In my never ending quest to uncover and shine the spotlight on some of the wonderful things skateboarders are doing to help the world at large I had the pleasure of running into two 17 year olds who are from a state my family knows well; New Jersey.
Their names are Danny Brookes and Edwin Zhang. They are longboarders who attend West Morris Central High School in Chester, New Jersey, and are currently on a long distance mission to raise money for a worthwhile cause. In 2011, the two men graciously agreed to take time out of their skateboarding mission to afford me an interview.
Here’s what they had to say about their mission and longboarding in general:
Gonzalez: Please explain what Skate Cape May is and how it got started?
Zhang: Skate Cape May is a skateboarding fundraiser to raise money and awareness for Alex's Lemonade Stand, a foundation for childhood cancer research, by way of skateboarding from the top of NJ to the bottom and setting up lemonade stands in towns along the way. The idea came to us when we were doing longer skate pushes upwards of 20 miles a day just back and forth around our neighborhood and we decided to make it into a bigger trip, and for a good cause!
Gonzalez: How often do you skateboard and what are some of your favorite skate spots?
Zhang: I skate whenever I have the free time. During the summer I will go out nearly every day, but unfortunately I've been pretty busy with schoolwork and summer programs and whatnot. I love skating big hills, which is convenient since I frequent the ones in my development and the street below.
Brookes: For me I try to skate whenever I can, however I too have been busy this summer. I greatly enjoy skating around my town in general because there are a lot of fun hills to skate.
Gonzalez: What is your favorite skateboard set-up for long distance skating?
Zhang: I prefer a stiffer board with drop-through mounting, 70mm+ softer 78a wheels, and standard reverse-kingpin trucks. Drop-through lowers the board to make it easier to push, and bigger and soft wheels means that rolling across pebbles and dirt is easier and less harsh than hard and small “typical” skateboard wheels. Reverse-kingpin trucks are also important as they add to stability, and a stiff board also means more energy is put into the push as opposed to a flexible longboard.
Brookes: What he said.
Gonzalez: What other sports are you involved in?
Zhang: If you could call it a sport, I am a mellophone player in my school's marching band. But well, it is marching band, I guess it's kind of...active. I also do a quite a bit of snowboarding! But other than that and longboarding, I'm not involved in any other sports.
Brookes: I typically partake in winter (or indoor) track for my school. I am a hurdler, sprinter and on occasion I throw shot put.
Gonzalez: Describe the skateboarding community in your region?
Zhang: I guess the most important distinction to make is to recognize that longboarding is a bit different in terms of community compared to skateboarding. There is a reasonably large skateboarding community in our area. However, the longboarding community is very small and very divided. I know only a handful of friends who even own longboards, many of which are very new to the sport.
Brookes: I personally believe that the fact that we longboard has opened new opportunities to meet a lot of cool and interesting people not just locally but nationally as well. Locally the longboarding community isn't too great; however, I feel that if you long board you probably have a good chance of hitting it off with other longboarders.
Gonzalez: How has the sport of longboarding changed since you started to immerse yourself in it? Do you think that those changes have added or subtracted from the sport?
Zhang: Longboarding has definitely evolved over the four years I've been involved. When I first started, longboarders were definitely more involved in the cruising, slaloming, and long distance pushing. Nowadays it seems as if communities are moving more towards the disciplines of downhill, freeride, and freestyle.
There are still some very popular long distance skates (such as the Loaded Skateboards LongTreks) and other long distance pushes done by others in the longboarding community. I feel that long pushes have definitely died out in public interest in favor of the whole new fast and exciting image of freeride (at least in longboarding circles). I'm not surprised, as pretty much all I do is freeride, sliding, and freestyle longboarding.
Gonzalez: In your opinion how does the long distance skateboarding culture differ from other skateboarding disciplines and do you feel that American’s interest in it is on the rise?
Zhang: Long distance skateboarding culture, I feel, has a huge negative connotation in the skateboarder world. From my experience as a “normal” skateboarder (not longboarding) I found that a lot of skateboarders don't really like to associate themselves with longboarders, seeing it as a very “weak” kind of skateboarding that takes no skill. It's definitely a tamer discipline of skateboarding for sure though!
I don't think American interest in long distance skateboarding is on the rise at all. If anything, I'd think that public interest would be falling as most people buy longboards to simply cruise around for fun or to relax, and others delve into sliding, downhill racing, and freestyle.
Gonzalez: I have been to High Point State Park in Sussex County, New Jersey, myself many times but never gone skateboarding there. What were your thoughts on the park’s terrain? Was it what you anticipated?
Zhang: The park's terrain is definitely very, very rough. On a longboard its fine, and especially fun to slide down, but it is very steep and could be very dangerous for those who don't know how to stop easily or control speed with slide checks or foot braking. Since we were there last year, it was just as we anticipated – we didn't really stay long, as we skated down from the monument, left the park, and went to our first stop in Newton.
Brookes: As more of a novice, as compared to Edwin, I found the hills at High Point rather... terrifying; although, it was yet another opportunity to improve my skills, and I used it as just that.
Gonzalez: What has been the response you have gotten from the communities you have traveled through?
Zhang: So far, it's been pretty much a hit or a miss. In Newton and our hometown of Chester, people were very interested in what we were doing and many of them came had heard about us beforehand and had come to see how we were and contribute! As for Hightstown and Toms River, we've met with a bit of a less enthusiastic public for sure.
Gonzalez: Was it what you had hoped or expected?
Zhang: We were hoping that people would know what we've been doing or at least be interested in hearing about what we were doing, but we also expected a lot of people to be confused or disinterested with what we've been doing. Some people who've recognized us have stopped us to talk and make donation, while others shout vulgarities from their cars at us or simply give us strange looks at our lemonade stands and walk away.
Gonzalez: Have you been approached by any skateboarding industry related companies or pro skaters offering to help your cause? If so, who and how have they helped?
Zhang: We've approached several longboarding companies and they've been very generous in helping us out by providing us gear to ride. Especially this year, we have been riding Kracked Skulls boards, Paris Trucks, Divine Wheels, and Daddies Boardshop Bearings. We've also received plenty of other things such as Function drinks and Frends headphones!
Gonzalez: Thus far, how much money have you raised through this year’s skate trek?
Zhang: From our online donation page, we've raised over $2000, not including the $10000 we raised last year. We have yet to total our lemonade stand donations and external donations, but we have a general idea of at least $3500 this year, so far!
Gonzalez: What has been the most challenging aspect of planning and executing your skate treks and how have you dealt with the challenge?
Zhang: I would definitely have to say that the hardest part of planning our trips is finding out which towns we should stop in and where we will stay each night in those towns! It did involve quite a bit of calls and calculating and recalculating routes, as we did have to account for where we'd set up lemonade stands each day and how far away our hotel/house/anywhere to sleep would be. Since our only method of transportation for the 7 days is longboarding, we wanted to make them at least within 3 miles of each other.
Brookes: For me, I guess my body isn't meant for this kind of thing. I believe that I may have re-fractured a bone in my foot and am experiencing hip problems. Both of these issues make it incredibly painful to skate; although, I will always be right next to Edwin, even if it is on a bike.
Gonzalez: Do you plan to continue holding skate treks for charity and if so, what can the skateboarding community do specifically to support your efforts?
Zhang: Depending on success as our second year, we may or may not continue with Skate Cape May. Compared with last year, enthusiasm for our event has seemed to really die out. Of course, there are people who've heard about us and are very excited about what we're doing, but our impression this year is that many people are simply just not as interested.
The skateboarding community can definitely help out by making donations online through our website to Alex's Lemonade Stand, or help by creating their own fundraisers for the cause! The idea I find most important to get across is that everybody can help out in the community in their own unique way – in our case, skateboarding!
Gonzalez: What was your initial reaction when you found out that Skate Cape May was being recognized as the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research’s Top 100 Fundraiser for 2010?
Zhang: My partner, Danny actually told me the news over the phone and I was actually in a bit of disbelief. He gave me the award plaque and I had a great feeling of fulfillment – it was nice to know that our efforts had not gone unnoticed and that we've helped out a great deal for the cause!
Gonzalez: What advice would you give to someone interested in starting their own skate trek for charity?
Zhang: Good planning is key to a successful journey. Knowing in advance where you're going and when helps out a ton in letting everything go as smoothly as possible for the actual skate. It is also a good idea to contact a lot of skateboard companies, as many are very willing to help out, whether it be with publicity or a donation! As for the skate, a good backpack like the CamelBaks we use are also fantastic, as constant hydration is very, very important, especially on longer distances!
Brookes: Having a good balance of planning and practicing would be ideal.
Gonzalez: What skateboarding events are you planning on participating in for the rest of this year?
Zhang: Personally, I was thinking about just longboarding around my town for fun or attending some impromptu slide jams as they are organized throughout the year.
Brookes: I was hoping to attend the longboard event called “Broadway Bomb”, as well as just skating around, probably with Edwin.
Gonzalez: What other social causes (charities etc.) are you passionate about and why?
Zhang: I also care for the American Cancer Society and their efforts towards cancer research. I am an active participant in their yearly Relay for Life. I find it great that fundraisers like Relay for Life are able to bring together a huge number of people under one cause, especially one that has affected our family. My younger cousin was actually diagnosed with leukemia in his childhood but has since recovered.
Gonzalez: What person do you most admire (living or dead) and why?
Zhang: In longboarding, I would have to say Adam Colton. His passion for longboarding really shows through in his work with Loaded and the videos he films/skates in. I love especially that he is able to really demonstrate a sort of purity of spirit to the sport that simply very few can even attempt to do.
Gonzalez: Where do you see the sport headed within the next five to 10 years?
Zhang: I see longboarding pictured as more of an “extreme” sport, especially with the rise of downhill racing and high-speed sliding among the longboard community. Skills are rising as riders get younger and younger and more and more competitive!
Brookes: I can see longboarding, the cruising side of it, becoming more popular.
Gonzalez: Where do you see yourself within the next five years to 10 years?
Zhang: I hope to be studying or finishing studies in chemistry or chemical engineering as I love science, and I will be definitely keeping longboarding as one of my hobbies!
Gonzalez: If you could only be remembered for one thing what would it be and why?
Zhang: I would hope to be remembered for being an inspiration for another who starts their own charity event. I think it’s especially important in charity to constantly replenish community involvement in causes like childhood cancer. If I could be remembered as an inspiration for another charity event, it would be wonderful to know that the community would continue to work on towards a common goal through different methods.
Brookes: I would like to be remembered as a caring person who has potentially changed the lives of many.
Author's Note: My interview with Zhang and Brookes took place in 2011. The interview appeared on Yahoo! Sports in the summer of that same year. Since that time, all publishing rights have reverted back to me.
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