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  • 4 months ago
Tommy Cuba, a renowned skateboarder from Newark, has competed in numerous tournaments and been profiled in top skating magazines. He is one of the founders of “Shorty’s Skate Park”, built by hand from scraps, which is a legendary hub for skating enthusiasts from all over the country. Despite a motherless childhood, Tommy owns a timeless joy for life and generosity of spirit that captivates all those around him. Yet, his deliberately insulated world cannot prepare him for the looming forces of change.
Transcript
00:02In the beginning there, when there was nobody here, there was just crackheads, and we actually cleaned all that up.
00:07We would use the garbage to fill the ramps.
00:10The place is called Shorty's.
00:12This is where I want to be. Everybody has so much fucking heart.
00:16I don't even like watching the news or what's going on. I don't know what's going on.
00:20I keep it right here in this little cusp.
00:23My older cousin, he actually got me my first skateboard.
00:27Been skating 17 years now.
00:31I like always something to be happening. I'll sleep when I'm dead.
00:34It's a party, 24-7, and like, we don't have heat.
00:38This is what's happening right now until things change.
00:41I guess it has to do with maybe my mom leaving me and shit, me scared to be alone.
00:45I think she knows how old I am.
00:48This is my haven, this is my church, this is my second home.

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