Seattle artist and toddler dad Brett Hamil jumped on his first skateboard when he was 12. He’s never lost the urge to ride. Still by 2020, age, a day job, and fatherhood had carved a significant chunk out of his wheel time.
When he decided to build himself a half-pipe (a U-shaped high-sided ramp) in the family backyard last spring, Hamil hoped it would pique his son’s interest in boarding. He also expected friends, neighbors and even his wife to scratch their heads.
What he didn’t expect? How much the ramp would buoy his flagging spirits — or how his own midlife morale boost would become a genuine community booster as well.
In his new book Sk8t Dad Summer, Hamil (who shares his parenting adventures in a monthly cartoon for Seattle’s Child) delivers a lesson in rekindling old passions. But more, this sweet, funny, poignant little book that rides along one dad’s commitment to personal growth is a wonderful reminder that growth is possible at any age and every step of the parenting journey.
