Skateboarding and its associated cultures have always held my attention. One of the primary aspects that's captivated me is how the growth in the sport mirrors the growth an individual. It is at base a man vs. himself conflict being acted out. It is raw, and it is emotional.
Growing up skateboarding I had always been drawn to surfing. At the core they are essentially the same, but surfing always seemed more pure and less violent. Being stuck in southeast Michigan was a tease. We had as much water and cast as anywhere, but surfing was hardly on the menu. Because of that surfing slowly took on mystical qualities, and it remains on- I can't believe I'm using this term- bucket list. (blech)
While out with friends skating we often talked about what skate trick would be coolest on a surfboard. The hands down favorite was always the same. Kickflip. Surfing was starting to really progress at the time and ariels were becoming common. Still a kickflip was a whole new game. I seemed impossible. The water provided no leverage, and the board- while smaller than ever- was still clumsy for this time of trick. It was so out of the realm that Volcom posted a $10,000 bounty for the first one filmed.
That was yesterday.
Since at least 2007 the surfing world has been trying to win the $10,000 carrot on the stick, and more importantly the respect of their peers. Earlier this month Zoltan Torkos finally pulled one off. While it wasn't over the lip- and thus outside of qualifying for the prize (money was later awarded anyhow)- it is still bad ass. Congrats Zoltan!
Wow.
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