While eating lunch, I was flipping through the channels and came across a skateboarding championship. Now, say what you will about skateboarding as a sport, but I think it’s cool that there are world-class sporting events where one wears street clothes and can listen to their ipod while performing.
What also strikes me about it is that there aren’t many other sports that pretty much require broken bones to learn the repitoire. I wonder what the count is among those guys on the Vans Triple Crown tour.
Bob Burnquist is a total nut. Do you realize that he often does about half his run backwards? Every time they say “Switch [trickname]”, he’s done it with his left foot back, which is riding backwards for him. It’s probably even better than Mickey Mantle hitting about 30% of his homeruns from his weaker side.
Ah, that’s the one I saw. I have to admit that my experience with skateboarding is merely the idiot kids in the cul de sacs by the lake and in parks - none of whom have ever actually completed a move? trick? as far as I can tell. They remind me of the break dancers in high school - all of whom had an impressive warm up/approach but when it was time to actually perform the dance part, they’d give up, motioning like the floor was not properly prepared, their pants weren’t tucked in properly or the stars weren’t right.
Part of the reason I found the VTC so impressive was that here are guys who can actually finish the move!
I gave up on skateboarding when sitting on it while going down the hill by my house got boring.