Anything that takes the piss out of grown-ups riding Skateboards is fine by me. Skateboarding for Adults is NOT "Totally Rad Dude". Making a litle plank of wood flip through the air 6 inches before landing on it again is definitely NOT "Totally Awesome" especially if you are experinecing male-patten baldness or should be listening to Gardeners Question Time instead.
How come most of the world's population seem to grow out of Skateboarding, BMX, Frisbees, pogo-sticks, stilts, Yo-Yos and so on by the time they reach 11 years old but Adult American (Californian?) men seem to think it's 'cool' to clatter, unimpressively, down a few steps on a plank when they are >40 or to be a "Yo-Yo" World Champion at 50?. We know the areas of California these men hang out and perform their miraculous Frisbee tricks, we have smart weapons, why the delay?
Nobody has ever done anything on a Skateboard that made me think other than "That little flip looked fkin rubbish" or "I wish the town centres of Britain would stop echoing to the sound of clattering wood on council buildings"
Keep up the good work Tony Hawks
Skateboarding - It's just about understandable if you are still at school.
Awaits response from angered Elderly Skateboarders and the Freedom-to-do-childish-stuff lobby
I kind of agree and disagree, especially as your statement "Skateboarding - It's just about understandable if you are still at school." is probably very representative of a lot of opinion in the UK versus adult cycling.
I'm definitely a poster-idiot for the freedom to do childish stuff lobby but I'm not angered by your comments because I do agree here and there.
I'm late 30s, hold down a good job (that I like to think I do ok at). I also do sword fighting demos and history talks for youth groups, so to an extent not being stuck in an 'old'* frame of mind allows me to relate better. I worked in an OAP home many years back and the ones in the home that seemed most mentally together were the ageless ones if that makes any sense, they still had their sense of fun and seemed physically and mentally healthier for it.
Personally I didn't like Tony Hawks emails (even though I found them funny in places) as I suspect that a lot of the people he's replying to are kids. Fish. Barrel. Shotgun.
Even though my last attempt at skateboarding led to a trip to casualty, I've got a soft spot for the skater kids; there are a lot worse subcultures.
PS. I'm not bald and still *really* like Frisbee
*I've got this brother in law, he's late 20s in age, going on 50s in mental outlook. It's grim to watch. Even grimmer to visit their home. All clean, pristine and not a book in sight...just too damn busy being 'respectable adults'.
(Edited to remove slightly OT ranty bit)