Imagine looking at a set of stairs, not as a mountain to climb in 90 degree heat, but as a canvas open for exploration. That’s the ‘essence’ of skateboarding, according to club president Drew St. Claire.
“[Skateboarding] changes your whole perception of the world,” St. Claire, a junior in creative writing and film studies said. “It was probably the best thing I have ever done with my life, is pick up a skateboard. The whole essence of skateboarding is you’re taking the world and you’re doing something different with it — what can I do over this or on to this.”
The passion behind the new club, officially titled N.C. SKATE, began last year by alumnus Lee Kennedy, according to St. Claire. Each new club sport needs to spend a year on probation before accruing official club status. 2009 marks the club’s inaugural season as a club sport.
“I had been skateboarding for about five years when I met some guys on campus, and we decided to get together and make this club,” Keith McCrae, one of the founding members and junior in engineering, said.
“We have a lot of plans,” St. Claire said. “We want to do a lot of events promoting skateboarding in the community.”
The skateboarding club’s newest event is called the Game of State, based off of skateboarding’s Game of Skate, which is played similarly to the game of horse in basketball.
“One guy does a trick and if you can’t do it you get a letter,” St. Claire said. “We are trying to do it within the whole Triangle area. Yet we are still working on liability issues.”
Sean Burke, pro-skater and event coordinator for the club, said he is working on the Game of State as well as a long-boarding race. Burke also has lots of experience with events since he has attended several professional events.
“Traveling to events, [as a pro-skater], helps me learn how to organize these types of events,” Burke, a sophomore in textiles said. “My sponsors have also helped out the club.”
Skill levels from just getting on a board to as high as pro-skater are all included in the club; all that is needed is an interest in skateboarding, according to St. Claire.
“We are open to anyone, especially people who are new to skateboarding,” St. Claire said. “I have been skating for 13 years, but we have some new boarders.”
Skateboarding, as a sport, has been seen as a nuance to many University officials and police alike. According to St Claire, the club has effectively changed the rules about Skateboarding on campus.
“All of us have been in trouble with the police on campus,” St Claire said. “That’s a main reason why we started the club, one of the things we did last year was change the rules. Last year, you were not allowed to skate within a certain amount of feet of a dorm, the wheels couldn’t leave the ground etc. We changed it to where we can do ground tricks anywhere, yet grinding is still not allowed for the time being.”
Along with a group to skateboard with, the club has formed a tight bond with one another, according to McCrae, Web designer for the club.
“We all know each other; we’ve been friends since freshman year,” McCrae said. “It’s just a big camaraderie for me, not like other clubs where you have to be somewhere; it’s more like just hanging out.”
McCrae along with other club officers are working on making a N.C. SKATE Web site, due out in a few months. The site will feature primarily a skate video, something that St. Claire said he is proud of.
“The thing with the video is that there is no acting, no plot, so you have to do a lot of cool things with the cinematography,” St. Claire said. “That’s really what got me interested in doing film studies and writing.”
According to St. Claire, his interest in skateboarding has helping influence him in the classroom as well as in life.
“There are so many stories when you go out,” St. Claire said. “Like going to a Costco at 1 a.m. to grind a ledge or try to do a handrail. You meet a lot of interesting people. I’ve met everyone from some crazy homeless people to friends I’ll have for life.”
