Skateboarding Through Life
What lessons in life can people learn from skateboarding?
Well the main lesson that you can learn in life I think when it comes to skateboarding is the fact that you can't really run the whole deal on ego. After a while you just, you just find out that self will is not the way to really get things done. At a certain point when you're young I think you can get things done that way, but then eventually as you get older you just learn that sometimes there's just a higher power that you have to rely on to get you to the next level, and I think that comes with longevity and stuff too, is that you learn after a while that your God given gift to be a skateboarder comes from a higher power. It's like somebody that has guided you in that direction to where you've been blessed, you've been given this gift to not only have as long a career as I have at skateboarding, but anybody that's been able to last in skateboarding for 10, 20, 30 years just knows after a while that's it's not all about us. It's more about just having a blessed life and having an avenue to express yourself that is purely connected to spirutality, and the spirituality I think is what give you not only that quality of life, but also the mental and the physical connection.
What opportunities are there after being a pro-skateboarder?
I think that there is a lot of opportunities for pro skaters especially if you look at guys like there Pierre Andres who owns Etnis, to Jason Lee that is an actor, Mark Gonzales is an artist now. There is just so many opportunities. There are so many different things you can become. Maybe attain your goal of being a pro surfer or something at an older age in an older division. Or a soul surfer or you can become one of these extreme snowboarders and just travel around the world backpacking and taking helicopters to extreme levels. Or a producer, director. Like Stacy has done in is life. A photographer. A lot of the guys have become photographers. A lot of the guys have become designers for clothing, for video games. I mean basically the possibilities are limitless. And I think that skateboarders have always been tapped into so many creative outlets so that when it is time to take it to the next level, and to really do something new and different and something exciting and something successful, that we have already learned and payed a lot of dues through being skateboarders. Because it is a rough road to being successful as a professional skateboarder to begin with. And it gives you that incentive and that drive and that attitude, to where you can actually, anything is possible if you just put your mind to it. And if you just do things 100%. You cannot have half measures. Faith without works is dead. You have got to put it into action.
How are skateboarders when it comes to work and relationships?
A lot of them have to get sober and live life sober. They have to clean up their act. They can't be drinking beer and smoking weed every day. They can't be pretending they're cool guys, while basically having a misogynistic attitude. They can't be walking through life like they're the shit when they're not. When they're basically just wearing a mask and just trying to be a player. Trying to be all controlling with their ego and self will. You can't do that. It'll last for a little while, and you might impress a few people, but you know what? Long term, it isn't going to last.
What's next for the newest generation of skateboarders?
I think that technically kids use Skateboarders are living in an age where technology. Whether it be like from iPods to video games to what Skateboards are made out of to the terrain that they are riding, that's what is new for the kids. Every year, every decade it is changing, it is progressing, it is getting more technological. Who knows, I mean I am looking forward to the day when we ride hover board instead, I think that would be great, I mean really if that ends up, so staved that Joe Stevens lived long enough to ride a hover board you know
