There’s a decades-old saying among hard-core skateboarders: skateboarding saved my life.
For some, it’s the sensation of unrestricted motion. While cruising through city streets or park paths, the mind may enter a meditative state, and one’s troubles can slip away like the pavement beneath them.
For others, it’s the thrill. It could be the adrenaline boost from slipping and falling. Or, it could be the dopamine rush from landing a successful ollie, grind, or pulling off a risky drop-in.
And for most, it’s the community – the idea that there’s a place you can visit full of like-minded individuals all engaging in the same practice and trying to get better. Sometimes, you want to go where everybody knows your name.
For any dedicated skateboarder, it could be one of these, all of them, or some other reason entirely. But the “saved my life” saying is true, and Mizzou student and skater Marilyn Dunker is proof of that conviction.
“I stopped doing hard drugs last year. [Skateboarding] has the same effect,” she explains. “You get addicted to it, and you kind of can’t stop once you get started.”
Dunker says she’s only been skating consistently for about a year, yet it’s given her a sense of motivation, purpose, and, most of all, community.
And that community has a home: Cosmo Skate Park.
Parks and Especially Recreation
Cosmo Skate Park is the largest of three skate parks in Columbia; the others are Douglass Skate Park and Smith Skate Park. And, while Douglass and Smith certainly offer some variety, they do not compare to Cosmo in the minds of Columbia skaters.
“I don’t know how to explain it, but Cosmo Skate Park specifically feels like an oasis in a desert,” says Columbia resident and skater Mason Jaberg. “No matter what kind of day you’ve had outside of coming to the skate park, you come here, and you just feel so separated from everything else going on. It’s an escape.”
Cosmo features plenty of amenities to fulfil the average skater’s needs. Halfpipes, bowls, and ramps line the outer sections of the park, allowing skaters to pick up speed to perform any number of tricks, from a grind to a tailslide.
The park attracts people of all ages. Whether it be adults stepping on a skateboard for the first time, or teenagers pulling off tricks they’ve known since they were 8. No matter who it is, they’re what make the scene so special.
“Anyone that I’ve met who’s from Columbia is so great,” claims Dunker. “A lot of the people are very creative and open and accepting. Just good people … who take care of the park.”
Cosmo Skate Park also hosts Shred Fest, an annual skateboarding event that takes place around June 21 on National Go Skateboarding Day. Skaters and spectators are invited to enjoy contests and earn prizes, at no cost to participants.
The other skate parks have their merits, too.
“Douglas is really cool if you want to do [vertical] skating. They’ve got a really nice half pipe. It’s really beautiful,” explains Como Skate Supply employee Frances Garcia.
Alongside Columbia’s skate parks, locals also prefer skating downtown and around Mizzou’s campus. Lowry Mall is a hot spot particularly for students to practice tricks and record skate videos.
One Particular Heart and Soul
When it comes to interacting with Columbia’s skateboarding scene, one person is bound to come up in conversation: Shane Stander. Stander is the owner of Como Skate Supply, one of two skate stores in Columbia, and his unbridled passion for skateboarding is imbued in everything he does.
“[Skateboarding] has impacted me in many ways. I’ve had ups and downs and trials and tribulations through life, and I’ve always had skateboarding to fall back on,” Stander explained. “It’s opened a lot of opportunities and doors for me – just staying passionate about something that you love to do.”
Stander spreads his skateboarding fervor to others, especially younger skaters. Como Skate Supply runs a youth skateboarding summer camp every year, and the shop offers a variety of pricing options when it comes to buying boards. The shop also manufactures its own boards, granting the shop more control over pricing.
“If you want to skate, and you’re really passionate about it, and you can’t afford it, [Stander’s] going to do what he can to help you out,” Jaberg said.
Stander will also occasionally do giveaways, as well as a yearly Christmas drive for young skaters.
“Sometimes I put little completes together with used parts, and I go and hand them out to kids at the skate park. Kids that I see really trying, and maybe they don’t have the best gear,” Stander explained.
The shop also features a large back parking lot with a halfpipe, allowing customers to try out boards. Stander even constructed a bowl in his backyard, which he occasionally opens for events or visitors.
Apart from skateboarding, Como Skate Supply also functions as an unofficial, or DIY, music venue. Standers regularly invites bands to play in the back lot of the shop. These bands are often alternative, whether punk, metal, or otherwise, which tends to go hand-in-hand with skate culture. It’s that blend of worlds that brings the community together, and it all centers around Como Skate Supply.
“The first time I went to one of the shows at the skate shop, I was looking around, and I was like, ‘Wow, I know so many people here,’” recounts Dunker. “Just to feel that genuine community feeling was really special.”
Less than half a mile down the road from Como Skate Supply is Columbia’s other skate store: Parkside Skateshop. Stander co-owned the shop with his partner Chris Bailey from 2009 until 2019; however, after a falling out between the two, Stander would left to start Como Skate Supply. The two still occasionally collaborate to host the annual Shred Fest competition.
Why Skateboarding?
For some, taking part in the scene and skateboarding as a whole is more than just a hobby. It’s a self-help method.
“With anything that you do on the board, you’re always a little bit scared, but you do it anyway. It’s changed my perspective on life – to be scared and do it anyway,” says Dunker.
For others, it’s a way of staying motivated.
“Instead of being on a team with a bunch of people, it’s you. You’re your own coach,” Jaberg adds. “It’s up to you to get better and dedicate the time.”
But perhaps most importantly, skateboarding really does save lives.
“A lot of people who used to skate would get older and get into drugs or get into crap, and they had skateboarding to fall back on,” Stander says. “Not everybody has something they were truly passionate about before, and they could focus on that.”
Whether it be a coping mechanism, motivational, or just a distraction, skaters can’t help but turn to skateboarding as a way of simply getting through life. It provides a healthy outlet for members of the community to work on themselves or just get outside and active.
The state of the scene
Today, the skateboarding scene is thriving in Columbia. Though it’s had its ups and downs, members of the community say it’s on the incline, and they are always looking for new skaters to join.
“Within the last year [the scene] has really taken off,” Dunker said. “And, it’s everybody. There’s no one demographic; all are welcome.”
“If you’re thinking about skating, get a skateboard. Come out to Cosmo. The more the merrier,” Jaberg added.
And for those unsure of how to get into skateboarding, according to Stander, the next step is finding a way to get involved.
“Come in contact with a skateboard, or maybe start hanging out with somebody that skates,” he says. “But the next step is just getting a skateboard.”
The Columbia skateboarding community and its members clearly aren’t going anywhere, so, regardless of age, gender, experience, or any other variable, there is always time to go out and get involved in the scene.
Glossary of Skateboarding Terms
Ollie: A foundational trick in which the back end (or tail) of the skateboard is popped against the ground to lift the skateboard into the air.
Grind: A trick consisting of sliding the bottom of the skateboard against a surface, such as a rail or curb.
Drop-In: The often-intimidating act of riding down the top of an incline.
Half-Pipe: A structure comprising two equal slopes facing each other, allowing the user to go back and forth between each side.
Bowl: A large, hollow structure featuring twists and turns for the purpose of riding around.
Tailslide: A style of grind in which the back of the skateboard is in contact with the rail or edge.
Skate video: Typically, a compilation of various tricks by one or more skaters, often set to music.
Deck: The body of the skateboard, which can range in size. Most are made of maple wood.
Complete: A fully constructed skateboard.
