Throwing down at the Best Trick Contest. F/S boardslide. Austin, TX.
Once again I find myself in the thick of one of the greatest holidays all year, Go Skateboarding Day! The difference this year is that I am in Austin now with the jam hosted by No Comply. So I was definitely stoked to see how it compares to my hometown of San Antonio and the legendary Phoenix jams hosted by Cowtown (I attended one back in 2013 when I was living in Arizona). Suffice to say, I was pretty excited. GSD is that magical time of year when the streets exhibit an influx of four-wheeled riders of all ages. Where we're all basically family roaming the streets. Of course, any hardcore will tell you that every day is Go Skateboarding Day, but this is our day to celebrate.
House Parked was STACKED.
Lil' ripper having the time of his life.
It's great to see communities come together like this for the love and passion of something like skateboarding. All ages convene in one spot to just skate. From the babies that are the future to the vets that made it pro to the old guys that didn't quite "make it" but can't seem to stop nonetheless. Go Skateboarding Day brings so many together worldwide. There's something in the air on this day that cannot be put into coherent words. But, the word gnarly is pretty sufficient.
Sequence shot of a nollie-nose down the six.
This guy could not be faded. Throwing down consistently all night.
Skateboarding is a beautiful part of life and no matter what city I'm in, no matter how many injuries I sustain, I always find myself rolling again. There's a certain freedom congealed with rebellion in skateboarding that cannot be mimicked by many other things. And it is something that never leaves your blood completely once it finds its way inside you. I've been skating since I was about 4 or 5 and taught myself how to stand up and ride from pushing on my knees as a lot of us do as kids. Over the years, skateboarding showed me how to see the world differently. How to pick magic out of the seemingly empty, and that translated into my art and photography as I grew older. It bridges so many strangers. It's the modern day soccer ball. Watching these guys try again and again to make a landing is something to marvel. When the trick is finally landed, the crowds erupt and you feel a part of that success. You want them all to make it. Being around so many talented people this night was a solid reminder of what can be accomplished with persistence and patience.
The Best Trick contests encompassed many areas of the park. This vert portion was the highlight spot of the night though.
Going pro was not in my cards. That's a given. But that doesn't matter. Because skateboarding is. It keeps me seeing the world in fresh perspectives, keeps me giving buttoned-down life the middle finger, and most importantly...
...it keeps me FREE. And for that I am eternally grateful.
Thank you, Skateboarding. For everything you keep giving me.
Stay Creative,
BLUE731.
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