On a recent sunny but brisk day, the skate park at Idlewild was full of friendship, family lessons and intergenerational respect, while local skaters of different ages plied one of the world’s most difficult hobbies.
One of them Mick taught his now 23-year-old daughter how to skate, and he is now focusing on taking advantage of his younger son's new interest in skating to get out of the house more often.
Mick refers to his long-time skating habit as an “addiction” and a “love-hate relationship.”
Not looking to learn many more new tricks he says he enjoys talking more than skating these days.
He spends time watching his son grow more confident when skating and loves to observe him work through his difficulties, while giving tips when needed.
Mick is also happy to see the newer generation be more welcoming to new skaters and not turn them away like when he was younger.
Dillon, Alan, and Izzy, a group of friends in their late teens and early twenties, were skating nearby.
They agree the skating culture has become much friendlier in the Biggest Little City.
“A couple of years back it used to be a lot different where they’d push you out and try to reject you a lot of times,” said Dillon, the oldest of the group. “But now it’s very open and very accepting.”
Dillion has been skating for a little over six years now. He started off on a scooter, worked his way up to roller blades and even though he still might find himself in a pair of roller blades, skateboarding is his favorite.
Alan and Dillon became better friends through skating and often find themselves at the Idlewild skatepark together.
Just like Mick and Dillon, Alan feels that the skating community is becoming more welcoming. “A lot of the older scene is starting to get more accepted because a lot of us are becoming the older scene,” Alan added.
Despite the hard falls and injuries they might face, their love for skating keeps them getting back on the board. Those same hard falls are the fond memories they hold on to and look back at and laugh at, better or wiser every day that goes by at the skatepark.