Plywood Confession | I Fear My Kids Will Have Mongo Foot
Mongo foot is a tragic condition that has been sweeping the nation since the X-Games started in 1995. Some nights I wake up in a cold sweat from nightmares of my children pushing around the neighborhood mongo footed.
For those new to skating, mongo foot is when you push with your front foot. So if you’re a regular foot you push with your left foot or with your right foot if you’re a goofy footer.
Let’s be honest, a lot of what we love about skating is the esthetic of it. The art. The style. Mongo footedness isn’t pretty, not to mention it makes skating harder.
I have to admit that there have been many skaters who have managed to skate beyond their condition and go on to have beautiful careers despite the weakness.
The other day my daughter was giving her first honest go on my skateboard and she immediately started pushing mongo! I got dizzy and the ground began to spin. Everything moved in slow motion. I immediately stepped in and gave instructions to help her out on the path to proper skating.
So, now I’m scared to death to hand her a skateboard for fear she might do it again.
What is a father to do?
I’ve been riding skateboards since 1975 (yeah, that’s the Black Knight clay wheel era, kids). I have always pushed with my front foot and I like it and I will never change. So give it a try; you might like it.
You’re right, there are plenty of mongo footed pros too.
Found a nice pic of my first board: http://www.alphasensory.com/Skatetown/Images/BlKnt01L.jpg
Oh you kids don’t know how good you’ve got it with your fancy urethane wheels…I’m sure that rattling down those streets on clay wheels gave us all brain damage. It was so loud you couldn’t hear a person skating next to you. One of my favorite parts of the “Lords of Dogtown” is when the guy empties the bad of urethane wheels on the counter and all the skaters crowd around in awe.
That board is sick!
“MAJOR FACE PALM” 1995??? Seriously dude. I’ve been skating “mongo” or whatever the hell posers like to call it for over 20 years now. I have no delay when pulling tricks at all and watching myself skate on video shows no awkwardness, bad style or anything. In fact “mongo” is more natural to my centre of balance. Put me regular & then you will see the real definition of “mongo”. A hell of a lot of regular skaters I see position their front foot in the centre of the board when they push & unless they are going to ollie right off the bat as soon as they get all feet on the deck then it actually takes a skater longer to get a good foot position with their leading foot back at the nose of the board. It only takes me a micro-split second to twist my back foot to the tail. I can do any trick I put my mind to just as well and as quick as anyone else. For someone to actually care or get worked up about something as piss petty as the way someone likes to push off on their board just proves that you come from a much less evolved state of mind than some of us. Stop posing and keep your mind on your own skating. Sheesh.
P.S. Italics when I use the word “mongo” notes my preference to deny the word any useful meaning.
maybe you missed this sentence:
“I have to admit that there have been many skaters who have managed to skate beyond their condition and go on to have beautiful careers despite the weakness.”
…or have no sense of humor
I wasn’t referring to what you said. I found your comments quite comforting Oldie. I’m having a jab at the leading article/post. I have a hell of a sense of humor. It’s just everytime you hear someone trashing an alternate push skater, (and it’s a hell of a lot) it really makes me feel like taking to their undeveloped brain with my back truck.
if people prefer mongo footing, they should so.some people are just comfortable with them.skateboarding is about freedom and there is no wrong or right way of skateboarding
This introduces a pleasingly roaitnal point of view.
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