What got you into skateboarding?
Well, when I was about 7 or 8, I would always watch Rocket Power and Rob and Big with my older sisters. That is one of the first times I remember seeing skateboarding on TV and I thought it was so sick. So, I asked her over and over for a skateboard and my mom got me a Wal-Mart board for my first skateboard. Once I got my board, I would always go down to my good buddy Kevin’s house and we would skate in his front yard. I guess as they say, the rest is history.
What is your skate scene like in your city?
The skate scene in Cincinnati is wicked. With Cincinnati being a smaller city, it makes our skate scene a close knit community where we all lift each other up and push each other to skate to our fullest. When we have a skate event going on, be prepared for grilled foods, cold brews, crazy tricks, and great laughs. The scene here really feels like a 2nd home.
What is your go to trick when starting a session?
Hmm, this depends on if I start my session at a park or in the streets. If I am at a park, I typically like to skate transition like a bowl, to get my legs warmed up. But in the streets if I can land a kickflip first thing out of the whip, I know its goanna be a good session.
Do you feel like skateboarding changed your life? How?
Absolutely. Skateboarding has taught me a lot. I easily would not be the person I am today without skating. It taught me self-discipline, like how to control my emotions when something does not go how I would like, to connect with others and people to whom I might not normally talk. Most of the people who I value in my life today, I met through skateboarding. Being a skater is like looking through a lens that changes how you see the world. I could go on and on about all that skateboarding has taught me and it would be a bigger list than what I learned in school.
What pro skater inspires your skating?
This is an easy one, Angel Cardenas. So those who know me know I have achondroplasia which is the form of dwarfism I have that makes our arm and leg bones shorter than a person without this condition. Angel was the first skater (besides Weeman) with the same condition that I saw skating and doing things I would never imagine being able to do. Watching him skate huge handrails and going down a 10 set of stairs gave me the biggest spark of inspiration. I used to watch his part on the Ride channel before every session to get me hyped. He showed me there is no excuse in skateboarding. Angel is an absolute ripper.
Do you prefer watching skateboarding on social media or buying it? Why?
So, I definitely like social media and being able to watch everyone’s footage so freely. I would say that is how I consume most skate videos I see. But I believe that if there is a company you really like and they work hard to make a full video, you should support that brand or team by buying their video. Skateboarders run the skate scene and it is important that skaters support other skaters.
What is the gnarliest trick you have ever done? How did it feel after landing it?
I do not know if it is the gnarliest, but my personal favorite is when I laser flipped my childhood 5 set, I used to always skate. When I was a kid, I always dreamed of doing that trick down that set, but at the time it seemed so far-fetched that the dream felt more like a fantasy. But last year, I revisited that set and landed the laser. I rolled away in disbelief, thinking about how stoked my younger self would be.
Tell us a little bit about your local skate shop and what they do for the scene.
We have a skate shop across the river in Newport, Kentucky called Galaxia currently owned by Gary Collins and was founded in 2007. Gary started Instrument skateboards which was one of the few Cincinnati board brands based in the tri-state. The crew at Galaxia is the reason we have the Newport DIY under 471. Most know it as the Bridge, necessary checkout skatepark if you visit Cincinnati. There’s also Blacklist Skate Shop that just opened their 2nd location in downtown Cincinnati sometime last year but has been around since 2004 and is currently run by Joe Hughes. Blacklist hosts not all but most of the local premieres as far as videos and projects the skaters of Cincinnati create. These two shops are the fuel that powers the fire in the Cincinnati skate scene. Thank you, Joe, and Gary, for all they have done and continue to do for skateboarding!
What is your daily routine before you go shred?
Before I head out for the day, I tend to turn a skate video while getting ready. I do some light exercises and stretches to get my body warmed up. Typically, I do not eat before going out but if I do, I try to keep it light. Usually, a piece of fruit or a granola bar, but I always make sure to have a cup of coffee. Then I head out for whatever the skate session has in store for me that day.
Any inspiring words you want to tell the next generation of skaters?
There are no limits when it comes to skateboarding. The only limits which exist in skating are the ones you created yourself.
