Unique Soul: Weird World (Touchdown Edition)

Chapter 1: Bury Your Head

The Wright Brothers: Flyers or Liars? That was the famous headline on the front page of the International Herald Tribune newspaper on January 11, 1906--three years after the Wright brothers successfully flew an airplane for the first time over a sandy beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Now, for just a moment, pretend that you are living during this time period. Teddy Roosevelt is the president of the United States. Transportation means a horse and carriage, not a car. Forget MP3 players or CDs--record players are not even available yet. Imagine your reaction to the claim that the Wright brothers have built a machine that allows people to fly through the air the way birds do.

Since there were no television cameras in 1903 to capture this historic event, people weren't sure whether or not to believe that it actually took place. If you were like most people at the time, you might have thought that the Wright brothers were insane, or even outright dishonest. You may have even read articles in the newspaper with headlines like the one in the International Herald Tribune.

Despite criticism and disbelief, Wilbur and Orville Wright refused to give up on their dream. Their incredible accomplishment took creativity and imagination, along with guts and a willingness to stand alone. When their vision of flight finally took hold, the Wright brothers were vindicated. They became legends. Today, thousands of people board airplanes every day of the year. If not for unique souls like the Wright brothers, this might not have been possible.

There are almost seven billion people living in the world today, and each person is completely unique. Sure, a lot of people tend to follow the crowd and do the same thing everybody else is doing. There's nothing wrong with that. However, what makes the world diverse, rich, interesting--and, quite honestly, a little bit weird--is that there are a number of people who don't conform. They see things from a different perspective and aren't afraid to venture into unknown territory. Ideas never before seen or heard seem to flow from the depths of their souls. These innovators give us beautiful music, new inventions, compelling art, magnificent skyscrapers--and, in the case of the Wright brothers, the gift of flight.

Thousands of unique souls are living among us in this weird world. Darren "Jerry" Schaeffer is one of them. You'll find people like Jerry everywhere--in big cities and small towns, and in every corner of the globe. They are young and old, tall and short, rich and poor. They all share a curious and imaginative spirit that is often questioned by others. Throughout history, many of these people have been misunderstood or flat-out ignored. Those who became successful had the passion and determination to follow their hearts, often in the face of great criticism. Being unique is about going after your dreams and choosing your own path to travel down, just like the Wright brothers--and just like Jerry.

In 1999, 10-year-old Jerry was preparing to enter middle school in Beulah, North Dakota, where he had lived for three years since moving from Minnesota. A very small city, Beulah has a population of about only 3,000. Being a tiny dot on the map in the middle of a somewhat unpopulated state, there's not a whole lot to do in Beulah. Jerry could have easily given in to boredom and settled on a life of TV-watching, snowman-building and video-game playing. Instead, he started skateboarding, and quickly realized that he'd found something that was going to be a huge part of his life.

"Even at a young age, I was all about getting into the skateboarding culture," Jerry remembers. "I realized early on that being a legit skater wasn't just about the act of skateboarding. I wanted to go deeper. Hopping on your board when you have a little bit of free time doesn't make you a skater. There's so much more. I wanted to bury my head in it, you know? That way, whenever I opened my eyes it would be all around me. So I started bringing my board with me wherever I went, even to school. I hung out with other skaters. I even started to change the way I looked at things."

The experience of being a skateboarder is different for every person. Still, many skaters understand exactly what Jerry is talking about. At its core--when you "bury your head in it"--skateboarding becomes a lifestyle. It not only affects what you do and how you talk and dress, but also how you think about the world.

Part of the "skate cool" lifestyle refers to clothes, accessories, and what an individual is all about. Jerry has created his own look. He likes to wear slim-fit pants that stretch so he can move around easier. Kneepads are a must, considering the abuse he endures when trying to land a trick. Colorful clothes fit his personality, and big shades and hats are part of his wardrobe most days--rain or shine. Shoes are important, too. Jerry favors the pro models from the company Fallen.

Some skaters take their style in very different directions. Skateboarding is all about being yourself, whether that means long hair, spiked hair or even no hair! You'll see tattoos and piercings, a beanie in the summer, a fake fur hat in the winter. Or, really, any other accessory that appeals to you. Sometimes simplicity is a statement all by itself--meaning none of the above. The key to being authentic is being you.

Not surprisingly, adults are often the anti-skaters. Young people find it hard to understand why adults don't get it--but clearly, most don't. In many cities, lawmakers pass ordinances and impose curfews to restrict the freedom of skateboarders. In their world, skaters are disruptive slackers who should be dealt with harshly.

Maybe some skateboarders are disruptive slackers, but most are not. Anyway, there are just as many non-skateboarders who could be described in the same way. The two things have nothing to do with one another. There are plenty of awesome skateboarders who--when they're not skating--are acing tests or making loads of cash in successful careers. A lot of people don't take the time to understand skate culture, so they misunderstand it. They simply assume that the unique style associated with skateboarding attracts a bad element.

Not all adults are narrow-minded about skating, of course. Many skateboarding pioneers from the 1970s and 1980s grew up to be cool adults who have remained true to the sport. Unfortunately, they tend to be more the exception rather than the rule. Most older people--meaning anyone over thirty--still have trouble grasping the appeal of skateboarding. Part of the problem is that, unlike traditional sports such as baseball or basketball, skateboarding isn't focused on winning or losing. Being a skater is all about participation, fun, and hanging out with friends.

When people think about sports, most of them picture uniforms, rulebooks, teams, shot clocks and coaches. The focus is usually on wins and losses, points scored or home runs hit. The thought of a sport that has no tangible objective seems pointless. Nothing could be further from the truth; when it comes to skateboarding, having fun is the point.

Although pure enjoyment is the heart of skateboarding, this doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with competition. Everyone grows up understanding that competition is a part of life in America. It follows us from the day we're born to the day we die. We have to compete in school, in sports and in our careers. This competitive spirit--and all the good and bad that goes along with it--has definitely crept into skateboarding over the years. The X Games are certainly proof of that. In addition to the millions of skaters out there skating just for fun, there is also a thriving community of mainstream skateboarding competition. It's even found its way onto ESPN.

Skateboarding has become commercial in many ways, but the essence of skate culture has remained underground. It appeals to a diverse cross-section of people everywhere from San Francisco to St. Louis to Miami, as well as to other countries all around the globe. It is a symbol of youth, freedom and independence. The world would be a boring place if people didn't have a way to communicate their individuality--and skateboarding is an outlet that's both expressive and athletic.

Like almost every other skateboarder in Beulah, Jerry has one main complaint about this city: it's a very flat place. In other words, there aren't many streets that are curving, sloping or downhill. That's not good news if skateboarding is your thing. Jerry and his friends are "street skaters," meaning that they're out on the streets using curbs, benches, stairs and rails to perform tricks.

In the old days, the place they probably skated the most was on Main Street, in the parking lot of the grocery store. For Jerry and his buddies, the best time to skate was at night when all the cars were gone. It was sweet because the parking lot is large and well-lit. The high school was also a choice spot. There are two sets of stairs outside, which were just right for practicing new tricks. Probably their all-time favorite place, though, was in front of the Union Bank building, which is located in the center of town.

By the time Jerry and his friends were in seventh grade, they had found a few other places to skate. They still liked kicking it at Union Bank and at the high school. By then, they could do more than just a simple trick like an "Ollie." Jerry had already begun working on mastering Kickflips and Ollie Manuals.

In the summer right after seventh grade, Jerry had the opportunity to go to a camp called "701 Board Camp." The camp was a lot of fun, mainly because it was equipped with an awesome mini-ramp. Jerry had never skated on a ramp before, so this was an opportunity to learn a bunch of new tricks. That simple mini-ramp ended up consuming most of his time at camp that summer. He and the other campers skated up and down all day long . . . every single day.

Something else happened at camp that was interesting. At the time it seemed like a meaningless joke, but it ended up being pretty important. Jerry, whose real name is Darren Schaeffer, was tight with a kid named Kip. The two of them became friends on the very first day of camp. The problem was that Kip, a funny but somewhat forgetful kid, couldn't remember his new friend's name.

As a joke, Kip started calling Darren "Jerry," after a famous skateboarder named Jerry Hsu. For some reason, this was one name that was easy for him to remember. Jerry thought this was hilarious, especially when the other kids joined in. The nickname stuck, and now hardly anybody even knows that Jerry's real name is Darren!

On the second to last day of camp, a mini-ramp contest was held, complete with cool prizes for the winners. Jerry had never competed before. In truth, he didn't really care if he won or lost. He just thought it would be fun to try and pull off some awesome tricks. So, with everybody watching, Jerry went for it. Maybe it was his laidback attitude that made the difference, or maybe it was his exceptional display of skills. Either way, when the contest was over, Jerry had run away with it. He easily won first place, and was awarded a brand new skateboard.

Most people, after winning their first skateboarding competition, would be so enamored of winning that they would feel as if they had to continue competing--but not Jerry. "It's pretty simple," he says nonchalantly. "I love to skate more than I love to win. Being a pro skater means skating with a bunch of rules, bowing down to the sponsors who pay you, and basically losing a lot of freedom. Skating for fun means wherever, whenever, and however I say."

When Jerry got home, he had big plans. His experience at camp had led to an idea that was even more important than trying to be a pro: Why not try to build a mini-ramp of his own? Forget sponsors, skateboard competitions, and rules--with a mini-ramp in his backyard, Jerry would be able to skate whenever he wanted.

With that in mind, Jerry was determined to pursue his goal of building a ramp. He wasn't sure if he would be able to do it, but he was ready to try. As soon as he returned home, he talked to his dad about the idea. Mr. Schaeffer was intrigued. He was also very supportive and felt that it was a worthwhile project, so he talked to a friend who had experience in construction.

For his part, Jerry borrowed a book from a friend on how to build a skate ramp. The book ended up being a great resource, and Jerry took full advantage. He also did hours of online research. Finally, he was ready.

Luckily, it was still summer, because Jerry had a lot of work ahead of him. He thought that he might be able to complete the project in a week or two. He and his dad went out, purchased a bunch of wood and brought it all home. The next morning, Jerry woke up at the crack of dawn and got started. He had already drawn up plans. Still, it was a little confusing and things got off to a slow start. But Jerry didn't care. He's the kind of guy who sets his mind to something and then just goes out and does it.

A lot of hard work and sweat went into the construction. Working nonstop, Jerry ended up finishing far ahead of schedule. With almost no help, he built his mini-ramp in just four days! He named it "El Mini." Over the years, he has resurfaced El Mini a couple of times so that it remains smooth and easy to ride. Still, nothing can compare to the day he completed it. When Jerry's friends came over, they went absolutely crazy. They were totally stoked--yelling and fighting over who got to try it out first.

The feeling of satisfaction within Jerry was amazing. He and his friends spent the rest of the summer skating on that mini-ramp ... and many summers since then.