Ramping It Up: ShoreTV NJ Checks Out Jersey Shore Skateboarding Firsthand
Most people think of surfing when they think of the Jersey Shore. But did you know skateboarding is just as popular? Next time you’re driving along our shore communities, look around and you’ll see plenty of skateboarders having the time of their lives!
Have you ever tried SKATEBOARDING?! All it took was for someone to put four wheels underneath a piece of wood, and a whole new culture and way of life was born. Skateboarding was officially born in 1958 on days surfers couldn’t catch a wave. Many years later, skateboarding has grown to be a national sport with thousands of fellow skateboarders across the world, professional and amateur. It’s a big deal here at the Jersey Shore!
As a skateboarder, it greatly influenced my childhood and has given me many great memories. I started skateboarding on my 13th birthday when my parents bought me my first plastic ramp. I remember taking my skateboard out with my friend. All day we cruised up and down this ramp getting the feel for the skateboard, not knowing it would eventually grow into a passion of ours.
Learning my first few tricks, such as a “pop shuvit” and a “kickflip”, truly fueled my addiction to the art of skateboarding. There is no better feeling than learning a new trick because it takes no less than a thousand tries to fully understand how to flip your board. When you finally get two feet back on that board, the feeling of accomplishment is like none other.
At the Jersey Shore, there are so many areas to go skateboarding and be a part of this culture. The Seven Presidents Skateplex in Long Branch is the perfect place to jump on your board and have a great time. This skate park has just been recently renovated into a beautiful, user-friendly skate plaza right alongside the beach. Skateboarding with a view of the ocean? What’s better than that?! The park also offers lessons during the warmer months of the year, so if you want to try it out people are here to help! Professional skateboarders such as Tom Asta and Chaz Ortiz have skated this park.
We went out and asked a Brucie Juska, 31, about his thoughts on the park and his favorite parts about skateboarding. He told ShoreTV NJ, “I first stepped on a skateboard when I was 3-years old and really started taking it seriously when I was 10. My favorite part about skateboarding is the feeling of freedom it provides and of course, landing new tricks”. We asked what his favorite part about this specific skate park was and Brucie said: “The bowl is by far my favorite part about the park. I can literally only skate that part all day. There are endless tricks to learn”. In fact, check this out! Watch Brucie skate his favorite bowl!
Share with us your favorite places in and around the Jersey Shore to skateboard. Post your pictures below!
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ShoreTV New Jersey Guest Blogger: Anthony Ferrise