There’s a a multi-photo challenge for the Weekly Photo Challenge this week and the theme is “Happy!” What a great way the celebrate the new gallery formats that WordPress just released!
I shot these photos of some skateboarders last Sunday and it makes me happy to see people skateboarding: it makes me remember the feeling of freedom we had when we were teenagers. We used to watch (what now has become) classic old-school skateboard movies on VHS, before we went out and tried to master some of the tricks. Some of our favourite movies were «Santa Cruz: Streets on Fire», «Powell Peralta: Ban This» and «Powell Peralta: Public Domain». There was also a couple of other movies, but I can’t remember the names.
When we started skateboarding it was still a crime to own a skateboard: The government decided to impose a ban because some kids had broken their arms while skateboarding. Remember: Your government always knows what’s best for you (and punishes those that don’t follow their regime).
Well, skateboarding is legalized now and people can perform this sport/activity with the blessings of our beloved rulers. Here’s my recent skateboard photos and I’ve also added a clip from one of the Powell Peralta movies that I mentioned.
If you’re interested in watching more of these movies, you can copy and paste these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rVLguwR5o8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sZ-3G-gOaQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyAa6Zx2BB4
You can also check out other entries for the Weekly Photo Challenge:
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/weekly-photo-challenge-happy/
Cardinal Guzman 
Great pictures 🙂
Thanks Hamburger!
These skateboarders are very good at what they do. They look happy and excited.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
They were happy untill an old wanker that works nearby came and chased them away.
Great fun will make you Happy. I love to watch that dog skate. He really has fun. Thank you for sharing this great post 😉
That dog really seems to love skateboarding!
Interesting photos 😉
Thank you Bulgaria
Glad you got the new gallery figured out so quickly. No “Like” button? Just curious. Is it because “Like” and “Cardinal Guzman” are incompatible? 😉 (I don’t know how the previous symbol will interface but it’s supposed to be a wink, meaning tongue-in-cheek, meaning don’t take me serious.)
No “like” button around here. I used to have one, but removed it.
Beautiful pics CG!
Thanks Bad 🙂
Go dog! Love the photos, and the video. Def. happy. 🙂
A happy dog that loves to skateboard!
Some great action shots!
Thank you Angeline
excellent shots.
🙂
these are great…love that you did them in B&W…adds something to them
B/W was definitely more suitable for these photos.
Fun! Skateboarding is amazing. I don’t know how they do it. Really glad thy have built so many cool skate parks nowadays. 🙂
It’s great that there’s skate parks around. They’re getting more and more popular.
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Very good photos!!
Thank you very much Amber
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Yes, it does remind one of teenage days (the song ‘teenage dream’ is playing in my head). I like how you put everything in black and white. 🙂
Thanks, black and white can really change a photo.
I don’t know that song.
Excellent shots – very atmospheric (and nostalgic – but I think there’s something intrinsically nostalgic about skateboards).
Thanks Richard, I agree. After I started downhill biking I didn’t even touch a skateboard for more than a decade. When I did try it again, my board balance & board feeling wasn’t like it once used to be.
As transportation it’s also too slow & energy consuming compared to a bike, so I prefer beeing nostalgic about it and reminisce about the good old days (when we were skateboarding with the speed of light, broke the rules of gravitation, jumped over rooftops, did 360-kickflips over airplanes and never slammed).
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A crime to skateboard. Wow. I dabbled in that as a teenager and dislocated my kneecap:) I agree with Richard they are intrinsically nostalgic about them. Nice pix. Didn’t know about the new gallery formats either -thxs.
Yes, it’s incredible what the Norwegian government has banned during the years: skateboarding is one of them.
Trivia: We still have the “wine monopoly” – a government owned alcoholic beverage retailer and the only company allowed to sell beverages containing an alcohol content higher than 4.75% in Norway.
And the alcohol shops didn’t start self-service before 1999. Prior to that you’d have to take a ticket, wait for your turn and tell the people behind the counter what you wanted. Then they would go and get it for you.
In 2011 the last alcohol shop that was run like this, became self-service.
It varies from province to province here. Some of them have similar arcane laws – I think it’s changed now but a few years ago in Ontario beer stores were like that – you gave them your order and they got it for you.
Very cumbersome… Almost easier to brew your own beer.
A ban on skateboarding? How interesting. I remember sneaking s my brother’s skateboard in the early 60s in Coronado,, Calif. to skate up and down the driveway. Only boys had them back then . . .
Norwegians love to ban stuff! From 7 september 1978 to 9 May 1989 Norway was the only country in the world where it was illegal to sell, buy or use a skateboard.
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Impressive pics! I gave up trying to skateboard when I was starting out and went down a hill and hit a wall. Ahem – it’s safer to watch other people 🙂
Yes, it’s more safe to watch. I met some walls, asphalt and curbs during my time as a skateboarder. Luckily I didn’t break anything, but I have a fucked up elbow with a missing piece of bone and a cool scar.
Ah yes, scars – got to love them! Little mementos and fond memories, he he.
Excellent capture! I often imagine how much fun skateboarders have when they are airborne… 😉
Skateboarding requires excellent balance and concentration, so it’s an intense focus while you’re airborne.
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I like how he always has that finger extended.
Great observation! I didn’t even notice it until you mentioned it.
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Awesome, awesome shots of skateboarders. I always fancy them as I see them a lot here in California. They sure are a good practice and very enjoying to take pictures of.
Love your hues. Really thorough.
Anyway, my most favorite skateboarding movie is Lords of Dogtown.
Lords of dogtown, I believe it’s another Powell Peralta movie? I’ll have to check it out, thanks! Skateboarding is definitely good pratice and also fun to photograph.
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Funny Skateboarding Fail >>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHiZi5ZsfQ8