When did skateboarding change your life?
Christmas 2004, my dad got me a PS2 with THPS3 and THPS4. Over the next few months of lawn work and helping around the house, I went from an $8 Kmart board to a Mongoose board, then a World Industries board. Right before my birthday in May, I found one of my uncle’s old CCS catalogs, got my own subscription and started planning my first actual board! I eventually found skate shops, Fast Forward was my first. As soon as I walked into the shop, I was ALL IN!
What is your favorite trick and why?
Oh man, that’s hard to narrow down. I love seeing a dipped bs smith… or fs big spins. My favorite trick to do would have to be any new trick! That feeling never gets old!
With skateboarding in the Olympics, do you think skateboarding can prostitute itself or to lose the true essence?
That’s a weird one. I feel like no matter what happens in skateboarding or in the whole world, the pure essence of skating will always be there. I always thought skateboarding should be in the Olympics growing up. It’s going to be interesting to see how that goes, but I’m excited that skateboarding is getting a bigger audience. That just means more people picking up boards and doing their thang.
I wish there was more education on how the dollar spent effects the bigger picture of skateboarding, though. I was unaware of the impact that money-hungry peeps have on skating. So far, we’re kind of seeing a monopoly in the skate shoe industry. As the smaller, cheaper skate shoe companies continue to go out of business, people are going to have to spend higher, on average, for their shoes. Nike recently said they were going to quit making golf clothes due to a lack of return on their product. Why would they not do the same to skateboarding? Skate shops are being put out of business by dealing with NDA carrying companies. So, needless to say, there are a lot of pros and cons, but hopefully, the end result will be more skaters.
When was the first time you won a skateboard contest & how did you feel?
I didn’t win anything in a contest until early 2011, at a SHRED SHED(RIP) contest. I won a board there and was so hyped! I was hanging out at the shop a lot and it felt so rad to get a board. But making those memories and meeting so many people was the real prize. Haha
Skateboarding and music are very connected to each other, what do you like to listen to while skateboarding?
I don’t listen to music while skating as much as I used to, but it all depends on the vibes. Everything is on rotation; blues, rock, metal, rap, hip-hop, EDM. No Country!
Do you prefer to shred in the streets or in skateparks? Why?
I’ll always choose a street sesh over a park, but sometimes a park is a way to go. We just explore and go to cities or areas we haven’t explored yet, so much fun, though.
Have you ever thought about giving up skateboarding? Why?
I’ve never thought about quitting, but I think about getting older a lot, hah! I’m going to try to be rolling around ‘til I die!
What inspires you to shred and evolve every day? Fame or just fun?
It’s definitely about fun. I have to roll around a little bit every day to not get all antsy. I’m not sure if it’s the freedom or the cardio workout. Nothing else compares to the sound of wheels rolling over sidewalk cracks, power slides, and the feeling of rolling away from a new trick.
What is your daily routine before you go shred?
My daily routine always varies. I’ll usually go skate around town on a lunch break or after work. The weekend sesh is basically just meeting up with some homies and mobbing around the streets, scoping out all the nooks and crannies for spot potential
Any inspiring words you want to tell the next generation of skaters?
I would just tell them to do what makes them hyped. Whether that be making a brand or a shop, making videos with your friends or rolling around in an empty parking lot. The inspiration is a cycle, for sure. When I see rad stuff, it makes me want to do rad stuff, too!
Also, IPECAC (ip-eh-cac), a video made by Pushfoot boards/ Refuse Wheels/ Mammoth Hardware is coming January 18th, 2020! Getcha a copy for local hype!
