Alec Simon, a skateboarder at CHS travels around Michigan from skatepark to skatepark. When he was in middle school, Simon first took up skateboarding in his driveway. He used skateboarding as a way to escape at first but then it quickly developed to skating every day and soon enough getting his first sponsor.

“When I was younger, my parents got divorced,” Simon said.  “I used to go and skateboard a lot just in my street and it just helped me not think about it. I also like how I meet a lot of people through skateboarding because a couple of them helped me get sponsored.”

Simon spends most of his time at the Ann Arbor Skatepark where he learned new tricks and practices mastering them. Recently closed, Launch Boardshop saw talent in Simon when the offered to sponsor his. His friends who were currently sponsored by Launch were able to talk to the store and tell them about simon. Simon then sent in a series of videos to Launch of him doing a variety of tricks and was able to impress Launch.

“My favorite and most proud trick is probably front smithing the fibro which is when you go up on the rail and your back truck is on it and the front of your board hanging off,” Simon said.

Skateboarding is more than just a hobby or a way to escape for Simon. Skateboarding also gets his heart pumping when attempting a new trick or conquering an old one. 

“Skateboarding for me it’s more about like, when you land a trick, it gives you a really good feeling,” Simon said. “It gives you adrenaline or a very big rush. There’s no other feeling when the whole park is watching you land a big trick and then rushing over to me when I land it and everyones screaming… I love it.”

Simon hopes one day he will be able to visit a skatepark in every state which he knows is a lot but he has already been to almost every skatepark in Michigan. He already has it set in his mind that he wants to move to California later in his life to pursue skateboarding. His current motto is “just go with the flow.” Simon is a pretty laid back person who will turn anything into a skatepark or an obstacle such as a traffic cone that he can ollie over or a curb he can grind.