Ride On

Ride+On
pz
The young Peez

Skateboarding is a great way to kick back and spend time with friends, but for Jon McParland, who goes by Peez (pronounced “peas”), it has more meaning. Jon is a sixteen year old junior here at IHS and has been skating since he was six. His first board was given to him by his cousin Joe, and it wasn’t long before his older brother was teaching him how to ride.

Jonny’s first trick he learned was a basic one. Ollying is essential to learning other tricks, for without being able to get into the air, there’s no way to make the board spin, turn, or rotate. From there Jon was old enough to surf the web and find skate films of real pros landing tricks, along with helpful tutorials breaking down basic flip tricks and grabs.

As he got more interested and serious about skateboarding, Jon started traveling farther and skating better spots, and nicer parks. Jon says his favorite place to skate is Boston. “It’s easy to get to, and there are spots everywhere really close together. I like New York for that reason too; it’s a bit more exciting though, and busy, but still just about as dense as in Boston.” Jon and his friends enjoy going to Rye Airfeild in Rye, New Hampshire. There is a nice indoor skate park where McParland got his first looks from skate shops looking to spread their name. Owners of these shops would go to competitions and watch to see if there is anybody who really sticks out.

Pioneers is a local skate/surf shop located in Hampton, NH. It wasn’t until young Peez was twelve when one of the owners, who works as a scout more or less, spotted McParland at Rye enough times to give him a call. Getting sponsored by small shops involves getting free stickers and t-shirts, and in return, the skater represents these shops by wearing their logos around while they skate. It wasn’t until a few years later when Eastern Borders, an even larger skate and snowboard shop with multiple locations had a few spots open for their roster; Peezy stepped up and started wearing their threads at competitions and winning. Today, Jonny now is involved with DC Shoes, a subsidiary of Quicksilver, and a huge competitor in the industry. Now, he’s still considered amatuer, and continues to skate for fun, but DC has sent him a few pairs of shoes and a couple decks as long as Peezy keeps up bustin’ tre’s and cranking out backside crooks. Of course it’s always a step forward, but when asked about how he got involved, McParland slyly replied, “Oh you know, a friend of a friend of a rep.”

Jon McParland isn’t just in it for the coverage though. He wants to stay away from obligations. He doesn’t want anyone telling him how to skate or why. “I love being a skater…you’re always sure to have something to do, and all you need is your four-wheeled-plank.” Skateboarding is not a sport. Skateboarding is the perfect alignment of art and athleticism. Skateboarding is a way to express yourself, and make things look cool, namely the `ol wood on wheels. This is why Peez skates. He doesn’t always land every trick, but he makes it a point to keep his head up, and move on, like a fighter.

Many things influence the way young Peez skates from the music he’s been listening to, the friends he’s been skating with, or the videos he’s been watching, and of course the weather. Nothing makes Jon McParland more happy than hearing four wheels hit the floor and a smooth ride. Every day, Jon McParland makes it a point to get out and skate. It is his true passion, and he always keeps an eye out for something cool and new to try.

hardflip, courtesy of Nick Drachman