By: Stephanie Perez
OwlFeed Lifestyle Editor

“Skateboarding culture IS freedom culture,” said Rey Gonzalez, class of 2020.
No matter what you do it on, whether it’s a shortboard, penny board, longboard or a cruiser, skateboarding is a boundless, independent, no-rules-attached sport like no other.

Skateboarding has influenced numerous things ranging from our fashion, to our music, even to the way we live our lives, and seemingly skateboard culture has quite an effect on our students.

“Skateboarding is influential…It’s an art form to express yourself and let loose,” said junior Nate Martinez, who has a long skating history dating back to early childhood. He continues in the belief that skateboarding to him is “art in its purest form.”

Martinez was introduced to the skating culture at a very young and impressionable age when he would watch and admire his brother’s passion for skating, as well as playing skating-based games like the Tony Hawk series.

From his long history of skating Nate relays that skating has benefitted him not only as a hobby but in fact, improved his capabilities such as giving him “faster reflexes and an incredible sense of balance.”

In Nate’s case, skating has become more than just a hobby.
Although, that doesn’t quite mean skating as a hobby doesn’t have its impacts as well, maybe not on the physical spectrum as it did Nate but sometimes even on the emotional and belief spectrum.

Bri Lopez, a sophomore skater of about 2 years said, “It changed how I see life because now I take everything in and I don’t take things for granted anymore…it lets me release myself, escape my reality and just enjoying the cruise.”

Bri began skating because she noticed her friends were really into skating as well and in order to share in their fun she decided to learn herself, now being one of the more recognized female skaters of Agua Fria.

Although, there are skaters who don’t see skateboarding as having any culture at all, but rather skating just being skating. Leo Cabanillas, a sophomore skater of about a year said, “Yeah, skating has changed my attitude by relaxing and calming me down, making me a people person as well as influencing my sense of style.”

He continued, “Skating is influential but skating isn’t necessarily a culture really, it’s just something you do because it’s fun and makes you feel free.”

Leo’s case is similar to that of Nate’s but the way skating affected them was very different. Leo was influenced young by various skate clips online as well as following his brother (who shared a love for skating) then soon after tried it himself.

There is a recognition of an idea amongst these diverse skaters, and that idea is freedom. In all my interviews gathered everyone has stated the same factor of what skating is to them. It’s freedom.