by Laura Krug aka Zack’s Mom

Zack’s been skating since he was a kid growing up in the South Bay. Saturdays meant loading into the car with a few friends and heading to Skate Lab in Simi Valley. Back then, skating in LA as a kid, if you were lucky enough, revolved around trips to indoor private parks like Skate Lab and Vans at the Block. Burnside was just getting getting noticed, and public skate parks were mostly in the planning stages.

Inspired by Skate Lab’s wood ramps, I built a plywood ramp in our backyard. It was about 3 feet high and six feet long. It was a fun new spot to offer the neighborhood — welcoming to some, alarming to others. Sensing the danger and wanting to avoid trips to the ER a few parents banned their kids from the ramp.

Zack picked up a video camera in Jr. High and made his first skate film. His gym teacher liked it enough to screen it in class. Friends asked for their own copy, and the DVR tapes sold for $5 each. Hermosa Beach and Torrance opened their public skate parks around this time.

On to high school, Zack was drawn to Inglewood Skate Park. It felt more like greater LA, than the sheltered and constricting “South Bay Bubble”. Varied crews of skaters found admiration, some conflict, and a lot of common ground. I mistakenly thought that once he started driving, he would lose interest in skating. The ability to drive gave new life to his passion.

After high school, fleeing the constrictions of the “bubble,” Zack moved to San Francisco, where he spent the next 13 years making a new home, skating the city’s legendary urban streets, and navigating the highs and lows of young adulthood. His street photography practice took root. My favorite photos were of the people he befriended. It was a time when S.F. was fighting off the tech take over and losing badly. Through Zack’s eyes, I could feel the City with an open heart, and he drew me in to join the few remaining, who appreciated the remnants of old San Francisco with a mix of love, loss and resignation.

Today, Zack is back in Los Angeles, thankfully close to family and new friends. Despite the many enviable trips to the ER, and skate injuries that make my skin crawl, my kiddo makes me proud. He is crafting a soul-filled life, holding deep love and care for his friends and family and fiercely holding true to himself. Watch him, his approach will take him far.