Emmet White

Age: 16

Favorite place to skate: Maryhill Loops Road in Goldendale, Wash.

Fastest speed while longboarding: 60 mph

Favorite genre of music: “I like hip-hop and rap. Vince Staples and ASAP Rocky are my favorites.”

Favorite vegetable: “Bok Choy is pretty legit.”

Hobbies: Working on cars, cooking, film photography

When did you start longboarding?

In the later months of 2010. It felt like an adventure, and I thought it might be a fun thing to do for a little. But I had no idea it would turn into the obsession I have with it now.

Do you remember when you first started?

The first day I got my longboard, I went to Laurelhurst Park and skated down the biggest hill, and I speed wobbled off my board and into the dirt. My mom was freaking out, saying that she was going to take it away. It wasn’t until the end of 2011 and start of 2012 that my parents saw how cool it was and how good it was for me. I was making more friends, being more social and going to races and improving.  

Do your parents make you wear a helmet?

They made me wear a helmet, and I was really into wearing helmets. Still am. I never felt judged for wearing a helmet, yet at the same time if someone is making fun at you for wearing a helmet, you have a pretty good argument for wearing one.

Have you ever gotten injured?

I’ve had road rash, but I have never had a concussion. I have hit my head my pretty hard. That’s what concerns me the most, hitting the head can really affect you long term and it destroys brain cells. I have crashed probably 200 times and hit my head majorly four times. Whenever I hit my head that hard, I usually take a breather for the day just to be safe.

How do your parents feel about it?

Whenever my parents would take me to my events, they would always be really nervous about it. They would watch me and see how happy I am doing it, and I think there is a point in longboarding when you figure out how to control yourself. I think at that point they saw how happy I was, how much I was improving and that I had found another passion that I loved.

What is the longboarding community like in Portland?

It’s a lot of people who are into the same thing who can instantly form a strong bond. It’s a really supportive community. I have some of my best friends from longboarding. The whole point of skating trips are that you drive together, stay together and eat together.

How does it make you feel?

I would say throughout the whole time I feel like controlled chaos mixed with extreme happiness. When I am skating, it’s super chaotic. I’m really close to people, and I’m trying to avoid them; at the same time I am having the time of my life while being in this controlled chaos.

What does this sport mean to you?

I would say my skating now is me trying to progress and have a fun time. I used to be focused on getting sponsors or winning stuff, and now it’s been really focused on having a good time because in the end, that’s what I would say longboarding is all about to me.

How have you changed since you started?

Skateboarding has definitely added more freedom in my life than without it. I think the freedom I have gotten from skating has allowed me to prove that I am responsible enough now and in the future to go on road trips, travel by myself and make the right decisions. With skateboarding, I feel more comfortable sharing my opinion and talking with people I don’t know and being more comfortable in group situations.

What else are you into?

I was really into snakes and lizards. I even wanted to have a snake collection. I only ended up having one snake. I had a Ball python. It was named Stripes. ◊