Hawk - Between Boardslides and Burnout

LIFE ON THE ROAD IS A WORLD UNTO ITSELF.

THERE IS NO WAY TO DESCRIBE THE REALITY OF BEING IN A DIFFERENT CITY EVERY DAY, SLEEPING IN A NEW BED EVERY NIGHT, AND SHARING THE CLOSE COMPANY OF ONLY A FEW OTHERS ALONG THE WAY.

It is in turns exciting, grueling, glamorous, disgusting, tiring, comical, stressful, and shockingbut it is never boring. I have been touring regularly since I was sixteen years old, and I am well aware of the jaded perspective from which we (the lucky travelers who tour at others expenses) view the world. We have a sense of immunity from normal rules and an unspoken creed that whatever happens on the road is just part of the game. I never forget that skating is what got me here, so that is always the priority when touring. You cant live too excessively when youre required to put on daily athletic performances.

As a husband and a father of three boys, I find touring all the more surreal. My life shifts from normal spousal duties at homelike fixing breakfast for the kids, taking them to school, attending parent-teacher conferences, taking out the trash, paying bills, waiting in line at the DMV, reading Hop on Pop, and watching SpongeBob SquarePantsto flying in private jets, performing in front of thousands of people, getting VIP treatment at restaurants and clubs, and having everything paid for by someone else. Neither lifestyle allows sufficient sleep, but I am completely thankful to have both. I love my family life and the normalcy that defines it, and I realize that the roads carefree glamour is short-lived. Striking a healthy balance between being home and being away is the biggest challenge of my life. Ive become very selective about which events or projects I get involved with. My wife, Erin, has an amazing ability to keep our family grounded in reality while accepting that my time away is a mandatory aspect of what I do for a living. I bring my family along whenever possible, but often my schedule is not conducive to hauling around three kids. Its not fun for them and is more stressful than enjoyable for my wife and me. My oldest son, Riley, is an avid skater and a well-seasoned traveler, so he often joins me on trips (depending on his school absentee status). It is refreshing to view new places and experiences through his eyes, because I often forget to simply relax and be a tourist amid all the hype.

I realize that this dual lifestyle could all come to a screeching halt (due to injury, popularity decline, or an ultimatum from home) at some point, and I am thankful for everything I have experienced so far. I never imagined that riding empty swimming pools as a kid would become a career, and I could only dream that my career would be this much fun.

The following is part of a longer journal that I have kept throughout my travels, usually written on the flight home. Ive tried to be selective about the entries, choosing only those that involve some sort of milestone, interesting anecdote, or lesson. It covers the past two years, which have been among the craziest in terms of scheduling and prospects. As you read, a couple of patterns should emerge: first, youll discover that skateboarding as a career is much more work than you ever imagined; second, you should be able to trace a steady increase in skateboardings recognition and respectability. You can also see how my life as a skater has been a catalyst for many other opportunities like work in movies and television, and invitations to many different fund-raisers and events.

The strangest part about garnering this much fame is that I never skated in hopes of being a celebrity. Skaters were outcasts when I was growing up, and a skating career wasnt even an option. There was no money to be made. Everything has changed (some argue that it has for the worst, most agree its for the better), and I am proud to be considered a professional skateboarder at age thirty-four, honored to have had so many opportunities, and grateful that people have finally accepted skateboarding for its positive aspects. So here it is: life on the road, swaying between board-slides and burnout, and having a blast during the process.