everyone can skate and destroy

October 23, 2019 2:07 PM

A video of mom and her son riding an adaptive skateboard has gone viral on the interwebs this week. It's a great video with a smiling kid and devoted mom, but Lau Patron wants you to know the real story behind the video. (Single link twitter thread)
posted by vespabelle (13 comments total)

I was reading a column about ABBA's "Dancing Queen" last week where the writer made the point that in choosing to write their songs in English, which wasn't their first language, ABBA wrote lines that no native-English speaker would think to write, such as "You came to look for a king." This was definitely a compliment to the song.

"Inclusion is not a favor" struck me the same way. I don't know how I would have tried to word that sentiment, but it wouldn't be that powerful.
posted by Navelgazer at 2:30 PM on October 23, 2019 [17 favorites]

Reminds me of Jon Comer, in its way. "The simple pleasure of riding a skateboard."
posted by chavenet at 2:53 PM on October 23, 2019

Lau Patron:

inclusion is not a favor.

Eeeeexactly.

Inspiration porn and the objectification of disability: Stella Young at TEDxSydney 2014

The late Stella Young and "Inspiration porn" previously.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 2:55 PM on October 23, 2019 [6 favorites]

Mod note: Edited the post title by OP request to remove reference to "inspiration porn", and deleted a couple comments responding to the old title. Leaving mandolin conspiracy's comment responding to that phrase because the links are good. Carry on.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 3:20 PM on October 23, 2019 [7 favorites]

That video of João trying out his skateboard for the first time is so great. The video that went viral has a further-back view of the skateboard and frame assembly, so you can see how it's all connected and how it lets him move in different conditions (the board has a little travel when he's going up/down hill etc). What a cool project.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:47 PM on October 23, 2019 [3 favorites]

"What tools are we building so that the world belongs to everyone?"

Indeed!
posted by allthinky at 3:58 PM on October 23, 2019 [9 favorites]

Skate Anima Project Instagram - they have these rigs for a number of skaters and you can see more of the details of construction
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:14 PM on October 23, 2019

Wait, that version of the story is supposed to be less inspirational?

All I see is awesomeness. Awesomeness all around.

I recently learned from a fellow Mefite that you can request, and volunteer to make, stuff like this (though usually on a smaller scale) here.
posted by clawsoon at 4:52 PM on October 23, 2019 [2 favorites]

My daughter gets a smile like that when she rides her trike.
posted by clawsoon at 4:57 PM on October 23, 2019 [13 favorites]

That boy's face at the end of his ride? Everything.

Also nice to see skateparks everywhere are alike in having random shoes just hanging out wherever
posted by Caxton1476 at 5:31 PM on October 23, 2019 [1 favorite]

thanks, clawsoon! Other groups that do kinda the same as we do are Tetra, March of Dimes DesignAbility and TOM. There's also the completely amazing Magic Wheelchair, who … well, I was in the room when this happened in Florida earlier this year and it was incredible.
(nb: please ignore terrible auto-gen subtitles. Bill from ATMakers does not in fact converse in weird non-sequiturs.)
posted by scruss at 8:32 PM on October 23, 2019 [5 favorites]

Years ago I spotted one of the greatest costumes EVER at an Oz Fest Parade in Chittenango, NY. Coming down the street was Dorothy’s house as it landed in Oz—complete with bestockinged legs and ruby slippers sticking out from beneath. Except that the legs belonged to the kid inside, and the whole thing was mounted on her wheelchair. Absolutely brilliant, and the crowd went wild. Seeing those magic wheelchair creations reminded me of the huge smile on that little girl’s face behind the front door of the house as she paraded triumphantly along surrounded by cheering crowds.
posted by kinnakeet at 3:52 AM on October 24, 2019 [4 favorites]

This is so brilliant!
posted by bardophile at 12:17 AM on October 25, 2019