Around 6th grade I started thinking that skateboarding was just about the coolest thing in the world. I’d buy skate magazines from the local drugstore and circle all the skate gear I wish I had from the advertisements with a permanent marker. I could list dozens of brands of decks, trucks and wheels. I could tell you why Swiss bearings were better than Lucky bearings. But I couldn’t do an ollie to save my life. I eventually got my mom to buy me a Zoo York board from the BC Surf and Sport shop from the Park Meadows Mall down in Denver, on the condition that I would wear a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards whenever I rode it. Because of this condition I stayed away from the skate park, aka cool kid central. During my middle school years I skated a little bit in my driveway with my friend Matt and later in high school I skated in the King Soopers parking lot with my friend Scott. I even broke my big toe once trying to ollie over two steps. Pretty badass.

I imagine one day I’ll stop thinking that skate videos are rad and stop wishing that I could do a kick flip. But that day has not yet arrived.