"Skateboarding: A pointless, destructive activity practiced by low-life social outcasts with failing grades and drug addictions for the sake of entertainment," as defined by the majority of Americans.
To many people a skateboard is just a toy for small kids to mess around on in the neighborhood cul-de-sac, and often it is just a phase that some kids go through, but never actually stick with.
When they see teenagers or adults riding skateboards, they often think many negative thoughts: troublemakers, drug abusers, punks, dropouts. The board under their feet automatically puts them in a new category and classifies them as a bad person with no future.
Some people have trouble looking past the stereotype image of a "skateboarder" to see an actual person. Behind the battered shoes and beat up shins lies a personality.
Though skating is not nearly as accepted as traditional team sports like football or baseball, its popularity has increased dramatically. Skateboarding is often a focus in reality TV, advertisements, movies and music. Just walking through the halls of MHS, one might often come across students with their board in hand.
With this new surge of popularity, it is hard to distinguish between dedicated skateboarders and people who view skateboarding as merely a fun activity to do in their spare time.
Seniors Kyle Mantle and Irving Villarreal are perfect examples of devoted skateboarders. If one travels to the skate park, chances are they will see one of them skating around. Kyle has been skating for seven years and Irving for six; skateboarding has become a big part of their life.
Both have seen their share of discrimination throughout their skating career; this discrimination coming from many different people such as teachers, business owners, pedestrians and fellow students.
"Skateboarders are stereotyped as troublemakers, but you can look at any group of people and find your share of troublemakers. There are troublemakers anywhere you look," said Mantle.
Most skaters aren't bothered by the constant discrimination and their stereotypical portrayal. The love of cruising on the concrete overcomes the dirty looks they receive. Some skateboarders actually enjoy the way skateboarding is frowned upon by the general public.
"Honestly, I love how skateboarding is looked at by the average person driving down the street. I'm amused when people give me ugly looks," said Villarreal. "I know they will never begin to understand my love for my skateboard, a love that will always be there through thick and thin."
Mantle's passion for the sport makes it easy to ignore the negative image.
"I'm not setting an image for myself, I'm doing what I want to do because I love to do it," said Mantle.
So the question stands: why do skaters still skate if they have so many obstacles to overcome? Why not settle for a more accepted hobby like football or baseball? The answer comes easily to most die-hard skaters. "Skateboarding is looked at as something pointless and destructive through the eyes of someone who doesn't skate, but to us it's a whole different world," said Villarreal. "It is a way for us to forget about worries, and to escape in our own little world. Though it sounds strange to some people us true skaters know it and live it and will do it until our bodies can't."
Chris Doane, manager of the local Valley Skate Shop, and fellow skateboarder Brock Ziegle are two of the best local examples of dedication to skating as long as it is humanly possible. Doane has skated for over 15 years.
"I skateboard because it is fun and it allows me to escape the normal daily routine," said Doane.
Doane and Ziegles' reasons for skating vary.
"I skateboard because it's anti-everything," said Ziegle. The pair don't plan on quitting until their bodies wont allow them to get on a board any longer.
Senior Zack Aker, another skater, skates for even different reasons.
"Skateboarding is an easy way to free my mind. There are no restrictions, the wood under my feet never asks me to do anything."
With average team sports one relies on other players for success whereas in skateboarding, nobody is asking you to do anything; you are not expected to perform at a certain level. Skating is about having fun, being free to skate how you want and doing what you love.
In skateboarding there are no practices, no coaches, no time limits and no rules. There are no restrictions. Skateboarding offers a fresh feel of freedom especially in a very busy lifestyle.
"There is a comforting feeling in getting off of work or out of school and stepping on your skateboard," said Mantle.
It is not just the act of skateboarding that has been important in these people's lives, the connections they have made and the benefits of skateboarding have made an impact on their lives as well.
"I've been skateboarding since I was 10 and I couldn't tell you how many people I have met through skateboarding. When you skateboard, you are instantly connected with everyone in the skate community," said Mantle.
The common hangout spots for skateboarders include Valley Skate Shop on Third Street as well as Joe Dancer and Discovery Meadows, the local skate parks. At these locations you can find many people from multiple age groups, households and walks of life enjoying the same activity: skateboarding.
"Because of skateboarding I have met the most trustworthy people. They are family in my eyes and they always will be," said Villarreal. "Being able to go with my friends and skate the park ... is so fun and hanging out outside of skateboarding, as well."
This unique common attribute ties to each other and establishes long-lasting friendships.
"Through all of that they have given me so many good memories that I will never forget and I thank them for that," said Villarreal.
Skateboarding also provides opportunities for success. Mantle works at Valley Skate Shop five days a week. This job would not have come to Mantle without his skating connections.
Through skateboarding, people are introduced to all sorts of other arts and skills such as photography, cinematography, music, art, culture, fashion, graphic design, business ownership and carpentry.
Skateboarding allows you to branch out to many different forms of culture while still being connected to skating.
Many skateboarders find careers through skating culture and its multiple branches. Within the skateboarding industry there is constant demand for all sorts of artists, managers and specialists. Skateboarding has been quoted as a six billion dollar industry; there are nearly infinite opportunities to make a living a career that you actually enjoy.
Both skaters ride for the Valley Skate Team, where they are expected to get footage and photos of tricks. Both show interest in cinematography and photography themselves.
Skateboarding also introduces people to other things such as good music. Skateboarding videos contain many types of music from punk rock like Dead Kennedys and Misfits to alternative music such as Spoon and Modest Mouse.
Bands featured in major skate videos include David Bowie, The Smiths, Franz Ferdinand, Public Enemy, The Arcade Fire, Jimi Hendrix and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Without seeing skateboarding videos, many of this good music could be overlooked or not discovered.
Art is also very apparent in skateboard culture. Artists such as Jeremy Fish and Sheppard Fairey do art for skateboarding companies as well as other projects. Fish was featured on the front of Aesop Rock's new album "None Shall Pass". Fairey's famous portrait of Barack Obama is visible on stickers, posters and tee shirts everywhere. Skateboarding subjects individuals to this fine art as well as much more, as well as offering opportunities to aspiring artists and graphic designers looking to make a name for themselves.
With all these benefits coming from skateboarding, how is it not accepted as highly as other team sports? Instead of looking at a teenager skateboarding and thinking of a highly dubious troublemaker, why can't we think of a kid just trying to have a bit of fun? Why do we hold skateboarding so much lower than all other sports and activities?
There are many reasons why, but none of them truly matter. Skateboarding will always be loved and appreciated by those who know it best. And those people are skateboarders.