Skateboarding
Skateboarding
Here's why Ryan Sheckler is still pushing hard after 30 years skateboarding
Ryan Sheckler's determination, fire and grit to put out his new Lifer video shows what releasing a new part can mean for a skater. Follow his journey to shoot Lifer in the film Rolling Away.
Ryan Sheckler has delivered a slew of groundbreaking video parts throughout his storied career as a professional skateboarder. From early glimpses of the child prodigy going higher, longer and farther than peers more than twice his age, to the present day married man, father and battled scarred veteran, Sheckler's skateboarding has been well documented through ups and downs.
It's understood at this stage in his life that he doesn't need to prove anything, to anyone. Yet the American still wants more. Since 2019, Sheckler has put blood, sweat and tears into making a new video part, Lifer, a production that he describes as the most important skate part of his career. His three-year journey to film Lifer is documented fully in Rolling Away, a feature-length documentary that accompanies the release of Lifer.
Sheckler continues to push the limits of what's possible
© Tim Aguilar/Red Bull Content Pool
Rolling Away also chronicles Sheckler's prolific skating career, with icons such as Tony Hawk, Paul Rodriguez, Geoff Rowley and Klay Thompson offering first-hand commentary about Schekler's talents and life in the spotlight. Watch the documentary at the top of the page.
"I've been skating for almost 31 years and now I'm 33 years old. It's crazy to think about it that way, but that’s what Rolling Away and Lifer is all about. It's the culmination of my journey with skateboarding and proof that it's unlike any other sport," says Sheckler.
Lifer and Rolling Away posters
© Red Bull Content Pool
Why does a video part continue to motivate someone who's already achieved so much and been through so many hardships in pursuit of getting tricks on film? The answer is simple, but at the same time complex. Video parts are the be-all and end-all for professional skateboarders and in many cases, the stepping stones to get to the top level. These sections of tricks edited to music serve as the time capsules and measuring sticks of careers.
"It’s funny because landing a trick for the video, that stoke lasts anywhere from five seconds to a maximum of one minute, where you’re really hyped. Then, all of a sudden, it’s like an adrenaline dump, you're over it," says Sheckler. "Even the biggest tricks, they're very short-lived."
At the very earliest stages, video parts serve as a 'sponsor me' tape to get skaters recognised by companies and their contemporaries. Then, if warranted, their footage will grant them a 'flow' position on a team (meaning free product as they continue to prove themselves). Next, through the aid of another video part, they may climb the ranks to 'amateur', which means some pay, along with a travel budget and some photo or video incentives for representing sponsors at a high level.
Sheckler doing a Kickflip Tail Drop in Encinitas
© Tim Aguilar
Sheckler hits a rail in Durham
© Zorah Olivia/Red Bull Content Pool
Then, another video part or two, or even three, creating a demand for yourself and your marketability for a company to be willing to turn you professional – the Holy Grail, with your name on a board, salary, increased travel and earning potential for contest placing and appearances. The vast majority of respected professional skateboarders have all leveled up via the video part and these clips are how they will be remembered.
These parts inspire us by showcasing new tricks, introducing groundbreaking musical artists and pioneering styles of clothing, all of which establish standards and define eras. Video parts unveil never-before-seen spots and unlock cities to become skateboard hot spots that push our culture forward and, ultimately, drive progression to keep skateboarding exciting and evolving.
Looking back at Sheckler's pro career, it's safe to say he's cemented himself in the annals of skateboarding. His approach is that of a starry-eyed stuntman with a reputation for outdoing himself. He has countless jaw-dropping tricks under his belt and has paid the cost through surgeries and rehabilitation to come back stronger and more focused than ever.
His determination, fire and grit to put out a new part only further articulates the importance of what releasing one does for every skater, even one as established and celebrated as Sheckler. That feeling of stoke may be temporary, but how it was achieved will last forever.
Watch Sheckler's Lifer video part on Red Bull TV now.
