Skateboarding is in my heart; it is in my blood. To the ordinary person, skateboarders are just people who do not care about rules. A skateboard is a way of life that no one understands unless you are a part of the community.

The board on the four wheels has been around since the late ‘50s. It allows you to make friends even if you do not speak the same language, bringing people of all backgrounds together.

In a way, many skaters view skateboarding as an escape from the world and feeling free in an artform that lets you express yourself.

I love skateboarding because it allows me to release stress. As skateboarders, we do not really need language–we have skateboarding.

Coming from someone who skateboards, taking a slam is very common; people usually only see the outcome but learning a new trick or landing a difficult trick takes hours, days, even weeks, but once you finally land it, there literally is no feeling like it.

You receive such an adrenaline rush, wanting to scream out of pure joy, going to everyone who was there with you, thanking them for motivating you and spreading the love.

All the hard work and dedication you put into learning the moves teach you about life in a way that nothing else can.

Everyday kids have their dreams crushed with all of the negativity going on in this world, whether it is from their peers, television, or even parents. Learning a new trick connected with riding a skateboard,teaches you that anything is possible because you achieved something not many people could do. You even defined the laws of gravity.

For me, skateboarding lets me be myself and learn at my own pace, creating a stress free environment and through which I can escape the world.
It instills something in your brain that tells you that while trying to achieve your goal is not always easy, investing the time and practice empowers you to belief you can accomplish anything.

All of the falling also teaches you that it will not be easy, and there will be more times than not when you fail on your way to getting to where you want to be in life.

I have only been skating for about a year and a half, but I first got introduced to it about eight years ago through my older cousins. I really did not know anything about the culture back then and was not good at all.

I only lasted a couple months before stopping, but after high school, I moved out to Fresno and did not have any friends here. I decided to pick up the board again stuck to it this time. I am glad I did because it has helped me in more ways than I can describe.

And I have met some new people along the way.