“To this day, I want to live like the kids on Rocket Power. But unlike when I was 8, it’s not because of the activities they did or their ability to hit the beach several times a week. It’s because of the friendship among the main characters and how powerful it was.” —Aaron Kasinitz

When I was about 8 years old, I leaned against the leather couch in the living room of my childhood home with my feet on the coffee table and my eyes fixed on the TV. I was entranced. I wanted the world on the screen to be my world. 

And let’s be honest, you probably felt the same way when you watched Rocket Power. The characters of the Nickelodeon cartoon that aired from 1999 to 2004 had the most bonkers life. 

Otto and Reggie Rocket and their friends Twister and Squid lived right by a beach and minutes from an amusement park. They were awesome athletes, too, and when the grade-schoolers finished surfing or skateboarding, they went to the Shore Shack, owned by Ray Rocket (Reggie and Otto’s dad), for free hamburgers.

Toss in a friendly Hawaiian cook named Tito and a rad handshake, in which the kids said “woogity woogity woogity,” and how could you not be envious of the Rocket Power crew?

To this day, I want to live like the kids on Rocket Power. But unlike when I was 8, it’s not because of the activities they did or their ability to hit the beach several times a week. It’s because of the friendship among the main characters and how powerful it was.

It wasn’t the sports, the skate park or the ocean that allowed the kids to have so much fun. It was the inside jokes about shoobies, the support of Reggie’s magazine, The Zine, and that nifty handshake.

You might not remember that Otto and Reggie’s mom was never around in Rocket Power. She died in a surfing accident when the kids were young, leaving Ray as a single parent. It’s easy to forget, though, because Otto and Reggie were always so happy and had so much support.

Sure, Otto loved to surf, but he always had Twister there to tape him. The characters  played on the same street hockey team and any time one of the friends needed help, they talked it out and leaned on Tito for help.

Oh, and did I mention how cool that handshake was?

The best parts of the show — and the kids’ lives — didn’t have anything to do with location. The group’s friendship would have thrived if they were surfing in the fictional town of Oceans Shores, Calif., or watching TV with me in Rockville. 

I remember when I came to that realization: It was the summer before I entered fifth grade, and  my mom told me she would take me to Six Flags to swim in the wave pool, which I had been nagging her to do for months. I finally would get to catch some waves and be like Otto, Reggie and the rest of the gang.  

I could take one friend, so I decided to call my best buddy T.J. He was onboard with coming to Six Flags, and I was pumped. 

Problem was, Brian called a couple of minutes later to ask if I wanted to go play football, and I didn’t want to make him feel left out — my mom wouldn’t let me bring more than one friend — so I said I’d call him back. Before I could call Brian, though, Darien called. And then Tyler gave me a buzz. They too wanted to play football. 

That’s when it hit me that I’d rather see all of my friends than go to Six Flags with just one. And you have to believe Otto would rather do that, too.