Community, something I’ve written about before, is everything to some people. It's something to most and nothing to only a lonely few. It functions as a social glue for the art that makes up our lives. The ability to come together with others (especially those that are like-minded) is not to be taken lightly or for granted. As a general rule, an individual is never as content or as capable without some form of support. And humans are best supported by other humans. Embracing that support from peers and others is key to our happy lives.
There are, luckily, few communities that have found themselves in situations where they badly need support to survive. A recent mini documentary that I watched highlighted the struggles of a group of skaters in Christchurch, New Zealand. When everything was taken from them in 2011, there was not only less left for them, but less left for them to do. There wasn’t plentiful accessible transportation, and there was no water for nine days. They needed to rely on each other, skaters and non-skaters alike.
The skateboarders of Christchurch began to meet at a local skatepark, religiously. The skatepark functioned as their local watering hole and one of the only live sources of culture left available to them. There wasn’t much for them there but each other, yet each one of them made the trek to skate and convene for the sake of skateboarding and its social affirmation.
Check the video here for a better feel of what I mean:
There are, luckily, few communities that have found themselves in situations where they badly need support to survive. A recent mini documentary that I watched highlighted the struggles of a group of skaters in Christchurch, New Zealand. When everything was taken from them in 2011, there was not only less left for them, but less left for them to do. There wasn’t plentiful accessible transportation, and there was no water for nine days. They needed to rely on each other, skaters and non-skaters alike.
The skateboarders of Christchurch began to meet at a local skatepark, religiously. The skatepark functioned as their local watering hole and one of the only live sources of culture left available to them. There wasn’t much for them there but each other, yet each one of them made the trek to skate and convene for the sake of skateboarding and its social affirmation.
Check the video here for a better feel of what I mean:
A community of skaters building together in Atlanta, GA.
For many, including myself in a lot of ways, skateboarding has become a saving grace. Something to turn to always as an activity. Either for distraction or for focus, skateboarding can help with emotional stress or just as an outlet for entertainment. For the skaters in Christchurch, skateboarding brought international help to them and their core cause. It helped them start a project of their own. And it helped them build a stronger foundation for rebuilding their future community.
Here in LA, the skateboarding community is so robust and many don’t appreciate what we have. The resources are basically limitless. the skateparks are plenty, the weather is beautiful… The struggle can be real in other ways, but we are blessed with the capability to pick up our boards each day and escape the rest of life, with a strong community around us at all times.
It’s important to remember how lucky we truly are. I’m not just talking about skaters in SoCal - each community has a special ingredient. Each one has something unique to be grateful for. Sometimes, we need a little reminder, but we all have people around us that can help us be our best.
Look around.
- 7Ply Epic
Here in LA, the skateboarding community is so robust and many don’t appreciate what we have. The resources are basically limitless. the skateparks are plenty, the weather is beautiful… The struggle can be real in other ways, but we are blessed with the capability to pick up our boards each day and escape the rest of life, with a strong community around us at all times.
It’s important to remember how lucky we truly are. I’m not just talking about skaters in SoCal - each community has a special ingredient. Each one has something unique to be grateful for. Sometimes, we need a little reminder, but we all have people around us that can help us be our best.
Look around.
- 7Ply Epic
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