Skateboarding is life. Midwest legend Donny Diederich was raised in South Omaha in the early 1980s. He tells crazy stories about the old-school skate scene and also explains how easy it is for a kid growing up on the streets to slide into trouble—big trouble. But through it all, skateboarding saved his life again and again.

CREDITS: Center of Gravity is hosted by Brenton Gomez. This episode was written and produced by Mary Anne Andrei with help from Brenton Gomez. Our executive producer is Chad Davis. Sound design and mixing by Emily Kreutz. Additional studio recording by Andy Bigham. Music direction by Chad Davis. Music by Conny Franko, M34NSTR33T, and Sideshow. Video production and graphic design by Jennifer Johnson. Our fact checker is Lauren Paatela.