Paperback by Justin Hocking & Jeffrey Knutson
I usually cringe when I listen to professional skaters talking, but this collection of short stories had the exact opposite effect on my attention. Life and Limb is a selection of writing -some fictional, some factual- from various people that work and play with skateboards. In fact, there aren’t any actual pro recitals, and there are even a few stories that have nothing to do with skateboarding, but the general under-current revolves around the four-wheeled plank. And even if some of the authors can’t land a 360 flip or carve a pool, they can definitely string words and emotions together to create great writing.
In the book you will find an introduction by Jocko Weyland (author of The answer is never) and pieces by a diverse bunch from Dave Carnie (Big Brother) and Micheal Burnett (Thrasher) to Lori Domiano and Jared Maher. However, my favourite chapter had to be Niall Neeson’s; Niall, editor for Kingpin Magazine, finds an interesting parallel between the skate industry and the adult entertainment business.
So, if you are sick of skimming through endless magazines, and the Tony Hawk autobiography doesn’t quite hit the spot, I assure you Life and Limb will!
Ralph Lloyd-Davis
16/01/2006