Multi-discipline teen shredder takes on and beats (most of) world!
A year-and-a-half ago now, I spent a day with surf-skate prodigy Sabre Norris. It was two days before Christmas and Sabre gifted me the true nature of family.
While my own house of cards was collapsing in a welter of sorrow, the foundations made rotten by poor husbandry, hers was exalting in each others’ complexities.
Sabre, whose surfing is expressive and features a grab bag of tricks, is also a fantastic skateboarder. When she was nine, and before she’d mastered riding a bike without training wheels, Sabre launched a thousand worldwide headlines by riding out of a 540 on the monster ramp in her backyard.
Yesterday, Sabre won a silver medal in the Women’s Skateboard Street at X Games Minneapolis, home to a fabulous diaspora of Somalis as it happens (diverse!). I know, I know, it’s skate, and we don’t touch skate usually, but this is so beautiful and her happiness is contagious.
Watch Sabre at the X Games, here, and perhaps watch her in Flying Doughnuts, BeachGrit’s profile movie of her and her family below. Scroll a little further and watch Sabre as tiny tot TV superstar on the insanely popular talkshow Ellen.
FLYING DOUGHNUTS – Sabre Norris from Luke Farquhar on Vimeo.
Bogans, from all over the outer reaches, rise as one from their soiled recliners, and cheer one of their own…..
terribly disappointed this wasn’t a self congratulatory “WINNER: BEACH GRIT CONTRIBUTOR & SURF-SKATE VIRTUOSO WINS SABRE NORRIS X GAMES SILVER!” title.
Normal unexciting people giving outrageously ‘cool’ and edgy names to more normal unexciting people.
But you never know if your spawn are going to be exciting when they are born, do you?
err on the side of caution.
As a 40 (ish) year old skate kook, I’m as impressed with Sabres skating. Falling off in that bowl would hurt like hell and she’s giving it a good crack .
Friends of mine named their kid Blade. The kid fucken hates it and tells everyone his name is Blake.
He could always use his name to cut off heads , gut fish etc . I’d be ok with Blade but would be very upset if someone called me RollerBlade . The worse thing about rollerblading is when you finally have that talk with your parents to reveal your same sex partner ?
It’s appropriate in this fine girl’s case, I think: vital, sharp, deadly.
How about this: I named one son Jones, after Spike Jonze. The other, Gard, after Gard Chapin. Do you hate me?
I always say blame the child, not the parents!
Jones I get, but Gard? I don’t hate or judge, but that’s with them for life. The amount of times they’ll have to explain, correct spelling…
‘Oh hello, yes this Gard….sorry, no, not Garth…Gard, with a D…yes Gard. G A R D…..yes my father chose it…. I dunno, I think he was the father of some surfer or something’.
And to be honest, I wanted to name my 2 Soda Pop (Outsiders) and Raspberry (after reading about Strider years ago in ASL). Settled on William and Chloe.
Let’s hope he can keep up with the Joneses and he will definitely be popular in Wales.
Spike Jonze the comedian or Spike Jonze principle of Girl Skateboards and the greatest music video ever made?
Obviously the comedian.
I hope for the angst above you get along with the kids ok champ?
So about that whole “foundations made rotten by poor husbandry” thing… ya got any pro-tips for this newly minted husband to keep his foundations solid? Any do’s and don’ts you can share?
1. One phone a call day, max
No good can come from calling your wife or husband at work. They’re busy, you’re bored. The bored partner will ramble endless, the busy partner will be short and pissed and, often, it’ll end up in a pointless fight. If you’re a man, you don’t call and ask for cooking advice or how to attend to the kid. If you’re a woman at Bunnings, ask the assistant. Or Google.
2. Talk respectfully about your partner to your pals
Remember the reason you signed your life away. You loved her! You’d swim across a sea for her! Be as filthy as you like about random celebrities or passer-bys, but never detail your sex life with your wife. And your friends shouldn’t hear about your partner’s dirty habits. Your friends will interact with your partner accordingly. They’ll begin to hate each other. It doesn’t end well.
3. Trash date night
A regular Thursday night at the movies or at some bleak suburban restaurant is as crushing a chore as folding the washing or cleaning your kid’s poop stains off the bathroom door. If you want a date, make it a surprise. Organise the sitter. Go big. Go glamorous. Go all night. Bars, dancing, craziness.
4. Keep your independence
Your partner doesn’t need to share your passion for yoga or getting up at five in the morning to shoot pigs. Give them their space. Listen to their stories.
5. The 270 second rule
Jim Fannin is a life coach. He has a rule in marriages that you listen attentively to your partner for 90 seconds in the morning, after work and before bed. It doesn’t sound like much. But it works. So when they swing in after 10 hours in the city office dealing with bullies and psychotically ambitious freaks, even if you’ve heard it all before, smile, pour each other a wine, and listen.
6. Separate accounts
We all need a little slush fund in our lives. We need to waste and we need to frolic. Having to explain every last cent spent gets real old, real fast.
7. The Housework Split conundrum
It surprises me that a woman who has worked all day would come home and wash and iron her man’s shirts while he sinks into the couch. If you’re both working, it’s a 50-50 split. I can’t cook but I can sure clean the ship. So my wife cooks, I clean.
8. Don’t give up
It’s the easiest thing in the world to say you want to spread your wings and fly. But do you, really? And any kind of romanticising about the hot thing in your office is pointless. Because after eight or 10 or 20 years, you’ll be just as familiar with each other.
aww – look !
Our little altar boy’s all grown up.
Still sensitive and caring.
A little bit scarred, sure but who isn’t ?
Terribly scarred.
Multi up ^^^^^^^
Dang that was quick. But this is some Ultra-Hard Marriage Candy for sure. Appreciate it kind sir!
Have you considered writing self help books?
lolololol – Derek the Agony Aunt
Dear Derek, I have inexplicable urges to slap young skateboarders who have been noticed by the media. In addition, I feel like I want to cut the leg ropes of the stickered up groms who drop in on me and piss on the wheels of their well-connected parents cars.
It seems that fate has dealt these children a better hand than me.
It doesn’t seem fair.
Help – what can I do ?
These urges are perfectly natural, even wonderful and exciting. Rise to your full potential! Strike the children, attack car paint with your wang.
I feel much better now knowing that others feel similar urges.
Thank you, Urban Unkle*
Time for action.
*Hipster twist
Urine washes away easily. A well waxed wind shield is far more effective.
And I…feel…such agony inside. If only you knew!
I think about it all the time!
You been fishing for a bruddah to hook you up on this hey purse boy..
hoping she might be spyin in & hook you up for seconds.
Here’s my 2 bob. If she’s already got a lease & bought furniture. It’s over. If it’s just staying at mums. She’ll be back.
Apologies in advance ( as I sence the unnecessary ridicule ) for the over use of the hook.
Did you consider sharing this with Chas?
wow, you can’t cook?
Every man needs a signature dish!
I’ll add 9. Leave the harsh judgements at the keyboard.
Nailed it.
So did u restore those foundations? Was the crumbling in Part related to running your own business? Mine surely is!
‘Twas park, not street Dez. But dang.
Would you be offended if I amended the story? Skate always trips me up.
It pleases or don’t?
I landed an impossible once. Where’s my article of praise?
Oh, if you had the clip, you could laden with synthesiser music and slightly cheesy production values!
How would you feel about me putting a BeachGrit sticker on my board? I’m 30% more marketable than Wade Goodall.
I mean Carmichael
Only thirty percent?
That gets me into Kolohe territory surely
Maybe Cardoso.
Move to Bangalow cunt or gtfo
Truly unfair, Wiggs.
Here have an upvote.
Sheeesh! The prince of darkness begging for praise.
Landed?!? Wouldn’t it be underworlded?
I used to have the best heel flip in town. I have the decomposing hip to prove it.
Can’t be that impossible then. Have a downvote.