Skateboarding and Philosophy

The histories of skateboarding and philosophy are not entirely dissimilar. Skateboarding got its start in the middle of the 20th century and quickly garnered a reputation as an activity that both attracted and encouraged a sort of lawless rebellion. In a similar vein, not long after its inception, philosophy was most commonly known for its out-of-the-box questioning of authority. However, both skating and philosophy eventually crept into the mainstream of society and have since earned their place as permanent fixtures in the culture. With all they have in common, it’s only appropriate that the two should intersect in this book.
This collection of 19 new essays (written by philosophers who are also skaters and skating enthusiasts) covers a wide variety of topics important to skating such as its culture, politics, history, art, and status as a sport. If you’re a skater (or someone who simply appreciates skating), and you’re interested in thinking a bit more carefully—a bit more deeply—about skateboarding, this book was put together to help you do just that.

Joshua Heter is an associate professor of philosophy at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Missouri. He has published a number of books on popular culture and philosophy.
Josef Thomas Simpson is an academic coach at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. He has contributed to a number of popular culture and philosophy volumes.

Edited by Joshua Heter and Josef Thomas Simpson
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 206
Bibliographic Info: glossary, notes, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9544-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5568-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments v
Thinking Is Not a Crime       Joshua Heter and Josef Thomas Simpson 1

I. Skateboarding Fundamentals
Skateboarding Is (in a Sense) a Sport       Joshua Heter 7
What We Talk About When We Talk About Skateboarding Tricks       William Giovanni Jiménez Senzano 15
If You’re a Sellout, You’re Not a Skateboarder       Matthew J. Cull 25

II. Skating Values
The Problem of the Poseur       Joshua Heter 37
Skateboarding Is a Crime       Bradley Elicker 46
The Aesthetics of Skateboarding       Hector Quintero 54
Skateboarding Judgments       Joshua Heter 62

III. Ancient Wisdom on Four Wheels
De on Display       Casey Rentmeester 73
­Kierke-Grinding       Michael J. Regier 82
The Journey of the Stoic Skater       Glava Sofia 91
Skating Toward the Good Life       Emily Stefl 101
The Sound of One Deck Snapping       Seth M. Walker 111

IV. Why Skate?
The Risk Is the Reward       Brian Harding 121
Skate and Destroy Capitalism       Thunder Storm Heter 131
The Serious Beauty of Skateboarding       John Becker 141
The Girls Are Shredding It       Elly Vintiadis 149

V. The Skater’s Mind
­Knowing How to Kickflip       Josef Thomas Simpson 161
Gleaming the Cube or Destroying the World       Mukasa Mubirumusoke 169
The Skater’s Eye       Brian Glenney 179

Skateboarding Glossary 189
About the Contributors 193
Index 197