chris miller skateboarder wife chris miller skateboarder wife

You were sessioning the combi pool a lot, huh? Vuori is a true collaborative effort. I went to Pipeline and it was just like mecca. Eventually this lead me and a friend to find our first backyard pool, which in hindsight, was literally a life-altering event for me. I got a GandS Fiberflex with Road Rider Wheels and Bennett trucks. What did you think of Kona? As a skater, he was super amazing. When I was a little older, the first skate contest I went to where I was going to stay overnight was this contest in Lakewood, CA. I wish Neil were a little more available nowadays. I mostly skated with the younger locals like Chris Robison, Eric Jueden and Billy Braden. A lot of people have seen him skate and dig his style, but they also dig his personality. I learned so much during that period of time and I understand business and brands in a way that I dont think I could have in school. They actually got pretty good towards the end. Randy Janson ruled. [3], Blind released its first video in 1991, entitled Video Days, which featured full-length parts from Gonzales, Mariano, Richter, Lee, and Johnson. Or did you ride Indys for a little while before you went to Gullwing? Blind (stylized as bLind) is a skateboard company founded by Mark Gonzales in 1988 under Steve Rocco's World Industries distribution company. Welcome Miller Beast on Crossbone Metallic Deck. It was great. Everyone who skated with him can vouch for this, and as you read on, we will find out that he has been blessed with the ability to move on into other aspects of his life and be just as impressive of a businessman and most importantly a providing and loving husband and father of two future sports cars. Born in California in 1967, Chris honed his skills on the unforgiving concrete of the legendary Pipeline Skatepark in Upland, California before becoming the National Skateboard Association's amateur series vert champion in 1985. I ended up getting eighth place. I was making a little bit of money. Its great to see him out there, first and foremost doing something he enjoys so much and has so much passion about. No. So I guess its that good things dont always come easy. They were like, Go and see if you can stay with somebody else. So I went back in the skatepark and Im asking all these people that I didnt really know if they had a place I could stay. Did you catch a lot of crap from Salba? I just remember it being super-gnarly. They were totally cool with me. In the video, the only thing they show is me hanging up. Were you surfing at the time, too? We skated the banks. I remember hearing about it because everyone was coming back going, It was crazy. No, they didnt have the combi yet. And when youre doing a backside air into a corner, its so gnarly because of the trajectory. The halfpipe was funny. And since its something I spent so much time doing, I can relate to him in a lot of ways. Its home to dozens of surf, skate, and snowboard pros. It was pretty bad. At first, we were scared of that 15-foot bowl. I try not to give too many pointers. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means; electronic, mechanical, photocopy, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, photographers, writers, or artists named herein. I respect his artistic talent so much. I was around when he threw the TV set in the pool. When its time for an event, he gets the go-ahead to compete. Eventually, Skate City went under, but for a while, we still had those three parks. It grew from there. Known as Godfather of Skateboarding, this is the story of Rodney Mullen, who started off skateboarding in his garage to become one of the legends in skateboarding. That clover bowl was really fun. Chris Miller. Planet Earth grew and was successful, and that success lead me to start Adio Footwear and a few other brands in the skate and snowboard space. Around that time, my parents split up and my mom moved to Claremont, which is the next city up from Upland. He was a pro skater at 10 years old. I was with the younger kids that hung out in the back and rode all the little stuff. Pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler married registered nurse Abigail Baloun in a romantic ceremony he described as a "fairytale." Instagram/@abigail.baloun Ryan Sheckler has said "I do." The pro. We didnt want to go anywhere near that thing. Well, skateboarding was small enough at that point that the contests were still Pro/Am events. All right, bro. Chris Miller Products Support Pro Skaters by buying their gear. Every time I see Don Hoffman, Im like, Wheres the other footage? The other thing is I dont have any footage of myself skating Upland at all. 7/13/2018. People tell him, I remember when you were a little kid.. What was that like to see all those different styles of skateboarding? Thats what inspired me to start Planet Earth in the early 90s. Blind released a limited edition skateboard deck, designed in collaboration with the Berrics, which were signed by Rogers. It was just so small. Yeah. Out East, we were doing a lot of backyard ramps. Wed go to San Diego and skate with Tony Hawk, Billy Ruff, Ken Park and Owen Nieder. We post recaps of our own events with photos and video here. . That was happening elsewhere, like in Arizona and other places in So Cal. Yeah. Platform Group designs and builds the best skateparks. But each fall is not a failure, its a lesson in what not to do. He currently resides in San Marcos, California. He was super cool. Become a Boardr member and get access to our Global Rankings reports and more. The company produces decks, wheels, soft goods and accessories. Id go to Am contests and those guys would always be there. A list of upcoming events The Boardr is associated with. Eventually, I got on Santa Cruz and Indy because of the Albas. Hes a great mentor for the kids at the YMCA in Encinitas, not because of his ability, but because he spends time with them, said the elder Miller, now 43. What would it be like to be him? They had a killer full pipe, too, right? I was going to make it or slam. Cole is known for performing tricks like Backside 360 Kickflip and Switch Frontside flip. It offers me a method and vocabulary to better understand the mind-body connection. You cant go too fast. Hobie The guy was total entertainment. If Id been pro, I would have been totally stoked on Santa Cruz and Indy. Lets talk about the infamous combi pool backside corner air lockup. .css-spn4bz{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;color:inherit;}.css-spn4bz:hover,.css-spn4bz[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-spn4bz:focus-visible,.css-spn4bz[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}. Now Im back in my office. You were probably like, 13 years old. When you go into a place like that, you cant believe it. Its footage that his dad filmed. Yoga was a life changer for sure! I still didnt think that it would last or be a career, but it just kept growing from there to now, where there are pros making seven figures. I just want to hear it from your perspective. Did you ever catch wind of that or were you isolated from that with the Hoffmans taking you around? My older brother was a hardcore surfer, and like I said, as a kid I was completely inspired by the surf/skate culture of Dogtown. The company's logo for many years was a stylized grim reaper. We were just Ams. We got there in the morning and didnt leave until it closed. Eventually that experience lead me to the idea of creating my own label, offering a different perspective on skateboarding, and sponsoring younger riders that I could help mentor and bring up. I have nothing but respect and good things to say about him. I would have so much energy from the crowd and the music and everything that was going on. I didnt realize you had two covers. It just felt so good for my body and mind! It wasnt that bad. The decks sold out within their first day of availability. Quick Facts Who is Rodney Mullen? With my mom being a single mom, the skatepark was the babysitter. We came back later and there was some gnarly, older dude skating, but he wasnt anybody famous. We still had Upland, Skate City and Del Mar. That was cool. But really it wasnt until after I was already a pro that I realized it could be a career of any sort. Youd be busted. Between 1998 and 2005, his shoe brand, Adio, grew from a start up to one of the five major skate footwear brands. It just comes with the territory. 2021 $84.99. Inside This Soft World | Dave Rastovich x Nathan Oldfield, Grant Brittain photography part 2 - i Had a conversation, Grant Brittain photography part 1 - i Had a conversation. I was like, Okay. What was it like hanging out with Neil Blender? Manzoori was again enlisted for the project, entitled X2 Vision, and premieres were held in 18 cities internationally. Then I got to a point where I was winning most of the Am contests. Being that you surf as well, do you feel a synergy between the two pursuits, and do you feel surfing helped bring about a more flowing style to your skateboarding? His father is most proud, not of his son the artist or his son the skateboarder, but proud of the fine young man his son has become. Or did you just tough it out and ride them anyway? I was kind of a latchkey kid, and would just spend my time after school skating around the streets, alleyways, and parking garages of Santa Monica. Or did you graduate from high school and think about college? They had the Gullwing Army. Then I remember seeing photos of Cherry Hill. You are known for having an ultra-smooth style on a skateboard. You hadnt turned pro yet, right? Id see photos of all the famous dudes from that area. You skated the pool at Kona, too, right? All of my friends rode for Gullwing, so I wound up getting on Gullwing. It takes passion to build a brand that resonates in a meaningful way, and it takes teamwork and great individuals working together to build a company that can last. As a beginner, there was plenty of stuff for me to do there. His engine has the most power of any, his pump is solid, fluid and effortless, and his styling is the perfect design, taking all that came before and dropping any of the unneeded flaws of his predecessors, and of course the paint job is perfect. The team manager was like, Dont worry about it. We thought it was the coolest thing. It was like, Okay. Youve got to go there. [7], During the early 1990s, Blind was one of the largest skateboard brands in the world, due to board sales and sales of Blind's jean products. [2] History 1991-1993: Formation, Johnson's "super team", Questionable Be patient, be determined, and be grateful when you finally do. Later on, she shifted her focus to skateboarding. The Hoffmans, who were the owners of Pipeline, would take a whole crew. It couldnt have been that many, but it seemed like a lot to us. It was so hot there. Born February 3, 1961 - August 15, 2014 (age 53) Based in Venice, California, USA. The only pressure was if he knew I wanted to do something and he saw me slacking off.. We skated all the back bowls. Did you get into the backyard scene out there? Anyone who has invested some serious time into skateboarding knows how brutal it can be on the body. Was that true? What was it like for you when you saw Skateboarder go to Action Now and Thrasher kicked in? Wed go to Reseda, Whittier, Marina Del Rey and Del Mar. It was at a go-kart track. It was one of those intense, gnarly snake sessions. My perspective on skateboarding was different back then, it was more of a toy than anything. My attraction to surfing and skateboarding started when I was a kid in Santa Monica. Steve and Micke Alba were the best guys. I got to see that evolution. Cole has featured in several video games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD, Skate, Skate two, Skate three, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 . Just super functional well-made clothes that look and feel great whatever the situation. Well, Upland stayed around for a long time. I was hanging out with Duane, Salba, Steve Olson and all these guys that were, in my eyes, men. I was influenced by it, but not completely. However, in a 2010 interview with the "chrome ball incident" blog, Lotti expressed regret in regard to his departure from Planet Earth, a company that he described as a "small and tight family": "I loved skating with everyone, but I wasnt always psyched on the whole World Industries thing. Miller, who lives in Del Mar, finished ninth at that event, earning $2,000. It was crazy how fast it happened. 2014 Juice Magazine specializes in coverage of skateboarders, surfers, musicians, skatepark builders, artists, photographers, rock n roll, metal, hardcore, pools, pipes & punk rock. Juice Magazine specializes in coverage of skateboarders, surfers, musicians, skatepark builders, artists, photographers, rock n roll, metal, hardcore, pools, pipes & punk rock. I didnt really surf yet. A legend of Arizona skateboarding, Chris Livingston came on strong in the late 1980s and turned pro for H-Street in 1991 when the team was at the forefront of innovative skating. We lived in Merritt Island when I was a little guy. You were just having fun with your friends. It seemed like a big deal. After Skateboarder turned into Action Now and they had pictures of people horseback riding in it, we had nothing. The fact is that there just arent too many other things in life where I can experience the sensations I feel skating big concrete transitions, so Ill do it as long as I can. At its peak we had over 100 employees and sponsored pros like Tony Hawk, Jamie Thomas and Shaun White. Hes become a real leader and example and thats the best a parent can hope for.. I was always skating with the older guys, but as a young kid, I was too intimidated to even say anything. Lester Kasai and I both turned pro at that contest, and we both did terrible. Chris Miller from CA USA Skateboarding Global Ranking Profile Bio, Photos, and Videos Chris Miller Profile Global Ranking Sponsors/Shouts Stereo, Bones, Thunder Trucks Age 55 Insta @owlcat Earnings $37,000 Stance Regular Hometown Encinitas CA USA Updates Update Headshot Update Info The Boardr Mailing List Stay Informed Chris Miller Couple on Crossbone - Various Stains - 10.0". With a diverse and eclectic background, Shawn has walked the path of a competitive surfer, Hare Krsna monk, action sports industry player in NYC, DIY theology and religions major, and a touring punk rock musician. Zephyr, Address:Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum1555 Simi Town Center Way #230Simi Valley, CA 93065Phone:805-842-1444. So I was strategizing how I was going to sleep in one of the bowls. I only skated a couple of pools back then. In September 2019, Chris decided to leave Plan B after four years of being a part of the company. When I first started practicing, I was wearing boardshorts and cotton tees. As Chris explains in an interview with Ride Channel, "My Schmitt board was famous for being the first board with an upturned nose that was long. You can complete our liability waiver here so you are good to go for participating in our events. I remember how hard it was for some guys to skate it. 2018 That was cool. Zach (nicknamed "Miller Lite") cites his dad as one of his biggest influences and acknowledges how grateful he is for the opportunities he has because of his dad's success. Yeah, he did. When it came to designing Chris Miller, he, as a skateboarder, has all the aspects of the best engineered most expensive sports car. Find out more about The Boardr and our crew. Steve and Micke Alba started flowing me product. $84.99. Lets start from the beginning. The Boardr Live is our live scoring app to help you run a smooth and pro looking event of your own. Chris is currently the chief creative director of NBCs Alli Sports and still finds time to compete in select contests. The video was filmed and directed by Spike Jonze and is considered one of the most influential skateboarding videos of its era. I didnt think of myself as a little kid, but they did, so they were watching out for me. 2013 Is that when you first met the Texans and the skaters from the East Coast? It wasnt even a thing to be a skater, just something a couple of us did. Speed and style are the two biggest bullet points on the rap sheet of Chris Millers near three decades of professional skateboarding. My mom said, Well, theres a great skatepark out there. She found out where the skateparks were and took me to them. He and I shared ideas and became good friends and then decided to join forces to create what Vuori is today. INTERVIEW BY JIM MURPHY What are you doing right now? It became like a community in terms of the am series. There is a video of Chris Miller and his wife visiting the Watts. I knew if I called my Mom that Id never get to go to another contest ever again. With Neil and Billy, it was a different generation. He exemplified the perfect combination of speed, flow, and natural grace. "[6], The company later signed Ronnie Creager from Foundation Skateboards. FOR THE REST OF THE STORY, ORDER ISSUE #61 BY CLICKING HERE, Your email address will not be published. What about Eric Nash? Skateboarder Birthday March 10, 1982. He did his own thing and had his own tricks. Also in the area, pro skateboarder Tony Magnusson would cofound Osiris, and Chris Miller would co-create Adio. At some point, those guys noticed me, and started hooking me up with stuff. Chris Miller retired 17 years ago when Zach was only 4. Chris Miller The pursuits of surfing and skateboarding are creative by their very nature, it only makes sense that the subcultures that surround both activities would produce some of the most inspiring and imaginative people around. Were you riding the full pipe or the 15-foot bowl? It was a pretty good scene. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Can you tell us about the positive benefits a practice like yoga would have for people that have a passion for activities, that although very fulfilling, can have a negative impact on the body? Dogtown Powerflex There used to be so many Am contests. Right before the skatepark closed, Neil Blender, Billy Ruff and the GandS guys came back. [5], By 1993, the team had grown, with the formal inclusion of new professional riders, Gavin, Sanchez, Brian Lotti, and amateur skater, Jeron Wilson. No. Makaha "[14], In an official statement released in April 2012, Brown's departure from the Blind team was announced and a comment from Weiss was included: "Jake Brown is one of the most dynamic, positive and genuine skateboarders I have ever met and been lucky enough to call my friend and I wish him nothing but the best on his next adventure. I was a full skatepark rat. [13], In 2010, the company celebrated its 21-year anniversary and returned to using the original logo. It was about feeling, expression, and style more than just pure performance or competition results. Youve had a very successful career in the skateboarding world (that is still moving forward as you age), which you also segued into the building of skateboard, apparel, and shoe brands. Nash and Grosso were around, but they lived in Arcadia. Those were really fun. Yeah. Every pro from everywhere was there. GFL Series is our series of all ages bowl and street contests. They were like, Dude, you should ride for GandS. So I ended up quitting Santa Cruz to ride for GandS. I was like, What am I going to do? Im at the skatepark, just freaking out. Since then, he has gained worldwide fame and has won several awards, including five gold medals in the X Games. I get to travel all over, and I get to do it with all of my friends.. Turning pro in 86 for G&S, Chris took a cue from teammate Neil Blender and went on to draw all of his own board graphicsigniting a DIY approach that would later lead him to launch his own brands at the dawn of the 90s, including Adio, Holden, Planet Earth and Signal. I dont have any video footage of that era of skating at Upland. Santa Cruz I did win contests and had covers of skate magazines and all that sort of thing, too, but its cultural aspects that are most meaningful to me. Theyd pile everyone into a van and drive to the parks. I had the line. They had some other smaller stuff that was fun to skate. Nice. You get to do what you loved to do as a little kid. $84.99. So I was at the skatepark, and those guys wanted to party and they didnt want the little kid around. I didnt even realize or care that it was on newsprint. The first free product I ever got was a set of Indys and a Kryptonics skateboard from Salba. His skate roots go back to the days of late 1970s skateboard parks like Pomona Pipe & Pool (1978-1983) and The Pipeline (1977-1989) in Upland, California. Skating is always progressing but speed and finding the right lines never gets old. Right on. There was a vert contest at Trashmore, and it was the first contest that I remember where pro skateboarders were signing autographs. What was kind of ironic about it was that at that contest I did pretty well in the Am event. Later Miller would branch out beyond just the act of skateboarding, becoming an artist, and the man behind some of the most iconic brands in the industry. The year before that, I was actually supposed to turn pro at a contest at Upland. Chris Miller Prequel on Crossbone - White - 10.0". G&S Somebodys got footage of it. Learn how your comment data is processed. The first time I went to Pipeline, there were at least half a dozen pros there. Back then, almost everything was hard to skate even if it wasnt super-gnarly like Upland. Then Transworld came on with the Skate and Create versus Thrashers Skate and Destroy. So Im coming in and I did the suck up thing, but there was just no chance. 2019 They were just hanging on. I was at the stage in life where youre aspiring to be something, but youre not really there yet. Whos holding all that film? It was always fun. "[23], The full-length video Damn was released on May 27, 2014, after more than two years of daily filming, and was co-directed by Weiss and English filmer Mike Manzoori. But at the time, Thrasher was a big deal. You must have shown up and thought, Ill skate the pool. A lot of the guys that rode for Indy, Santa Cruz and the Nor Cal companies got photos in Thrasher, but I think it was always more of a conspiracy theory than it really was. Was there a weird vibe, like youd abandoned the team? 2012 One of the first contests I went to was at Big O. I had lunch with Salba, Duane, Micke and all these guys that, in my eyes, were pretty gnarly guys. Micke was ripping it. Tell us about your early days growing up. I see him at Clairmont every now and then, and get to skate with him. The company produces decks, wheels, soft goods and accessories. Chris always had his foot to the floor when he skated, making him a sight to see, but lots of times blowing up before he finished his run. Now offering the Classic re-issued Large Chris Miller Dog deck. Skating a little ramp like that was somewhat confining to me. Gordon & Smith They were doing a really good job. Adio was the biggest business Ive personally been involved with to date. Later, when GandS came out with my pro model board, it was pretty exciting. We were skating a backyard pool on those little boards. People were asking for our autographs. It was a very quick turning point. An accomplished vert rider who rode for Santa Cruz, G&S, and Schmitt Stix before starting his own company Planet Earth Skateboards. The sea cell tees are incredibly soft and comfortable with some great natural performance benefits too. G&S and Gullwing were really involved with the Am contests. I was starting to buy skateboarding magazines. She was also into softball when she was younger and basketball when she was in high school. Where are you from and what got you into skating? Well, being on Santa Cruz, I definitely had an idea what was going on. Being a product designer, I just couldnt help but notice how poorly my clothing was performing! Previous inductees for the 1980s era two category include . Im glad it all worked out because now I feel like Im exactly where I want to be. Yeah. So lets go back to GandS. Thats the place.. Blind (stylized as bLind) is a skateboard company founded by Mark Gonzales in 1988 under Steve Rocco 's World Industries distribution company. But, before that, let's take a look at Rodney Mullen's Quick facts. Yeah. You can give up, or you change it up a bit and do something slightly different each time until you get it! Basically the house rules were to be home by dark, so I filled my time pretending to surf in the streets dropping into banks and driveways, and getting barreled by bushes hanging over the sidewalks. Every time your name was brought up, that trick was brought up and so was the amount of guts you had to skate that pool, because everyone knew how gnarly it was. There were like, 10 or 15 kids that were ripping Ams. I just enjoy it so much! San Diego approves strict new renter protections. 15K Followers, 4,000 Following, 883 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Chris Miller (@chris_miller_time) Miller competes today at Mammoth Mountain in the Ultimate Boarder Championship, a boarding triathlon and another event where he can earn points. He was super rad. When you rode for G&S, did you automatically get hooked up by Gullwing? I definitely felt at times like I blew it with Miller and wished I would have just stayed on Earth I was really involved there. Then I started meeting other kids there that were like, Have you ever been to Pipeline? We were really intimidated by it. We stayed at some hotel around the corner. Id like to see more of him and more of his art. When did you finally get the guts to roll in? Cerezini was featured in the video as a "guest pro. The pursuits of surfing and skateboarding are creative by their very nature, it only makes sense that the subcultures that surround both activities would produce some of the most inspiring and imaginative people around. In Santa Monica, the Dogtown guys were celebrities. Yeah. Robbie Mckinley Wikipedia And Age: The Late Skateboarder Wife And Kids By Anisha April 2, 2023 People are searching Robbie Mckinley Wikipedia and his other information as the legendary skateboarder passed away at the age of 43. Youre totally blind coming in. Where in Florida were you based? We ended up in Santa Monica, when I was in elementary school. Required fields are marked *. Theyd been pro for maybe a year or two. With Santa Cruz, everyone on the team was older. It wasnt much, but it was enough to have a car and get around to all the contests. Then about six years ago I started going to yoga, and I was blown away. I ended up getting the cover of Thrasher. It wasnt planned. The next step is being pro. By then, a lot of my peers, like Tony Hawk and Christian Hosoi, were already pro. (Subject to grip availability) 6 products. Did she know who Duane was? Yeah. I think my best finish in those contests was 7th. A "Subject" segment was published on the Berrics website the following day, in which new street-based footage of Sewa was featured.[30][31]. 10 x 30. The crazy thing about it was that even though that slam was caught on film, that wasnt even my gnarliest slam in that bowl. What year was this? Did that compromise your skating? It was all racing. At that time, I didnt know who Jay Adams, Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta were, but I was aware of the whole Dogtown aesthetic. The trucks were pretty good at that point, too. This is fundamentally what led me into a lifelong obsession and career as a pro skater. I was skating really well in the contest. I dont have tradeshow feet or anything like that. Did you see Salba coming through there? Now a father and self-proclaimed seeker of the soul of surfing, Shawn enjoys sessions with friends at uncrowded peaks along his home states shoreline and writing about his surf related experiences. Cody McEntire, a Texan skateboarder who was formerly a team member of the Think Skateboards brand, was recruited to the Blind team in March 2013. As a kid coming up, Chris Miller blew me away with his super smooth, inventive, and ever stylish skateboarding. Skateboarding already seemed big to me. Everyone rolled through there. Tony Mag was running out of the round and while I was in the invert, I looked over to see where he was. Its also is a huge triathlete mecca and just generally has a healthy lifestyle culture. I graduated into being pro. But it takes more than just good genes and a well known name . Bands he's been in: The Skoundrelz, G.F.P. Z-Boys I went back out to the parking lot to tell them that I couldnt find a place, and they were gone. Maybe dad can give a few pointers when its time for Zach to change his own kids diaper. Chris Miller had spent several years as a top vertical pro skater. My mom took me there because she thought it looked the coolest. Excel Management represents and works with the world's best skateboarders. Tony Alva, one of the original Z-Boys skaters, was the first to form his own skate company, Alva Skates, back in 1977. Meanwhile, Etnies unveiled another line, S, with more technical styling. Chris' wife, Mary, was born Mary E. Meyer on 27 August 1959 in Oak Park, Illinois, the United States. From then on, I was going to the skatepark every day. [12] The company's third video then premiered in 2009, and featured parts from Morgan Smith, Craig, Cerezini, Patterson, Brown, Lorifice, Creager, Filipe Ortiz, Duncombe and Laitiala. Chris Miller can still remember backpacking through Europe with his wife and young son, going to skateboarding events where he would compete with his family watching. 2015 Yeah, I was riding Indys and a blank Santa Cruz board with GandS Stickers all over it. Duane was there. He had a cool, powerful, unique style. How did you get sponsored by Santa Cruz? They had mini golf and go-karts. The desire to start brands was the same desire I had to do my own graphics.