As I rushed out of the West Parking garage a little flustered from the hunt for a parking spot I check my phone in hopes that I would have enough time to get to my first class.
All of the sudden, a person seemed to fly by me at a quickening speed. I jumped back and noticed it was only a skateboarder coasting on his way to class passing not only me but all the other students scurrying around campus. By the time I hit the beach volleyball court I saw two others skate across the Syke’s courtyard.
I noticed there are a lot of people skateboarding that don’t embody the stereotypical “skater” look. Students from various styles such as sporty guys and hipster girls people have found this means of transportation much more efficient than walking or riding a bike.
Skateboarding was born on the laid-back coast of California during the 1950s. A few surfers thought it would be a great idea to slap some wheels on pieces of wood or boxes and “surf the street.”
Thankfully, the boards themselves have proved to be more durable, reliable, safer and much more accessible. There are two major types of boards today: skateboards, which are smaller and can be used for tricks and sports, and long boards, which are more for coasting around town.
A fairly recent addition to the skateboard family is the Penny skateboard, this lightweight board is made of a special plastic and is available in many bright neon colors.
Throughout the years, boarding has evolved from a groovy idea to a competitive sport. There’s no better place to explore the culture of boarding than right here on our own urban college campus.
Freshman John Young, a Tampa native, says he boards as a major means of transportation. Pedestrians don’t get in the way much; however, the brick streets make navigation difficult.
“The bricks suck. It’s possible to board on them, but if you’re tired and your wheel gets caught you’ll fall off. I’ve never fallen … at least no one saw,” Young said.
Sophomore Shaquille Glover agrees that the brick roads are a little hazardous to boarders.
“The roads are not at all friendly to boarders because they are so bumpy it messes up your legs and it messes up your board also,” Glover explained.
When asked about the different types of boards they both said long boards were the way to go compared to other boards for various reasons.
Young and freshman Zane Moulton agree they’re good for transportation.
“They’re better for getting around. The ride is smoother and you look cool on them too,” Young said.
“I long board just to get around college. It’s a lot faster. I’m just learning because everyone around here does it,” Moulton said. “People teach you how to long board and that is usually why I do it because a lot of my friends are doing it.”
When Moulton was asked if different types of boards express different riders’ tastes he replied, “It can. Some people choose long boards because they surf. Surfing and long boarding are similar.
Glover focused more on the growing trend of Penny skateboards in the skating world.
“Yeah you see a lot of people with the Penny board now. They are not real long boards, they just thought the penny boards look cool,” Glover said.
Young prefer the brand Sector 9.
“They’re pretty good to start out with,” he said. “They’re sturdy and they come complete so you don’t have to worry about custom trucks and wheels.”
Young has six long boards in total.
“You just take one, push and you can coast forever,” Young said.
Skateboarding and Penny boarding make getting around campus easy. Just like with riding a bike, learning how to skateboard takes time.
You might wipe out a few times at first. Skating on campus and around South Tampa outside of campus, there are some major sidewalk cracks that might make it challenging to have a smooth ride.
There’s also many tutorials on YouTube and other sites to help introduce the technical aspects of how to build and maintain your board, do tricks and become a more skilled boarder. Once you get the basics down the trick possibilities are endless on a skateboard, provided you don’t mind a little road rash and a slightly bruised ego.
Katherine Lavacca can be reached at katherine.lavacca@spartans.ut.edu.