sportspeople-from-the-united-states

"The Q-Man (FRUIT OF THE VINE)"

""I've met my best friends through skateboarding and riding empty swimming pools" - Fruit Of The Vine video, 2000"

""This shit is for-real. If you want to break your fucking ass and twist your ankles and fucking have some chicks just break your hearts dude, you join Skate Army." - Fruit Of The Vine video, 2000"

""Burnside's been in a lot of weird, and I think it attracts weird people. It's like a shrine to them or something...I like talking about Burnside, it is better than talking about yourself." - Girl & Anti-Hero Skate Tour 7 of 10 - Epicly Later'd, 2012"

"“Skateboarding is not about following the crowd, it’s blazing your own trail.” — Pool Dust #28"

"“I ride the trains. They get me where I want to go for free. Re-evaluate your life. If you’re part of the problem, change. Don’t sell out. It’s important.” — Pool Dust #14"

"“You shouldn’t be a pro skater if you can’t grind a pool. Pay your dues, punks. One grind in a pool is better than a million tricks on a mini. Mini’s are a weak attempt to further the skate systems’ profits. Minis are weak. There shouldn’t even be miniramp riders.” — Pool Dust #15"

"“Don’t conform, step out of the norm.” — Pool Dust #20"

"“Keep movin’ on to explore new territory as we move through this fast track we call life. Pedal to the metal, truck to the coping. Foot to the asphalt. Metal to the rail. Rubber to the road. You know somewhere, somehow, right as I speak, a chosen few will be skateboarding at this instant. Remember, many were called, few were chosen…” —Pool Dust #20"

"“It’s time to get our shit together, ‘cause the time is getting short. Better on the lam, than take part in the scam.” — Pool Dust #21"

"“I didn’t sell out to the sham system, and I’m telling you that you don’t have to either. Pursue your dreams. Search out your visions. It is worth it. Our mission here is not to pad the fat cat’s wallets, it’s to cram your mind with as much information as it will hold. Being a success is not how big your car or wallet is, it’s how much knowledge you have. I’m not into the scene because it’s controlled. I’m into my own trip, right or wrong. It’s what I have to do. To all of you dicks who quit, a big fuck you. You were on the right track then gave it up, that shows what you are all about. Thanks for skating.” — Pool Dust #24"

"“A skateboard life is a marathon not a sprint. Don’t come to Burnside thinking that you own the place when you never lifted a shovel, never picked up trash, never cleaned a poop out of the bowl. Just ‘cause you skate “good” doesn’t mean you’re a good skater. This is not Hollywood. You’re not a star, just a skater like everyone else. True skaters don’t skate for the mag. True skaters don’t skate for a pat on the back. True skaters skate for themselves. Fuck the system, we don’t skate for them. We skate for us. Don’t stop looking for new skate spots.” - Pool Dust #31"

"“Skateboarding is not a sport. It is an activity. Some pursue it like a sport. Still others pursue skating like art. Bold new brush strokes on concrete canvas. Who is right? Who is wrong? No one. Skateboarding offers unlimited fun potential. Skateboarding does not need the Olympics. But remember your idea of fun could be someone else’s nightmare day—skateboarding cannot be controlled by the masses. It’s too broad and fluid to be pasteurized and homogenized. Although skating can be refined, it can never be totally controlled.“ — Pool Dust #31"

"PAT QUIRK FRUIT OF THE VINE"

""The more we discuss this stuff we can understand it better and combat this evil that is happening to our country. Don't sell out to the negatroids, the demonic fucking devil worshippers, whatever the fuck they are. They're not going to get our soul, dude...This is a battle dude and I'm telling you, I love you buddy...we are going to lead 10,000 skateboarders through the streets and you get in our way and we'll be goose-stepping. " - Fruit Of The Vine video, 2000"

""If the Q-Man is president, I say we have a skate bowl at every school. We need to give kids an alternative sport. Dude, you know what I mean? I tried to play that baseball do the football, they were all like Quirk you're not good enough, oh you play the 5th quarter. But you know, I found skateboarding, I'm like dude this is like I don't need a judge or the boss or the coach..." . - Fruit Of The Vine video, 2000"

"My life is pretty interesting now … I definitely can do better with more training and a coach but I don’t want to compare myself to others. I just want to enjoy my life, and my badminton"

"When I think I'm good, I find out I'm actually not."

"There is a lot of pressure on the players in the Chinese team. I wouldn’t have survived if I had stayed there. Right now, I have the freedom to choose which tournaments to play and where to train. I take decisions that suit me."

"I’ll be honest, I’m not really good like a top-five player. So of course, it also depends on the draw. If I’m lucky, I’ll get a good draw. I’m looking for a medal, not like gold medals."

"When you win some tournaments and when you get good results, people are going to enjoy the success. But they don’t really think about what is going to be next. You’re going to lose the next week, too. So other players, they don’t really think about it. They’re always thinking, ‘I’m really good.’"

"Like sometimes when a coach is behind you, they don’t really know how you feel. It’s hard for me to tell him, because I’m also thinking. If the coach and I think the same thing, that’s good, but sometimes it doesn’t happen. Then do you listen to the coach, or do you listen to yourself?"

"Coaching teaches me a lot; mentally, it’s helping, but skill-wise, no. The juniors have the same problems every day, you have to remind them all the time. Adult players know their problems, so you don’t need to remind them every day, every single shot."

"I’m just wishing I can play with higher-level players, so I can get used to that speed and focus while training at that speed. If I get used to playing with slower players, mentally it’s not pushing my limit."

"If I had stayed in Singapore, I don’t think I would have what I have now. I’m too straightforward and ask questions, and some people don’t like that. When I had a problem, I didn’t get to talk to the SBA, only the coach. Now I can do whatever I want, I control my own life."

"It is the responsibility of each of us—every man, woman, and child on this planet—to try to lessen the total amount of suffering in our world. … Speciesism, like racism, is a learned attitude, and both can be unlearned."

"I was raised Vegan since birth. … I remember watching undercover investigation videos and reading the pamphlets that were mailed to the house when we were kids—I felt deeply for the animals at an early age. I remember how the other parents of my childhood friends would either get upset or interested when their kids would come home after sleepovers at my house—I felt it was my duty to show my friends what was happening to animals. … Veganism is the ultimate form of compassion. … I never considered my being Vegan was for health reasons—it was always for the love and respect I had for animals. And because of that love and respect I have for non-human animals my compassion flows over to all living beings, of all types. … I am encouraged by compassionate souls and the love I see in the eyes of those I've committed my life to stand up for."

"I’ve only known a vegan life and have been constantly teaching others of the joys and benefits of being a vegan … As an adult, I THANK my Mother profusely for being extremely honest with me as a kid and for never hiding the truth about milk, “meat”, animal experimentation … There is speciesism and that is about as cruel as it gets because it sets the stage and practice for cruelty amongst human beings. … Discrimination is discrimination—as abuse is abuse … regardless of an animals human or nonhuman form, gender, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation or level of intelligence/knowledge it should be our birthright to LIVE our lives peacefully and harmoniously without inflicting pain on others. People who inflict intentional pain without moral or ethical regard for other human or nonhuman animals are just reminders of how much further we have to go until oppression is completely eradicated."

"Poker is a microcosm of all we admire and disdain about capitalism and democracy. It can be rough-hewn or polished, warm or cold, charitable and caring or hard and impersonal. It is fickle and elusive, but ultimately it is fair, and right, and just."