A lot of the boarders that I look up to are constantly in the public's eye. They are seen online, in magazines, and hosting, or taking part in events. After winning races or competitions, and getting more known, they have been using their fame to raise awareness and funds for various charities.
At the young age of 16, Rob Dyer, the leader in the Skate For Cancer project, lost his mother and his best friend to cancer. Devastated by this loss, he decided to do something positive to help other families who are affected by cancer. Rob started a huge skate marathon to prove that anything can be done with enough determination, and he hoped this would inspire people to stay optimistic when dealing with cancer.
In 2004, he did his first trek, starting in L.A. and finishing in his hometown of Toronto. It took five months to complete the journey, but when Rob and his team got back, he saw the effect he had made. He successfully created the newest facet of cancer research- Skate4Cancer. Whenever his team was not on the road, traveling miles and miles to raise awareness, they held events and concerts to raise money for hospitals. It is truly amazing to see such a young man taking such a big stance on the issue.
I simply idolize Rob Dyer, --even though he is a skateboarder not a longboarder-- and I think it is amazing that he is doing what he loves to do, while being completely selfless and helping to find the cure for cancer.
Paul Kent - skaterpaul.com
Another boarder who I truly admire is Paul Kent.
Paul is a professional longboarder from Calgary. He is Canada's top distance skateboarder, a world record holder, adventurer, father, husband, teacher, and writer.
Since I started longboarding, I have been going out riding almost everyday, and going quite the distance. During the 24hour Ultra Skate 7 in 2009, Paul Kent broke the world record, skating 403 kms in 24 hours. One day I would like to attempt to break this record.
Paul longboarded 2000 kilometers in 40 days around Morocco with his friends Adam Colton, Aaron Enevoldsen at Long Treks On Skate Decks. They also boarded across Peru, and Bolivia, reaching a top elevation of 4400 Meters.
Kent is also a contributing author for Concrete Wave Magazine, he organizes and judges competitions, and he designs his own websites.
He is a co-founder of an environmental group called Greenskate, a co-founder of the Speedboard and Longboard Association of Calgary, and he runs slide and safety clinics with other Pro riders.
These days, Paul is the owner and head instructor at Learn 2 Longboard riding school, and he holds the prestigious title of "Dad," when he is at home with his daughter, Annik Kent-O'Neill a.k.a. Danger Baby.
I like how Paul Kent and his friends go to distant parts of the world, with nothing but a longboard, a backpack, and a video camera. When I am finished with my schooling, I would really like to do something like this. I feel like I have a lot in common with these guys, as we all live for adventure and good times. Check out their documentary style videos to see what a two-month longboard trek is like. --Watch "No Free Guitars" to see them having fun with some of the locals.
No comments:
Post a Comment