Usually, I feel free. Usually, I am free. Almost always, I decide where I go and what for. But that’s a reality that I’ve convinced myself of. I decide where I go, because I know (or think I know) what I need to do to accomplish my goals. But we're not always completely free in the way that we do “whatever we want.” It’s not always so simple. Travel is for a purpose. For business or for pleasure, but usually for a balance between the two. 

I don’t always feel completely liberated from the stresses which I try to avoid. I realize that (and am grateful for the fact that) I have liberties not everyone does. But it’s crucial to know that not everything is perfect. (It usually isn’t.) It makes the freedoms that we enjoy so much more obvious when we are conscious of the actions that we tie ourselves to. 

Obligations teach us responsibility and ownership. They show us what we are capable of in a world where some responsibilities are necessary and unavoidable. But it is of utmost importance to know where to draw the line. The line between what we must do and what we want to do. In an ideal world, we do both simultaneously. In our own versions of our “real world,” we compromise. We compromise to meet our personal goals, to help those we love accomplish theirs, and to practice selflessness by leaving behind what we want to see in this world. 

Writing for practice is something I enjoy, and I choose to make time for that. But I don’t always want to sit in front of a screen and hash out thoughts for the next blog post to be posted next week. The ritual that I’m so grateful for is usually a labor. The trick to happily pursuing different things is to prioritize those things that truly make us happy amongst the things that we know WILL make us happy. Those things that show promise for our future selves and who we want them to be.

So next time you sit down to work, or play, or travel, or practice, realize that it’s a choice that is only your own. We all make choices of how to spend our time, where to place our bets, and how often to pursue one thing over any other. It is indeed a first-world luxury to decide how to spend our time most efficiently. We are past the societal phase of hunter-gatherer and far into the phase of specialization, self-growth, and creation for the sake of creating. And with all that being said, it is so important to spend the time that we do have in the pursuit of, well, happiness.

Happiness will be defined differently by each one of us. And therefore, the actions we decide to take will differ according to those assumptions. It is not so simple as what we want or what we need, but what we decide, based on what we know of ourselves.

This weekend and further along into next week, practice consciousness of how each of your moments is spent, whether it be measured in productivity, positivity, or prosperity. Most of the time, they do not all three overlap, but if we make a habit in each day of bettering ourselves and improving that ratio, we’ll make a better life for ourselves and also learn much more about who we are. I know that I’ve learned much about what makes me happy just by pursuing certain things over others; being conscious of what makes me happiest and changing those things, little by little.

Always be testing, never peak. 

And never settle. Be free.

 - 7Ply Epic

Ever since I was old enough to buy skateboarding hardgoods for myself, I’ve been riding Bones Wheels, by choice. It has been an honor to work with them, through Collegiate Skate Tour, over the last few years. Bones is a brand I stand by, not only because of the loyalty it has amongst skaters, but also because of the quality of their product. The only flatspots I’ve seen on those wheels were from a rip in the urethane on a exposed screw on an old miniramp.

To those of you that don’t speak the skateboarding language, that basically means: they don’t wear out. They’re solid skateboarding wheels. Now, living in Los Angeles, I’m only a two-hour drive away from their headquarters in Santa Barbara. An even greater honor than having them as a sponsor was the recent opportunity to tour their manufacturing facility and offices.

The day started with the usual eggs and coffee. I went through the morning exercise regimen, had a hearty breakfast, and caught up on emails before packing the car for the day trip up the 101 to Santa Barbara, CA. The weather was beautiful, 70 and sunny; the type of Southern California day that people might imagine. The type that I always hope for. I filled up the road mug with piping hot black coffee and settled into the driver’s seat of the station wagon. I checked the traffic, set up the day’s podcast, and pulled out of the driveway. The element of excitement was definitely there, but the relaxing energy of the upcoming freeway drive was enough to mellow me out and feel calm about the day ahead.

Once out of the LA area and just past Oxnard, I found myself passing Ventura. That’s when the beauty of the drive really began to set in. People talk about the wonder of the California coast, and they’re correct in doing so. There’s the post card, and then there’s the real thing. I knew it would be pretty, but seeing it in person (up the coast from LA) for the first time really stoked me out. Further along, as I passed Dulah, Carpinteria, and then Summerland, the drive became more and more beautiful. On the 101-N, the winding Pacific coastline hugs your left side, and the layers of mountains tower over your right. As I came closer to Santa Barbara, the anticipation began to build, and I shortly found myself at the building. It’s not well-marked, so I looped around the back of the building. When I saw the manmade hubba (ledge down a set of stairs), I knew I’d reached SkateOne (the company that owns Bones Wheels). 

I walked in and asked for Rob (who I had a meeting with). Minutes later, he greeted me and showed me around some of the administrative offices. Then, we proceeded downstairs to where the wheels are made.

The process of manufacturing was really rad to witness, to say the least. George Powell (of Powell Peralta) first started making skateboard wheels in 1976, and he has since not stopped. Everything is in-house, and everyone working there is like family. First, the two types of urethane and a single catalyst are mixed and heated using one machine, where the resulting liquid is poured into hundreds of wheel molds. The molds (in rows) are put into an oven to sit and set overnight. Then, those wheels are taken out of the oven, sit out at room temperature to set, and then are extracted and sorted. At this point, the wheels have a general shape but aren’t yet shaped into their final form. Another group of employees use machines to whittle the wheels into the shape you see on the shelves, using automated technology to shape each wheel perfectly. When the “final” wheels are made, they’re put into bags to go to another company that washes them all.

The wheels get back “from the cleaners” and are prepped for printing. Most wheels have graphics that make the wheel look cool and can help in marketing them, especially if they have a pro skater’s name stamped on them. They do all the ink printing in house as well. A soft egg-shaped press dips onto the paint screen, where it picks up the graphic, color by color, and precisely places the paint on each wheel. The wheels sit out to dry and then are sent to packaging, where they are packaged in sets of four (of course) with a cardboard insert and moved along to shipping. SkateOne makes wheels, trucks, bearings, decks, and many other things, so the shipping warehouse is full of all of that product. They do all their own fulfillment and logistics in the warehouse, where trucks come to pick up the product and distribute it to skateshops and other distribution warehouses around the world. After studying supply chain management in college, this was even more interesting to me. After skateboarding my whole life, I was stoked to see all of it in person.

Rob then showed me the testing rooms, where SkateOne has special machines to test metal content, weathering of all materials, and durability of final products. Can’t give away much more than that! We went into the marketing offices, where I saw some familiar faces (from trade shows and events over the years) and then went out to lunch. Vietnamese food is tight. Rob and I talked about skateboarding, life, and the industry over noodles before he had to be back for a design meeting. Heading back to the building, he mentioned that George [Powell] doesn’t like it when people are late to the design meeting(s), so we needed to get back in good time. I mentioned that it would be an honor to meet George, and Rob casually offered to introduce me. There in the offices, George walked up to us, and Rob gave me a little intro, about where I’m from and what I do with Collegiate Skate Tour. You could tell that George is a busy guy and had to keep it moving, but he was super humble and kind. He gave me a solid five minutes of conversation, expressed his interest (to me and Rob) in continuing working with Collegiate Skate Tour and hustled out to the meeting. I was beyond elated to have met George. But even more importantly, I was STOKED that he genuinely gave me support for what I’ve been spending time on for the last four years. I still feel humbled and appreciated from that experience.

I let the guys get to the rest of their day at the office and headed to the skatepark. My friend, Steven from the neighborhood back in Highland Park, happened to be in Santa Barbara that day, helping his boss set up for a trade show there. An acquaintance, Robbie, who placed second in CST’s most recent contest at Transworld HQ, lives not too far from SB. I met up with both of them at the park to unwind over a session. The Santa Barbara Skatepark is SO rad. A park with solid transition, great flow, lots of technical trick options, and good vibes from all the locals, was about as picturesque as it gets. Right on the beach, where the shore meets the pier. The sun started to go down, and the sunset came from over the mountains to the west and through the many palm trees on the horizon. One of the most scenic sessions I’ve had in a while capped off an already great day. To make it even more interesting, I randomly came across Ryan at the park, a skater from Wilmington who now lives in SB. Such a random occurrence brought a feeling of serendipity that fit so well within that day.

After the park session, Robbie, Steven, and I went to grab some grub at a local restaurant by the harbor, “On The Alley.” We enjoyed some typical  American food and a beer while shooting the shit about school and work (Robbie’s a college student; Steven just graduated), skateboarding, and life. And life was good. The weather was still beautiful, but Steven and I had a two-hour drive home to conquer. We carpooled back to Eagle Rock, which provided even more good conversation and vibes for winding down.

Getting home felt nice. Like a long day at the office. Only way, way better.

Thanks Rob! Thanks Bones. Thank you, CA.

 - 7Ply Epic