June 21 is Go Skateboarding Day
Rebellion, trademarked.
Today is Go Skateboarding Day, created in 2004 by the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC). We’d like to let the founders describe their motives.
According to the IASC site, “The holiday began June 21, 2004, as an excuse for skateboarders to make skateboarding their top priority.”
It goes on to describe the day in a way that sounds a bit less selfless:
Go Skateboarding Day is a cooperative of decentralized events that take place around the globe. Skateboard retailers, manufacturers, skateparks, distributors, organizations and individuals of all colors, creeds, and attitudes hold skateboarding events to celebrate the holiday.
Lest we despair that the S in skateboarding stands for $, that cynical capitalists aim to exploit young consumers, the IASC explains the day’s focus:
Go Skateboarding Day originated as the day for skateboarders to have fun, to raise awareness about the issues we face; to show the world what skateboarding is really all about; to reclaim our culture; and to define skateboarding as the rebellious, creative celebration of independence it continues to be.
What could be a more rebellious, creative celebration of independence than a corporate-sponsored holiday?
In the years since that first celebration, the holiday continues to grow, but the mission remains the same: Have fun, go skateboarding!
We would add only one thing: Have fun, go skateboarding and buy stuff!
Today is International Tiara Day, created in 2005 by Barbara Bellissimo as a one-time accompaniment to her self-improvement program, Seasons of Success.
Today is DNA Day. On April 25, 1953, the journal Nature published three papers submitted by James Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Raymond Gosling, Maurice Wilkins, Alexander Stokes and Herbert Wilson about the structure of DNA.