Thank you, thank you. You ask me why, of all people, I give tribute to these guys. I can write about Ichiro Suzuki or Hideo Nomo or Fabiola da Silva or Matt Salermo or [insert fave athlete here]. Well, honestly, I don't exactly know why! All I know is that I don't like them because they're Japanese, but they really have skill and deserve a corner in my humble abode. They really astounded me. Especially Takeshi.

Probably this corner is more on the Takeshi side. It's because I like him more than Eito! (Sanosuke: I may be fish-brained but I know that your reason sucks. Why would you write something about someone you don't like?! I mean, if you like me a lot more than Kenshin, why write about him?! Kenshin: Hail the reincarnation of Confucius!) Yes, Eito's great (super) but Takeshi's got, um, a special something that makes him attractive. Ah, I'm talking trash ^^; (Sanosuke: Obviously... Kenshin: All hail Confucius' descendant!) Bottom line is, I like Takeshi. Period.

Takeshi Yasutoko, if you meet him for the first time, may seem innocent, shy, and conservative. He doesn't look like someone who could be involved in such sport. He may strike you as just some guy whom you see at school, malls, and such. Eito, on the other hand, may look like a protective big brother. He may seem friendly and sociable. But you don't really "see" them until you've watched them on the ramp.

These guys started skating since they were little tykes and were pulling off death-defying tricks at a very tender age. (Yukito: Did I just hear "tender"?) Their father was a big help in developing their skating skills for he owns a skate park called Good Skates (Is the Osaka branch still open?) and he had experience in this kind of stuff. Thus, through observation of fellow skaters, patience, perseverance and determination, constant practice, and very supportive parents, their skating skills were honed and they became the Yasutoko brothers you see now.

The Yasutoko brothers are regarded as two of the best inline skaters ever. But they remain underrated. Many people do not know the Yasutoko brothers (yet) because they like/know Americans and Europeans and Australians. Anyways, (why do I keep on wandering away from the subject?) as I said before, they are two of the best ever. They air so high they seem to be flying skate so smoothly like silk. The tricks they do are unusual and almost impossible to do yet they look natural. Truly, the Yasutoko brothers reign on the halfpipe.

Lots of people (including moi) call these two the Yasutoko Brothers, collectively. They think they're the same, not at all different except in age and physical appearance. They think that they are just one and the same.

But they're all wrong.

Eito and Takeshi are so much different. Takeshi likes different sports while Eito focuses on skating alone. In competitions, Takeshi strives to earn more style points and Eito likes to do the unthinkable (my friends call it "showing off") (remember the 1080 flatspin?). Takeshi likes to play it safe but Eito? He's a different story.

I wonder how they manage to stay so close in spite of the necessity to compete with each other. In doubles and triples, these guys seldom pair up with other athletes and when they're together they produce very fluid and very consistent motion. They really have style when they skate. These guys are totally inseparable. When one goes to this competition, the other goes with him. Rarely would you know that one joined and the other did not though it does happen sometimes. In short, they are definitely the best.

You might be curious why I spend so much time with this little grotto. I should be studying (thing I never do) or doing my homework (thing I do at school) or eating Pocky, but here I am, in front of the computer, coding some HTML for my website. OK, I'll tell you about my Yasutoko history even though you will just skip this part and read on.

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Little Sachi was a simple, ordinary, anime otaku. She likes anime and Jpop like any anime otaku should. One beautiful summer day, Little Sachi can't find anything interesting to do. She just felt sick of all her CD's and tapes and her mother was using the Internet. She had already read and re-read each and every one of her books (which can fill a library) and she wants to do something new. She decided to do a little channel surfing (although they had no cable). As she pressed the buttons on the TV, she accidentally switched to Channel 23. A delayed telecast (waaaaaaaay delayed. The year was 2000 and they showed the 1999.) of X-Games was running. Since it was the only interesting show (and she misses watching X-Games. She was thirteen then and the last time she watched the X was when she was ten), she stuck with it. Someone was skating the halfpipe and he interested her. She didn't know who it was and she wanted to catch a glimpse of the name. She thought he was American because she was still ignorant then and she thought Americans were good at that kind of stuff. To her surprise, it was Japanese! What really struck her was that he was only a year older than she was! She was really speechless. After that, she called up her best friend Rochelle and told her about the X. As weeks progressed, Little Sachi and Rochelle professed their love to Takeshi and Eito Yasutoko. They were a step closer to Yasutoko obsession. But Big Bad David came along and Little Sachi was left alone. She still teased and taunted Best Friend Rochelle, but it didn't seem to work. Big Bad David was doing his job. So, as a result she stood in the heart of the Yasutokobsession City.

*******

Yes, I know, there are a lot more skaters out there like Cesar Mora, Matt Salermo or Fabiola da Silva, but none of them proved to be as good or as interesting as these two. They're unspeakably great. Totally (Sachi's Double: To totality and beyond!).

Time to sum these up. The Yasutoko brothers are simply the best. People, let Eito and Takeshi be a model to you. I'm not saying that you should risk your life and join the X-Games and kick people's butts! All I want to say is, aim high. Reach for your dreams. Don't let anyone talk you out of something you really put your heart into. Never let anything stop you from making your dream a reality. Life is an adventure and no matter what you do, you can't stop it from taking its course. Set you goals and when you have done so, try your very best to achieve them.

Now for some profiles:

Name: Takeshi Yasutoko
Nickname: Japanese Bullet (or The Adorable One by SaMoChelle. Not official)
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Hometown: Osaka, Japan
Birthdate: June 26, 1986
Age: 15

Some notable physical stuff:

Takeshi wears glasses. Usually wears gray G-Skates uniform at competitions. One of the most adorable guys on the ramp. Is the one who often wears shorts. The OmiKen type.

Name: Eito Yasutoko
Nickname: Eight (or sometimes Chocoleito by SaMoChelle. Not an official nickname)
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Hometown: Osaka, Japan
Birthdate: July 29, 1983
Age: 18

Some notable physical stuff:

Eito dyed his hair red (or orange). Usually wears G-Skates uniform at competitions. The one who goes to the extreme. Often wears black. Is the brother who wears pants. The YojiSchuRanBrad type.

For more info, please visit the official Good Skate Japan, Inc. website at www.goodskates.com .