Ann Landers.Hate is something that is inevitably part of the skateboarding subculture subculture /sub·cul·ture/ (sub´kul-chur) a culture of bacteria derived from another culture. sub·cul·ture n. . It's a taboo subject, a sin that gets swept under the rug, but you can still smell it and sense that it's there. Fortunately, hate is something that can be built upon, used as an excuse to keep on going, and motivation to do better. I was reminded of this issue when I was at the wonderful Northbrook skatepark A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment for skateboarders, bmxers and aggressive skaters to ride and develop their sport and technique. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, handrails, trick boxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, stairs, in Illinois on a muggy mug·gy adj. mug·gi·er, mug·gi·est Warm and extremely humid. [Probably from Middle English mugen, to drizzle; akin to Old Norse mugga, a drizzle. day, with only a few kids cruising around. I overheard this kid heckling his friend about why he wasn't shredding. The boy shrugged, and said, "I don't want to skateboard because I know I suck." When I heard this, it immediately caught my attention. Being the mediator that I am, I had to try to give him some words of encouragement. So, I promptly responded, "Hey, if I let people telling me that I suck and that I'd never be good enough get to me, then I would have quit skateboarding a long time ago. Every time you get nervous and don't want to skate, skate anyways an·y·ways adv. Nonstandard In any case. Adv. 1. anyways - used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement; "Anyhow, he is dead now"; "I think they're asleep; anyhow, they're quiet"; "I ." The kid kind of looked at me oddly while he continued to sit hunched hunch n. 1. An intuitive feeling or a premonition: had a hunch that he would lose. 2. A hump. 3. A lump or chunk: "She . . . over on the bench. His friend said, "Yeah, she's totally right!" and gave me a high five to settle the score. The whole situation got me thinking about this one DGK DGK Deutsche Geodätische Kommission (German geodetic commission) DGK Deutschen Grünen Kreuzes (für Gesundheit) DGK Dirty Ghetto Kids (skateboard company) DGK Directory Gatekeeper shirt I own that says "I Love Haters," and on the back it says "Motivation." Whenever I go to skateparks sporting that shirt I get the occasional sneers, and some hate from the people who just don't take the time to understand this golden rule of skateboarding--or just don't care to know. I believe DGK has it all right, as this concept is one that I care to adopt. You must embrace the unknown, the skepticism, the people who will say straight to your face that you should spare your time and quit skateboarding now, and the ones who won't talk to you because you just aren't as superior on the board as them, though you might never be. Skating will never be as pure as I once pictured it being. In skating's defense, anything you're involved in will have people who think they know what's up. I say eff it. Just keep going, because somewhere along the way all of those haters will get lost, and you'll find yourself the only one left pushing. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sydney Goldberg Buffalo Grove Buffalo Grove A village of northeast Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Population: 43,300. , IL |
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