SKATEBOARDING & MENTAL HEALTH

Thoughts on The SMile Interviews and How We Can Help Each Other

I’ve noticed an uptick in subscribers to Artless Industria® over the past few months and while that’s inspiring and flattering, it’s also a lot of pressure. For every newsletter I send out, there are 3-5 drafts sitting in Google Docs that I failed to finish or decided the world didn’t need to consume. I used to aspire to publish one newsletter a week but after a few pieces that felt more fluff than tough, I decided to abandon a schedule. Sometimes it’s better to wait until you have something worth sharing.

So here we are.

In both my personal and work life I’ve been reading and learning a lot about mental health and suicide prevention. I know, that sounds heavy but even the word “heavy” is part of the stigma around mental health that we need to soften.

In a world where we happily share our workout routines, diets, political beliefs, or just opinions on what skateboarding is, should be, or isn’t, we should be able to speak freely about those perceived “dark thoughts,” many of us or our friends and family have. Yes, it’s hard to talk about these things but when we put them in the bucket of “dark” it adds a layer that makes opening up more difficult, so let’s not do that.

Along with work and studying, I’ve been devouring all the edits and full-lengths dropping during the Fourth Quarter of SOTY Season, but it’s the SMile Interviews produced by The Ben Raemers Foundation that are resonating with me more than any actual skateboarding.

You should watch them all if you haven’t yet but for this installment of AI® I wanted to zoom out a bit and think about why this conversation is so important to have not only in our everyday lives but how mental health relates directly to skateboarding.

Before we dig in, I’d like to say that while I will be citing some stats and research, I’d also like to make it clear that a lot of what you’ll be reading is observational and anecdotal.

Most importantly, if you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health, please reach out to a trusted resource. In the US you can visit and contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline , Open Counseling has complied international resources here and The Ben Raemers Foundation also has an international list here.

Again, this piece is my observations and thoughts after watching some interviews and is not meant to be medical advice.

I’d like to focus on four particular interviews and the connectivity they share outside of their obvious focus on mental health. In viewing the most recent Brian Anderson interview along with the Fred Gall, Chris Jones, and Aaron Herrington pieces it dawned on me that skateboarding is not only unique but something that possesses unique risk factors. In Anderson’s interview, he compares skateboarding to rock n’ roll for its glorification of excess and lack of structure. That parallel hit hard. Skaters and musicians like to party and sure, your favorite bands may jump around for an hour on stage, skateboarding’s physical demands are greater and add more risk. But like music, skateboarding lacks structure and support.

In fact, because skateboarding lacks the corporate organization present in Major League Baseball or the National Football League as well as unions, there are fewer resources for sponsored skateboarders. This could range from financial planning to general health but that doesn’t mean the sponsored skateboarders and the situations sponsorship puts them in are less risky. When we drill into it, the risk of concussions alone—for anyone riding a skateboard—is much higher than in many sports. That’s a big deal and here’s why:

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) results from repetitive brain injuries and is a common neurotraumatic sequela in contact sports. CTE is often accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptoms, which could escalate to suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidal behaviour (SB). Nevertheless, fairly limited emphasis about the association between suicidality and CTE exists in medical literature. - Source National Library of Medicine

Yes, the last line states that the association isn’t definitive but this could be due to the amount or lack thereof, of research regarding the link. Rather than get weedsy on that, let’s agree that concussions are serious and brain trauma is something skateboarders are at risk of.

Back to the SMile Interviews.

Each of these short-form videos tells the subject first-hand experiences, often touching directly on suicide. In Anderson’s video, he talks about his sister dying by suicide when he was in fourth grade. Anderson talks about how his sister Judy’s death was framed as an “accident” by his parents and talks about wondering that if his sister hadn’t died by suicide, perhaps he would have. He also talks about the pressures of skateboarding but more importantly, suppressing his sexuality due to his status as a pro skater, and later discusses his struggles with alcoholism.

Chris Jones’ interview discusses several pivotal points in his life including the anxiety that comes with traveling in skateboarding, his father’s traumatic brain injury, his own head injury, as well as depression. He also talks about the inferiority complex he developed about his intelligence and how he struggled with academics. Jones gets rather in-depth about his experiences with therapy, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), and that there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” solution for mental health. Jones’ mental health journey led him to be more aware of warning signs, to accept himself, and to normalize talking about his feelings and the feelings of others.

Being a pro skater… you lack structure so there’s an infinite amount of time to worry or (feel) dread or do nothing,” Aaron Herrington says in his interview. He talks about getting sponsored by Polar and “traveling the world and partying.” Herrington’s 30-beer-a-day partying led to feelings of guilt and eventually, abuse and misuse of anxiety medication. He details losing himself and feeling unable to get back to who he was before becoming a pro skateboarder. He experienced panic attacks and sometimes sought advice from his peers but the help wasn’t always helpful or positive. He mentions Ben Raemers as being understanding and positive, telling him to stop being so hard on himself. Eventually, some of his teammates and team managers intervened and contacted his parents and he began to get professional help, quickly learning the damage he’d done to his body and mind. He goes on to recommend therapy for anyone struggling before urging friends, team managers, teammates, or anyone around skateboarders to call things out if they see someone in need or exhibiting warning signs.

Fred Gall’s interview follows a bit of a “child star/prodigy” arc. Gall talks about becoming sponsored at 13 years old, going on his first tour, and being exposed to a lifestyle where drinking every day and taking drugs were normalized. In his words, “When you’re around it growing up, it’s what you do—it kind of gets embedded in kids’ heads.” Gall would later find his status as pro fading as he became addicted to painkillers after suffering a severe injury and later becoming addicted to heroin. Gall’s mother was also addicted to heroin and died due to an overdose. She was found dead by his stepfather in their childhood home. Thanks to support and rehab, Gall’s been able to not only rebound and deal with his addictions but become productive and happy skateboarding, filming, building, and working.

Gall’s interview is particularly poignant as anyone who’s followed his career knows that “Uncle Freddy” is a charismatic figure–the closest skateboarding has to a folk hero. Some would call him the “life of the party,” and like Ben Raemers, he appears to many as an extrovert. That’s something that often comes up in discussing suicide. People who have lost someone often wonder if they missed warning signs and those who seem “up” often mask their feelings if not overcompensate for their depression and struggles. 

What we don’t see in the most energetic and seemingly positive folks is their prior experiences or A.C.E.s (Adverse Childhood Experiences) defined as “potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). For example: experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect. witnessing violence in the home or community.”

In watching these videos in tandem with participating in a suicide prevention course over the last month, I started to feel that skateboarding on any level presents challenges to our mental health as well as unique risks.

I’m going to list these out later but for now, let’s start with something we might not think of initially.

Risk and pain tolerance is a big part of skateboarding. I’m not talking about Milton Martinez-level shit but rather, the act of getting on this thing and rolling around can cause injury. Shins take a beating, hands get callous from griptape, it’s mentally frustrating, and yeah, we slam. I’m reminded of Rudy Johnson’s infamous Crailtap Top 5 “Why Skaters are Different” video.  Take a laugh break and watch it but if not, he basically says the one slam a civilian takes is what they talk about at parties for the rest of their lives, and for skateboarders, that’s just a normal-ass session.

So why are pain tolerance and the aversion to risk-taking so important? Both factors make someone with suicidal ideation more at risk. And those are just two things that are part of skateboarding that can exacerbate those feelings along with other things that are part of skateboarding.

Before I finally list these factors out I’d like to be clear: the point of this newsletter is not to “rank” anyone or anything but to highlight risks that relate to skateboarders/the readership of AI® in an attempt to take our mental health more seriously, open conversations, and make us all aware.

Here are some identified characteristics or conditions that increase the chance that a person may try to take their life and some ways they relate to skateboarding that I referenced from The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Lack of Support

On any level, skateboarding is an individual sport. Yeah, there are teams, people at the park, maybe a crew, and of course community, but there isn’t a go-to source for people who are having mental health issues or issues at all. You’re more likely to hear, “have a beer and keep it moving,” than “Oh, you’re hurting, let’s talk and see if you can get some help.” Part of that is the perceived “toughness” of skateboarding and it’s also a lack of awareness in general. The good news is that we can all work to change it.

Pressure To Perform

From being at your local park to filming a part for your sponsor, pressure is real. Skateboarding on your own can be freeing, but skateboarding on any level in front of people can be nerve-wracking. When money comes into the picture or responsibility on any level—organizing an event or meet-up—it can add pressure and create triggers.

Periods of Isolation

Not everyone has a crew and not everyone is accepting of your skateboarding (parents, friends, partners, family), which can be isolating. From constantly traveling or being stuck recovering from an injury, we can lose touch with friends and experiences that bring us joy, leading to depression and negative feelings.

Anxiety From Being In Large Groups

We said trips, right? Not everyone thrives on a hell ride or enjoys the spotlight. Also, events, packed parks, contests… just attending them can be tough but we often feel pressure to show up. As some of the interviewees mentioned, they often had panic attacks on trips. Personally, rolling up to a park and seeing it flooded with people I don’t know—regardless of the level of skating—can be terrifying.

Risk of CTE

We discussed this before but let’s state it again. We hate helmets and helmets prevent concussions. When you step on a device with wheels, you can do serious damage to your brain and body.

Thrill-Seeking

Skateboarding itself is pretty fucking dangerous but we also glamorize the danger. There’s a company called Deathwish and no, I’m not criticizing them… it’s just an example folks. How many captions or articles have made light of some doing something “crazy” for a camera? It’s a mindset thing and I’m not throwing any other activities under the bus but skateboarding is more likely to attract risk-takers than like… ultimate frisbee.

Drug & Alcohol Use

Again, as Aaron Herrington said in his SMile interview, “Alcohol and drugs are such a big part of skateboarding culture–you’re the odd one out if you don’t party.”

How many “sports” are you allowed to blatantly be faded whist performing on any level? Softball? Bowling? I guess you can smoke when you golf but let’s be real. There’s a lot of excesses and self-medicating happening.

And Dependence & Addiction To Painkillers

It’s not unique to skateboarding but skateboarders are at risk more than many folks who aren’t involved with physical culture when it comes to opioid addiction, simply by the frequency of injuries to our bodies and minds.

Language Barriers

This was one that was eye-opening to me but should have been obvious. Not speaking a language spoken around you can not only be alienating and isolating but it can limit your access to communicating feelings or even getting help when you’re in need. It’s not uncommon for skaters who don’t speak a language common with others to commingle and we can often be unaware of their feelings due to the barrier.

More LGBTQIA Skaters Are Rolling So…

As skateboarding becomes more diverse and we strive to be more accepting—as skateboarding should be—we should also be more aware of the growing community and the needs of those in it.

As per the Trevor Project, nearly half of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. So let’s be aware that within this culture of risk, there are folks who are even more at risk.

OK, I realize this was a lot to take in and thank you for reading. My goal is to get people aware and get people talking. As I recently learned, there’s no evidence that talking about suicide provokes people who have suicidal ideation. That’s actually a myth:

MYTH: Talking about suicide or asking someone if they feel suicidal will encourage suicide attempts.

FACT: Talking about suicide provides the opportunity for communication.

• Fears shared are more likely to diminish.

• The first step in encouraging a person with thoughts of suicide to live comes from talking about those feelings.

• A simple inquiry about whether or not the person is intending to end their life can start the conversation.

• However, talking about suicide should be carefully managed.

So let’s talk, let’s be aware, and hopefully, you found some of this installment to be helpful. One of the biggest problems around mental health is awareness and just by being conscious of others and having conversations, we can spread awareness.

Lastly, feel free to reach out with any questions, corrections, resources, follow-ups, or anything at all pertaining to the topic of mental health as it’s something I’ll continue to write about for AI® and, hopefully, work on projects outside of his newsletter.