To no surprise, the staff at Jenkem love Louie Barletta. His infectious attitude, childlike wonder and shit eating grin match our ethos to a tee, so when we saw he launched a new initiative with Push Skateboards, we thought we’d offer our support.
Push is a company under the umbrella of Sidewalk Distribution, one that works closely with nonprofits to support the growth of skateboarding everywhere. Through Push, Louie is raising money to hire a mental health specialist as a permanent staff member at Sidewalk.
In doing this, he hopes to set a precedent within skateboarding, one that acknowledges the need for mental health support when team riders need someone to turn to. Because while we all see the positives of a career in skateboarding, we as a community often gloss over the dark mental periods of injury, substance abuse, self doubt, anxiety and depression.
In this mini doc from our friend Josh Roossin, Louie digs through his endless archive of stories, talks about the ups and downs of his own skate career and discusses what brought him to this initiative. If you, like us, love Louie, you’ll love this.
Check out the site HERE.
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November 18, 2024 5:57 pm
Watch…MJ is going to be the next “mental health” example or advocate or something. He’ll try to get his career and legacy back, and might even apologize to MC.
November 19, 2024 5:03 pm
Doubt it, MJ has always been a dick
November 19, 2024 3:54 am
Love Louie
November 20, 2024 10:27 am
Louie’s part in Stay Gold is still one of my favorites. Reminds me that skateboarding needs to be fun no matter what you do.
Thanks Phenkem!