DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Josh At Towson University
"You get into some adventures when you're on one of these!"
- The Ride
- The Driver: Josh
- Vehicle in Question: 2011 Loaded Tan Tien Longboard
- Spotted at: Towson University, 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252
- Vehicle's Nickname: Old Reliable
THE DEFENSE
Q: What's the model and year of your ride?
A: It's a Loaded Tan Tien and I guess it's this year because I bought it this summer.
Q: Does it have a nickname?
A: Old Reliable. It's pretty sturdy.
Q: How'd you get it?
A: I got it this summer after I worked Starscape, which is a dubstep, giant rave festival. I worked that, made $300 or $400, and I bought this with the money.
Q: What's your board's main use?
A: I use it to get around campus a lot. I just came back from the other side of campus in five minutes when it would have taken me 15, if I was walking.
Q: What kind of recreational stuff do you use it for besides transportation?
A: You can bomb some hills, which means you just go down them. The parking garage is a really good time. I ride it all the time, actually. Parking garages are awesome because late at night, when there are no cars, they're completely empty and smooth.
Q: Have you ever gotten hurt?
A: All the time. All the time. Last week, I was going to West Village on my skateboard. My friend and I look down when we get there and the back of my leg is bleeding. I had no idea. Tons of stuff happens. I flipped one time and landed on my head in front of 20 people on campus. That was a little embarrassing.
Q: Are there other skaters on campus who you ride with?
A: Everybody longboards. Well, a lot of people do it, at least. There's also a lot of people who just started when they came to college. Now they're just trying to do the next big thing.
Q: What's the furthest you've ridden your board?
A: I was at BWI Airport one day with some other friends. We rode all the way to my high school, which is Archbishop Spalding in Severn. That was a pretty good journey. It took a really long time.
Q: Have you been skating long?
A: Yeah, since freshman year in high school, but I started longboarding a year and a half ago. I have two other boards. They're trick boards, not longboards. I don't use those too much though. They're too difficult to ride around on the cobblestone on campus.
Photos and interview by Eldis Sula
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