“BEEP BEEP BEEP.” My alarm exploded with noise. I needed to get to my plane as soon as possible to make it to Tampa Bay, Florida for the Tampa Contest. I slipped on some jeans, threw on a shirt, and combed my brown hair down. I grabbed my skateboard and my unaccompanied minor pass. I sprinted out the door into the brisk air of California to catch my taxi for the plane ride. When I arrived in Tampa, it was warm and humid. It was sunny and busy in the airport. I met up with my friend, John, who was the one who invited me and invented the contest. “How’s a going Ryan,” asked John. “Great,” I replied. We sputtered off in his car to go get some lunch before the warmup for the contest. “This is great chicken,” I explained to John. “Yeah, it’s the best around,” he responded. We drove off to the contest right after I finished
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I really wanted to get 3rd or better so I could be in street league at age 13. Most of the people around me were in their 20’s or 30’s. I was the youngest one there by a lot. I inspected the course trying to figure out my first run. I decided I would make my way around the course and then grind the rail that lead down the stairs. Since I qualified 3rd to last to make it to the Tampa contest, I had to go third. I watched the first two guys do their 30 second runs. They are really good, I thought to myself. It all happened so fast. The spotlight was on me. I dropped in and aimed for the mini ramp. I tried to do a 360 from one side to the other and badly messed up. I got back up, fear rushing through my body. Next I tried to do a kick flip over the gap. I barely stuck it and kept going. I tried to backside flip off the stairs instead of grinding the rail. I almost landed but then my board flew out from under me. My time was up. Everybody there was probably thinking that I wasn’t good enough to be in this contest. I was as nervous as could
I really wanted to get 3rd or better so I could be in street league at age 13. Most of the people around me were in their 20’s or 30’s. I was the youngest one there by a lot. I inspected the course trying to figure out my first run. I decided I would make my way around the course and then grind the rail that lead down the stairs. Since I qualified 3rd to last to make it to the Tampa contest, I had to go third. I watched the first two guys do their 30 second runs. They are really good, I thought to myself. It all happened so fast. The spotlight was on me. I dropped in and aimed for the mini ramp. I tried to do a 360 from one side to the other and badly messed up. I got back up, fear rushing through my body. Next I tried to do a kick flip over the gap. I barely stuck it and kept going. I tried to backside flip off the stairs instead of grinding the rail. I almost landed but then my board flew out from under me. My time was up. Everybody there was probably thinking that I wasn’t good enough to be in this contest. I was as nervous as could