A- The Summer of 1978.
Q- Describe your first set-up.
A- Junior High school wood shop deck. The kind with the tail glued on. Bennett trucks. Road Rider wheels. Two strips of rubber grip tape (the kind made so you don't slip on stairs.)
Q- What got you stoked to begin skating?
A- Someone took me to SkaterCross skatepark in Reseda, California. I sat for hours watching Eric Grisham ride the snake run. I bought a Skateboarder magazine and some Red Hots from Lou Peralta in the Pro Shop, and that was it for me; I was there every day. Skating soaked deep into my skin.
Q- How has skateboarding changed your life?
A- It has been a source of extreme enjoyment and relaxation for me. Oddly, skating has always been a major stress reliever. The only thing that never let me down. Skateboarding even allowed me to make a living off of it for a short time as well. Through skating, I've made lifelong friendships, and traveled to places I definitely would not have had the chance to go to were I participating in a traditional "sport."
Q- Describe your current set up.
A- Skull Skates deck, Indys, soft 60mm wheels.
Q- What was your most memorable session?
A- The Imperial Ditch in San Diego circa 1985 (or somewhere around there.) It was a major snake session. Pineapple, Claar, Blender, Mountain, and many other big names. There were at least 80 people there, most skating all at the same time. No rules, no membership cards, and no pads or helmets. In retrospect, it was quite dangerous. People and boards were flying everywhere at high speed. Sand was flying in the air. I hit the deck hard after a rock got trapped beneath my wheel. I bled for weeks, but it was worth it.
Q- What's your favorite move?
A- Nothing could ever match the feeling of a long 5-0 grind to fakie on steel coping. I don't know why, but I always think about that move, though I will never wear a medallion.
Q- Do you think about the future?
A- Yes, and I always have. Not only do I think about the future, but I worry about it, and try to steer my future to the extent possible. After I retired from competitive skating in 1990, I put myself through 10 years of college. From a Community College on to a University and then on through Law School. I have just graduated with a Law Degree, and I'm going to shake loose some of these restrictive laws that affect skateboarding in the U.S. Particularly, I'm interested in repealing or at least reducing helmet laws and shielding public skateparks from liability. Skating has given me a lot, and I want to give something back if I can. I have a newborn son of my own, and I want to make sure that him and his buddies have places to ride if they choose to skate.
Q- Describe your definition of skateboarding.
A- One deck, two trucks, four wheels, and lots of speed. No one understands what skating really means until they have sat beneath a streetlight and picked small rocks from within the skin on their hands.
Q- What is the craziest thing you have done (or seen done) on a skateboard?
A- Remember those launch ramps pushed up to a wall in the late 80's? Chris Cook axle dropped into a wall-to-ramp with like 7 feet of vert. There was a HUGE gap between the wall and the ramp, but he went for it anyhow (and made it.) I still don't know how he didn't hang up. Amazing.
Q- Why keep skating?
A- No choice. Can't stop now. I just worry about snapping my wrists a little more than I used to.
Q- What is your impression of skating in it's current state?
A- I think it's great. I watch it on TV whenever it's on. I take my son to Upland Skatepark and we watch the locals skate for hours. Skateboarding will always evolve, and it's much easier to enjoy where it's at than to fight it. I do miss the 80's and 90's, but that's because I'm getting older and reaching the mid-life crisis stage. I can verify mid-life crisis status with motorcycle photos, if needed.
Q- Who is the greatest skateboarder of all time?
A- I must preface this answer by stating that, for me, it's not about raw technical ability, contest results, nor magazine coverage. It's about style, versatility, dedication, and attitude. All of that ads up to many skaters, but in my mind that person who exemplifies that model is Bill Danforth, The Nomad.
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