Love reading this thread, like fakie nollie said, such an interesting topic.
Such a coincidence, yesterday I was randomly reading this old thread from 2007:
https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=20067.msg468684#msg468684I remember someone saying on here if you keep skating then get used to getting new friends every 5 or so years. I'm sure that applies to not just me here.
I know for sure nobody in my original crew still skates. We all started together but they only lasted a year or two. Number 4 skated probably the longest, which isn't saying much, I think around 5 years.
1. Quit skating as soon as we started going to the park and getting hassled by deranged people who would pass by. Funny looking back because we would always skate spots with no issues (we both kickflipped our first set at our old school). When he quit at age 13 he told everyone he 'retired'. We all made fun of him for that. He played football and became a tiler or some shit.
2. Became a bull rider and travelled around the US. Was fearless and would try anything and progressed very quickly, was fun trying to keep up with him. I remember him trying to switch ollie sets before even trying to roll switch. He had the only Hook Ups board I've ever seen in the wild. Also had some crazy roofies weed leaf griptape on an MJ Enjoi board. He tried skating a few years later and lost the fearlessness after he fucked his shoulder up from bull riding.
3. Became a sheep shearer. That one kid who didn't know his stance, one of the reasons I wanted to learn nollie and switch flips. Every skate with him was wild, always getting into some mischief. He hit the weed and alcohol hard by about 13/14 and that was that.
4. Started playing tennis and was studying engineering last I heard. Randomly came to my house one summer after I hadn't seen him for 6 or 7 years. We went skating and had a blast. I remember texting him years later and he was replied "I haven't skated since I've seen you". Haven't heard from him since.
5. Quit to play football. Worked in a bank then became a teacher like his parents (I also teach so no judgement). He had two younger brothers who got better everytime I saw them. I thought for sure we were all going to keep skating together. They had some land with a massive concrete slab where his dad built a steep quarter and some flatbars. All three brothers quit at the same time only a year or two in. I watched my first full length video at their house.
I haven't seen or talked to any of these people in over 10 years.
This has got me thinking of several other people from different crews/times. Life is a trip.