Skateboarding legend Karl Watson has been busy running his company, Maxallure Skateboards, hitting the streets for the love of skateboarding, and even publishing a children's book.
Recently, he broke down how skating evolved into a juggernaut that can't be controlled as it becomes more popular than ever.
The San Francisco Public Library interviewed Watson, asking him about his days as a skate rat and how SF became his home for street skating.
But first, he explained how he got into skating:
"I got into skating because of the freedom of expression it brought into my life," he said. "Just the freedom to be who I wanted to be and to express myself in any way I wanted to on my skateboard."
He then reflected on the golden days of skateboarding in the ‘80s and ‘90s:
"We got a lot of flack from people who were 'cool.' You know, the jocks would drive by and be like, 'Skate or die!' Skaters would get chased, and it wasn’t cool to be a skater."
He added, That reinforced that made our community even stronger and also, made it harder for outsiders to come in because we were so used to just having a tight knit community."
Even though skateboarding had its fair share of challenges and gnarly hurdles in the past, Watson remains hopeful about where it’s headed.
As the culture grows, he believes there’s room for everyone, just like he found his own place years ago.
Whether he's running Maxallure, writing, or just cruising the streets, Watson is all about sharing his passion for skateboarding with the next generation.