Skateboarder

[Cole Parker]

This is really terrific.

The skateboarding is remarkable, too.

http://www.grindtv.com/skate/blog/33206/skateboarder+tom+schaar+12+makes+history+with+first-ever+1080/

C

[Richard Norway]

When I was a kid growing up in Southern California, we had to break apart our medal skates and nail them to a 2x4. How things have improved! These kids are fantastic with their skill.

[Chris James]

What a shame that young Tom is so hard to look at...ahem, but that's not the point of my post. Such a comely lad.

I always wonder about someone so young achieving global status in any form of competition. What he has done looks so incredibly dangerous and we have had Olympians die when attempting much less. I do hope he doesn't feel like he has to top this at some point, but if he has that real competitive spirit he probably will do something.

I tried my hand at surfing on water since I was always big on water sports. (NO, I did not mean that) The idea of slapping rollerskate wheels on a 2 x 4 did occur to some of my friends who at least had the sense enough to wear football helmets. Of course that did nothing for the road rash when they crashed and burned. All it took was one little pebble on the street and...disaster.

Not that I had a death wish, but I did build my own go-cart with the help of a friend and his father when I was thirteen. Roger had one too and we used to take them out into the neighborhood when the parents weren't home, got chased by the cops a few times but never caught. I think all kids have that need to approach the edge and tempt fate. Pushing the horizon, or whatever you call it, has always been a means of asserting maturity. Let's just hope the fame doesn't go to young Tom's head...but I imagine the money he will make might come in handy.