"Keep Skateboarding Gay!"

When I think of skateboarding, I think of Mark Gonzales. The Gonz was/is the shit. When I was a kid he was the gold standard for progression and self expression. He skated with his own unique style and fashion. His feet always looked slighty pigeon toed to me...or maybe it was something else. Either way Gonz made everything look good. In the mid 80's, in the town I'm from, The Gonz probably would have been beat up for looking like a weirdo.
Nowadays people keep track of what tricks were done at what spot. I don't really understand that. I mean, different dudes will skate differently, so how is it the same? Why keep track, who cares? Skate contests have gotten very big and over produced, with televised competitions in arenas.

See your favorite pro on the jumbotron. That's weird. That's good for those pros though. More money, and those guys definitely deserve it. You can't stop growth. Things will probably get more ridiculous too. I just wonder if kids are called "fag", or told that skating is "gay" by people that don't skate? You know the ones, the guys in the lowered 2 wheel drive early 80's Chevy Silverado pickup with their girlfriend posted up right next to them on the bench seat, yelling at you as they drive by. At least that's what I saw in my town when I was a kid. We were hicks though, so your experience may be different. There is hope, not everyone is buying into the hype. These guys definitely have the right idea. Dumb tricks, rad tricks, scum bag, clean cut, whatever. Skate for the fun. Skate for the individual expression. Go do a stupid trick, or don't. Do whatever you want. That's what makes skating so great. No rules, no restrictions. Just remember to keep skateboarding gay, or the jocks truly will win.