TBT - Justin Bokma "Weren't We Untouchable?"

Justin Bokma was like a little brother to me in my younger days as I chased a dream or some sort of gravitational pull to skateboarding. The skateboard community lost a true ruler of the board and the positive spirit he enveloped around you while in his presence. This Saturday, October 15th is a tribute show in his honor at the Bricks of Ybor at 8pm. Come out if in the area to see some amazing artists works from all over the world including Kevin Wilkins with an excerpt below from his essay “Even now”. Plus enjoy this video Dan Bokma put together of Justin ripping it up. Kyle Randall Weren't we untouchable? Weren't we below the radar enough, behind the scenes enough, unexplainable enough? Didn't we adequately side step concerns over real jobs, real responsibilities, and real life so convincingly that we earned ourselves a Passover when it came to a disadvantage of this nature? I know the answer. But in hearing the deep, guttural negative, I'm still looking for a way out of the inevitable, knowing that something as real as death doesn't apply—shouldn't apply—to anyone in my circles. I don't think I'll write his name on my shoes. I won't wear a black armband. I'm just gonna be sad for a while. After that, I'll go places where we skated together, where we worked together, where we learned together, and I'll smile. Because I think now he's not only in my thoughts, but he knows my thoughts—he knows your thoughts—and that's gotta be pretty damn sweet. Kevin Wilkins

Check out more photos of Justin here