It all started at about age three. While my sister was watching some retarded ballet with my mom, I wanted to do something fun and exhilerating. My dad would hold my hands as I got on the board, wobbling all over the place for about ten minutes before actually gaining balance. Then he'd hold my arms over my head and walked beside me. As soon as I'd gain speed, he'd let go and let me topple over into the grass. And that was where it all took off.
Then around age five, I had picked this up like a paperback book. I was already trying to do tricks, watching Tony Hawk's Trick Tips and random stunt videos like Destroying America. I always had a bad temper, so if I didn't land a trick right away, it was like I was going to go ballistic with a chainsaw and cut everyone's heads off. But, my dad learned that taking me to the beach seemed to do the trick. So when we went to the beach, I'd somehow ended up wanting to take up surfing. Possibly because it was like skating on water.
After taking about four years of practice at surfing and skating, I was doing some old school Dogtown stunts like bert sliding and scraping the hell out of my hands to the point where my mom would almost want to break my boards. Too bad I took care of breaking them myself. I had taken a few pieces of wood from the mortuary a few blocks away, and although they smelled like dead people, they were great for ramps. I'd just shove them up on a curb and then start busting tricks off the lip. But one day, I had gone up my driveway to gain speed. So I fly down the driveway, then ollie onto the strip of wood, but as I tried to land, I not only stomped on the middle of my board and ended up going through it, I also went through the ramp.
I think it was around age eleven when I had started getting way better. The neighborhood kids and I would always have contests with each other, and somehow I'd come out on top, and I would win. It was strange, the feeling of competing. The way I had seemed to ride smoother when trying my hardest. And then it hit me. All this pushing myself had given me an amazing feeling. Like, the power of accomplishment is all you need for that unexplainable great feeling. So, I guess to accomplish, you must never give up.
Skateboarding is pretty much my life. It's most certainly shaped the person I am today, and I wouldn't have it any other way. You just have to remember, don't give up on the things you love.
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