AROUND THE WORLD ...ON A SKATEBOARD!
HE’S been called the Forrest Gump on a skateboard. Threeand-a-half years ago, he got on his skateboard in the USA, and just kept going.
Wexford motorists may have spotted the dreadlocked Mark Williams skateboarding along the roads of the county last week as he made his way down to Rosslare. It was just the latest leg in his plan to travel around the world on his skateboard.
He arrived in Gorey on a very wet Wednesday, and sought refuge in the Wreckless indoor skate park and skate shop at Ramstown, where the waterlogged and well-worn deck of his board was very kindly replaced by supporters at the store.
In the past three-and-a-half years, he has covered 14,785 miles, through all the states in the US and through five other countries including Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.
The 29-year-old from Maryland began his journey in Vermont on March 27, 2014. Though he has taken time out to return home, and to go back to work, he estimates he has spent two years and five months on the road. ‘It’s me, a skateboard, and a backpack,’ he said. ‘I accept anything given through donations.’
‘I wanted to see my country, and now I want to see the world,’ he said. His ultimate dream is to open a skate shop and a pizza shop, but for now, he relies on online donations on his GoFundMe page, and the generosity of new friends he makes along the way. He replaces parts of the board as needed, while his shoes wear out every two to three weeks.
‘People have been so good with offers of accommodation and cash donations,’ he said. Avoiding motorways, he spent four days travelling down from Dublin to Gorey, where he took a day’s rest due to the rain. Wreckless staff member Alex Butler put him up for the night.
Colleague Cillian Power said they were very impressed by Mark’s story. ‘It’s great to see someone going outside their comfort zone and seeing what they can do on the board,’ he said.
‘There’s been a good solid community everywhere I went,’ said Mark. In Rosslare, he planned to catch the ferry to Fishguard, and on to Amsterdam, France, Spain and Portugal. Follow Mark CRT Williams on Instagram and Facebook.