Page 21 - THE ENDLESS WAVE | Skateboarding, Death & Spirituality

THE ENDLESS WAVE | PART ONE
In Memoriam
One of the most amazing things about skateboarding is that its super- stars tend to be within reach of the ordinary skater. For example, Tony Alva can be found hanging out at numerous events. There are dozens of skateparks that are frequented by pros worldwide. Even at a contest, many pro skaters are accessible. If you are fortunate enough to attend the Skate- boarding Hall of Fame (in California) as a fan, you’ll have an opportunity to be with many legends.
It is the accessible nature of skateboarding that makes it vastly different from other sports. Since it’s not the same size as professional football, basketball or baseball, it remains something that true fans can embrace without destroy- ing their savings account.
Thanks to my role as a writer and publisher within the skate industry, I’ve had many opportunities to meet some of the movers and shakers. While death takes out many professional athletes, it would appear that skateboarding seems to suffer more than its fair share of losses. Many are under 60.
I went through this list and started to pick out skaters who I had either met or spent some time with. It was quite an overwhelming feeling. So, for my own sanity (and probably yours as well) I am going to break this up over a series of chapters. It will be in chronological order and I hope it gives you
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