Independent As Truck

Shot some footage for my video part last week. To be honest I don't think it will make it into the final cut. I did end up throwing down a layback triple frontside rock on a small curb in front of Rodney's house, but I didn't land it. What I did land: frontside 180 ollie up the curb to ride off the curb followed by a 180 boneless one. I think it might be good enough to make it into the credits.
I want to get off track for a few and write a little bit about INDEPENDENT trucks. No, this is not an advertisement. Sure, everybody seems to say, "Indy's are the best, of course!" Do they really know why they're saying that? It took me fifteen or so years of skating before I even tried them. I rode Trackers and then Ventures before finally settling on Thunders as my truck of choice. I swore by the Thunders for years. I still feel that they are the second best out there as far as overall performance is concerned, but they have signature models and colorways now, and that just doesn't turn me on. It's okay if you want some colored trucks, but I don't need some dude's name on them. Is the truck any different with the signature on it? It would be one thing if Kenny Reed's signature Thunder truck had flags from every country he had ever visited attached to them, and then every time you backside five-o'd a ledge you could feel comfort in the fact that you were giving peace a chance and bringing people from all walks of life together.
Like I said in an earlier post I spent some time stone cold shredding the streets with one, Larry Burns. He rode Indys. I remember him telling me, "I never even thought about riding anything else." So I bought a pair, and I haven't looked back. There's just something about them. They turn on a dime. They grind real good.

I have broken a couple kingpins while riding the Indys. One time I ollied a curb and the truck fell off mid ollie. I chalk this up to a truck that encourages you to shred harder and thrash more than you normally would. So yeah you might break a kingpin here and there but overall you can feel comfortable knowing you are traversing the streetscape with a superior truck that none other can equal.

Sponsored!

Twenty two years of skating has finally paid off. I just picked up my first sponsor. No, it's not a sunglasses company and no it's not chewing gum. It's none other than Trailer Trash Skateboards! This is the real deal, run by two kids out of an actual trailer park right here in PA.
You can imagine how stoked I was when I heard I was officially on the team. The team manager gave me the news at a BBQ this past weekend. I was so excited I hit the streets yesterday to work on some moves, despite the humidity. I donned my sun blocking golfers hat and felt pretty good from the get go.
I'm not sure what the kids are looking for from a professional skateboarder these days, but I sure hope it's ollies up curbs and the occasional shove-it. If that's the case then turn me pro!