I remember in high school, a couple of my buddies got long-boards and all I had was a very small penny board that I could cruise around with whenever they would go on the trails or around the neighborhood. I was never really interested in downhill at the time nor did I know it existed, but all I knew is that I loved to skate. I remember one of my friends showing me a video of this guy going down a mountain road on a long-board around 50 mph and I was immediately in awe. I just said to myself, I want to do that. Of course today I'm not skating down mountains, but maybe one day once I become more skilled I think that would be a life changing experience.

Ever since my friends showed me that video of the guy skating down a mountain hill, I became so excited and for my birthday I got a new long-board, gloves, and a helmet. I was ready to go. Unfortunately, it was getting close to the Winter, so it was tough to get out. I had to eagerly wait until it was a little nicer to start practicing. At first, I had to get used to my board so I would mostly just cruise around the trails and go up and down small hills in order to get good balance and a good feel on my board. Eventually after many falls and scrapes, I was able to slide sideways on my board and go a lot faster down hills.

The better I got, the more excited I became and the more involved I got with the sport. One of my buddies Tyler really showed and taught me how to do a lot of stuff. He taught me to overall just to stick to your gut and be confident while riding and learning new tricks and what not. It was helpful to skate with someone who was pretty skilled and knew what he was doing.

Downhill skating has became one of my biggest passions this past year and I really enjoy what I do. I have been in a couple of races and I'm continuing to learn more about the culture. At the same time, I am learning new things by the end of each week. It's something that takes the stress out of each day, whether that comes from studying or just school in general. It's something that is super relaxing for me. Downhill skating will forever be one of my passions in life and I can't wait to see myself progress throughout the next couple of years. Maybe one day I can travel and race around the country. Downhill skating is truly something amazing and a life changing experience.