Skateistan’s Post

When you think of Surfing what comes to mind? Baywatch, blondes, stoners and slackers? How far that is from the reality. Surfing isn't just a sport; it's a powerful force for good, impacting mental health and environmental sustainability. Beyond the exhilarating waves, surfing offers solace and healing, acting as a therapeutic outlet for those battling mental illness. The serenity of the ocean and the physical activity of surfing combine to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, promoting overall well-being. Moreover, surfers are at the forefront of environmental conservation efforts, recognizing the crucial role oceans play in our ecosystem. Surfers witness firsthand the impact of pollution, plastic waste, and climate change on our coasts, inspiring a deep commitment to preserving our oceans. Through initiatives like beach clean-ups, plastic reduction campaigns, and sustainable surfing practices, surfers lead by example in protecting marine environments for future generations. By harnessing the collective passion and energy of the surfing community, we can drive positive change both in mental health awareness and environmental sustainability. Its great to see the interest in surfing growing in the GCC. Recently Kelly Slater showcased his talent in Abu Dhabi and outside of Riyadh a surf area is being built in the new theme parks. How can we further leverage the power of surfing to drive positive change in our communities? #surfing #positivity #change

Doc was one of a kind. We'll miss his snowboard instruction, his animated stories, and his colorful way of explaining things. Read more about Doc, what he meant to our organization, and his memorial service through the link below. https://lnkd.in/e5gJEkK5

🌟 Cultivating Authentic Community 🌟 🛹In a field historically dominated by men and/or legacy brands, it’s truly inspiring to see women-run companies thrive and redefine and invigorate skating and surfing. One group that particularly motivates me is Grlswirl, the largest women’s skate collective. Their journey from facing catcalls to becoming a formidable presence on Venice Beach Boardwalk (my old stomping grounds) and around the globe exemplifies resilience and empowerment. 🌴Their collaborations with brands like ROXY were done in all the right ways. And they've turned the tables, showing the world that strength comes in many forms. They’ve made it not only acceptable but also COOL to own the title of "World’s Okay-ist" – a nod to authenticity and self-acceptance that we all need a reminder of sometimes. They are SERIOUS community activators! 💞I love my Carver board x GRLSWIRL. I still eat sh*t sometimes, but it's fun, and I know there's a group of women just like me around the world stoked to try and get out there. This group is not just about skating; they are a movement, inspiring others and creating space where everyone is welcome. Check out the video below from the #Olympics Channel that showcases how impactful they are. A special shout-out to the incredible women-led brands we collaborate with at Yulex LLC, like Seea, WALLIEN.com, Atmosea, and AVALY. Your creative spirit and commitment to sustainability are nothing short of inspirational. Keep killin' it. https://lnkd.in/g4VR8QbQ #Authentic #Inclusion #WomenEmpowerment #Skateboarding #Surfing

Have you ever wondered what the safety team in front of the stage does? 🙋 Well, they are responsible for... 🦺 Crowd safety, monitoring crowd density, and watching for potential problems in the crowd. 🏄 Extractions, including catching crowd surfers. ✋ Access control—making sure only people with the correct accreditation gain access to the pit. 🎤 Stage & artist protection, to make sure that only people who should be on the stage are. 👁️ Crowd welfare: communicating with the crowd and looking out for signs of distress. And lastly, dealing with the unexpected! Today we delivered Pit Training to 60 members of #TeamFGH, which will allow them to work in front-of-stage positions. And yes, the course does include a crowd surfing demo! 🏄♀️ #CrowdSafety  #TheBestTrainedTeam #SharingPracticalKnowledge

Skateboarding blends athleticism with artistic creativity, making it a dynamic form of self-expression impacting my creative work in other areas. Here's how Skateboarding and creativity are deeply connected through, with me: 1. Trick Innovation : Skaters constantly develop new tricks and styles. 2. Urban Exploration : Creatively repurpose urban environments and setting for own purpose. 3. Personal Expression : Skating allows for unique, individual expression. 4. Visual Arts : Skate culture includes deck design, graffiti, and photography/video which most brands try to replicate in today's time. 5. Community Collaboration : Skaters inspire and innovate together creatively, a lot of creative opportunities when it comes to advertising & branding opened up because of the skate community. 6. DIY Ethos : The DIY spirit in skate culture fosters creativity in building ramps, making zines, and producing videos. Which also reflects in my set designing and frugal innovation. #community #creative #advertising #branding #fashion #skateboarding #converse #sports #olympics

I was excited to see Skateboard at the Design Museum before the exhibition closes this weekend. To many, skateboarding can a noisy irritation. To skaters, the pursuit of landing a new trick is a thrilling compulsion. I’ve taken a lot from this sport over the years. It helped me foster a mindset of continuous improvement long before I came across the term in the business world. And creativity is an innate part skateboarding. When you start skating you begin to look out for new spots to skate. The world around becomes an opportunity to subvert the urban landscape into an impromptu skate park. The better you get, the more opportunities you see. Unsurprisingly, professionals take this to the extreme. They see things no one else can. Whether it’s Jeremy Wray jumping a huge gap between two buildings, or Aaron Homoki jumping the Lyon 25 (25 steps!). If you’re at a loose end in London this weekend, check it out before it closes. #Skateboard #continuousimprovement #Creativity

It always fascinates me when my peers look at lateral influences that impact positively on their work and life. This from Christian made me think about the parallel pursuits that facilitate our journey; whether that be painting, playing video games, team sports, stamp collecting, learning a new language, or even skateboarding. Interestingly, Christian leans into continuous improvement, which is a particular mindset that I embrace, yet, the years of practice in skateboarding have undoubtedly taught him much more. As with many of these 'hobbies' or 'pastimes' the reward is far greater - it amplifies our creativity, gives us belief in taking risks and helps us all see those unseen paths. So, I'd say continue that side hustle, 'scratch that itch' or just take a leap into something new, as you too could benefit from heightened skills that: 🗻 Help us overcome obstacles ⏳ Better manage our time 🧠 Increase our patience and a willingness to learn 🌳 Reduce stress 💤 Increase our recovery ✍🏻 Foster productivity and creativity 👀 Gives us different perspectives And then when it comes to everything else there's more clarity, focus and energy to keep on doing.✊🏻 And in terms of my role as Creative Director at Everything Connected, one of the key learnings for me is to always encourage pursuits of happiness as ultimately, happy people help you achieve the impossible!!

"🍕PIZZAZILLA " Just finished a custom hand-painted skateboard deck for VINCENZO'S Pizza to hang proudly on their wall! Bringing together two passions - pizza and skateboarding - in one vibrant artwork. Give it some love if you think it's a slice of creativity! #PizzaArt #SkateboardDesign #CustomCreation"

Where you can’t quite spot your landing, you’re not 100% what’s on the other side of that door, or the response you’re going to get from the people who pay your bills… Making business decisions needs a level of calculated risk. ‘𝘔𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 “𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘩, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘏𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬.” 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘪.” 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺.’ This epic short from YETI + World Surf League is all about Leah Dawson is one of my ALL TIME favourite surfers,who I interviewed for a uni e-zine back in the day. (I asked her all about stigmas against women in the water. And if she was a pizza topping, what flavour would she be... it was spinach BTW.) Taking calculated risks may not always lead to success. But help us learn and evolve. Without calculated risk, we quickly become irrelevant. (Or burnt out, if you're the reckless kind.) This year, my calculated risks have been around pitching to epic outdoor, wellbeing and sports brands. I'm being ok with rejection - it keeps me learning, aware of the waves of change around me. ...with the view that 1 risk lands out of 100. And what's on the other side of the door is legacy-making. ⚡ What are you taking *calculated* risks on in 2024? ⚡

New blog post alert ❗ How Skateboarding Made Me Less Scared Written By Ida Wiedel Photography By Melissa Zabihi Skateboarding has profoundly shaped my confidence and outlook on life. From hesitant beginnings to fully embracing and learning from the skate culture, here’s how taking up space at the skatepark helped me grow both physically and mentally. Read Here: https://lnkd.in/eg9gjeVS #skate #skateboarding #girlskate #girlskateboarding #skateboard #skatelife #skateculture #blogpost