Raising awareness for social, environmental, and political change isn’t always the cool thing to do within the action sports industry, but it most certainly is a critical part of our culture. While skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing are first and foremost about fun, most influencers understand that they have a valuable platform that can help effect change.
Professional skateboarders John Rattray and John Cardiel, two legends in the skateboarding world, recently set out with a group of friends to bike from Portland, Oregon, to the coastal town of Lincoln City, Oregon, to raise awareness for suicide prevention.
Rattray, who lost a sister to suicide, and Caridel, who lost a brother to a drug overdose, teamed up with a tight crew of friends and headed towards the large cement skatepark that sits a few miles from the north Pacific. Rattray, who conceived and ultimately planned the ride, also tasked himself with relearning Egg Plants (hence the punny name for the trip, The Good Egg) and after the 100-mile ride also threw attempt after attempt at the technical invert, before riding away clean, putting a nice cap on what was a successful trip.
Mental health is a wide-sweeping issue that also comes with stigmatization. Fortunately, people like Rattray and Cardiel are drawing awareness to it and the public is becoming more and more aware of its severity and scope.
Learn more about suicide prevention measures, or volunteer to help, by contacting the Suicide Prevention Hotline.
