SAN DIEGO — Did anyone ever tell you, you'd never get anywhere skating through life? In this Zevely Zone, I went to San Diego's Embarcadero for sunshine, skating, and smiles. A few months ago, I took a staycation with my wife. As we enjoyed the sunset at San Diego Bay, we spotted a person gliding down the boardwalk with a huge smile on his face. Lance Lynn is a free skater. It looks as if he is floating through the air but hidden under his feet are free skates.
Most skates are a lot like shoes with shoelaces but not free skates. "It's got a little sandpaper on top. They have two wheels under each platform," explained Lance. "The whole concept of riding is as I pivot my toes, the skate changes directions."
Lance is 23 years old. He grew up skating in El Cajon 12 hours a day and never stopped. "I just try to live my life as relaxed as possible. Problems don't matter when I come out here," said Lance.
The professional skater has more than seven thousand followers on Instagram. He makes a living promoting his sport along with local businesses and brands. Years ago, there was a popular bumper sticker that read "Skateboarding is not a crime". Today, skateboarding can be a job. "Yeah, it's amazing how skateboarding has evolved over the years," said Lance. "Making a living off doing what I love."
Sharing his love for free skating makes Lance even happier. "Wow, he's very talented," said Sue and Suzanne. They were two tourists visiting San Diego and up for anything, and when I say anything. "So, one toe on the ground, perfect," said Lance. Within minutes, Lance gave Suzanne a lesson and she was riding on free skates with Lance's helping hand. "There we are," said Lance. Away she rolled doing something that moments before seemed impossible. "Awesome, can I get a high five?" said Lance.
Lance says free skating has a way of making all your problems melt away. When he soars down a busy boardwalk, he always follows three rules. "I never ask for money, I never destroy property and I always try the best I can to respect people around me," said Lance. His go to trick is called 'Bananas'. That's when he shoots one skate ahead like a boomerang and catches up with it later. "It's such a fun concept because when I throw the skate I know that this edge is going to drag and based on the concrete, I am skating on the arc. It will be a little bit different so if it's a place I skate a lot I'll know exactly where that skate is going to end up and so I can throw it around people. I can weave it in between objects. It gets to be a lot of fun," said Lance.
Life can get a little bananas, so why not live your best life like Lance with a smile on your face? "This is what I love to do, I have not found anything that brings me this much joy so I want to chase this boat as long as a I can," said Lance. "You know life is so short to spend any moment of it unhappy is just insane to me."
Lance has a Vlog on YouTube and hundreds of fun videos on his Instagram page Borderants. Click here for Lance's videos and here for his Vlog.