My Skateboard has been with me through many things. To the general public, skateboarding is nothing more than a hobby that degenerates do with their friends, breaking everything in their path and causing a much mischief as possible. To me, and anyone else that has skateboarded for a long time, can tell you how much of a gift it is. Skateboarding can serve many purposes. For many, they use this sport as therapy. It helps people forget about the world around them and there is a very strong connection between a skater and his board. Skateboarding can help with depression, sadness, and most of all, can ease stress almost instantly. Something about flying in the air in a halfpipe or going down a flight of stairs in an instant, it is a feeling like no other. 
 The individuality of skateboarding provides an escape for those kids who struggle with social situations or do not favor other activities such as team sports. Skateboarding is all about you and your progression. You do not have to rely on something like a team to make you progress. Your progression is based on the effort and time you put into it. 
   Being a skateboarder can also make you many friends and has an amazing community behind it. Almost all of my friends I have today is because of skateboarding. While showing up to a park, there is a different atmosphere. Instead of the usual competitive complex that most sports have, the people you barely know are almost like family. It is fun to watch the people you know progress and support those that you meet while skateboarding because we all have the same thing in common, we are skaters. Rather looking at your skill level, people just see you as a fellow skateboarder and almost everyone you meet because of this sport will be friendly. It is an amazing atmosphere. 
Although there is such a supportive community among people like us, there is not such a positive response with others. I feel as if  I have been stereotyped. Being stereotype because of something that I love to do is very frustrating to deal with. 

In the town of Camden, there is somewhat of a hatred towards skateboarders. Many people come here to get away or moved here because it is a nice quiet little town. Camden is always flooded with tourists but is also a breeding ground for skateboarders. You can always find the local kids and teenagers skateboarding down the streets. The local police, tourists, and inhabitants tend to strongly dislike skateboarders and cringe as soon as they hear those wheels rolling down their block. 
As a teenager who spent most of his childhood in camden, it is my home. Many of the spots in the town is where I learned my first tricks and took the first baby steps to becoming the person I am today. The people of Camden like to stereotype us as thugs or bad kids even though we are just trying to do what we love. The daily routine of skating through town, getting kicked out of almost every spot by some old man or woman who “fears” us, tends to get frustrating. The only place we have had to go for years has been the Starfire Skatepark. My friends and I as well as every single young aspiring skateboarder have come to this park and felt the immense love and dedication shared between everyone 

The town is not necessarily on our side either. Police are always on watch for us. They would rather hunt down a group of “criminal” skateboarders than to address the real problems like drugs and other crimes going on. The local skatepark at The Teen Center is rarely open due to weather or lack of staff. Although it is closed and prohibited to enter after hours, it is a place that me and my friends technically live at. We always have the skate park to ourselves every day and it is somewhere we can go so we are not disturbing the precious tourists. Although it is rare, sometimes someone will come and kick us out of the skatepark for being there after hours. Here we are faced with the problem of not being able to skate in town and being kicked out of a skate park for SKATEBOARDING. This treatment of skaters is slowly killing off the skate community in camden. My friends and I are some of the last real dedicated skaters in this area and it is sad to see because there has always been generations of skaters that take over once the old ones graduate to keep the local park alive. Once we leave, the place that I have considered home for the past 6 years will be demolished by the town. 

    All in all, I feel like the feelings and memories of skaters are taken with a grain of salt in my community and its sad that we are not heard like we used to be. For example back in 2012 there was a handful of contests held at the skate park where dozens of people showed up to either spectate or compete. Also, Rodney Mullen, one of the most famous skateboarders alive, visited camden skatepark with Pop Tech to do a meet and greet with the local park rats. Its very sad for me to see something that I love so much slowly die because the town does not care enough to do the things they used to. In neighbor towns like Bath, there is a teen center and a skatepark that brings in so much skaters from around Maine and other areas. It is very well funded and cared for, a place where skaters are truly cared for. 

That is something I would like to see in my town for both me and future skateboarders. Although it is very unlikely, I am glad I got to spend 6 amazing years at Camden skatepark, meeting new people and making memories that will last me forever. I will always fight for our town to recognize skateboarders as part of its community and I will as well as everyone else who has been involved in skateboarding be very vigilant in our attempt to be heard. This park is our home. This park means everything to so many people and it needs to stay in tact in order to preserve the memories and bond that will be passed on to many skaters in the future.