As tweens and teens, the boys’ identity as skaters established them as “outsiders.” What’s the image or role of skateboarding culture in your community? How are skaters viewed/treated in your town or school?

What’s the appeal and drawback of engaging in an activity that is frequently subject to police interference?

Were you surprised by Keire’s explanation of skateboarding as being “kind of like a drug?”…“I could seriously be on the verge of having a mental breakdown, but as long as I’m able to go skate, then I’m completely fine.” How about Zack’s analysis of the sport’s appeal: “You have to control the most minute small details to make you feel normal in a world that’s not normal.”? Do you engage in any activities that get you into a “zone”? How do the activities support your well-being?

Keire recalls conflicts with his father, who saw skateboarding as slacking. Do you see it that way? Beyond mastery of tricks, what skills have Keire and his fellow skaters gained from skateboarding? What skills were required for them to achieve success? Which of those skills or dispositions might make them excellent workers, citizens, or parents?

Consider this exchange after Keire falls while attempting a trick:

Keire: “I get mad at skateboarding like a lot, but at the end of the day I -- I love it so much that I can’t stay mad at it.”

Bing: “But it hurts you?”

Keire: “Yeah, so did my dad, but I love him to death.”

Does the comparison make sense to you?

We see a quote on the back of a skateboard: “Some men cannot be negotiated or reasoned with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” What do you think that means? Why might it resonate with people in Rockford’s skater community?

One of Keire’s boards includes the quote “This device cures heartache.” What activities or resources do you have in your own life that “cure heartache?” What would you write on your board (and why)? What device do you use, if any, to cure heartache?