Randy McClelland has been skateboarding for a very long time. In that time, he has seen and done a lot of cool things. When he was growing up in the late 80s/early 90s, Randy was a sponsored skateboarder in Japan; and he’s got the pictures to prove it! He talks about how back then skateboarding was much different than it is today – without big name brands, olympic level athletics and social media. Also, unrelated to skateboarding, we go in depth on a project that Randy is working on through the hospital he works at. Part of the goal emphasizes curating the “healing environment” for patients. The healing environment is a really cool concept I hadn’t heard of before. It emphasizes curating an environment around patients to be more welcoming and pleasant. Things like making sure the walls have art on them and windows with nice views are just a couple examples. We did our best to circle back to skateboarding but even with the slight departure, I think you all are going to really enjoy this one.

Instagram

• @hafupotter
• @skating.in.circles.podcast

We’re back on Skating in Circles where we are talking about… skating in circles! This episode will be a bit of a Miami Ultra skate recap as we get to hear Cori Wolff talk about her experience during this year’s 24 hour challenge. Cori was able to hammer out a grand total of 246.74 miles this year. We got to talk about how the event went from our perspectives, and shared insight into what went well as well as the things we plan to do differently for next year. Cori also runs the Social Push Cincinnati group where she heads up weekly rides and meet ups for skaters in the area. I’ve always thought that the Social Push concept was an excellent method for generating a community around skateboarding so it was great to get to hear more about how these groups are curated and maintained.

Instagram:
@wandercrust
@socialpush.cincy
@socialpush.nyc
@socialpush.dc
@socialpush.moco
@socialpushcentralnj
@skating.in.circles.podcast

Calleigh Little is, put simply, an adventurer. Most recently, she completed the Appalachian Trail, but her resume of trek related challenges does not end there; she’s also a “thru-skater”. Thru-skating is basically backpacking on a skateboard. Her adventures range from crossing state lines, crossing an entire country, riding down coastlines, and everything in between. We got to talk a lot about what these adventures look like and what compels individuals to even do them in the first place. Calleigh also shared what’s next on her calendar, although, full disclosure, part of that adventure has unfortunately been cut short because tornadoes aren’t skateable. She has plans for Miami Ultra skate though. If you are going and listening to this before the event, best of luck to you! If you are hearing this after, you will indeed have an interesting perspective on this episode.

Instagram:
@fossils.for.all
@skating.in.circles.podcast

In this episode of Skating in Circles, we hear from Shreddie Mercury – an individual who has a lot going on right now. We talk about what it’s like to ride a skateboard 50 miles without pushing, how it feels to move across the country at a young age, the origins of skateboarding, what inspired him to become a skateboard instructor, and all things in between. Shreddie is a person with whom I imagine almost everyone finds easy to chat. I look forward to skating with him in the future, and you should, too! He can probably even teach us a thing or two. As always, thank you for listening.

Links:

• School of Shred
• Athletic Brewing Company
• The DC wheels

Instagram:
@shreddie_mercury_
@skating.in.circles.podcast

We talk a lot about community on this podcast - what it means to be a part of one, how to contribute to your own, the things that keep them healthy. I think one of the most important parts of a community is having a safe space to gather. Insanity Boardshop in San Antonio is one such place. Captained by Ehren Mohammadi, the shop has been around for over 10 years now and supported various skate events in that time. Ehren is also planning out a big event for the 2024 Distance skateboarding calendar. It is a 3 day event in his local area of San Antonio consisting of about 160 miles. It’s shaping up to be quite the event.

Insanity Boardshop:
https://www.insanitybs.com/

Instagram:
@insanitybs
@ehren_skate
@skating.in.circles.podcast

This episode’s guest is one of the kindest people I know. Angel has been in the competitive distance skateboard scene for over 8 years and has recently been kicking it up a notch in preparation for the 2024 Miami Ultra skate. He had a lot to share around his training practices as well as some insight into the forces that drive him to compete. It goes without saying that we are not health experts or trained in medicine in any way, however, we do have quite a bit of experience when it comes to riding skateboards for long periods of time. So that is primarily where all of this comes from. Everyone is encouraged to do their own research and discuss these things with the larger community. He also has a pair of wonderful cats who you will probably hear throughout the recording.

Music Recommendations
EL1011

• Transitions
• New Years Eve

And So I Watch You From Afar

• All Hail Bright Futures
• The Endless Shimmering

Bear Cubbin’

• Girls With Fun Haircuts

Instagram
@thedudewiththelute
@skating.in.circles.podcast

Something we’ve discussed a lot on the show is the role that events play in developing a community. Put simply, the more events we have, the better. But it’s really not that simple. Scott Ziegler is the event organizer for Skate Camp. Skate Camp is a three day long event that takes place in and around Titusville, FL. Scott has big plans for this year, including a fully sanctioned marathon race that is sure to attract some of the scene’s most competitive riders. It’s important to know, however, that Skate Camp is for everyone; the marathon is really the only competitive component. It’s mostly about riding skateboards, being in nature, and around good friends. When it comes to running events, Scott likes to stick to a few main principles: “low-cost, high value” and “quality over quantity” being two of them .We go in depth on what Skate Camp is and what can be expected this time around. It seems like a truly one-of-kind experience. In addition to all of this, we also got to talking about the IDSA and the many things that currently being done, as well as the many things that can still be done. If you’re interested in what happens at the IDSA, or are interested in helping out yourself, be sure to listen through to the end.

Links:
Skate Camp page: https://www.facebook.com/events/771929597927338
Thane Travel page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087931541783
IDSA website: https://theidsa.org/
Skate racks on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/skateboard_rack

Instagram:
@theidsa
@szeig
@skating.in.circles.podcast

Many will probably be familiar with today’s guest. Adam is great because he’s a super humble athlete who has put a lot of his own resources into distance skateboarding. You can always expect a genuine conversation when speaking with him because he has no hidden agenda. He is truly a man of science… and jazz (which, it turns out, is a science of its own). We talk a lot about some of the contributions he’s made, especially recently with the new Pantheon Karma wheel, as well as general distance skate talk. No surprise, you can expect to hear Ultra skate reflections, but also much more. Adam has an excellent vision for what the future of distance skateboarding could look like and some of the things we can all be doing to get there.

Blueridge Longboard Project
@blueridgeproject
https://www.youtube.com/BlueridgeLongboardProject
https://www.brproject.org/

@skating.in.circles.podcast