When did skateboarding change your life?
Straight away, from the day I first saw someone in my neighborhood skating out the front of my local convenience store. I remember seeing him doing slappy nose slides and Ollies over a milk create and thinking “damn that looks like fun!”
What is your favorite trick and why?
Way too hard to just pick one, I really like manuals at the moment. They really test your patience and push your skillset specially when trying harder flip in or out versions.
With skateboarding in the Olympics, do you think skateboarding can prostitute itself or to lose the true essence?
As much as I’m not into the Olympics and the idea of Skateboarding being involved with it, I have seen some pretty good benefits in it happening. A number of my friends and people who skate for either my brand or brands I work at have received financial help to travel the world and compete in places they probably would never have got to go to without these Olympic qualifying events. It also put pressure on governments to fund new and improved parks to be built around the world. I think no matter what happens Skateboarding will always have its roots and there’s plenty of people out there trying to keep that fun alive!
When was the first time you won a skateboard contest & how did you feel?
Against myself hahaha the first time I finally landed a kickflip! But an actual contest against other skaters, I’m not exactly sure when it was, to be honest. I was young I know that much and I just remember being hyped on winning a new board as the one I was riding was completely thrashed.
Skateboarding and music are very connected to each other, what do you like to listen to while skateboarding?
I can’t skate with headphones on, I really enjoy hearing the sounds my skateboard makes. I can, however, get down with a boombox or radio playing some old hip-hop or funky tunes in the background.
Do you prefer to shred in the streets or in the skatepark?
I’m getting old, I’ve got a wife and daughter now and work way too much so my times in the street are becoming few and far between. But I will always enjoy the thrill of hopping a fence and skating a schoolyard or weaving between traffic.
What inspires you to shred and evolve every day? fame or just fun?
Fun! 100% fun, if it isn’t fun you are doing it wrong!
What is your daily routine before you go shred?
Weekdays, I will go into the warehouse early check some emails, make some calls to shops and distros to try get some sales before a quick bite to eat then roll in my park or try hit a nearby spot before heading back to the warehouse in time for the daily pick up and get those orders out the door.
Any inspiring words you want to tell the next generation of skaters?
Go have some fun, don’t spend your time searching for you big sponsorship deal or training for the next big contest.