Mason Doyle from Troop 232 of Cary, North Carolina, skateboards during a merit badge day.
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Mason Doyle from Troop 232 of Cary, North Carolina, skateboards during a merit badge day.
Holding a skateboard that he had built just a couple of hours before, Christian Gale felt nervous at the edge of the enormous bowl.
The day at Eastern Skateboard Supply’s headquarters in North Carolina had pushed the 12-year-old Scout from Troop 232 of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., out of his comfort zone as he tried the sport for the first time. He’d already practiced going down a few ramps and attempted some tricks, but the 4,000-square-foot bowl looked intimidating.
Even experienced skateboarders were impressed by it.
Dean Richards skates around the large bowl inside Eastern Skateboard Supply’s headquarters.
“It was the biggest bowl I had ever seen,” says Dean Richards, 13, a First Class Scout from Troop 19 in Wilmington, N.C. “There were a few Scouts who were really nervous before dropping in for the first time, so we cheered them on.”
The encouragement helped. Soon the guys were dipping in and out of the bowl, zipping around its curves.
“I got the hang of it,” says Christian. “I felt like I could go do anything. I felt empowered and strong.”
You too can feel that powerful rush as you work on skateboarding, the latest addition to the Skating merit badge.
Left: Reggie Barnes, owner of Eastern Skateboard Supply and former professional skateboard, helps a Scout mount and tighten the trucks on a board. Top: Scouts grab decks to start assembling skateboards. They got to take their finished boards home. Bottom: Barnes talks with Scouts.
Last fall, the Cape Fear Council in North Carolina teamed up with retired professional skater Reggie Barnes, who is also a former Scout, to put on a merit badge day at Barnes’ 18,000-square-foot indoor skate park. Barnes started his professional career in 1979, competing in freestyle contests.
He later launched Eastern Skateboard Supply, which became the world’s largest distributor of skate and surf products.
Thanks to a partnership with USA Skateboarding, Scouting America added the skateboarding option to the Skating merit badge last year. Previously, you could earn this badge only through ice skating, roller skating or in-line skating.
A beginner’s group of Scouts learns how to properly stand on their boards, turn and perform tricks before riding.
The new requirements include knowing skateboarding safety, demonstrating tricks and building your own board. Barnes provided the Scouts attending the merit badge day with parts from his warehouse in Wilmington.
“The board we gave them was good quality,” Barnes says. “It was a good entry-level board. The seven-ply maple is the most commonly used for skateboard decks.”
The Scouts first built their boards. They needed screwdrivers and wrenches to attach the trucks and wheels. Then they added grip tape to the deck.
“It was neat to see all the parts that go into it,” says Second Class Scout Ian Jordan, 11, from Troop 26 in Wilmington.
Right: Thomas Haines, Oliver Jamison and Dean Richards mount trucks on their boards. Top: A Scout prepares to drop in the bowl. Bottom: Cody Raney, left, and Reggie Barnes lead the beginner’s group in a talk about safety and the history of skateboarding.
After their boards were finished, the guys split into two groups based on experience. Whether they were beginners or seasoned skaters, everyone strapped on helmets and reviewed safety rules.
“If you’re a beginner, you shouldn’t go on a big ramp first, and you should practice your tricks a little,” Christian says. “We did tricks on the flat ground.”
They learned basic skills like balancing, turning, carving and braking before tackling more complicated tricks.
“One trick I learned is an ollie,” Christian says. “I eventually got the hang of it after what seemed like an hour, but it probably was like two minutes.”
A perk every skater got was one-on-one instruction from Barnes or one of his employees.
“If you had a question, you’d ask him,” Dean says. “You could go to any other instructor. It was pretty good to know what you’re doing.”
Left: Ian Jordan watches Reggie Barnes demonstrate how to brake. Right: Dean Richards performs a trick.
The Scouts worked on technique for a few hours. They also got to tour the company warehouse, looking over the thousands of skateboards, surfboards and snowboards Eastern Skateboard Supply makes and ships.
“It’s my favorite merit badge I’ve done,” Dean says. “It was cool, and the instructors were really nice there.”
The guys took home the boards they built, and while some continue to skate more than others, they all thought it was a great merit badge to try.
“It was fun to learn a new thing and be some of the first ones to do this version of the merit badge,” Ian says.
A skateboard is a fairly simple type of sports equipment, but it’s important to know its parts so you can care for it.
• The deck is the main platform that you stand on. Most are made of layers of wood.
• The grip tape is the rough surface on top of the deck. It gives you traction so you don’t slip off.
• The wheels make the skateboard go. They come in different levels of hardness and sizes depending on the type of skateboarding you want to do.
• The trucks are the metal parts that connect the wheels to the board. They have adjustable parts that help you turn.
• The bearings are interior pieces that allow the wheels to spin faster.
With decades of experience, Barnes knows what it takes to be an expert skater. Here’s what he recommends for novices:
• First, get the right equipment. Wear flat-sole shoes and safety gear, including a helmet certified by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards.
• Buy a board that’s the right size for you. The best way to do that is by visiting a local skate shop. You’ll want a board that you can adjust to help you do certain tricks. You should be able to find one for less than $100.
• A skate tool will have wrenches and sockets to help you make adjustments to your board, but you can use a socket set if you already have one at home.
• Practice in a driveway or garage before heading over to a skate park.
“I’d crawl before I walk,” Barnes says. “Get comfortable on a safe, flat area.”
• Finally, you can learn a lot from research. Scouting America offers resource videos on its merit badge webpage.
“There’s so much at your fingertips,” Barnes says. “Although watching can be helpful, you can’t learn without spending time on your board and practicing. It’s like anything else: Nothing good comes easy — with any sport. Don’t give up if it’s something you really want to do.”
JL VETERAN 37 MALANG
