really good decision.” Ethan Holter ‘22 said.

While skating is enjoyable solo, “I hate skating by myself, if I can I will skate with my friends.” Said Snyder. Skateboarding is in nature better enjoyed in a group setting. Which is why most everyone can trace the reason they started skating to a friend of theirs.

The same way that people start skating for a variety of reasons, people enjoy skating for a multitude of reasons as well. “It’s all about self-expression, you can wear whatever you want, and do whatever tricks you want.” Rohlf said. “You can make your stuff look unique and have your own style. It’s also a great activity to do with your boys.”

Doing tricks plays a major factor in keeping skaters occupied and entertained. “It is extremely rewarding to land a new trick or something you’ve never done before,” Holter said. 

While for some tricks are a major draw, others are more a fan of cruising. “One of my favorite parts of skating is getting to cruise around with my friends, on like a sick trail.” Eli Chow ‘22 said.  

Everyone has an outlet that they use to relieve pent up stress, and skating is oftentimes used as such an outlet. “I really enjoy (skateboarding) and getting to do something fun and getting to relax and relieve some stress.” Hayley Draman ‘22 said. It does not matter your age, gender, or ability level, anyone can get some enjoyment out of skateboarding, 

But everything is not sunshine and rainbows. There is no perfect activity with zero downsides, this especially includes skateboarding. “It’s very easy to get injured, so I have to be careful during track/cross country season. I also can’t get my board wet, which means a lot of the time I’m limited by the weather.” Holter said. 

On the topic of injuries, they are especially prevalent in skating, due to it being a high-risk high reward activity. “I mean my shins always hurt, and most of the time my hands are raw. But that’s all part of the fun,” Rohlf said. 

More simply it just plain hurts, to get hurt. “Sucking at skating, sucks.” Said Klimov. 

Skateboarding has long been considered more of an underground sport, so when the idea of a skateboarding club or team is raised, skaters tend to not support the idea. “Eh, I don’t know about a skate team, because the thing I like about skating is there are no teams or formal league.”Rohlf said. 

Or comparatively, some have mixed opinions on the topic of a skate team.“I think a skate team is a cool idea, but I can see a few problems with that because of the wide range of skill levels. It is also important to keep in mind that’s it’s more of an art than a sport, so It can’t be treated like one,” Holter said.

Others were a bit more blatant with their disapproval of the concept. “Sounds kinda stupid, to be honest (The idea of a skateboarding team) I like the independent nature.” Snyder said.   

Skateboarding is an individual activity and similarly to the sport, the participants behave independently. Every skater has their own unique story, on why they started the sport.”I honestly did not really think about skater culture, it’s kinda cool.” Kaster said.