For many Americans from small towns, childhood and adolescence often revolved around the skatepark. As they grow older, many drift away from skateboarding and the spaces where they learned it. This narrative blends memoir, travelogue, and essay, exploring the significance of skateparks in the author’s life and those of others. Clint Carrick, who spent his summers at a dilapidated park with warped ramps and rusty nails, reflects on his experiences as an outsider in his town. Dressed in jeans and worn skate shoes, he and his friends felt a sense of freedom in their special hangout, where they developed their own language, heroes, and worldview. Transitioning from awestruck children to bored young men seeking escape, Clint, now an adult, embarks on a journey across the country to visit unremarkable skateparks in small towns. He seeks to understand their allure and the role they play as institutions, leaving lasting impressions on those who grow within them. As he travels westward, Clint relearns how to skate, interacts with locals, and hears stories that resonate with his own. While the rust of nostalgia begins to fade, he grapples with whether he can reclaim the passion that once defined his youth and make the skatepark feel like home again.
