His fascination began with the discovery of my 70′s longboard carefully stowed in the attic. Yep, I was a skateboarder back in my day and although I shudder to think how we used to shoot down Ashland Avenue and all the wipeouts we took on that steep hill, it’s nothing compared with the tricks skaters are busting today. (a little skateboarding lingo there)…
It wasn’t long before we spent $20 on a starter skateboard from Pamida in Livingston and started hitting the skateboard parks with Sam after school and on weekends. It seems as though practically every Montana town with kids has one…Livingston, Bozeman, Billings, Columbus and even Anaconda. It was hard to watch my 8 year-old Sam struggle to learn some basic tricks like the 180 while staying out of the way of the big boys. But the day Sam decided to take on the half-pipe is another story. He watched the skateboard “dudes” for what seemed like forever and finally lined up his board on the rim, ready to take the plunge. He searched for courage. I watched nervously, camera in hand, certain that I was about to witness a crash. Just then an old-school skater approached Sam to offer him some tips. It was a beautiful thing to watch…
In case you’re wondering, yes…there was a crash and a teary-eyed boy, but one that I was so proud of. The kid had guts. We went right out to World Boards in Bozeman and bought him a better skateboard. A year later, during our recent Spring Break, we ended up in Missoula and at a skateboard park that took even my breath away…MOBASH. Organized and paid for by a group of volunteers over a 7 year period, MOBASH opened in September 2006 to a crowd of 10,000 and a guest appearance by legendary skateboarder, Tony Hawk!
As you can see, my son was in “Skateboard Heaven”…
This is no such thing as skateboarding lessons…you learn by watching and “taking the plunge” on the streets or in the skateboard parks. If you “eat it” you get up right away and try it again. Kinda like riding a horse. Larissa has been asking for a World Board for awhile, and when Oma and Opa were just here for a Mother’s Day visit, they granted her wish. It’s a beautiful thing to see Sam return the favor and teach his twin sister the ropes. Check it out…
by Susann
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