As weird and as lame as it sounds, I’ve been pondering. I know it might be the sign of a romantic academic, but I do believe that thinking about things makes one a critical thinker and well-versed person. One of the main things that came to mind as I pondered today was the “Day in the Life of Mark Gonzalez” section of the 2006 film by Fourstar Clothing, Super Champion Funzone. I think that Mark is probably the most insightful professional in the skateboarding community and always has plenty of interesting things to say in every video he appears in. In this particular clip Mark mentions how skateboarders want everything to be perfect. For example, they don’t want any parts of their skateboards missing or damaged. Or they want to land the tricks they are trying in the way they are supposed to be done. He uses these examples to draw a few observations about the state of American education. Mark laments that our culture often teaches kids to “settle for less” such that they wouldn’t even pay attention to the intricacies that skateboarders do in their trade.
I thought about this statement more and more; eventually arriving at the realization of its true power and insight. I think our society has, of late, ingrained this external locus of control into many of our young people. We, as an American culture, are buying into the belief that most everything being outside of our control and we consequently leave everything up to fate. I suspect that the American dream is no longer about working hard, bettering yourself, and establishing and providing for a family. Now it seems that success requires hitting a streak of luck or being at the right place at the right time.
So how much does our societies locus of control relate to skateboarding? Well actually quite a bit. You see as a skateboarder, I have learned what the fruits of hard work can be. I try a trick over and over again until I land it. That’s persistence paying off. Sometimes I won’t be happy with how I landed it, perhaps it was sketchy, and I will do it again until I get it better. That’s the pursuit of perfection. And why do I continue to throw my body down onto the ground again and again until I’ve done what I set out to do? The reason is that it is gratifying and fun. Yes, it took a lot of hard work, pain, and a hell of a lot of practice, but the rewarding feeling of success was worth it in the end. I think our culture needs to wake up and realize that kids need to be taught that persistence and the pursuit of perfection do pay off.
When will kids no longer settle for less? When will we shift our collective locus of control from being the fate-based, fallacy-riddled external type to a more achievement and hard work oriented internal type? Excelling in skateboarding isn’t about luck. Just like any other sport, it’s about hard work, determination, and the pursuit of perfection. I believe that the people who learn these values will prosper in their future endeavors. So for God sakes get up off your ass and work hard. Don’t settle for less!
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