A Bit of Historyon Skateboarders, BMX and Scooter Freestyle Riders
In the year 1958, “Bill Richards, the owner of a surf shop in North Hollywood, California, saw some boys riding surfboards to which they’d attached wheels. He ordered some wheels from a roller skate company, attached them to boards, and began selling “sidewalk surfboards.” Later that year, Jan and Dean recorded a hit song, “Sidewalk Surfing,” which gave the new sport nationwide exposure. It got a new name in 1959, when the Roller Derby Skateboard was introduced”. [1] This bit of history becomes apparent to you when you watch skateboarders do their tricks. Waves have been substituted by ramps, surfer shorts have been substituted by jeans, hoodies, and sneakers, but the language between the two is still kind of the same; you would hear some skateboarders call each other “Dude” and if someone does a nice trick some of them would say “That was SICK!!!”
Freestyle BMX had become pretty well established in the year 1983; a few years after BMX motocross racing became popular[2]. Back than people used to practice their tricks in abandoned skateboarding parks. Today you would find BMX riders and skateboarders together in these parks. In the past decade or so, when the foldable scooters came out, scooter riders have also joined them, doing some of their best stunts on these scooters that I once thought were a child’s toy. Continue reading “Under the Brooklyn Bridge, Gliding on Top of the World”
These past couple of weekends have not been going my way. It has been freezing to say the least and raining cats and dogs. All in all, I still had to get out there and find my nontraditional community. This past Sunday, I went to a site where skateboarders, skaters, bmx and scooter riders come together to show off what they made of. It was about 29 degrees outside and some of them were just in hoodies, while others were just in their short sleeves. I on the other hand was layered up, I had on two pairs of pants, three shirts, a hoodie, my scarf, my coat, and a hat, and I was still cold. Usually, when I am shooting I do not wear gloves because they tend to get in the way, but on this occasion that had to change; I couldn’t feel my fingers. A few minutes later, with gloves and all, I was back in the same situation. I gave up and decided to just let my hands go numb; the things we must do for art. Even, though my hands were in so much pain, I really did not feel it until I was done shooting. These guys kept me entertained. Not only with there tricks on their wheels but also with their personalities. I cannot wait until I go back again, which would be this upcoming weekend. Let’s see what else they have in store for me.
There is something unique about the sound of a skateboard rolling down the pavement. Every time my dog hears it, he runs to the window and starts barking; he barks at anything on wheels. Skaters, whether they are on a skateboard or on roller-blades, are a nontraditional community all of their own. They all seem to have a lay back attitude, just taking it one day at a time, they all have a similar sense of style, which I call the punk look, and most important of all they all come together because of an interest, gliding on wheels as I call it.
I have started going around the spots where I have seen some of them and started to ask questions such as, would I be able to find you guys even though the weather is getting cold out, and where else can I find you guys? While I was asking my many questions, I found out that the cops are picking on skaters and giving them tickets for just doing what they love. Union Square on 14th street, one of the many places where you would see skaters, now has a “No Skateboarding” sign. It was a weird site going there and seeing people sitting on their skateboards being watched by the police instead of working on their tricks and putting on a show for the by-passers.
Now it is up to me to find other spots where skaters come together to do their thing and then give you a tiny glimpse of their world. I need to start fast before the bad weather comes and it starts snowing; if not, I will end up with nothing, nothing to show and an “F” in the class.
Being a girl from the South Bronx, living just three stops away from Harlem on the Bronx bound two and/or five train, I never really got to see Harlem the way I did up until this project. I used to work in Harlem during my senior year in high school in a store called Rainbow, which was located just a block away from the Apollo. I knew everything there was to know about Apollo’s history and its importance but there was a part of Harlem I really never got to know; a very important aspect as in matter of fact: The People. Working in retail in Harlem meant that I clocked in at 9AM and closed down the store. Having a schedule like this did not give me time to to interact with the people in Harlem other then the customers that came in and out of the store. I went into Harlem to just photograph its important historical structures for this assignment. As I was capturing an image of a couple of the many brownstones in Harlem, two elder men said good afternoon and asked me what was it that I was doing. I started speaking and soon enough we all were having a conversation. This is when I realized that Harlem was a community that is very different from the South Bronx. As I was observing, in Harlem everyone seems to know each other, and they greet each other as they passed one another. This was so weird to me. Where I am from, many people just stick to themselves and just greet those they know. Now I see Harlem differently. It is not just a shopping district to me anymore; now I have met some people that made me see it in a completely different way: a community that welcomes you with open arms.
The Support. Brownstones are the architectures that Harlem are known for; they support what Harlem is all about. Much in the same way the people of Harlem are supporting a certain candidate in the upcoming presidential election. Just take a peek through the window in the image and you’ll know who I am talking about.
Long Time Friends. Left: Percival Burke, has lived in Harlem for 54 years. He came here from Trinidad. Right: Teddy Smith, has lived in Harlem for 40 years. They have been friends since for quite some time now.
The past, the present, and what’s to come. Thousands of famous artists have performed in the Apollo; even the not so famous. It is still standing today and I am sure it has many more years to go.
Power of the People. Left: Edgar J. Ridley, a business man in Harlem. Middle: Dr. Jack Felder, known for his scientific findings and is very well respected in Harlem. Right: Nova, Dr. Felder’s son. Talking to them, I found out that these three men stand up for what they believe in no matter what the obstacles may be. This is what made them succeed and be where they are today.
“Here, we all come together” St. Martin’s Church is one of the many churches in Harlem. When I met Percival and Teddy, Percival asked me, “Did you take a picture of the place where they all come together?” I knew he was talking about a place of worship and I said “Yes, I took a picture of one of them, St. Martin’s.” I thought his quote for what a church is was so impressive that I just had to use it for the caption.
