Skateboarding: a California-native lifestyle

By Alec Marasa Cub Reporter

Skatingboarding is part of the California lifestyle but is often underrepresented compared to mainstream sports such as football and soccer. Skateboarding originated in the 1950s by surfers in California who attached wheels to a plank of wood so they could still have fun while there were no waves. Over the years, it has grown into many avenues, from riding down steep hills to doing tricks off stairs and ramps. Due to the lack of rules, skateboarding allows for a level of creativity not found in many traditional team sports.

Senior Oliver Lownds has been skating for over four years, going out nearly every day after school to skate. He typically skates at Redwoods’ local skatepark inside the Corte Madera Town Park, just 2 minutes away from Redwood. He shares how he could never stay motivated playing other sports.

“I have tried many sports, but it was hard to always stay motivated, they sometimes felt like a chore which I never feel about skating… Skating started out as a fun hobby but turned into one of the most important parts of my life,” Lownds said.

While skating requires lots of physical strength, it requires even more of a strong mentality in order to conquer the fear of trying new tricks.

“Skating has taught me so much in life. There will be times where I spend weeks on landing one trick, trying every possible foot and body position to land until something finally clicks and I land it. I have been putting that same mindset of not giving up and trying new ways to do things in my school and I have seen amazing results,” Lownds said. amarasa@redwoodbark.org

Skating is also used as a way to balance school and other aspects of life for many students. Since skating doesn’t require a team, people are able to enjoy skating anytime, making it a great way to balance work and personal life.

Freshman Wesley Escamilla is new to skating but is already well immersed in it, spending much of his time at the local skateparks.

“[Skating] has been a great way to spend my free time that doesn’t seem like I’m wasting time … I’m outside having fun with my friends [and] getting some exercise,” Escamilla said.

Due to most skateparks being free to enter and open at all times of the day, it is the perfect place to meet new people.

“Everyone is so nice at the skatepark … everyone helps each other out and hypes one another up,” Escamilla said.

As skating becomes more mainstream due to it having been recently made an Olympic sport in 2020, the community is rapidly growing. Whether it be a way to balance your life or a just a mere personal passion, skateboarding has something to offer for everyone.