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A lot of people throw out the phrase, "Skateboarding is all about _____," and I'm sure they mean it. For them, it's true. But what fills that blank is different for each of us.

I read on a skateboarding forum recently where a guy was talking about how for him, skateboarding is like a religion. He feels that he gets the same feelings out of it that faith gives others. Now, I'm a believer myself, so I kind of wanted to react to that.

I want to say, "No man, you don't get it! Faith is totally bigger. Skateboarding is more like ..." And here's where I'm wrong. I can't correct him, because for him, it's true. Maybe through skateboarding he finds peace. Maybe through skateboarding he touches God. How do I know?

I hear others who say skating is all about discovery and creation. "Skate and Create." Other people say it's a way to channel anger and rage into something constructive. For still others, skateboarding is all about pushing yourself, forcing yourself to grow, or maybe about danger and risk.

As a surfer myself, I can understand this one. For some, skateboarding is about freedom. Feeling free ridin', just the sound of the wheels on the pavement, and nothing else matters.

For some, skateboarding is also about friends. People to push them to achieve, encourage them, in everything. A place to fit in. A family of sorts.

Every skater has his or her own drive. Focus. Core. There's no right word for it, but that goes right along with what I'm saying.

Think about it, the next time you see someone skate in a way or with an attitude not like yours. They're still skaters. Still family. Whether 4 or 40, girl or boy, longboard or short. Hating gets us nowhere.

For a long time, one of the hallmarks of skaters has been the inclusiveness and defense of their own. I remember a couple of months ago, out at Beach Park for a photo shoot, and seein' a little kid, trying to push along the edge of where all the other bigger guys were. He was trying hard, when he came across some of the older kids. One of the older teens looked down at the little grom and said, "New board?" The little kid looked up, and showed off his brand new complete local company skateboard. Much different from the decks the older kids were skating. The older kids smiled, complimented it, and rode by. They were all skaters. That's all that mattered.

Remember that. Encourage each other. We're all a family. Save your hate for something else, focus it into your skating if you want, ride your way, and enjoy it all. It won't be long before you're too old, or too broken, or skateboarding has evolved and your style has been left in the dust.

Matt Martz

08SK8 Company

Kovenant Skateboards