thedrifter
06-16-07, 06:29 AM
Lords of Devil Dogtown
By Cpl. Brandon L. Roach, MCAS Miramar
SAN DIEGO (June 9, 2007) -- Ollies, grinds, shove-its, tail-slides, nose-slides, kick-flips, indy grabs, one-eighties and three-sixties are some of the tricks two Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar perform while tearing up the skateboard parks in Southern California.
The skateboarding enthusiasts, Cpl. Raymond Petersen III and Lance Cpl. Kyle J. Davis, start their weekends off with an adrenaline rush of stunts as a cost effective way to relax and soak up the sun along the Pacific Coast.
“For me, skateboarding is a way to clear my head after a hard day at work. Whenever I feel stressed out, it has always been the best way for me to relax,” said Peterson, combat photographer, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron here. “It’s a sport where there are no real winners or losers. It’s just a group of friends trying to challenge themselves to land that three-sixty over a stair set or stick that tail-slide.”
Petersen, with more than four years of skateboarding experience, has re-ignited his passion for the sport during the past six months.
Davis, a finance clerk with H&HS, has been in the skate scene for most of his life and evolved from the basic kick-flip while riding the streets to tmore advanced tricks like kick-flip, indy-grab, nose-slide down a handrail of concrete stairs.
“Every time I hit the streets or a skate park I try different tricks and ideas that I see other people doing,” said Davis. “This challenges me and ensures that I don’t get bored with skating and keeps the heart pumping.”
With approximately 13 premiere parks and many uncharted lips, bowls, pipes and curbs from Los Angeles to the borders of Mexico, these thrill-seeking stunt men can always find time for a ride without going far from home.
“We will actually skate anywhere if it has a curb or bench to grind on, but I see myself as a half-pipe skater,” said Petersen. “I usually try to get to places that have bowls and half-pipes to ride in, and the San Diego area has some of the most unique designs in the country.”
Since the 1975 skateboarding championship in Del Mar, Calif., where the iconic “Z-Boys” from “Dogtown,” formerly known as Magalia, Calif., showcased their unique skating style of skate surfing, skating has made its mark in California’s history. It has since swept the nation with millions of skaters developing new styles, tricks, techniques and equipment.
“Back in those days, skating was practically an obsolete sport,” said Petersen. “There were no skate parks; just pools that skaters would drain and skate in. The tricks were very limited as well, and as time went on, parks started to form with the same basic designs as the pools.”
With the introduction of skate parks and sanctioned events for skaters to participate in, more and more people actively began to skating until the numbers reached well into the millions, according to Petersen.
“I got into skating mainly from my past experiences with wake boarding,” said Petersen. “I think it’s a good thing that so many people are getting involved in the sport. There are more riders at the parks every day, and since the sport is about having fun, it’s more enjoyable to have more people around.”
Whether it’s grinding a picnic table at the park or catching air and reaching for a grab in a bowl at the skate park, these Marines will continue to thrash their boards in an effort to take a break from the daily grind.
Ellie
By Cpl. Brandon L. Roach, MCAS Miramar
SAN DIEGO (June 9, 2007) -- Ollies, grinds, shove-its, tail-slides, nose-slides, kick-flips, indy grabs, one-eighties and three-sixties are some of the tricks two Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar perform while tearing up the skateboard parks in Southern California.
The skateboarding enthusiasts, Cpl. Raymond Petersen III and Lance Cpl. Kyle J. Davis, start their weekends off with an adrenaline rush of stunts as a cost effective way to relax and soak up the sun along the Pacific Coast.
“For me, skateboarding is a way to clear my head after a hard day at work. Whenever I feel stressed out, it has always been the best way for me to relax,” said Peterson, combat photographer, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron here. “It’s a sport where there are no real winners or losers. It’s just a group of friends trying to challenge themselves to land that three-sixty over a stair set or stick that tail-slide.”
Petersen, with more than four years of skateboarding experience, has re-ignited his passion for the sport during the past six months.
Davis, a finance clerk with H&HS, has been in the skate scene for most of his life and evolved from the basic kick-flip while riding the streets to tmore advanced tricks like kick-flip, indy-grab, nose-slide down a handrail of concrete stairs.
“Every time I hit the streets or a skate park I try different tricks and ideas that I see other people doing,” said Davis. “This challenges me and ensures that I don’t get bored with skating and keeps the heart pumping.”
With approximately 13 premiere parks and many uncharted lips, bowls, pipes and curbs from Los Angeles to the borders of Mexico, these thrill-seeking stunt men can always find time for a ride without going far from home.
“We will actually skate anywhere if it has a curb or bench to grind on, but I see myself as a half-pipe skater,” said Petersen. “I usually try to get to places that have bowls and half-pipes to ride in, and the San Diego area has some of the most unique designs in the country.”
Since the 1975 skateboarding championship in Del Mar, Calif., where the iconic “Z-Boys” from “Dogtown,” formerly known as Magalia, Calif., showcased their unique skating style of skate surfing, skating has made its mark in California’s history. It has since swept the nation with millions of skaters developing new styles, tricks, techniques and equipment.
“Back in those days, skating was practically an obsolete sport,” said Petersen. “There were no skate parks; just pools that skaters would drain and skate in. The tricks were very limited as well, and as time went on, parks started to form with the same basic designs as the pools.”
With the introduction of skate parks and sanctioned events for skaters to participate in, more and more people actively began to skating until the numbers reached well into the millions, according to Petersen.
“I got into skating mainly from my past experiences with wake boarding,” said Petersen. “I think it’s a good thing that so many people are getting involved in the sport. There are more riders at the parks every day, and since the sport is about having fun, it’s more enjoyable to have more people around.”
Whether it’s grinding a picnic table at the park or catching air and reaching for a grab in a bowl at the skate park, these Marines will continue to thrash their boards in an effort to take a break from the daily grind.
Ellie