IGSA and the skateboarding world would like to congratulate Joe May from Raleigh, NC USA for receiving the first ever number 700 in the history of the IGSA.
I started skateboarding about 6 years ago and really into it for just over 3 years. I started out as a park/vert skater and have been skating vert since then, but lately longboarding has taken over my life. About a year and a half ago I moved to Raleigh, NC, all the kids I was hanging out with were longboarding so I figured I would have to go out and ride with them.
I went out and rode with my good friends at NC state campus and fell in love with bombing garages and hills, and watching them slide, so I figured I had to buy a board. My first longboard was a landyachtz drop speed with bear grizzlies and S9 race forms. Eventually after riding with my friends a lot I learned to slide, bomb, and do all the other awesome stuff I wanted to be able to do so badly.
Now I ride whenever I can and we've built up a huge scene here in North Carolina. All the kids at my school see me and my friend's pictures and videos on facebook and want to start riding. We help them buy a good board that will last them for a while and teach them to start riding. Some people just have natural ability. So now it's cool to see my friends progressing at such a fast rate, and helping them learn just like my friends helped me.
I love this sport so much. I know I was meant to bomb hills. I love the fairly small community because if you want to talk to the pros, instead of dealing with their body guards and secretaries, you can just send them a message or talk to them at a race. I hope to keep skating for as long as I can and maybe eventually get sponsored (that would be sick) and race the full world circuit, but as a high school freshman, I've still got a ways to go.
I am very stoked for this summer. I get to ride in THE Maryhill Festival of Speed, skate in Portland OR and many roads in California. Im super stoked and when I get back home I get to enjoy a super fun(not) week of band camp, but once thats over I get back to shredding. My main crew consists of Ross Moye, Everett McCord, Jake Snyder, Josh Young, Chris Simmang, Dan Perjar, and many others who are getting into the sport, all of them shred and it's great to have people to skate with on a Regular Basis.
Thanks for reading - #700, Joe May