It's at this time of year when I'm stoked to be living in Scotland…when the nights creep in faster and the skies get so clear that you can taste the winter in the air.
It's the time of year when all the skaters start bitching and all the snow fiends start itchin'. You bump into people in the street and everybody has the same things on their mind - when's the snow going to fall; when's the snow going to piss off so we can skate again; why the hell's it so flat? It doesn't matter what kind of board you stand on, Scots are always scoping the conditions and looking for that window of opportunity that needs to be grabbed immediately, or lost for who knows how long.
There's something just a bit special about us Scots, obesity and heart disease statistics aside. No where else in the world will you find a breed of people that display such a raw urge to get even just a few seconds of adrenaline, always with a beer in their hand and a smile on their face. Now I'm not saying passion doesn't exist anywhere else in the world but the Scots are a pretty determined race when it comes to fulfilling their needs, whether it's drinking themselves senseless or driving for four hours to reach the last of the season’s snow. They just don't do things by halves.
So we might not be the biggest country in the world and our home grown facilities might not exceed your expectations but as the saying goes, the grass is always greener. Look and you shall find some of the worlds most luscious scenery just waiting to for you to be seduced by it, whether it's vast mountains, a granite ledge or the swelling sea.
If you're willing to put yourselves at the mercy of Mother Nature, then you will have a lovely relationship to look forward to here. Frustration comes part and parcel of living in Scotland. A fresh dump of snow gets blown off the hill, rain inevitably starts pouring just as you pick up your deck, the sea is flat the only time you can make it to the beach. But it is this frustration that drives us to keep trying, desperate to fulfil that aching, strange desire to go sideways. And all those days where you felt like crying just make it all the more worthwhile when you do actually score that bluebird day. And hey, some days you might wonder why the hell you bothered getting out of bed but as long as you've got your dipshit mates and a crate of beer, well then life is just a-ok.
It's probably confusing for a foreigner blessed with consistent conditions to understand how passionate us Scots are about our land. When you are given everything you want on a plate it's easy to take your life choices for granted. But when you have to fight for something and put all your energy in to attaining what you are most hungry for, that's what makes it worth while and that's what makes Scotland what it is. It may not be big and it may not always be friendly, but you can bet that you'll have fun along the way when it chews you up and spits you out.
Here's to the only country in the world that has a soft drink that out sells Coca Cola!
Here's to Scotland!
Text By Katie Guthrie
It's the time of year when all the skaters start bitching and all the snow fiends start itchin'. You bump into people in the street and everybody has the same things on their mind - when's the snow going to fall; when's the snow going to piss off so we can skate again; why the hell's it so flat? It doesn't matter what kind of board you stand on, Scots are always scoping the conditions and looking for that window of opportunity that needs to be grabbed immediately, or lost for who knows how long.
There's something just a bit special about us Scots, obesity and heart disease statistics aside. No where else in the world will you find a breed of people that display such a raw urge to get even just a few seconds of adrenaline, always with a beer in their hand and a smile on their face. Now I'm not saying passion doesn't exist anywhere else in the world but the Scots are a pretty determined race when it comes to fulfilling their needs, whether it's drinking themselves senseless or driving for four hours to reach the last of the season’s snow. They just don't do things by halves.
So we might not be the biggest country in the world and our home grown facilities might not exceed your expectations but as the saying goes, the grass is always greener. Look and you shall find some of the worlds most luscious scenery just waiting to for you to be seduced by it, whether it's vast mountains, a granite ledge or the swelling sea.
If you're willing to put yourselves at the mercy of Mother Nature, then you will have a lovely relationship to look forward to here. Frustration comes part and parcel of living in Scotland. A fresh dump of snow gets blown off the hill, rain inevitably starts pouring just as you pick up your deck, the sea is flat the only time you can make it to the beach. But it is this frustration that drives us to keep trying, desperate to fulfil that aching, strange desire to go sideways. And all those days where you felt like crying just make it all the more worthwhile when you do actually score that bluebird day. And hey, some days you might wonder why the hell you bothered getting out of bed but as long as you've got your dipshit mates and a crate of beer, well then life is just a-ok.
It's probably confusing for a foreigner blessed with consistent conditions to understand how passionate us Scots are about our land. When you are given everything you want on a plate it's easy to take your life choices for granted. But when you have to fight for something and put all your energy in to attaining what you are most hungry for, that's what makes it worth while and that's what makes Scotland what it is. It may not be big and it may not always be friendly, but you can bet that you'll have fun along the way when it chews you up and spits you out.
Here's to the only country in the world that has a soft drink that out sells Coca Cola!
Here's to Scotland!
Text By Katie Guthrie
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