Skate or Die: Documentary
ChrisRoarockit's board building materials and patented Thin Air Press technology, are used in schools and unique programs all over the world. It brings a smile to our faces when we see how a simple idea, like building your own skateboard, can change people's lives.
Currently there is a documentary being made, called Skate or Die, which focuses on a young Chicago resident who has used skateboarding to help escape the violence and gang-mentality of his community.
"For Leo Castillo, age 21, skateboarding has been a saving grace. Through his teens, he witnessed the disintegration of his family: an older brother shot and killed before him by Chicago Police officers; a younger brother, beset with illness, slowly slipping away to the same gangs he reviles; an abusive mother and a father he’s never known. Skateboarding offered an outlet... Leo began to forge a path to adulthood. From spearheading the construction of a skatepark in his Little Village neighborhood to teaching his own after-school skateboarding class at a local high school, Leo sought out ways of turning a youthful passion into a productive future."
Leo was part of the City of Chicago initiative that uses Roarockit Technology to engage students in an Advanced Apprenticeship program. The program started in 2006 and still runs today! He was a big contirubutor to the program, and helped students build their own boards through the long, cold Chicago Winters.
His building/teaching experiences are documented in the film, and we think it is very important that this project receives the backing to get finished. The world needs to know just how important skateboard culture can be, when engaging the youth of today for positive changes in the future.
Make sure to check out their Kickstarter page for more information about how to support this great project!
Skate or Die (Homepage) - http://www.skateordiemovie.com/
Reader Comments (2)
This is such a rad initiative! I will definitely be supporting this project. This is the sought of thing I would love to set up where I am from in Queensland, Australia. I have also used building boards as a positive outlet to deal with the stresses of life and caring responsibilities associated with mental illness. Good luck Leo Castillo! I will be following your journey and sharing it on my page as your project grows. Thank you Roar Rocket for sharing, keep up the good work.
https://www.facebook.com/MudjimbaCruisers
A typical mistake is trying to understand a lot of facets of skateboarding at once. When you concentrate on just a few them you can do them again and again before you get them right. Build your firm foundation and then still build up your abilities from there. To understand the proper way to do each factor you're learning is essential.