Pushing Past Another Day

Last year I began a weekly tradition of planning and executed (or at least attempting to execute) a mini adventure. It became known as "Epic Fridays" or whatever day of the week I had off. I ran 50km with a fully loaded backpack along the Bruce Trail from Vineland to Hamilton, only to break myself in the end. I would pack my day with skateboarding, dirt jumping, rock climbing, open water swimming and long bike rides. I would set weird goals like 10 different skate tricks at 10 parks. I've rocked skatepark tours and hit more than a dozen in a day. 

Why would I do this?

The reason is simple and two fold: to test my limits, but more importantly to inspire others. To prove that we are all capable of so much more than we think. To demonstrate that an adventure doesn't need to be huge to be amazing. You can have epic experiences on any given day and these life shaping moments come in all shapes and sizes. It could be the first time you run a 5km or just stayed up all night to watch the sunset and then rise again.
 
Earlier this year I was inspired once again to try something new and different. One Morning in January an interesting race popped up in my Facebook feed. a 24 hour skateboard race. I had been running long distances on trails for the previous two years and an event that combined both skateboarding and endurance seemed right up my alley. The only issue was that it was in Miami, Florida. I wasn't about to drop the kind of moolah it would take to travel down there just to skate laps around the speedway, but it did give me an idea. What if I just applied that concept to one of my epic days off? How far could I skate?

I also had the inkling to build up a couple fat-wheeled cruiser boards for my wife Chris and I. I mean she married a skateboarder so it was about time she got with the program. As the stars aligned I just happened to develop a fascination with hitchhiking and train-hopping. I was falling in love with the romance of packing a backpack and heading out on the road in search of adventure. As I drifted deeper down the rabbit hole that is You Tube I stumbled upon a cool little documentary by a couple skateboarders.  Their Idea? A  250 mile skate trip from Boston to New York. Not the typical kind of skateboard road trip like via automobile where you stop to hit sweet street spots. Nope, back your backpack and "Push" your way there. I would say that's pretty epic, but the best part was that it's easily obtainable by any skater. It's like a big 'ol party pizza, not too many of us could eat 24 slices all at once, but if we just munch up a few at a time you can get there. An adventure like this costs next to nothing, but the reward is priceless. They slept on rooftops in a tent, crashed on strangers couches (turning strangers into friends) and did something most people would say couldn't be done.

So thanks to all this inspiration it's time for another Epic Day Off! I'm off to hit the streets and attempt to skateboard from Hamilton to Toronto, 75km in a day. I do mean attempt because I have never tried anything like this before. I have a cruiser board now so that's going to help. I'm also packing a backpack full of "urban survival gear" as if I was on the journey with my previously mentioned skateboard brethren. This is just a test and if all goes well I too would love to try a trip like this combined with hitchhiking and see where it could take me. 

I'll leave you with this little tidbit of personal philosophy. I'm not afraid to fail because only through failure can I discover my limits."

You can follow my adventures on my Facebook page: The Skateboard Philosopher and on Twitter @Sk8Philosopher