Skateboarding has always been about doing your own thing, owning your style, and rolling how you want.
Lately, though, the scene has been getting a lot of heat about faith and skating, and Escapist Skateboarding co-founder Nick Owen is not letting this one slide.
“Separation of church and skate!” he said, letting everyone know that skating should stay its own world.
The topic popped off after skateboarding legend Sean Sheffey opened up about his faith. He said he’s found God and is all in with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Other professional skateboarders are following a similar path, with Antwuan Dixon spreading the message that Jesus loves you.
Switch God Paul Rodriguez reads the Bible daily and is trying his best to be a faithful child of God.
Also, Ragdoll, who was recently baptized, is another pro who has found that the teachings of the Lord work for him.
For many fans, it’s inspiring to see these skaters embrace both their passion for skating and their spiritual lives.
But not everyone is on the same page.
Owen thinks skating should stay about skating. Faith is real for a lot of people, sure, but he doesn’t want it mixing into the community and changing the way the scene feels.
For him, skateboarding is for the tricks, the style, the crew, and the culture itself, and that shouldn’t get complicated with outside influences.
This call from Owen taps into a bigger conversation about keeping skating true to itself. Everyone’s welcome to ride, but the focus should be on skating and the people doing it.
Opinions are going to clash, and that’s okay, but Owen wants it clear that skating is its own world where everyone gets to be equal.
As the skate scene keeps growing, conversations like this show that even close crews can see things differently.
Some people are cool blending faith with skating, but others, like Owen, want the board to stay the center of it all. It’s about rolling together, having fun, and keeping skating raw and real.