Listen here y’all: “It’s not that hard to avoid rape allegations.” That is my favorite subhead of Alex White and Kristin Ebeling’s “Coping With Creeps: Concrete Action You Can Take” article, which your girl published right HURRR on BIGFOOT, the “Honorary Kardashian” of Skateboarding Magazines.

Since Cosby and Weinstein and Louis C.K. and Kevin Spacey and our President and… never mind. Since the #metoo movement revved its engines & empowered women (men and them) to come forward with thousands (millions?) of stories of sexual abuse and assault, we’ve been thinking circles around the issue of consent and appropriate sexual/social norms. But let’s simplify it. Don’t rape, stoopid (my words.)

In this episode of the Vent City the authors & hosts deliberate on the trailblazing article. The discussion starts at about the 8:25 mark but go ahead and listen to the whole thing, this podcast is pretty legit. As someone who probably wouldn’t pursue a podcast featuring dudes talking about skateboarding, I originally tuned in because I knew Alex and Kristin were featured in an earlier episode. Since, I’ve became pleasantly surprised by the insightful commentary of Ryan Lay, Kyle Beachy and two guys named Ted; Schmitz and Barrow. They have insightful conversations, and funny features. Like one that starts out sounding like a true crime podcast [LOVE] but ends up as a funny skateboarding anecdote. And in episode #9 I Don’t Know If You Have These Laws in The States, I Think, Maybe Not? in which Kristen participates, they have a very perceptive discussion about the Pushing Boarders conference back in August. Above all, the biggest takeaway from Vent City for me personally, is how different these dudes seem then the ones I grew up skating with in Medford, Oregon. Night and day. I’m pretty sure if I was at the same skatepark as any of these guys, I wouldn’t have to worry about them getting shitfaced and punching me, or stealing another girls skateboard and “focusing” it like some kind of hairy, leprechaun maniac! #neverforget. These guys sound, how can I put this… educated.  Is this the start to healing some PTSD I may be harboring? Perhaps. In the mean time, subscribe! Liked and followed ☑️. I’m even considering the ultimate “podcast fist bump” and lace them up with a review!

The article deals with the awful Neil Hendrix allegations, but as they discuss here in the VCP-cast, it is written from a progressive prospective, featuring real information on how to achieve & maintain appropriate relationships/boundaries with young people. Kristin, the Executive Director of Skate Like a Girl,  has worked with kids & been professionally trained on this subject for many years and Alex, the Brand Manager for Krux is the mother of 2 young boys and no dummy. Originally mobilized by Julz Lynn’s traumatic abuse disclosures, they share solid information article that should be useful to parents, team managers and all adults who work with children in skateboarding and other activities. TWEEEET TWEEEET, Calling all priests and Scout Masters! Here’s your instruction manual. And don’t ever bust this Manny! Or else you might go to jail, like Hendrix did(NOT.)