This book explores the ways in which religion is observed, performed, and organised in skateboard culture. Drawing on scholarship from the sociology of religion and the cultural politics of lifestyle sports, this work combines ethnographic research with media analysis to argue that the rituals of skateboarding provide participants with a rich cultural canvas for emotional and spiritual engagement. Paul O’Connor contends that religious identification in skateboarding is set to increase as participants pursue ways to both control and engage meaningfully with an activity that has become an increasingly mainstream and institutionalised sport. Religion is explored through the themes of myth, celebrity, iconography, pilgrimage, evangelism, cults, and self-help.

Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR • Southwest Review • Electric Literature Perfect for fans of Barbarian Days, this memoir in essays follows one man's decade-long quest to uncover the hidden meaning of skateboarding, and explores how this search led unexpectedly to insights on marriage, love, loss, American invention, and growing old. In January 2012, creative writing professor and novelist Kyle Beachy published one of his first essays on skate culture, an exploration of how Nike’s corporate strategy successfully gutted the once-mighty independent skate shoe market. Beachy has since established himself as skate culture's freshest, most illuminating, at times most controversial voice, writing candidly about the increasingly popular and fast-changing pastime he first picked up as a young boy and has continued to practice well into adulthood. What is skateboarding? What does it mean to continue skateboarding after the age of forty, four decades after the kickflip was invented? How does one live authentically as an adult while staying true to a passion cemented in childhood? How does skateboarding shape one's understanding of contemporary American life? Of growing old and getting married? Contemplating these questions and more, Beachy offers a deep exploration of a pastime—often overlooked, regularly maligned—whose seeming simplicity conceals universal truths. THE MOST FUN THING is both a rich account of a hobby and a collection of the lessons skateboarding has taught Beachy—and what it continues to teach him as he strugglesto find space for it as an adult, a professor, and a husband.

“Thompson captures the ache, fizz, yearning and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys.” —Michael Chabon “What a riveting, touching, and painful read!” —Maria Semple “Fun, moving, raw, and relatable.” —Tony Hawk What makes a good father, and what makes one a failure? Does less-is-more parenting inspire independence and strength, or does it encourage defiance and trouble? Kickflip Boys is the story of a father’s struggle to understand his willful skateboarder sons, challengers of authority and convention, to accept his role as a vulnerable “skate dad,” and to confront his fears that the boys are destined for an unconventional and potentially fraught future. With searing honesty, Neal Thompson traces his sons’ progression through all the stages of skateboarding: splurging on skate shoes and boards, having run-ins with security guards, skipping classes and defying teachers, painting graffiti, drinking and smoking, and more. As the story veers from funny to treacherous and back, from skateparks to the streets, Thompson must confront his complicity and fallibility. He also reflects on his upbringing in rural New Jersey, and his own adventures with skateboards, drugs, danger, and defiance. A story of thrill-seeking teens, of hope and love, freedom and failure, Kickflip Boys reveals a sport and a community that have become a refuge for adolescent boys who don’t fit in. Ultimately, it’s the survival story of a loving modern American family, of acceptance, forgiveness, and letting go.

As soon as Brett Thyson steps on "The Lizard", the mysterious skateboard he unearthed in his backyard, he can feel its power. It glides smoothly and effortlessly, but Brett can't shake off the feeling that there's something not quite right about it.

Skateboarding philosopher Neal A. Unger shares his thoughts on being human, the meaning of life and whatever else he can think of. Grab your best tricks and go for a ride with The Dude! Featured on ABC's Off Their Rockers, Regis and Kelly, Trashin, Skateline, Ridiculousness and in Ty Evan's We Are Blood, Neal "The Dude" Unger is a team rider for the Next Up Foundation, Rhythm Skateshops, Old Skateboards, SABRE and Free Radical. His interviews and images can be found in multiple media formats such as radio, e-magazines, billboards, documentaries and two music videos, "Young and Unafraid" by Moth to Flame and "Pipe Dreams" by Willie J. Healey. Catch up with The Dude at www.nealaunger.com, @oldmanskate on Facebook, Neal Unger on Youtube or neal_a_unger on Instagram.

Colorful introduction to skateboarding for girls.

Counterfeit skateboards! Who is trying to put Mike Holt out of business? He's already had one tragedy in his life, will this be more than he can handle? Jim and Ben need to find out who is doing this quickly or their dreams of a skateboard park will be gone forever. This is the story of five close friends who all share one common love - skateboarding. They live in the small city of Exton, Pennsylvania that is not known as a skateboarding haven. They have dreams of changing that by helping to open a new skate park in their city. Their plans are taking shape when disasters strikes. Mike's shop is in danger of being put out of business by a mysterious stranger and that would lead to the end of the 2nd Annual Boardzone Skateboard competition and their skate park dreams. Like most kids they can't resist getting involved and jump right in to try and figureout what is going on - and of course, get into a load of trouble in the process. With the help of their Uncle, a retired policeman, the group of young people get into one precarious situation after another while searching for the identity of the counterfeiter. Each day leads our young group one step closer to facing their biggest challenge ever. Will they solve the mysterious counterfeit skateboarding ring? Will Mike lose his store and cancel the big competition? Will corrupt city officials steal the land for the new skate park? No one is going to take away their dream of the first skate park in their hometown. Even if they have to face their enemy head on - they will.