She places her left foot on the front of her board.
It looks old, and the grip tape is scratched and torn, despite being fairly new.
With her right foot, she kicks off the ground, and, suddenly, she’s flying. Rolling down the street, the wind whipping in her hair, everything is passing her by so quickly. She can feel the sun on the back of her shirt, and she can feel the stress leaving her body. For the first time in a long time, she can pretend nothing exists.
No one can touch her.
She is free.
She is invincible.
At least, she would be if she could bring her skateboard to school.
In not-so-recent news, students have been banned from bringing skateboards to school. According to both principal Scott Bacon and Student Resources Officer Dennis Randall, the rule is a district policy instead of a school rule. As far as Dan Carney, the District’s Director of Safety, is aware, there is no existing rule that bans skateboards.
So, where is this policy coming from?
I can’t count how many times someone I know has gotten in trouble for having a skateboard in school.
In an interview, Bacon revealed that he didn’t have a problem with students who brought their boards onto school grounds as long as they weren’t riding them. He was surprised to hear students had gotten in trouble despite the fact that their board was in their hands or strapped to their backpacks.
The fact is, skateboards are a very convenient way to travel back and forth from school.
“It’s somewhat [typical] when [skateboards] come to school that somebody goes out the door, they put it on the ground and they’re zipping across the parking lot,” Bacon said. “It’s probably safer — it’s probably better — if [students] don’t bring them at all.”
I have to agree that riding across the parking lot while hundreds of students are trying to escape isn’t the safest idea, but let’s just assume most of us are smart enough to avoid getting hit by a car.
And while we’re on the subject of cars and accidents, how many car accidents do students get in right in front of our very own school?
I understand that you’re concerned, Mr. Bacon, but it seems to me that you have more important things to be worried about.
Bacon said he also has fears about skateboard theft.
“Typically, they’re pretty high dollar skateboards, and we have concerns with somebody messing with them,” Bacon said.
Fun fact: Did you know that regular-sized skateboards fit wonderfully inside the lockers?
It doesn’t take much effort to lock it away. As long as a skateboard owner keeps the board in his or her locker, then no one will be able to mess with it.
After school, if the skateboard is taken out of the locker, then the person to whom it belongs is responsible for it and should be held appropriately accountable for any misdeeds that may be performed.
It seems to me that the only foreseeable problem with bringing skateboards onto school grounds is that riding one in the hallways or across the parking lot is a big no-no.
If that’s truly the case, then how about we maintain a clear policy that targets the actual danger instead of punishing the entire population of skateboarders.
Q&A with skateboarder junior Ben Keling
Question: How long have you been skateboarding?
Answer: “About a year and a half.”
Q: What got you started?
A: “One of my friends asked me to go skating with him and I liked it, so I kept skating.”
Q: What do you like best about skateboarding?
A: “The speed and adrenaline rush that it gives me.”
Q: Where do you skate?
A: “167th street, Metcalf Place, Sunrise Point and Kessler Park are my favorite spots.”
Q: What’s your favorite trick?
A: “I really like to hold out Coleman slides.”
Q: What’s the biggest struggle you’ve faced when skateboarding?
A: “Being confident enough to try a trick for the first time.”
Q: What kind of skateboard do you have?
A: “I have three boards — my sector nine dropper, landyachtz evo, and never summer clutch.”
Q: How much do quality skateboards usually cost?
A: “Most setups usually cost $200-400.”
Q: How much did your skateboard cost?
A: “My sector nine was about $250, the evo was $350 and the neversummer was about $300.”
Q: How much maintenance do you usually have to perform on your skateboard? What kind?
A: “I’m constantly changing parts out to get a different ride but not much actual maintenance.”
Q&A with skateboarder sophomore Ethan Toles
Question: How long have you been skateboarding?
Answer: “About five years.”
Q: What got you started?
A: “Playing Tony Hawk on Playstation 2 and thinking to myself, ‘This looks really fun.’ So my dad got me a cheap skateboard from Walmart, and I really liked it.”
Q: What do you like best about skateboarding?
A: “There’s a lot I love about skateboarding, but, in the end, the best part about it is hanging out with your friends and spending the day doing something you all like. Not many things are fun by yourself.”
Q: Where do you skate?
A: “In my garage, at my friend’s house or at a skate park. You can usually find some good spots around town, though, if you know what you’re looking for.”
Q: What’s your favorite trick?
A: “Probably the 360 flip, otherwise known as the ‘tré flip.’”
Q: What’s the biggest struggle you’ve faced when skateboarding?
A: “Having the determination to keep going when I didn’t get it at first. I was definitely a slow learner, but I never gave up.”
Q: What kind of skateboard do you have?
A: “A board from a company called ‘Death Wish’ with professional skater ‘Lizard King’ on it.”
Q: How much do quality skateboards usually cost?
A: “A pro deck you can get for about $80 to $100, but you can find some completely blank decks in bulk for about $20 to $30 online. As far as hardware — trucks, wheels, bearings etc. — the price varies a lot more.”
Q: How much did your skateboard cost?
A: “Around $130 all together.”
Q: How much maintenance do you usually have to perform on your skateboard? What kind?
A: “Personally, little to none, although you should clean your bearings out every so often with a form of lubricant that isn’t WD-40, because that will ruin your bearings.”
