#59 Learn To Skateboard

Skateboarding has been around since the 1940s. When some California surfers didn’t have any waves to ride, they put some roller skate wheels on a box and away they went. In my hometown, it went more along the lines of…snowboarders wanting something to ride when the snow melted.

Me doing an

I learned to skate (no true skater really says “skateboard”) with my big brother when I was about 10. We learned on our street on ramps we built out of wood and others we propped up with metal sheets on cinder blocks. We learned from the other kids in town and by pouring over the pages of Transworld Skateboarding.

It was a bit frustrating at first, but rewarding in the end. Although other sports and distractions intruded on my life, I’ll always have a soft spot for the sport. When I got a Nintendo 64, Tony Hawk‘s Pro Skater was my favorite game. Whenever I see skating on TV or in a video, I am always in awe of their control of the board.

So, go ahead, give it a whirl. To my fellow Austinites, get your board and shoes–and pads and a helmet–at No Comply on 12th and West, and get your skate on at the new mini-ramp in Patterson Park.

For now, because I love to laugh and I hope you do too, just check out my little “how to ollie” video:

For some more cool skate tricks, check out these videos at 5 Min Extreme.