ARLINGTON, Texas—Skating is more than a sport. For many, it’s a rhythm, a refuge and a way of seeing the world differently for a time.
David Mendieta has used skating as a hobby and as a tool to gain that perspective and break the city noise. His journey began like most: lulled in by friends, then hooked after seeing them glide effortlessly down the street or around the park.
After moving to Arlington from a small town in West Texas, he pursued an education at the University of Texas at Arlington. He filled the unknown of a new city with his love for skating, spending much of his freshman year searching the city for a skate park to call home base.
At Vandergriff Park, an outdoor skating venue tucked inside the Bob Duncan Center, he’s made the space his own. He’s learned who the locals are and spends nearly every day there for at least a few hours. When he’s not skating, he can find himself still in the Bob Ducan Center, breaking a sweat as he jogs the nature trails that line the green space.
His said his love and desire to skate stems partially from just being able to spend time outside. Even more important are the people he has met. Some of them are brand-new, seeking guidance on balancing to ride their boards. For others, it’s just another day on the job, practicing grab tricks from bowl transfers—which is as terrifying as it sounds.
Mendieta has been able to embrace the culture and the community that skating brings: like-minded people who care about the hobby. He said it’s what makes him come back time and time again.
