Contributing to the Culture

     Previously, I was under the impression that the current saturation of skateboard media was a problem. (Part of me still wants to argue for that. In moderation, I guess it's acceptable, but don't show the world every trick you do. Just do the tricks and let them be). I had become so mindless looking at skateboard shit on my phone that I nearly forgot it was my choice to do it in the first place. Social media is the easiest, most accessible, way for anyone to make their contribution to skateboard culture. It's not a creative method, or one that shows any skill off of a skateboard, but it does allow the every day skateboard Joe to try and share his glimpse of production. And we can look at it if we decide to do so. 

     When I thought about this idea in relation to what it's like to skate in Chicago, I realized that the intention is admirable. People should contribute to their culture in order to give it the shape they desire. I hear and see a lot of people complaining when something really cool happens in a location other than their own. They say things like, 'Why doesn't anything cool happen here? We need that here. Nobody does sick shit here.' Whether or not these complainers know they are included in the non-doing crowd doesn't matter. What they need to know is that, locally, the culture, or scene, or community, or whatever you call it, is shaped by those who participate in it. You help decide what it looks like by contributing to it. If it were as easy as putzing around for an hour and posting the footage to Instagram, there would be a lot of really cool things happening. But it takes more time, energy, and trying to make something worthwhile. In this city, we still have the freedom to make skating look any way we want. We're free from the industry. We don't have to compromise our creations to fit the profile of a company's previously existing aesthetic. It's not cutthroat, and it's not too fucking cool. 

     The cliche goes, "With great power comes great responsibility." Yes, we can do anything we want, but we can't be lazy pieces shit an expect something to happen. If you want it to feel cool to be here, and to be a part of it, then you have a responsibility. The responsible guys are out skating. They're filming, making videos, taking photos, painting, drawing, performing, building. They act, and then they give it back for everyone else to see.