So Who The F*ck Am I?
Here’s the deal: I’m in my 40s, used to skate bowls, ramps, even a little vert as a kid, and then life happened – jobs, kids, mortgages, knees that creak when the weather shifts. You know the story. I took what was supposed to be a short break from skating. That break lasted over 20 years.
Add to that a fun little medical twist: Fibromatosis. A gnarly, chronic condition that messes with your connective tissue and muscles. It’s not life-threatening, but it’s life-altering. The main symptom? Pain. It means I’ve got to be smarter about impact, more patient with pain, and more grateful for every session that doesn’t end with me icing something unexpected. In a weird way, it’s what pushed me back on the board – skating used to be my staple, my centre, my calm in the chaos. And I lost sight of it.
I grew up in Norfolk, UK. Nothing in the village I grew up in… and no phones when I was a kid. This is a video of the lads the year above me in school, ripping up the local bowl. It is the only video that exists as far as I know.
A simpler time.
Now, it’s a game of balance: push enough to grow, pull back enough not to break… and save money on therapy.
And so I’m back – not to launch off ramps, but to get clean and technical on the street: ollies, kickflips, manuals. The basics. The foundations. I always rode goofy but learned to ollie from a mate who rode regular – didn’t even think about it when I was a kid, and just baked 180 body varials in and out of every tricck!
This time I’m bringing an older body, a slightly wiser brain, and reflexes that are… slow. I should probably buy a helmet, cos I can’t really afford a brain injury… and that might be a more pressing problem than looking cool. A ship that sailed long… long ago.
Keep ripping it up,
– Cheezy
