Mike Kosciesza woke up one morning feeling inspired.
Before he even got out of bed, he called his friend, Arthur Swidzinski.
"Hey, Arthur," he said, "let's do something crazy."
Then the two 20-year-old aspiring filmmakers came up with an idea:
Skateboard from Chicago to New York City – 850 miles -- and videotape the
trip for a documentary film called "Shred America."
Here's the plan: They'll ride seven to eight hours a day
(approximately 30 to 40 miles), eat fast food and then sleep on strangers'
couches along the way (courtesy of one of their sponsors, www.couchsurfing.com)
"And if we have to sleep under the stars some nights, oh well," Swidzinski says.
Kosciesza and Swidzinski, who are more fanatical about movie-making than skateboarding,
believe this trip will make a great documentary with all the adventure and drama of a reality TV show: physical pain, unexpected obstacles, followers
(think of the running scenes in "Forrest Gump"), strange encounters and emotional ups and downs.
"There'll be drama. That's for sure," Swidzinski says. "(When we get to New York), I might cry. It's possible.
There might be hugging, but we'll turn off the camera for that."
"No we won't," pipes in cameraman, James Lagen, 19, of Des Plaines, who will film them while following along -- on a bicycle.
They are still looking for a second cameraman to accompany them.
As Swidzinski prepared to demonstrate his skateboarding prowess for our photographer, he hopped on his new skateboard but abruptly
stopped after rolling just 5 feet down his driveway.
Something was wrong.
"Ooooh," he said, examining the skateboard and laughing. "Hey Mike, I think we put the longboard trucks on backward."
(Translation: They put the wheels on backward.)
"This is embarrassing," Swidzinski said, walking back toward the toolbox.
