Skateboarding as Art

I had a professor once tell me that art is making something out of nothing. If that's true, skateboarders are the best artists around. Here's why: I've walked past this empty parking lot dozens of times, and every time I think to myself, "I need to skate that." Why?! It's just an empty parking lot! Maybe to a typical bystander, but to a skateboarder, even an empty parking lot is full of possibilities.

A curb, a ledge, a handrail; stairs, loading docks, walls...it's all fair game to a skateboarder, not just as an obstacle, but as a platform for creative thought in action. Many skaters feel that the way they skate is self-expression, because one skater can see a ledge and think one trick, while another will think of something entirely different. It's all open, and up to interpretation, combined with ability and practice. The end result is something normal transformed into something special, which is always valuable to humanity, and often hard to come by.

Here's a video with some very creative skating on varied terrain, featuring one of my favorites: Kristian Svitak.

My sister was lucky enough to become friends with some former pro skaters, and it was no wonder that many of them turned to visual arts after they "retired" as a means provide and express themselves. Here's an example. After all, decks are covered in someone's art (even if to only be destroyed); stickers, shirts, hats and socks are covered in someone's graphic design -- the two go hand in hand.

So (just to add a point to this post), if you're looking for a creative solution to a problem, ask a skater! In the midst of the mundane, he or she will show you something you probably never saw, but may just be what you're looking for.