I grew up skateboarding it was fun. I didn't think about money I didn't know how much professional skateboarders made. I just knew that if I became a professional skateboarder I would achieve a lot and get to travel and do these great things.
I studied with a blind teacher from about 5 until I was 16 at two different schools. From the age of 12 until 16 I was in a boarding school-which I believe at that time was compulsory for blind children.
Growing up in Huntington Beach you were either a traditional sports athlete a skateboarder or a surfer. I got my first skateboard when I was five and skated off and on over the years did a little BMX racing as a kid and then in my freshman or sophomore year I started getting a little bit more into skateboarding.
I'm a big sports guy - golf tennis baseball basketball snowboarding - and I love games.
The last few years I became a lot more into sports. Growing up the sports I liked were independent sports like skateboarding. I was really into skateboarding and not necessarily team televised sports.
I love extreme sports I like snowboarding and motorcross and rollerblading and hockey.
The two things I was positive about in life were that I was going to be a teacher at a boarding school or an operative with the CIA posted abroad. I could write a book about all the things I was sure about.
Unless you have been to boarding-school when you are very young it is absolutely impossible to appreciate the delights of living at home.
Snowboarding's tough because you've got to go to the mountains. For me I love the skateboard season because I get to hangout at home and still be skating. I don't have to travel to Norway or Japan or these crazy places to be snowboarding.
I wanted to be a great white hunter a prospector for gold or a slave trader. But then when I was eight my parents sent me to a boarding school in South Africa. It was the equivalent of a British public school with cold showers beatings and rotten food. But what it also had was a library full of books.
I know my family and I would always go up to the mountains just for fun. We always skied. Then all of a sudden my brother started snow boarding. Older brother thing I had to do what he was doing. So I started snow boarding.
My life path has been a blessing and a great learning experience. Skateboarding is my passion and I don't see that changing. When I'm not skating I love to surf. I'm open to the new experiences and opportunities.
We all started snowboarding in the beginning as a family just to be closer together go on trips. It was our soccer but instead of Dad yelling at me from the sideline he is there riding with me and hitting the jumps even before I am hitting them.
I consider skateboarding an art form a lifestyle and a sport. 'Action sport' would be the least offensive categorization.
Yeah my dream would be to work for 6 months and then have 6 months to play just snowboarding surfing and going to cool places to listen and be alone and kinda chill out.