11.8.00

Peer Pressure and Positive Outcomes Without the Help of a Friendly Neighborhood Dare Officer or
Trials and Tribulations of a Young Skateboarder
by Jason Swiger

I felt their eyes on me, smoke oozing from their mouths. "You want a smoke, J?" "Nah man, I don't smoke." Just like that. And i proceeded to attempt to bust out that elusive impossible. Almost. Then something hit me. I had sacrificed my so called coolness in the eyes of these fellow youths for what? Skateboarding? Yes (that and a sexy young chica known as Laura).

At that instant I discovered that skateboarding has made me a better person. I found myself wanting to disassociate myself with unhealthy things because i want to progress as a skater, not become debilitated by a few minutes of pointless puffing on a mentholated cancer stick. I mean think of it this way: would you rather not fit in because you don't smoke or cough up a wad of tar after a mad session. If you picked the latter of the two then we obviously disagree with eachother but all the more power to you I guess.

Skateboarding for me is worth it all. The money I shell out for a new wooden plank, the hours I spend learning new tricks and practicing old ones, the trips to parks and new spots, the blood and the pain, the downfall of my image in the face of my acquaintances, and of course the harassment by our boys in blue.

And sooner or later the harassment does come. Just seconds after turning down that cigarette the police pulled in and i watch the mad scramble as the others around me rush to throw away their smokes and bum breath savers off me. "Yeah, who's the fool now?" I remember thinking to myself.

I find that my skateboard betters me as I better my skateboarding. I know people that urge themselves to progress because they want to be the next Muska, Hawk, Gonzales, Santos, etc.. Not me. I skate because i have a deep heartfelt love for it all. When I skate I get a voice in my head that screams "LAND IT!" everytime I pop the tail. Or whenever i set up to jump off of something I haven't done before I hear it telling me "Cmon man don't be scared, its not that high." I wonder if others get this voice too. "Some kids ask me, do you want to go pro someday man?" "Whatever," I say, "if they wanna sponsor me then hell, let em sponsor me." But right now I'm just skating love.