Rodney Hiles rolls across South Jefferson Street in downtown in preparation for his acrobatic move.
When Rodney Hiles was growing up in East Brady, he dreamed of the time when four wheels would transport him from one place to another. Those four wheels were not a car, but rather a skate board.
Hiles began skateboarding when he was just 12 years old. Throughout his teen years, he developed skill as he practiced every opportunity that he had.
Hiles is caught by photography in mid-air as he jumps over the traffic stripe.
Now 27 years old, his skateboard is still a vital part of his life. Although he lives in Kittanning and works as a cook at the Craft House Gastropub in West Kittanning, his free time is still spent on four tiny wheels that often have him up in the air as much as on the ground.
“It’s just something I enjoy doing,” Hiles said.
Hiles isn’t alone. A 2009 report found that the skateboarding market is worth an estimated $4.8 billion in annual revenue with over 11 million active skateboarders in the world. In 2016, it was announced that skateboarding will be represented at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Right on cue, Hiles comes back down and lands directly on his skateboard with precision timing.
Hiles said the action sport is mostly a recreational activity for him, and sometimes a method of transportation that helps him get from one place to another on short jaunts.
Hiles acknowledges there are some areas that prohibit the use of skateboards. Skateboarding has damaged curbs, stonework, steps, and benches in plazas and parks. However, he said his sport isn’t as extreme as some.
“It’s just enjoyable to me,” he said.