Under my Wing

People of all ages have a natural tendency to find elders for guidance, development and community. Whether these people are sought after as mentors or not, kids and young adults often see an admirable older figure and aspire to him or her.

I want to talk to you about what that looks like in cultures of extreme sports, particularly skateboarding. Yes, Skateboarding mentors, but before that let me put things into context.

Aside from the post-Tony Hawk video game phase of the early 2000s skate boarding had always been a counter culture, fighting for legitimacy and recognition (pro-skater Mike Vallely has more to say about that). Although it's now recognized as a professional sport, we continue to see a stereotypical character define "the skater."

The typical punk-skater fighting the law and other oppressing forces isn't entirely imaginary. Many of these kids and young adults pour their lives into the sport as an outlet from bad home or school lives and find themselves in control of something and with some freedom.

I know of kids that will spend all day and night skating wherever and get continually kicked out just to avoid going home. It's a sport that has no clear rules, a field with no boundaries and infinite was to be personally mastered; Nobody can tell them what to do.

But with so many skaters, why do they seem to fit a similar mold?

The same reason why jocks look like jocks and ballerinas look like ballerinas, they are surrounded by like minded people and are coached.

The skateboarder coach is not a role that is clearly defined but certainly exists. Kids watch videos and learn technique but where it really happens is the skatepark and street.

Exposure to peer skaters and better skaters creates admiration and relationships. Whether the older experienced skaters realize it or not they are looked up to and have become coaches on the board and for life.

Usually these relationships will start with, "that was a sick 360-flip!" and develop as these people are more regularly exposed to each other. While it can start as tough love the older will enjoy watching the younger develop and naturally take the younger under his wing.

As these relationships develop beyond the skatepark, the "skater" mold is placed.

The problem is falling into the mold leads to usual counter culture tendencies like drugs and alcohol, and can often be self-destructive.

 Many skaters however are working to change this mold and become the right mentors for these kids. Some buddies of mine approach these kids as part of their ministry in Young Life. Meeting them where they are and building those relationships. Programs like Stoked, a skate mentoring program in LA, are starting to pop-up. Skaters like Mike Steinkamp and the Untitled skate team are showing kids what it looks like to be a Christian skater. Even legend Tony Hawk takes a part with the Tony Hawk Foundation to give the counter-culture youth a place to skate without damaging property.