Jonathan Grado

When I was 9 I took skateboard lessons in the city at Chelsea Piers Skate Park. The end of the lessons would coincidently time up with Tony Hawk visiting the park and spinning more than humanly possible on a piece of wood. Skateboarding itself was a fleeting hobby that would last a summer (I did an ollie once!), but I loved Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 and in turn the man himself. So I stuck with the lessons.

It stormed the morning of his visit. My parents told me he had to cancel so we should just go to the movies. I got home that night to my neighbor sitting on his stoop going crazy over his signed skateboard. He didn’t cancel. He still showed up. Crushed, I gave up the dream I had poured two hours a week into for the last five weeks. I could’ve gone pro.*

Anyway, I was at the Venice Beach Skate Park taking photos waiting for lunch with my what felt like broken foot (from probably walking). Later while I was trying to eat my breakfast burrito in one bite, I thought I should go back but slow down the shutter speed. Hobbled back for some motion shots that ended up being some of my favorites from the trip. The change happens midway through, ya know when the shots get blurry.

*no

Some of these photos can be seen in the photo series Concrete Waves.

See more of this trip:
01. Walking Santa Monica
02. The Huntington
03. Venice Beach Skate Park
04. Hotel Telephone