"To make sure you have a chance to love this too!"
What does "SK8LIKEYOU" mean?
"I have simple ideals & 'SK8LIKEYOU' is about the inclusiveness of skating. No matter what level you’re at, if you love skating then we are family in a way that many don’t understand. It’s the reason that you can just meet someone & instantly be friends because I SKATE LIKE YOU.
The other side of its meaning is expressing your individuality through skating. There is something awesome about seeing someone that is truly unique in their style & loving it. In a game where it is all too easy to get bogged down in trying to emulate others, sometimes we can lose our own style & identity.
I don’t want to be the best at skating like someone else. I want to enjoy skating like me the most. That’s not a knock to anyone. It’s a positive for myself. I will always draw inspiration from anyone and always be open to learning more from anyone. I just always want to make it mine & not lose the best part of skating for me which is being me and loving it."
-Mark "Magoo" Vachon
What is the goal of SK8LIKEYOU?
"If there is a goal or mission, it's just to make sure you have a chance to love this too. When I returned to skating the entire culture had changed. Social Media didn't even exist the last time I skated regularly. I obviously now had unlimited info on my phone but that was also a little overwhelming. So I just started by going to a rink that was nearby.
Look, lets be honest! Depending on where you go sometimes a person's first experience might not be that great. I remembered the places I skated years ago & how inviting & welcoming we were to new people at our rink. It wasn't even something we were conscious of. It's just how it was because we loved it.
Now here I was in this situation that I don't even remember experiencing myself as the "new guy". I would introduce myself, give smiles & try to engage but I just wasn't connecting with anyone. I felt kind of alone & unwelcome at times. There seemed to be a members only mentality & I wasn't a member. This seems like a weird to thing to say as a grown man because I hadn't felt like that since I was a kid. Don't get me wrong, I would eventually meet some people that were great but there was something else missing.
Even with a challenging social situation I couldn't help the immediate passion that I felt again the first time I put skates back on. I wanted more. I wanted to be better. I wanted to surround myself with others that didn't just casually enjoy skating. I wanted what I had before in my life with people that loved this & lived their love for it. So I continued to seek new people & new places. Eventually I found what I was looking for & was welcomed immediately. The first night I met these like-minded people I was invited to an event. When you know, you know and I knew I had found what I was looking for.
So in the end it has worked out great but the reality is that there were times that I almost gave up. The idea that I might have possibly missed the experiences that I'm having now is kind of unthinkable. So that's why SK8LIKEYOU exists. I want to ensure that those who really love this, or those who even need this, find what they are looking for. Will SK8LIKEYOU make that happen? I don't know. But do I feel amazing knowing that I am trying? Absolutely!"