” Bro’s and Sista’s Skateboard Demo”… Thats what Don Hartly suggested. I title my recent skateboarding event poster when I asked his advice. (This event was his next booking after Seylynn, The Grand Opening of Tenacity Skatepark).I had titled it… “Pro Skateboard Demonstration…” get my point, see the difference? This is how our Bro, Don Hartly felt about us all!!!
Skateboarders… he LOVED us ALL! Bro’s and Sista’s that’s how he thought of us, as family! He was this way all his skateboarding life. Don Hartly had seen 4.5 decade of skateboarding go by, made legions of friends in the process and was always doing what he loved the most…Skateboarding.Don was a giving, humble and easy going guy very social and really very fun loving. Any of you who knew him would attest to this, just a plain fun guy, never bad vibes VERY IRIE MON. Yet Don was no push over, he stood up for what he believed in, and that was Family, skateboarder life/culture and ethics/REGGAE MUSIC SOUNDS,TRUTH and RIGHTS! All that really very positive stuff!!!Don was a family man with a beautiful Wife and two Kids, he knew and loved his Parents and his Sister and all his extended family, Japanese and Canadian. He was part of a strong family, an International one! A totally family oriented person. He brought that civility to skateboarding. Don always skated in the spirit of the Session, skating together with others, enjoying session time together. Burning Spear had a song that went…” Don’t you know Social Living is the Best”.…Don loved that song and would always sing along. This is what Don Hartly was all about, what he was made of at the core of his personality. He was a good vibes skater Bro! Encouraging all men women and children to skateboard. Skateboarding with other skaters, being in the park getting on a SESSION, finding the lines,busting the moves, this was true love proven by decades of commitment. Watching time stand still in the park, the end of long summer days, revelings in what a great set of rides one had just enjoyed…skateboarding visions, visualizing our craft, our art, building up our game.
Don and I would do that. We bought Surfer magazines and studied at them constantly. Don purposely would emulate surfing in his skating. See how he’s skating in the final videos taken of him at Seylynn, just flowing and floating, turning his torso and looking back from where he had just come from. And those backside bertleman coping grinds in the deep ends. (I have some video of those rides thankfully)! Even the Hottest of the Hot Southern Cal posse couldn’t believe their eyes when he’d pull those off. SURF dudes and dudettes, SURF!!! That’s the roots, that was our roots. We visualized SURF, and manifested it in our skate park reality day, Don rarely competed that I know of, but pushed the limits of self expression, having fun showing people what can be done on a skateboard.
I personally feel that DON HARTLY should be recognized as the Canadian Pioneer/Father of Skateboard Culture, for the West Coast at least, if not further afield. He had at least 42 years skateboarding experience, he would have started when he was about 10 years of age! He was the elder statesman of our Art!Funny though how ya have to die to before your recognized for what you do, for who you are. What a bummer!
Jimi Hendrix…the best all time Guitarist…Sam Cooke best all time Soul singer…Janis Joplin…the best all time white sister Blues singer…Bob Marley …best all time Reggae man! Don Hartly…Coolest Skateboarder in the West! I knew it.Great works of achievement live on to be great inspirations to all of us and to many generations to come. But wait a minute he was just a skateboarder? BULL DOO DOO! He was a SKATEBOARDER! And among the first of a his generation!!!I ask?…Are not Don Hartly’s skateboarding achievements, that have so profoundly impacted our lives and effected our skateboard community in so many cool ways, are they not alike in merit? Are his contributions to skateboarding not deserving of some form of commemoration? Some may not agree.But I say, and much of the skateboarding community, will agree and say, while we are alive to say it… Live on Forever Carver! There will be better skaters to come along, sure (technically, and compared to what, eh?), but the roots is the roots, where everything branches out and stems from. Don Hartly, is a skateboarder progenitor of the Art in Western Canadian History, an originator in an activity only 45 years young! And fully deserving of any title that now may bestowed upon him.Don Hartly…did I hear someone say legend?…A LEGEND INDEED!!! Let us go on in celebration of Don’s skateboarding life, a living man that persuaded us that skateboarding is a positive life style choice, a pace that Don never broke stride on, a shining example. He set the pace at Seylynn, always a Brother Father to his Tribe… The West Coast Skateboarders and Skateboard Scene.What did Don live for…Family and Friends of course. Don lived for… the LOVE of Skateboarding and it’s participants…he was Full On with the Love Man. What an example he was for our Youth, for all of us! Our beloved Elder peer mentor.His Lifes Legacies???… Love, Family, Skateboarding and Reggae Music DJaying! Don Mon, always with us in spirit and in truth, Live for Iver Carver. Flow Forever!
With respect to my Bro and all the Hartly Family and all of the Skaters who knew
Carver Don (and even those who didn’t), written from a feeling of great joy and honor to have had known such a friend, accompanied with a deep sadness for his families and All of OUR LOSS.
with All My Love , Shuggy Milligan, AKA HUI, Don’s skateboarding right hand man.
