A certain stigma surrounds skateboarding and the people who enjoy it. The sport has been associated with recklessness and crime practically since it was born.

Senior Caleb Mitchell has been skating since he was six years old, and has felt the effects of the pre-conceived notions some people have about the sport.

“My whole life I’ve been picked on and put into a box because of the fact that I skate or the way I dress,” Mitchell said. “I’ve had teachers and adults assume I was a bad kid, or other parents tell me that skating is a waste of time and a delinquent activity.” Mitchell said.

Fellow skater and senior Andy Coyne has had similar experiences.

“I had a specific teacher say I was a stoner,” Coyne said. “They think we do drugs.”

 Street skating is skateboarding in areas not designated for skating, such as sidewalks, roads, and private property. Skating in the road in Indiana is technically illegal, since skateboards are not considered vehicles in the eyes of the law.

This has led to conflicts with law enforcement and concerned property owners for Mitchell and other local skaters.

“My friends and I go street skating all the time, and in most spots, you will for sure get kicked out. Some people are nice about it, others are mean,” Mitchell said. “My friends and I have had the police called on us multiple times throughout the state and the Midwest just for doing something we love.”

Mitchell doesn’t let stereotypes or the law get in the way of pursuing his passion, however.

“Sometimes you just know no matter what, you’re going to get judged for what you do,” Mitchell said. “But we love skating so we’re not gonna change what we do just because people don’t approve of it or think it’s a pointless or reckless activity.”