ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?
"Hey man, try that 360 again!" It is Saturday afternoon and a group of teenagers are trying new tricks on the park's skating ramp. Every weekend, after finishing their homework, Lin Yong and about a dozen of his friends grab their wheels and head down to the park to hang ten.
Lin Yong is seventeen and a skilful skateboarder. He and his friends decided to build the ramp three years ago after watching a skateboarding competition on TV. Together with two of his classmates, Lin Yong went to the local park and told the park administration about their plans.
Two weeks after the manager had given them his permission, the ramp was ready and the friends held a grand opening. "All of our schoolmates were here, as well as many of our parents and other kids from the neighbourhood. There were even some grandparents who came to see what it was all about." The ramp soon became popular and the teenagers have started a skateboarding club called Fun On Wheels.
Skateboards have been around since the 1970s, but they have recently become popular again. Many teenagers have discovered the skateboard as a result of TV shows, films, and competitions such as the X Games. The X Games are like the Olympic Games for sports that are less familiar to us than sports like football and basketball. A new generation of sports is capturing the hearts and minds of people who are willing to try something new. These new sports are called "extreme sports" and all centre on the "X-factor" --the pure joy of doing something that you did not think you could do and overcoming your fears.
Extreme sports are different from regular sports. Instead of simply trying to defeat the other team or set a new record, many extreme sports are about beauty, harmony and thrills. In fact, some extreme sports are not really "sports" at all, because they do not have clear rules about winning or losing. The goal of a "competition" may simply be to have fun and enjoy the excitement of trying something new.
Lin Yong loves the feeling he gets when he is getting ready for a ride. "It's hard to describe the feeling. I get excited and my heart beats faster. Then my mind becomes clear and I concentrate on the way my body moves in the air."
Watching Lin Yong and his friends fly through the air makes you wonder whether the sport is too dangerous. "No," Wang Wei, a sixteen-year-old skater says, "all the riders wear helmets and other equipment to protect themselves. We don'tlet anyone try a dangerous trick unless we know that they are skilled enough to perform it safely." One thing is clear: these enthusiastic teenage skateboarders are enjoying every minute. Everyone smiles after a good ride and there is a strong feeling of friendship among the riders. As Lin Yong says, "Once you are Xperienced, your life will truly change!" |