Skateboarding - Then And Now

Skateboarding - Then And Now

by Zorre Kimura

Publication Date: March 1996

It is an honor to write for this hot new magazine since being a physical therapist I truly respect the courage and craziness of extreme sports. Unfortunately I'm not an expert in many of the extreme sports, but do remember my skateboarding days as a youth in Hawaii.

Growing up in Hawaii I was lucky for two reasons. First of all, we had awesome weather all year round. Secondly, I lived in the hills of Pacific Palisades. From the time I was eight with my little wooden board and its metal wheels, I would rip down the sidewalk slopes as fast as I could. Eventually, my board would ??? the heck out of my big feet and I'd do my best to wipeout in someone's grassy front yard.

By the time I was 13, the boards and wheels got wider and were now made of plastic fiberglass, but my feet were still bare. We now took the steeper streets, staying in control in a slalom fashion and ripping the lips off smooth curbs that let us practice re-entries. I was getting better all the time. My wipeouts in neighbors' yards were being replaced with spinning 360s at the top of a steep driveway that would slow me down for a second, then I'd hit the next phase of my downhill journey, goofy footed and loving it.

Another benefit of my skateboarding was that there was a bus at the bottom of my route that came around every ?? minutes and would take me back up the hill for just a dime. You had to wear a shirt on the local bus, but barefoot skateboarders were always welcome.

Yes, things have changed a lot since my skateboarding days, but before you embark on what I promise will be a thrill, you've got to consider these six things:

1. Don't skate at night. Cars can't see you and you've got to have your best vision in order to dodge the little rocks that can send you rolling.

2. Find roads that allow you to quickly move from road to sidewalk to driveway. Or better yet, stay on the roads that you can handle, just like the various levels on a ski slope.

3. Build your physical strength. I supplemented my skateboarding with weight lifting, football and surfing. Your body won't handle the bumps and bruises without some extra muscular padding.

4. Experiment with the shape of your board and the control your trucks and wheels give you. A smaller board would most likely be easier to handle when your speed starts picking up.

5. Wear the right equipment. We didn't have helmets and padding back then. Only the characters doing roller derby wore that stuff. But now that I am a physical therapist and know better, I don't want to be feeding you jello in some rehab center because you were too cool to wear a helmet.

6. Most importantly, respect personal property and follow the rules of property owners and police. Next worse thing to a hospital is jail.

I hope you chart some new courses for fun and adventure this year. Extreme skateboarding can be a great reality.

Zorre Kimura is a Physical Therapist and understands the inherent danger in this sport just like any other. His goal is to educate skaters to practice safety and to find courses free from traffic and other potential hazards. Let us know if you've skated such a place.