Second-place winner of skateboard competition talks boarding

Kyle Mosher says skateboarding gets a bad rap sometimes. But most boarders, he says, are good at heart. The 19-year-old Poplar Bluff, Mo., resident finished second last weekend in the 16 and up category of the Cape Girardeau Skate Park Association skateboard competition at Missouri Park. Mosher talks more about the extreme sport he loves in this neXt Q&A Web extra.

neXt: How did you get involved?

Mosher: I was about 9 years old and my older cousin was getting into it. I picked it up, but I didn't really take it seriously until I got into my teens.

neXt: What do you like about skateboarding?

Mosher: It's pretty complex once you get into it. When you start learning tricks and stuff, it's pretty challenging. Like other sports, you have to practice.

neXt: What surprises you most about skateboarding?

Mosher: Skateboarding kind of has a bad name. In a lot of local places you have no skate parks, so some local spots around town get destroyed (by skateboarders). That's one thing we have against us. Some people see skateboarders kind of like beat-type people. But nobody really knows. Some people who skate do give it a bad name, but it's becoming more and more popular. It's becoming more populated by younger children. But there's a wide variety, too. I've seen a lot of older people skating, in their late 20s. Mostly it's just a hobby like any other.

neXt: What do you do when you're not on your board?

Mosher: I'm going back to school next semester. I'm off this semester. I spend lot of time working (at a local steakhouse). If not, I'm usually hanging out with my friends.

neXt: So what's next for you and your board?

Mosher: I would love to take skateboarding to a professional level. I'd love to make money off it, but it seems so far away right now. It's my only hobby. It's my passion, I guess you could say.