By Lucy Conroy
“It helps me let off steam, concentrate, and think. It shows who I am as a person when I get in the zone,” says sophomore Josia Vandersall, as she explains her love of skateboarding. Josi has been a skateboarder since the age of four. Her first skateboard was given to her as a Christmas present from her dad.

“She loved it right away,” says her dad, Scott Vandersall. “It was a love at first sight kind of thing. She’s a natural.”

Josi makes sure to practice every day even if she can only squeeze in 15 minutes. It’s important to her that she stays at the top of her game. She practices at the MV skate park.

“I try to go practice when nobody else is there,” Josi says. “I like to be by myself.” Although skateboarding hasn’t always been easy for Josi, she knows that she needs it in her life to keep her sane.

Josi learns stunts by searching tutorials or on descriptive websites. She usually only has to watch it once or twice and then she can practice a few times and have it down.

“I get frustrated sometimes,’ Josi says. “One time I couldn’t perfect the stair jump and I threw my board on the ground and it broke.”

The only contest Josi has ever done was the 2004 Elementary Contest.
“Just a small, neighborhood competition for fun. I got second place. Jimmy Newton beat me,” she says. Josi chooses not to compete with her skateboard now. “I’ve seen Josi skateboard once,” says her sister, Wynne, a freshman. “She doesn’t like people to watch her though.”

Skateboarding is a way for her to relax and be with herself and her thoughts for a little while every day. She doesn’t want to ruin that feeling.