Skateboarding
Skateboarding
Check out Ryan Sheckler's raw footage from You Good?
Going all-in from to the US to Taiwan, enjoy six minutes of Sheckler's signature brutality, including that outrageous bridge drop-in.
You might say that it was Ryan Sheckler’s destiny to be a pro skater: he may just have been born to do it.
Professional skateboarding's a lot of work, however talented you are at it: slams that would make any of the rest of us quit permanently are an accepted – sometimes everyday – part of the game.
We’ve collectively watched him grow up within skating: from prodigy to veteran, an undeniable gift showcasing power, versatility and a hammer repertoire which few can step to.
Ryan Sheckler
© Kenji Haruta
Absolutely worth re-visiting for the pure skateboarding of it alone, are his seminal section in Plan B’s 2014 True, his shared part with David Reyes in Etnies’ 2018 Album (which you can watch in full on Red Bull TV), and of course the Petrified Park project from early 2019. All of which serve as a perfect backdrop to his part in Red Bull Skateboarding’s own You Good? at the end of last year.
Mixing a mature and varied trick selection and a flawless ability to match the trick to the spot, his You Good? part ended on a show-stopper of a drop-in, which all of skateboarding witnessed and nobody could front upon. Straight-up, one-shot gnarly.
The price of being a professional skater is that you always have to outdo yourself. Not every skater has that in their tank, which is why Sheckler is one of the biggest names in a game where everyone's ripping, all of the time.
A master of his craft at the height of his powers, enjoy this raw cut from the process of banging out another career milestone section, straight from the gifted feet of a modern skateboarding legend and hear what the man himself has to say about his past, present and future in the interview below.
Ryan Sheckler in Taiwan
© Kenji Haruta / Red Bull Content Pool
You’ve had an undeniably successful skate career with a lifetime of video parts. Is there a video part of yours that’s your personal favourite?
Ryan Sheckler: Yeah, for me it was Digital’s Everyday. That was one of the first videos I really got to be a part of as a young skateboarder. That one really did it for me. That’s when I realised: 'Yup, skateboarding’s my deal. This is what I want to do forever.'
Such a good part. You’ve also had your fair share of skate trips with different crews and teams. Do you have a crew you skate with on the regular, or does that change often?
It changes, but on the regular it’s David Reyes, Chris Joslin, Trevor McClung… Felipe [Gustavo] every once in a while. It’s mostly the Plan B guys and the Etnies guys. Oh, and obviously I skate with [Alex] Midler, [Jamie] Foy, and all the Red Bull guys, too. I just try to be wherever the session is.
You got a lot of heavy clips in You Good?, but there was one that stuck out as the banger clip. What was the story behind the taildrop in Taiwan?
It was mayhem, honestly. We showed up there in the morning. We didn’t know the bridge was crossing over to a military base. It was just a full-blown… I don’t know, but we shouldn’t have been there [laughs].
I went up to the top and I’m just looking at it – kinda getting my mind right, you know? Then I jump down – I just shimmy down the wall onto the transition. It felt fine, so I start walking up the road to get back to the top of the bridge.
Then, all of a sudden, I heard a bunch of fire trucks and all these cops showed up. They grabbed me and it just became this whole thing. They thought I was trying to kill myself by jumping off the bridge or something, I don’t even know… I was like 'Really? In front of all my friends with cameras?' It just wasn’t very logical thinking from the guy that called the cops.
But anyways, they kicked us out and told us to never come back. That whole day – probably about eight hours? – I was just angry. I wasn’t talking to anyone. I was pissed. I had gotten myself to this mental state to be able to do that trick and be confident with it. I got my mind into fight or flight. To have to calm down from that is like, impossible for me. And so, we just went on a little homie mission later that day. I went back with just the filmer and photographer and did it first try right out of the car.
Ryan Sheckler – Tail Drop
© Kenji Haruta
That’s what it’s all about.
It had to be done. I had to do it. I knew I could do it, so to do it first try just felt great. I was psyched when it was all over.
That Taiwan trip seemed like a huge success. You guys all stacked. How’d you like the trip?
I’m still very, very happy about Taiwan. I want to go back to Taipei really bad. Like, I can’t wait. That’s definitely on the hit list for the next project we’re working on. But yeah, dude. Taiwan’s a little hidden gem. Actually… I might be in trouble over there so I don’t even know [laughs].
It’s a lot more clicky and I feel like fellow skateboarders aren’t giving newcomers a fair shot
This year has been… interesting. Was the plan to enter some contests this year, or were you planning to focus on your own projects?
I’ve been pretty focused on skating for myself at the moment. I mean, if I get invited to any Street Leagues, I’ll go and I’ll skate. I’d love to skate X Games, too. Other than that, I’m just skating and having fun. I’m literally in the streets filming and…. happy. Happy to be out there just cruising.
You’ve seen it all – you’ve seen skateboarding evolve from what it was in the early 2000s to what it is today. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the past 20 years of skateboarding?
It’s just getting a little bit… I don’t know man, it’s a lot more clicked up than it used to be. It’s a lot more clicky and I feel like fellow skateboarders aren’t giving newcomers a fair shot at like… being good or fitting in, you know? Even though every skateboarder knows how hard it is to get to a point when you’re actually comfortable on a board. Like, you know how hard it was to get through that period – why are you making it harder for this new guy?
I feel like there’s a lot of love in skateboarding, but with social media and with everything going on right now, it’s like… kids are just starting to skateboard to try to learn a trick that’s going to get them a '9.' I started skateboarding because of the way the wheels felt on that concrete. Kids now just want to go and skate in the big contests. I mean, good for them, you know? I just skate for different reasons. I do it for the pure joy of the freedom skateboarding brings me. Not for a contest result.
Or Instagram likes.
Exactly. Or anything like that. Yeah [laughs] I swear, it’s the best and the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.
Ryan Sheckler – Kickflip Footplant
© Kenji Haruta
Could you tell me a little bit about The Sheckler Foundation? When was it founded and what is your mission?
The Sheckler Foundation has been around for 12 years now, coming up on 13. Our mission is simple: be the change that you want to see in your community. We do a lot of outreach programs that basically start with 'Tell us what you want to see.' Tell us what’s going on with your school, with your park, with whatever. Is there a family member that’s in the hospital? We’ll try to help.
We don’t discriminate on causes. We just want to help people. We’re still small, but we can help and we make big differences. We actually did a 10-stop tour last year. We donated $10,000 at each stop and helped create safe places for kids to work and even adults to work and to learn skills and apply those to everyday life. Even through skateboarding, I can teach some kid like, 'You know what, dude? You fell 100 times on that board and you landed it once. It’s the same way with school. If you fail that test, you’re gonna get it, just keep practicing.' It’s all about love, man. That’s really what the foundation is. It’s about love and giving people a shot.
That’s awesome. We know other foundations are focused on one cause and it sounds like you guys are tailoring it to whatever the community needs the most.
Yeah, we do a ton with children with autism, children with cancer, adaptive action sports guys… really anything. We’re just here to help.
Growing up, were there any skate videos you had on repeat?
Oh yeah, dude. Welcome To Hell, Mouse and all the Plan B videos. Toy Machine’s Welcome To Hell was like, my video. That’s the one that changed the whole game for me.
Who was your first sponsor and how’d you get hooked up?
My first sponsor was a board shop called IWS Boardshop. Island Water Sports. I was seven years old. They were the closest skate shop to the school that I went to. So, I would get out of school and we’d go up there to check out all the stuff. Then they figured out that I was actually skating and entering contests. They told me they’d give me $100 if I got first place, $50 for second and $25 for third in gift certificates.
Toy Machine’s Welcome To Hell was like, my video. That’s the one that changed the whole game for me
For a seven-year-old, that’s huge.
Yeah and so they became my sponsor. I was winning these things. I’d stack up like $600 and get a new complete, new helmet and a ton of gear. It was so cool.
Everyone knows you’re a San Clemente native. If someone visits your hometown, where should they stop for a bite to eat?
Sancho’s Tacos is always good. If it’s breakfast, you go to Antoine’s Café. If it’s dinner time, you go to Nick’s.
What do you do when you’re not skating?
I work out, I surf and I hang out with my dog a lot.
Find what skateboarding means to you, then never give up
Do you listen to music when you skate?
Yeah, I do. Recently I’ve been skating to a lot of funk, like 70’s funk. I just put on a playlist and skate to it. It’s just groovy, I like it. Or it goes back to rock. I don’t really listen to any new hip-hop. Not that I don’t like it, I just don’t listen to it much.
Do you have a favourite tattoo? Any tattoos you regret?
I don’t have any that I regret. They’re all stories. It’s all just… crazy times [laughs]. My favourite one is the 'Jesus Christ' on my knuckles. I also like the 'Compassion' and 'Patience.' I like them all, honestly.
Ryan Sheckler – Back Smith
© Kenji Haruta
What advice would you give to up-and-coming skateboarders today?
To have fun with it. Figure out why you love skateboarding. Don’t just skate to be in a contest. Skate because skateboarding is fun and it’s freedom for you. Find what skateboarding means to you, then never give up. If you catch the bug, don’t give up. Enjoy it. It’s tough – skateboarding is tough. But it’s worth it when you make it through.
You have any projects in the works?
Yeah, I’m working on a project with Red Bull for next year. Stay tuned.
You’ve had a lifetime of supporters, fans, sponsors – skateboarding wouldn’t be the same without you. Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
I’d like to thank everyone you’ve just mentioned for caring about skateboarding and for giving me a shot to keep it going. I really, really appreciate it and I love you all.
