Dope Mom.

As Sandler’s passion for skateboarding has progressed we spend increasingly more hours at the skatepark. Now being so immersed in the culture, one thing has become apparent: skateboarding is a colorful lifestyle. I am not just alluding to the interesting wardrobes and intricate tattoos. Or even the creative hairstyles that somehow remain perfectly quaffed amidst difficult maneuvers. I am referring to the shared sense of camaraderie.

No matter your age, gender, or backstory, skate culture seems to have a brotherhood with an outlaw-like reputation. People often go out of their way to avoid contact with the likes of a skateboarder. Which is a correlation oddly similar to how most people approach special needs. Now that I can speak from either perspective, I have found both sides to be very supportive networks of animated souls.

One of my favorite parts of this coalition is this unwritten custom where those known within the group (for good, bad, or ugly) unavoidably acquire nicknames. The names are typically accurate descriptions of the person’s appearance, persona, or personality. Thus making it easy to familiarize the local crew. Sandler’s name seemed to be unique enough to the crew—so it stuck. Now upon his arrival there is an exaggerated coolness to the way his name is annunciated followed by a handshake.

Somehow the nicknaming skipped a generation and I ended up being the recipient of—Dope Mom.

At first I felt honored to receive such an offering. As I mulled over my lack of ability mixed with my age difference (let’s just call it what it is—an old lady on a skateboard), I was nervous that the nickname could be less than kind. But through diligently taking lessons with Skate Above, I have gained more confidence within myself as an individual at the skatepark.

During one of my lessons, Sandler’s entire elementary school happened to be there for a birthday party. Naturally, the parents recognized me and witnessed my attempts at what their second graders were learning on the other side of the skatepark. I felt compromised, but my coach snapped me out of it. I learned to own it. Nevertheless, my nickname stuck. Even if it is with a bit of sarcasm, nothing makes me happier than Sandler referring to me adoringly as: “Dope Mom.”