There is an article a couple issues back of Skateboarder that puts down the use of MP3 players and IPods at skate sessions. I can sympathize a little about it, but not fully. Skateboarding is so different now, than from let’s say, 5 years ago. When you went to a spot, there weren’t a million kids there filming crooked grinds, and even more people there, trying to bro down with you. It was just people down to shred and that’s it. It was your close friends and you traveled in small packs, like a bunch of lions. Nowadays I show up to a spot and don’t know anybody. Kids are consistently getting in my way and everyone approaches me like they know me from somewhere. OF COURSE YOU DO!!! How am I supposed to rememeber every single person who has seen me at some random skate spot in Jersey? I can’t. Plus, living in the city, or being in a skatepark, there is so many distractions. Doing my best to escape that, I don headphones. Music for me is a motivator. I’m not going to lie, I am a skate nerd and am guilty (just like almost everyone else out there) of having just about every skate song there is on my Ipod. Hey, cut me some slack. It hypes me up when I have a familiar song of a favorite skater. It’s almost like I’m the one with the video part.
PLus, headphones help you escape the dumb barrage of questions or retarded comments I get whenever I go to the skate park. “Can you do a hardflip?” “Are you sponsored?” And the best one I hear is ,”Wow, you’re tall!!” No shit I’m tall!! Like I don’t know that. LIke I don’t wake up in the morning knowing I’m 6’5″. Also I’m a black skateboarder living in the city. And I don’t know if anyone else out there knows this but, black people aren’t to fond of other black people skateboarding. I’ve been black for about 25 years so trust me, I know. It’s just not what’s hot right now. It’s never been. I get fucked with everyday.
So for times like that, headphones are a blessing…
First post bitches!!!! (slap board humor) Rock’em with pride!!! Can’t stand the “are you sponsored” question. I’m like: “Scram! Go watch VIVA LA BAM kid!”
pod-rats annoy me at parks and spots, because they cant hear what’s going on around them, and therefore get in your way even more. Ki, ask yourself, have you ever gotten in anyone’s way cause you were oblivious to them due to your headphones? You may not even not it because you have little plugs in your ears. This isnt really directed at you ki, EVERYONE that rocks headphones at the spot, ask yourself the same questions. You are less receptive to the world around you when ‘donning’ headphones. Take them off, get to know the people around you.
do you ever stop bitching. My god you are annoying. LIke you seriously hate on anything and everything
White people make fun of other white people that skateboard too. Same as with yellow. Keep looking, you’ll find me.
Because I wear headphones, I make a conscious effort to pay a little more attention to my surroundings. I pretty much play the background at spots anyway. Believe me, I hate people getting in my way just as much as you do. That shit is the worst when you’re in the middle of a line and some dude is just standing there like a dear caught in headlights. THere’s proper etiquette to doing anything. Even wearing headphones. I just look at it as, there’s nothing wrong with having a little theme music to go on with life. Sometimes it’s more interesting that way. Shut up and skate.
fags
“everyone approaches me like they know me from somewhere. OF COURSE YOU DO!!! How am I supposed to rememeber every single person who has seen me at some random skate spot in Jersey?” “”Can you do a hardflip?” “Are you sponsored?” And the best one I hear is ,”Wow, you’re tall!!” No shit I’m tall!! Like I don’t know that. LIke I don’t wake up in the morning knowing I’m 6’5″.” Get over it dude, comes with the territory. I doubt you’d rather be short and suck at skating. Maybe you should keep those headphones on…
i think Ki needs a tissue, and the rest of you write poems, Dont cry at night, ,,,,,,,,,,,,BITCHES………….
haveboard.com is the new SLAP board!
Yo, I wish I had an I-Pod. I could use one of them bitches to bump my Cure shit.
you should always love your ipod. never dought its capabilities, so if you bail or some shit the ipods still there to let you know it cares about making you feel good. especially if the CURE or some GANGSTARR is bumpin.
this place is like a little sowing circle. hoooheehoohaaheehee
I GOTTA TAKE A SHIT
I love you all…..I have a suggestion though, instead of making snide comments, why not take the time to explain yourself. It’s all good though. The fact that you even took the time to read this, good or bad, means I have done my job. Cheers!!
I say rock those headphones. Fuck people, they’re all assholes anyways once you get to know them. I’d rather listen to music.
god forbid someone tries to be friendly with you and a spot, that shit can ruin your day
Who ever said that I’m not looking to be friendly? I consider myself to be a pretty friendly person. It’s just sometimes when I’m skating I like to be off in my own world and enjoy some tunes. It motivates me a little more. I can’t help it that Philadelphia is small and any spot that you CAN skate has a ton of people there. But me having headphones on doesn’t make me unapproachable. I would assume that if you had something worth saying, you would tap me on the shoulder and say it. I’m not a grizzly bear. I’m just another person enjoying life to the fullest. Currently Listening to: Led Zepplin
I only wear headphones to placed I don’t respect, ie bad skateparks.
I think headphones are mandatory at any skatepark.
sometimes they are good to have on, other times not. as long as you keep an eye out and don’t get in anyone’s way, wear ’em.
People work better when they listen to music. Why wouldn’t you skate better? If I could bring a boom box to the spot I would, but I’m not Muska.
i read some of your stuff and you always talk about the good ol days back when skating was less popular and your would just ride down the street and skate anything with all your friends. But also I see you vcommenting about how you cant skate anything in philly without a ton of skaters? which is it?
You know, I guess it’s a little bit of both. Being a hypocrite is the nature of man. The things you may have loved before, you may not love now. And vice versa. I mean, there’s times where I would love to shred around with a pack of kids. Other times, I just want to skate with a couple people. You can’t always get what you want. As far as the scene goes in Philadelphia, there are more skateboarders in this small city than I have seen almost anywhere else. I’ve lived in Boston and there are a ton of spots and hardly any kids that skate them. Here, spots are scarce and there are a million kids that come from all over. The world of skateboarding is funny like that. I would be totally wrong if I didn’t say I moved to Philly solely for Love Park. Because I did. Love Park is the only reason why I made the move from Jersey. Now that I’m here, I notice there is much more to the city than just that. Everyday is a true learning experience.
If you go to the shit park you’ll know exactly what Ki is talking about. Any given day at any given time there’s like 50 kids there. Riding down the street with 5 of your close friends is way different than 50 kids from all over the place coming to invade your spots.
i invaded your mom last night.
I personally like getting the old school boards out with my roommate and knocking over trashcans after garbage day. That’s some Dagger shit right there.
holla
Man, I miss being a Dagger. Dagger sesh tonite at Los Altos!! Yargh!
I think…… I forgot.
babies….sounds like somoene has a rusty vagina….rememeber that contest back in the day…..shut up and skate or are we too youngen. meaninglessness…who cares?
your at the wrong site….you should be here http://www.skateboardingsucks.com
Appreciate skateboarding for everything it’s worth to you. If you like just skating a parking block in front of the liquor store, DO IT!! If you like skating FDR until you can’t walk, DO IT! If you like just skating flatground, hey that your thing as well. Somtimes people just forget about that spark. THey forget that behind the sponsors, without the cameras or deadlines, without the politics……..skateboarding is actually pretty damn fun. There’s nothing wrong with looking back on the good ol’ days, when all you did was skate your best friends quarterpipe in his driveway. Sometimes, looking back to the past, can help you re-evaluate your future. Skateboarding’s always going to be fun to me. Whether I have 10 sponsors, or none at all, you are always going to see me out there. It’s been way too good to me. The memories and stories I have formed over the years, will last me a lifetime. This place is just an outlet to share them. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. If you want to contribute, contribute. Most people that hate on people sharing memories, have probably never truly had good one’s to begin with.
take it from me Ki, Its Hard Being Black And Gifted………………………………………………….
If i had an inkling to write an article with the recurring theme of the benenfit of owning a music box slash headphone extravaganza such as the one i just read that was if im not mistaken written bY You i would have wrote “I like mY Ipod”
I used to stand by my mini-disc player, but then I got an Ibook, so I had to make the switch. IPod’s are pretty tight.
This is great stuff. I think I’m going to print this whole blog in next issue. I get such a kick watching people arguing on message boards. And then there are the randoms who just put something that doesn’t even make sense.
sometimes i just wanna throw it all down and get LIFTED…………………………………………….
definitely man… i feel you. you’re able to block out all the people who’d usually distract you otherwise.
“And then there are the randoms who just put something that doesn’t even make sense. posted on 08-05-2005 by Mazur” so anyways, ki quit telling people ur black. ur the whitest dude i ever met.
Funny stuff. What makes me so white? The fact that I don’t wear long white t-shirts? THe fact that I pulled straight A’s in school and never had to drop out? Maybe I should apologize for not growing up in the ghetto and being able to speak intelligently. THe sad thing is, all you have to go by is what you see on rap videos. That’s your perception of what a black person is. THat’s what you’re fed. Well, you tell me….WHat makes a black person? Someone who keeps it real? SOmeone, whose been shot? DOes that makes them more black? If I walked around, talking like I just stepped out of a 50 Cent video, does that help my blackness?? Like you know. You hang around too many fake-ass gangstas. BUt this is all just dumb. YOu’re young, and don’t know much so I have to forgive you. Arguing with people like you on the internet, is like winning the Special Olympics. YOu may win, but you’re still retarded.
race cards are so fucking played out
are you the first emo black guy?