top of page
Writer's picture Mark W. McGinnis

Faded Pictures from a Life: Sidewalk Surfing

Sidewalk Surfing

1964

The only thing I remember about Junior High education is few mispronounced German words. What was going well were times with my new friends. We were creatures of our times and big fans of the Beach Boys. This, of course, makes no sense at all. Being natives to the center of the country with no more knowledge of water than a few small reservoirs outside of town, surfing should have been like a Martian sport to us, but maybe that is why we were so attracted to it. Then came the skateboards. This was our chance to be in closer contact with the gods of California. I first had a horrible little wooden skateboard that was designed as a suicide device. Then I graduated to a fiberglass board that was not so uncontrollable. I gained a bit of skill on it, the ability to travel some distance and keep my body off the ground but certainly no tricks. When I look at what kids are now doing on skateboards I think they are Martians.

I continued listening to the Beach Boys for a few more years until in high school I was introduced to The Beatles, Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, and Donovan. I felt a bit guilty about this late coming “real” music until I read that The Beach Boys “Pet Sounds” album had a big influence on The Beatles “Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

Sidewalk Surfing, acrylic on shuen paper, 9″x12″, 2021, Mark W McGinnis


1 view0 comments

Commentaires


bottom of page