You may have noticed that the act of riding a skateboard around campus has increased in popularity quite a bit over the last few semesters. Skateboarding is cheap, easy, and most importantly, fun -all qualities prized by college students.
The sound of urethane wheels click-clacking over cracks in the sidewalk around campus has become as familiar as people talking on their phones, and religious types yelling in front of the MU.
Meanwhile, the Cowtown skate shop a few blocks from campus reports selling 10-15 long boards a week - a good number of which probably end up in Sun Devil hands.
With this in mind, I have taken it upon myself to come up with a quick list of do's and don'ts that will make your skateboarding experience more enjoyable for everyone.
Wear shoes. While stylish in a southern California kind of way, sandals and flip-flops really aren't cut out for skateboarding. Ask anyone who's ever done a kick flip. Please, help us end the tragedy of needlessly stubbed toes.
Size matters. When picking out a long board, it's a good rule of thumb to keep its length shorter than your height. Any bigger than that, and they can be kind of hard to maneuver.
If you bring it into class with you, leave it by the door. Those things are hard to step over.
Don't push mongo-footed. If you are confused by this term, let me bring you up to speed. Whether you are goofy-footed (you ride with your right foot forward) or regular-footed (you ride with your left foot forward), mongo footed pushing means that you peddle with your front foot.
It's very awkward-looking, and the world would be better off if this bad habit would disappear forever. If you already push like this, do yourself a favor, and train yourself to push the normal way. You'll thank yourself later.
Watch out for people. Seriously. Crashing into someone is a bad scenario, but it probably happens all the time. People see you and their first instinct is usually to move out of the way, which sometimes means jumping right in front of you.
Keep your eyes on the road, and remember - you're an ambassador for all the skateboarders.
If it's raining, leave the shred sled at home. This may seem like a no-brainer, but not a rainy day goes by that I don't see at least one lone soul rolling through campus, seemingly oblivious to the effect the water will have on their deck, wheels, and bearings.
If you have enough product, make a rain-board and set it aside for those six days a year it rains in Tempe.
Loosen your trucks. It will make it easier to thread the needle when there are people everywhere.
Listen to me - or not. Keep in mind, that all of these are just suggestions. There's no "correct" way to skateboard, so just go out and have a good time.
Skate around in front of the Coor Computing Commons where the relatively new concrete is as smooth as a skate park. Roll by the art museum and then maybe cruise by the Student Services Building (where the ground is also exceptionally smooth), or the new parking garage behind the Ira A. Fulton Foundation Center.
Tempe's main campus is home to some of the best skate spots and terrain in the Phoenix area. The weather won't be this good for long, so grab that board and get out there, buddy.
Reach the reporter at: chris.atwood@asu.edu.
