You've probably seen the discussion around politics and skateboarding picking up after REAL Skateboards encouraged the skate community to get out and vote.
While the message was intended to get skaters involved in the political process, it also opened up a discussion about how much politics should be connected to skate culture.
YouTube skater Ricky Glaser weighed in with his own opinion, suggesting that skating has nothing to do with politics, regardless of how some people try to connect the two.
His comment caught the attention of fellow YouTuber Zach Dowdy, who shared a response aimed at people who seem uncomfortable having thoughtful discussions outside their usual circles.
Although Dowdy did not directly name Ricky, his post led to a brief exchange between the two.
Ricky took the opportunity to invite Dowdy onto his livestream to discuss their opinions in more detail.
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Dowdy explained that his comment was not specifically aimed at Ricky and that he had not even watched his video. His response was based on other discussions he had come across online.
Following the exchange, Ricky turned to his audience with a question of his own, asking whether skateboarding is inherently political.
He explained that he was genuinely interested in hearing different opinions and was open to answers from either side.
Ricky also shared his thoughts on the culture behind skateboarding, pointing out how much of the industry grew through independent businesses and grassroots communities.
From skater owned companies and neighborhood skate shops to independently produced videos, skateboarding has always had a strong DIY foundation.
He argued that these roots are closely connected to individual freedom, personal independence and limited government involvement.
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Many skaters have challenged restrictions on public spaces, including rules that prevent people from skating in certain areas.
From Ricky's perspective, these attitudes are more closely associated with libertarian ideas than traditional liberal politics.
However, there are different ways to look at the relationship between skateboarding and politics.
The physical act of skating is pretty straightforward. You grab your board, find a place to ride and have fun. Nobody needs to subscribe to a political belief to enjoy learning a new trick or spending an afternoon at the skatepark.
Skateboarding has traditionally encouraged individuality, creativity and questioning rules. The freedom to express yourself, challenge expectations and do things your own way can easily be associated with more liberal attitudes.
There is also an interesting contradiction in trying to associate skateboarding with conservative values.
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The culture has often involved skating in places where it is not permitted, questioning authority and finding ways to keep the community independent. Those ideas do not always fit neatly into traditional political categories.
At the same time, being against restrictions on skateboarding does not automatically make someone liberal or libertarian. Someone can support fewer restrictions on public spaces while holding completely different opinions on other political issues.
For Ricky, there is a difference between the act of skateboarding and the culture that has developed around it. He believes riding a skateboard is not a political statement.
People skate because they enjoy it, want to improve their skills or simply want something fun to do with their friends. That does not mean the community itself is disconnected from politics.
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Public skateparks, city regulations, property restrictions and access to public spaces all involve decisions made by local governments. Those issues can affect skaters directly, even if they have no interest in political discussions.
People with completely different opinions can share the same skatepark, support independent brands and enjoy the same videos.
Perhaps that is the interesting part of this discussion.
Skaters can disagree about politics without making their differences the defining part of the culture.
After all, most people probably got into skateboarding because they wanted to skate, not because they wanted to debate political ideologies.
