When I think about my fond memories of growing up, I can’t help but escape to a world that shaped me into who I am today. The transition from middle to high school is a time of growing up and becoming more independent. But I had a hard time accepting the responsibility of growing up. One love that helped keep my childhood intact was my skateboard. Whether I was cruising down the street on those hot urethane wheels or kicking the plywood every which way doing a trick, it was what I loved. It kept me away from the anxieties of growing up and the burden of responsibility.

I got my first board in Arizona when I was 13. Being into Tony Hawk’s video games, I knew if I wanted to be like him, I had to do it too. A twist of fate actually intervened with my first skateboard. I left a restaurant, stepping into the hot and dry air, and to my surprise found a note crushed with tire marks. It had been there a while. First I noticed Mr. Lincoln’s head, so I knew it was a moderate amount of money. Little did I know that it was over $100. Since it was in such bad shape, I knew the owner was long gone. The next day I purchased a new board, nails to wheels.

My skateboard soon became my Excaliber, I was king of the skate park. It took months for me to get the confidence to ride on a hill. Every day I would practice and soon my new friend and I got used to each other. Then only magic followed.

I also think of the friends I made through skateboarding when I look back on those days. Skater friends are different from regular friends. Regular friends hang out, play video games, and just mess around. Skater friends, on the other hand, have a little problem with overdoing the phrase “Mi casa es su casa.” Eating your friends out of house and home, skating on the front stairs until they are unrecognizable, and taking up every couch watching TV, these are just some things skater friends do. As hard as it is to deal with it at your own house, the best part of this reckless regard for restrictions is they are everyone’s. The kid whose house is trashed one week will be the one trashing his buddy’s the next. It’s a vicious cycle.

Other than those minor character flaws, the friends I have met through skateboarding have become the most important relationships I have. Skating becomes more than just a hobby; it’s a common ground for expression. Every rider gives a trick his or her own style. It is also like a brotherhood. Every skateboarder looks out for one another, no matter what age or skill level.

Throughout middle school and the beginning of high school, my board and I were inseparable. Whenever I felt any anger or despair, my board was my outlet.

My skateboard rolls into my mind from time to time and brings memories of old friends and even older jokes and fun times. Although I no longer skate, those will always be my favorite memories.