By: Mallory Thomason
How can a casual sport lead to an actual competition? Skateboarding is a lifestyle for Gavin Haskins. He practices for competitions, and more importantly, he skates for fun. For the most part, people associate skateboarding with troublemakers, but that’s not the case for Haskins.
Haskins was 10 years old when he moved to Flora, explaining, “I lived near the skate park, and that’s how I got into skateboarding.”
When he started skating, older skaters helped guide him through the techniques and execution of skateboarding.
While skateboarding with a friend, Haskins was discovered. His friend later opened Paradigm Skate Supply in Fairfield, where they sponsored Haskins.
While he isn’t in any professional conferences, Haskins says he competes in amateur and some advanced competitions.
Haskins has been to many skating competitions, some in Carterville and Effingham: “I have been to many different skate competitions. I have been to some in Fairfield, Carterville, Effingham, and one in Flora. Those competitions are in IL, but I’ve only been to some competitions out of state like Vincennes, Indiana.”