They roll around on wheeled wooden boards, spending hours perfecting tricks and often paying for their devotion with bruises and injuries.

It's an existence that until recently earned some participants more disdain than admiration, which may help explain why skateboarders view the world a little differently from the rest of us.

Some of that unique perspective is captured in a new literary anthology, Life and Limb: Skateboarders Write From the Deep End.

The book is a blend of fiction and personal essays, some documenting the skateboarding culture, others touching on subjects unrelated to the sport.

"Instead of limiting people, we wanted things that came from the voice of a person who skateboards," explained one of the book's editors, Jared Jacang Maher. "The only thing we were really looking for was a good story."

Maher and friends Justin Hocking and Jeff Knutson conceived the book over beers at My Brother's Bar. The trio, all longtime skateboarders and writers, were looking for a way to showcase their two passions.

"I think there's this misperception that skateboarders are slackers, that they're not interested in intellectual pursuits," said Hocking. "We're trying to combat that in some ways." Hocking will appear with Knutson, Maher and contributor Steven Church at the Tattered Cover in Denver, Colorado * on Friday, July 23, 2004 *.

To strengthen their case, the team attracted contributions from such legendary skateboarding figures as Mark Gonzales * and Ed Templeton *, who are already well-regarded in artistic circles.

"That just really upped the level of what we were doing," said Maher.

But those looking for tips from Gonzales and Templeton will be disappointed. Gonzales provides a brief, bizarre bit of fiction, while Templeton chronicles an afternoon spent observing life in Los Angeles *.

The two stories reflect the wide diversity of topics covered in Life and Limb, which include world-record- holding tree-eaters and the repercussions of growing older in a sport designed for young, fearless kids.

But both Hocking and Maher warn that Life and Limb isn't the best fit for anyone under the age of 14.

"When we get a lot of kids in the audience (at book readings), I'm concerned because it is an adult book," said Hocking.

Maher, however, hopes the skateboarding contributors will lure older teenagers who love the sport and might not otherwise read the book.

And given the book's participants, he promises an unconventional book-signing.

"This is like a big, raging party."

"Life and Limb: Skateboarders Write From The Deep End" is 160 pages long, and was written by Justin Hocking, Jeff Knutson, Jared Jacang Maher, and Jocko Weyland, with contributions from Mark Gonzales and Ed Templeton. Published by Soft Skull Press, it retails for $13.95. There will be a free book signing at 7:30 p.m. Friday July 23rd, Tattered Cover Book Store, 1628 16th St., Denver Colorado 80206; there will also be a free post-signing party at 9 p.m., Andenken Gallery, 2110 Market St. For more information about the book-signing, call 303-322-1965 or go online to www.tatteredcover.com; for the after party, call 303-292-3281.

This article was originally entitled "Book fights the slacker skateboarder stereotype" and was found at http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/books/article/ 0,1299,DRMN_63_3050570,00.html.

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