Summer 2005
Q&A with Southern Colorado Skateboarders
By Gabe Toth
Skateboarding is seen in the eyes of some as a trend, a lifestyle, a sport and a voice of rebellion. Those who have the bravado to fly down concrete on a board with wheels get hooked. Skate parks are not filled only with seasoned professionals. In Southern Colorado exists a positive relationship between the older generation, the ones who have watched skating grow into the movement it is today and the ten and under crowd, the future of the sport.
Anyone can ride a board. With enough determination and patience one can master any desired skill. Skateboarding, however, is one sport that is completely all-inclusive. Any race, religion or sex can feel comfortable gliding down the street on a six inch board with wheels attached.
Page after page in Thrasher magazine are littered with the stories of every different kind of person on the planet with one simple thing in common; the ability and love of skating. The stories are told in the words of the skaters, as they are here. Three stories of different skaters told in words of their choosing.
Tyler Van Duyn Age: 21 Pueblo
Q. How old were you when you started skating?
A. “I started in about 1998 when I was 12 or 13 years old.”
Q. Describe the perfect day to skate.
A. “Getting up at 12:00 or 1:00, grabbing my board, going out with the homies
and not getting hassled by the cops. As far as the weather, as long as
it’s not windy the day is perfect.”
Q. What do you get out of skating?
A. “Like anything else it’s an outlet. I would say a lifestyle to some, but
to me it’s more like being an artist, only I have a board instead of a
brush. It’s fun, a great way to relieve stress and you get to hang out
with friends.”
Q. Have you broken any bones?
A. Laughter, “Yes I have broken many bones; I think it’s a requirement.”
Q. Any advice for aspiring skaters?
A. “Have fun with it. If you aren’t having fun, try something else.”
Ronnie Barela Age: 23 Trinidad
Q. When did skating become a part of your life?
A. “The first time I ever touched a skateboard I was in first or second grade.
All my brother and I wanted for Christmas were skateboards; we lucked out
that year and got them. We skated together for about a year, and then I
quit and started again in high school.”
Q. Why skate?
A. “It’s a challenge, a thrill, and it’s so much fun to go that fast on your
feet.”
Q. Have you broken any bones?
A. “No but that is because I only go out about three times a week to skate.”
Q. Do you think you will ever quit skating?
A. “Yes I think so, but then again, I have quit and started again. Something
about skating, it always comes back to me. I will just stop skating, loose
my board and then one day a new board appears and I start again.”
Q. Do you have any advice for young kids who want to start skating?
A. “Don’t give up, just keep at it. Skate for yourself and your own reasons,
not because someone wants you to or thinks it’s cool.”
***
Next:
Interview with Mark Piano
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