Lasekland

“The crest and crowning of all good… is brotherhood.” - Markham

Today was a day like any other. Dark coffee, sunshine, warm weather, friends and skateboarding. It is life, how it should be. I phoned Bucky and he told me that I could stop by and bring my friend Daniel Cuervo. PLG and Spooner wanted to ride as well and we phoned Christiano to even out the session a bit. We arrived at Bucky’s as he was doing chores and such things. He bid us a good session and meandered down the hill with a daughter in tow. Daniel quickly warmed to the big transitions and flow that Bucky’s bowl can bring. Others arrived. Jimmy Wilkins and Paul-Luc Ronchetti walked up to the bowl smiling. They were quickly followed by Zach Miller. Things became really interesting, really fast.

The crew quickly lit a fuse and a great deal of ripping was going on. Each rider fed off one another’s energy.  Everyone is super friendly and all of them share a mutual respect with each other. Camaraderie. Brotherhood. It is a strange religion that we share. The vertical world. A life of pain, fearlessness, barriers of our own making…  it is something that cannot be explained away. Why do we do this to ourselves? Is it worth it? I know of nobody that rides vert regularly for any length of time that could give it up without serious reservation and soul searching.

I know that when I am riding or simply hanging out with these guys, I feel a bond that transcends ethnicity, race, ideology…  we are a brotherhood. We ride pools, bowls and vert. We do this to the exclusion of almost everything else. I personally wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks to Bucky for the session. Skate- Ozzie