Interview with Gary Holl, Board Rescue Founder and Former WFSA Champ (Yahoo! Sports Reprint) #ThrowbackThursday

Author's Note: This is a reprint of an interview that I conducted with Gary Holl several years ago. It was initially published on Yahoo! Sports but they no longer own the rights to the article.

Over the course of his lifetime skater Gary Holl has held many titles; World Freestyle Skateboard Association California State Champion, 360 World Champion, World Freestyle Champion in Vancouver, husband, father, friend, entrepreneur and advocate.

He is also the founder of Board Rescue, a non-profit that helps provide skateboarding hard goods to organizations that work with low-income, at-risk youth. This week I was able to catch up with Gary to conduct an in-depth interview on his organization, his career and what he believes the future of skateboarding to hold.

Here’s a look at what he had to say:

Gonzalez: Please share with us how Board Rescue got started.

Holl: Skateboarding is so important to me. Skateboarding has taught me many things. Through skateboarding I have been introduced to many people that influenced me both personally and professionally. And, I have traveled too. I wanted to give back what skateboarding has given to me.

Back in late 2007 I came up with a plan to launch Board Rescue. I needed to find a few friends that could join me in forming a non-profit organization and I knew could each bring unique talents that would help form a strong team.

Initially I asked Judi Oyama and Andrew Huberman to join me. We then filed to become a Federal and State recognized non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. We recently added Chris Adams to the team. Now we have a complete, focused management team that is dedicated to our Mission.

Gonzalez: Has the reaction you have gotten from the skateboarding community been what you expected?

Holl: Having been a part of it for over thirty years it was exactly what I expected. The skateboard community is very aware of many causes, they are giving and supporting of many including Board Rescue. The skateboarding community is incredibly tight. Even when friendly rivalry exists, we support our peers. It is always surprising to non-skateboarding friends that attend events with me, just how much we do look out for, and support each other.

Gonzalez: How many organizations did Board Rescue assist last year?

Holl: Last year we made an impact to hundreds of children across the United States through donations to youth groups, community organizations, and after school programs. This year we have already surpassed what we did the previous year. Our expectation is that we will continue to grow and that each year we will do more than the previous one.

Gonzalez: In your opinion, why is it important to provide sports opportunities to at risk and low-income youth? What benefits does skateboarding provide them that other activities may not?

Holl: We aren't just giving these kids a skateboard; we are giving them an opportunity. An opportunity to improve their health, challenge themselves, and to provide them with an outlet, other then negative ones, that not only will affect them but their communities. The after school skate programs that we support help mentor these kids is essential to building strong communities and ultimately building future leaders.

Gonzalez: How has the recession affected Board Rescue and what are you doing differently, if anything, to counter the effects?

Holl: We continue to grow despite the current economic times. Sure we would love to get more skateboard companies and distribution houses to support our cause. Some have agreed to do so when the economy picks up. For now we have some strong supporters that are willing to support our Mission. Our Mission is to provide skateboards and safety equipment to organizations that work with underprivileged and/or at-risk children.

Gonzalez: What has been the most challenging task you have ever undertaken with the non-profit and how did you approach it?

Holl: I think the initial set up, becoming a Corporation, getting approved for both the Federal and State 501(c)(3) status was a little daunting. Like anything in life, if you take it step by step it isn't so bad.

Gonzalez: Please share with us the details of the upcoming Annual Board Rescue Art Show.

Holl: This will be our second annual Board Rescue Art Show and Fundraiser. We've got a very talented list of artist that will each be submitting a painted skateboard deck. These will be on display at the “Santa Cruz Boardroom” in Santa Cruz California with opening night on September 16th. They will be on display for three weeks after opening night and in parallel they will be on eBay and will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to Board Rescue.

Additional information is and will be posted on our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/boardrescue and on our website at http://boardrescue.org. On opening night we will have Board Rescue t-shirts and a few other items for sale and there will be a raffle with some great prizes that have been donated by skateboard companies, the Boardroom and other supporters.

Gonzalez: What other events do you have planned for the balance of the year?

Holl: Board Rescue will be at this year’s 13th Annual Tim Brauch Memorial Contest at Lake Cunningham Regional Skatepark in San Jose California on September 24. Detail will be on our website, Facebook page and on the Skateboard World Cup website.

If anyone would like to support us but cannot make it to our Art Show or to the Tim Brauch contest they can support us by visiting our web site make a donation, just follow the Make a Donation Tab. They can also join us on FaceBook and become a Fan and 'LIKE' us.

Gonzalez: How has the sport changed since you started to immerse yourself in it? Do you think that those changes have added or subtracted from the sport?

Holl: Skateboarding has changed a lot since I started to ride. While the equipment has changed somewhat the level of what’s being done today is very high. Most of what has changed is good. Many top pros make a great living skateboarding. I think it’s just part of the natural progression and growth of skateboarding which brings along both good and bad things.

Gonzalez: Where do you see the sport headed in the next five to years?

Holl: I think the progression of skateboarding will continue. Younger kids are now skating everything, pools, parks and street. Just a short few years ago you had skaters that were great at street skating, but put them in a bowl or pool and they were lost. I think the top pros will be able to skate it all.

Gonzalez: How often do you skateboard and what are some of your favorite skate spots?

Holl: I skateboard four days a week. My favorite skatepark is Lake Cunningham in San Jose. For variety I skate parks all over Northern California including Menlo and Sunnyvale. For freestyle, I just need a flat, smooth piece of concrete.

Gonzalez: What accomplishment are you most proud of and why?

Holl: As a skateboarder, being a World Champion and State Champion and having companies like SK8KINGS, Freestyle Watches, Power Bar, ProDesigned, KHIRO, and PleasureTool bearings continue to support me. As a philanthropist, I am most proud of founding Board Rescue. As a husband, I am most proud of being married for 26 years.

Gonzalez: What other social causes (charities etc.) are you passionate about and why?

Holl: Prior to founding Board Rescue I had done skateboard demos and safety days for YMCAs, public schools, and City Recreation Departments. Now, I'm passionate about Board Rescue. When I founded it I made a conscious decision to do everything I can to make it successful. I recommend everyone finds a cause they are passionate about and that they make a conscious decision to regularly support that cause.

Gonzalez: What person do you most admire and why?

Holl: Related to skateboarding I would say Evel Knievel was an early influence. He had a passion for what he did. He lived to push himself to do what no one else had done before. In some respects that is what skateboarding is to me, something where you push yourself every time you ride, where you take a risk and the reward is when you ride away clean.

Gonzalez: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Holl: I hope to still be skateboarding in 10 years, I hope Board Rescue continues to grow each year so that we can reach more programs and maybe in 10 years we will be supporting requests for equipment outside of the United States.

Gonzalez: If you could only be remembered for one thing what would it be and why?

Holl: As a humble person that was grateful for everyone and everything in my life.

Interview with Steve Larosiliere, Stoked Co-Founder (Yahoo! Sports Reprint) #ThrowbackThursday

Within the skateboarding community there are several non-profit organizations designed to help young people. The types of assistance offered as well as the organizations’ missions vary. Some solely provide skateboarding equipment whereas others provide the skateboarding equipment as well as education and mentoring. One organization that provides young people with skateboarding equipment along with education and mentoring is Stoked.

Founded by Steve Larosiliere and Sal Masekela, Stoked has several programs with components that teach participants such things as how to build skateboards from scratch, how to take and edit skate photos, how to skateboard and what skills are needed to have a career in the skateboarding industry. In addition to using skateboarding to change lives, the organization also utilizes surfing and snowboarding as well.

Prior to co-founding Stoked, Larosiliere worked as both a foster care advocate and mentor. He also has experience as a marketer. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing him on Stoked’s efforts, the skateboarding industry’s reaction to his organization and his thoughts on what impact recent cuts to youth sports programs across the nation will have on our society as a whole:

Gonzalez: Please share with us how Stoked got started and what its mission is today?

Larosiliere: The mission of Stoked is to promote personal development, academic achievement, and healthy living to underserved youth through action sports culture. Stoked was started because I saw that there was a need to give youth from underserved communities the chance to learn about themselves and gain life skills in an alternative setting.

In addition, as a mentor to a teenage boy living in foster care, I wanted to connect to him more so I wanted to take him snowboarding. My thinking was that if he saw the mountains that it would change his world.

Gonzalez: What has been the skateboarding industry’s reaction to your organization and was it what you had hoped?

Larosiliere: The skateboarding industry has been extremely supportive. Many of our biggest supporters are the actual brands who donate equipment, sneakers and have events to benefit us. Companies such as Nike, Vans, Triple 8, Zoo York, Homage Brooklyn, and ZJ Boardinghouse enable us to serve hundreds of youth a year.

In fact a new partnership with IASC (International Association of Skateboard Companies) will enable us to help legitimatize skate instruction on a national level so that we can create many more skateboarders. We're thrilled and honored to have the support of so many companies.

Gonzalez: In your opinion what are the most critical issues facing America’s underprivileged youth and how does skateboarding and action sports in general factor into addressing those issues?

Larosiliere: Overcrowded schools in urban areas often result in high dropout rates, leaving students unprepared, unmotivated, and forgotten. These schools struggle to give proper individual attention to students from low-income families that already have strained resources, resulting in stunted youth development.

High dropout rates emphasize the importance of enrichment and after-school programs that engage youth in supportive communities and help them succeed in school and their personal lives to be ready for higher education or employment, which can mean the difference between a life of poverty and an economically stable future.

Stoked engages these youth through appealing programs based in action sports culture designed to strengthen relationships, teach life skills, and allow them to experience positive activities, exposing them to a larger world outside of their personal problems, home environment, and urban neighborhood.

In a new paradigm of youth development, Stoked provides positive role models, physical activities, and skill-building projects, which enable youth to visualize a brighter future and challenge them to step out of their comfort zone to be exposed to new environments and experiences.

Gonzalez: I read with great interest about your organization’s various programs. Please share with the readers an overview of those programs and a success story.

Larosiliere: We first started with our mentoring program in 2005 that matched youth from underprivileged communities with mentors to snowboard, skateboard, and surf. We've expanded to partner with other mentoring programs to strengthen and grow their mentoring relationships.

We found that action sports are the perfect framework to grow mentoring relationships and to teach life skills to youth so they succeed in life and career. This program has also expanded to include youth from our afterschool program who can then be inspired to get a mentor and learn all three sports.

Then three years into doing our work, we found that the work we were doing wasn't resonating with youth during the school week. So we created this after school program called Stoked Plus. Stoked Plus is a series of 10 week after school programs aimed at promoting academic achievement and increasing personal development skills for our youth using action sports culture.

The first program we created was a skateboard building program, then an action sports photography program, then lastly an apprentice training program which prepares youth for internships with action sports brands. The awesome thing is that schools are now providing school credit for our programs that youth can use towards graduation.

Lastly, last fall, we discovered that youth lack opportunities to gain community service hours for graduation. So we started a program called Stoked to Serve - which rewards youth with action sports experiences and gear just by cleaning up skateparks, parks, beaches, and doing gardening work.

Last Spring we partnered with Vans and got 100 youth to do 268 hours of community service, and this summer we're partnering with the Quiksilver Foundation to engage 250 youth to do 500 hours of community service. These kids will earn not just community service hours but will have the chance to get free skate and surf gear. Here's a video link to one of our success stories.

Gonzalez: How does someone become involved in your organization either as a program participant, volunteer, or sponsor?

Larosiliere: Currently we only operate in New York City and Los Angeles. The best way to get involved is by donating if you're not in those cities. If you are in NYC or Los Angeles sign up to volunteer on our website.

Gonzalez: As you already know, given today’s current economic and political climate many schools and community based organizations are drastically cutting their sports programs. What do you feel are the short and long term ramifications of this and what specifically is your organization doing in response?

Larosiliere: Short term is that schools save money. Good for them, but bad for students who need positive outlets and community during the school year. Long term, without sports programs many communities will lose their identity. Youth will not have opportunities to be a part of a team or to experience the thrill of being good at something athletically if the programs are cut. The biggest long term impact is obesity. Organizations such as Stoked are working hard to bridge that gap and we are raising money so that we can provide physical exercise to youth in low income communities.

Gonzalez: In Northeast Florida, specifically the Jacksonville area, many young people have launched last minute fund raising initiatives in a desperate attempt to save a number of sports from the chopping block. What advice would your organization give to those seeking to save or establish sports programs in their respective areas and what resources would you suggest they look into?

Larosiliere: My advice to those young people is to get buy in from big name politicians or influential people or a corporation. I would also advise them to use social media and the internet to raise awareness for their cause. One of the biggest things is consensus. If you can show that a lot of people will be affected by the cuts and you show a voice to those people that will help their cause. Also I would have them document stories of how sports have affected their lives.

Author's Note: My interview with Mr. Larosiliere took place several years ago. The transcript initially appeared on Yahoo! Sports but all publishing rights now belong to me.

Interview with Up2Us Megan Bartlett, Director of the Center for Sports-Based Youth Development (Yahoo! Sports Reprint) #ThrowbackThursday

There are many critical issues facing American society today and numerous organizations that seek to aggressively address those issues using various remedies. Among the core issues are matters related to the economy, health, sports and today’s youth.

This comes as no surprise to most Americans because high unemployment and foreclosures coupled with elevated obesity rates, failing schools, rising tuition costs and budget cuts to both sports and the arts are often at the forefront of today’s headlines. But what those headlines often lack is an answer to society’s ills.

Could skateboarding, once considered an activity of society’s problematic fringe members, be considered as part of the solution to some of America’s problems? In a word, “yes”, if you believe what organizations such as Up2Us are saying.

“Get: Set to make the case presenting sports as an agent for social change”, a collaborative report created by the group and Nike, indicated; that 33% of the nation’s children are overweight or obese by the 3rd grade, America’s national school dropout rate is 30% (and approaches 50% in many inner city areas) and more than 750,000 children are in gangs throughout the country.

Furthermore, the report indicated that participation in sports, including skateboarding, is correlated with reductions in obesity, dropout rates, gang involvement and youth violence.

Based on what I read about Up2Us and their and use of skateboarding as a vehicle for change, I decided to contact the organization in an attempt to learn more. As such, I was granted an interview with Megan Bartlett, the group’s Director of the Center for Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD).

Here’s what she had to say about the organization’s work, the importance of skateboarding and sports programs in general, the anniversary of Title IX and more:

Gonzalez: Please share with us how your organization started and what its mission is?

Bartlett: Up2Us is a national nonprofit coalition leading the movement to advance sports as a vehicle to address critical issues facing youth, including childhood obesity, academic failure and anti-social behavior. Up2Us supports a national network of close to 500 member organizations in all 50 states.

These organizations serve 20 million youth through traditional and non-traditional sports. Members share best practices, advance initiatives that extend opportunities to new players, and deliver quality programs in underserved communities where there is a tremendous need for constructive outlets for youth.

Gonzalez: Does your organization recognize skateboarding as a sport?

Bartlett: Yes! At Up2Us and Coach Across America, we feel lucky to have a core group of high-quality member organizations that engage kids in skateboarding as a way to keep them active, safe, and engaged. Especially in cities like Los Angeles and New York, skateboarding is really popular with kids, and our goal is to ensure that these young people have the coaches, equipment, and guidance they need to channel their passion for skateboarding into long-term success on and off the board.

We’ve had coaches at NVISION, a division of the Woodcraft Rangers program in Los Angeles, for the past year; the work they have done to get kids into the sport, to build teamwork skills, and to foster peer connections has been nothing short of remarkable.

Up2Us supports both traditional and non-traditional sports. Our member organizations offer programming ranging from traditional sports such as baseball and soccer to non-traditional sports such as surfing, rugby, rowing and squash.

Gonzalez: How does your organization provide support?

Bartlett: Up2Us has more than 475 members across the country and supports its members through several services including: coaches (members receive highly-trained and highly-subsidized quality coaches from the Up2Us Coach Across America program), volunteers (members connect with passionate volunteers in their community through the Up2Us Volunteerism Initiative),equipment and apparel (members can access heavily discounted equipment for their program through unique Up2Us apparel-provider partnerships), evaluative tools (members can use research-based, practitioner-tested standards of quality to assess their programs) and research (members can access updated research and statistics to help make the case for sports).

Gonzalez: Please talk a little bit more about your organization’s Coach Across America program. I read that the program recently received a sizable infusion of cash through a Corporation for National and Community Service grant for the purposes of expanding the program’s reach. Was the organization able to expand as planned and if so how did it expand?

Bartlett: Coach Across America (CAA), the AmeriCorps program of Up2Us, is the first nationwide effort to mobilize a workforce to promote positive youth development through sports. CAA uses sports as a means to promote health and nutrition, education success, civic engagement and personal and social development among youth in some of the nation’s poorest neighborhoods.

CAA coordinates full and part-time placements for high school and college graduates as coach-mentors in schools, nonprofits and recreation/community centers. CAA coaches are certified in sports-based youth development, whereby they learn to inspire health, educational and social success among youth participants.

The program measures the impact of the coaches on reduced obesity, reduced dropout rates and prevention of anti-social behavior. Currently we have 250 coaches at 100 host sites, serving about 35,000 kids nationwide; because of cuts to AmeriCorps funding we will remain the same size in 2011-2012 as we were in 2010-2011, but hope to expand during the 2012-2013 program year.

Gonzalez: With this year marking the anniversary of Title IX there has been much discussion as to how far women have made it in terms of receiving gender equity in sports. This is especially a hot topic in the world of pro skateboarding where opportunities for women are shrinking and marked differences between men and women’s prize amounts remain. Do you think that overall Title IX has been successful and what more do you think needs to be done?

Bartlett: This is an incredibly complicated question to answer. There are so many things to consider. If the question is “Has Title IX been successful in delivering on its promise of gender equity?”, then the answer is, not completely. But there are so many reasons (enforcement, legal, stakeholders not mandated by it, etc.) why and the situation is so much better than it would be had Title IX not existed that it’s hard to think of Title IX as anything short of a success.

Gonzalez: As you are already aware, given today’s current political and economic climate many schools and community based organizations are drastically cutting their sports programs. What do you feel are the short and long term ramifications of this and what specifically is your organization doing in response?

Bartlett: Eliminating sports opportunities for youth is dangerous for many reasons. Coupled with the decline in both physical education and recess over the past decade, the recent decline in sports opportunities leaves young people with precious few chances to be active.

Youth who don’t have the chance to be physically active are more likely to suffer from a host of health and developmental difficulties. And perhaps equally threatening trend to the elimination of sports opportunities is the privatization of them - the rise of participation fees or pay to play fees.

While in these situations there are still some youth who are able to afford to participate in sports, a terrible dynamic in which the inequity between the “haves” and “have nots” is reinforced by these fees. In this situation, the obvious “haves” are youth who have families who can afford to have their children participate.

However, another group of “haves” are the athletically gifted youth, regardless of their financial state. In most situations, if a young person is not able to afford the fees but will help the team win, often times the fees are waived or paid by someone invested in the team’s success. So, not only is this practice inherently economically discriminatory, but it discourages youth from participating unless they happen to be athletically gifted.

Gonzalez: What advice would your organization give to those communities seeking to save or establish skateboarding or sports programs in general and what resources would you suggest they look into?

Bartlett: The things that we have seen have some level of success are: wide mobilization of parents and students appealing to the school board or whoever is making the budget decisions to save sports and fundraisers.

Fundraisers are not a sustainable solution because, well, there are only so many bake sales and car washes a team can have. But many parents and teams have decided to take matters into their own hands and provide the financial resources to allow the team to continue.

Another option is public-private partnerships where local businesses invest in the local athletic community and keep teams from going under.

None of these solutions typically provides any long-term relief. Unfortunately, even in the three states that have legal mandates that sports be considered a student’s right to free education (Rhode Island, Iowa and California), there is evidence of pay to play (sometimes disguised as transportation or insurance fees, not participation fees). Without a more systematic solution, this situation will not soon be resolved.

Additional information

For those interested in learning more about Up2Us, their use of skateboarding programs as a vehicle for change as well as the research the group has done on the benefits of sports, I suggest you read the 20 page “Get: Set to make the case presenting sports as an agent for social change” report referenced earlier in this article. The report is a true eye-opener.

In addition, Up2Us has other research materials available on its website that skate fans may find useful when approaching government officials for the purposes of making an argument for the establishment of a public skatepark as well as community based skateboarding programs.

Author's Note: My interview with Megan Bartlett took place several years ago and was originally published on Yahoo! Sports. The publishing rights now belong to me. As such, the above is a reprint of the original Yahoo! Sports article.

Interview with Skate Cape May Co-Founders, Edwin Zhang and Danny Brookes (Yahoo! Sports Reprint - 2011) #ThrowbackThursday

In my never ending quest to uncover and shine the spotlight on some of the wonderful things skateboarders are doing to help the world at large I had the pleasure of running into two 17 year olds who are from a state my family knows well; New Jersey.

Their names are Danny Brookes and Edwin Zhang. They are longboarders who attend West Morris Central High School in Chester, New Jersey, and are currently on a long distance mission to raise money for a worthwhile cause. In 2011, the two men graciously agreed to take time out of their skateboarding mission to afford me an interview.

Here’s what they had to say about their mission and longboarding in general:

Gonzalez: Please explain what Skate Cape May is and how it got started?

Zhang: Skate Cape May is a skateboarding fundraiser to raise money and awareness for Alex's Lemonade Stand, a foundation for childhood cancer research, by way of skateboarding from the top of NJ to the bottom and setting up lemonade stands in towns along the way. The idea came to us when we were doing longer skate pushes upwards of 20 miles a day just back and forth around our neighborhood and we decided to make it into a bigger trip, and for a good cause!

Gonzalez: How often do you skateboard and what are some of your favorite skate spots?

Zhang: I skate whenever I have the free time. During the summer I will go out nearly every day, but unfortunately I've been pretty busy with schoolwork and summer programs and whatnot. I love skating big hills, which is convenient since I frequent the ones in my development and the street below.

Brookes: For me I try to skate whenever I can, however I too have been busy this summer. I greatly enjoy skating around my town in general because there are a lot of fun hills to skate.

Gonzalez: What is your favorite skateboard set-up for long distance skating?

Zhang: I prefer a stiffer board with drop-through mounting, 70mm+ softer 78a wheels, and standard reverse-kingpin trucks. Drop-through lowers the board to make it easier to push, and bigger and soft wheels means that rolling across pebbles and dirt is easier and less harsh than hard and small “typical” skateboard wheels. Reverse-kingpin trucks are also important as they add to stability, and a stiff board also means more energy is put into the push as opposed to a flexible longboard.

Brookes: What he said.

Gonzalez: What other sports are you involved in?

Zhang: If you could call it a sport, I am a mellophone player in my school's marching band. But well, it is marching band, I guess it's kind of...active. I also do a quite a bit of snowboarding! But other than that and longboarding, I'm not involved in any other sports.

Brookes: I typically partake in winter (or indoor) track for my school. I am a hurdler, sprinter and on occasion I throw shot put.

Gonzalez: Describe the skateboarding community in your region?

Zhang: I guess the most important distinction to make is to recognize that longboarding is a bit different in terms of community compared to skateboarding. There is a reasonably large skateboarding community in our area. However, the longboarding community is very small and very divided. I know only a handful of friends who even own longboards, many of which are very new to the sport.

Brookes: I personally believe that the fact that we longboard has opened new opportunities to meet a lot of cool and interesting people not just locally but nationally as well. Locally the longboarding community isn't too great; however, I feel that if you long board you probably have a good chance of hitting it off with other longboarders.

Gonzalez: How has the sport of longboarding changed since you started to immerse yourself in it? Do you think that those changes have added or subtracted from the sport?

Zhang: Longboarding has definitely evolved over the four years I've been involved. When I first started, longboarders were definitely more involved in the cruising, slaloming, and long distance pushing. Nowadays it seems as if communities are moving more towards the disciplines of downhill, freeride, and freestyle.

There are still some very popular long distance skates (such as the Loaded Skateboards LongTreks) and other long distance pushes done by others in the longboarding community. I feel that long pushes have definitely died out in public interest in favor of the whole new fast and exciting image of freeride (at least in longboarding circles). I'm not surprised, as pretty much all I do is freeride, sliding, and freestyle longboarding.

Gonzalez: In your opinion how does the long distance skateboarding culture differ from other skateboarding disciplines and do you feel that American’s interest in it is on the rise?

Zhang: Long distance skateboarding culture, I feel, has a huge negative connotation in the skateboarder world. From my experience as a “normal” skateboarder (not longboarding) I found that a lot of skateboarders don't really like to associate themselves with longboarders, seeing it as a very “weak” kind of skateboarding that takes no skill. It's definitely a tamer discipline of skateboarding for sure though!

I don't think American interest in long distance skateboarding is on the rise at all. If anything, I'd think that public interest would be falling as most people buy longboards to simply cruise around for fun or to relax, and others delve into sliding, downhill racing, and freestyle.

Gonzalez: I have been to High Point State Park in Sussex County, New Jersey, myself many times but never gone skateboarding there. What were your thoughts on the park’s terrain? Was it what you anticipated?

Zhang: The park's terrain is definitely very, very rough. On a longboard its fine, and especially fun to slide down, but it is very steep and could be very dangerous for those who don't know how to stop easily or control speed with slide checks or foot braking. Since we were there last year, it was just as we anticipated – we didn't really stay long, as we skated down from the monument, left the park, and went to our first stop in Newton.

Brookes: As more of a novice, as compared to Edwin, I found the hills at High Point rather... terrifying; although, it was yet another opportunity to improve my skills, and I used it as just that.

Gonzalez: What has been the response you have gotten from the communities you have traveled through?

Zhang: So far, it's been pretty much a hit or a miss. In Newton and our hometown of Chester, people were very interested in what we were doing and many of them came had heard about us beforehand and had come to see how we were and contribute! As for Hightstown and Toms River, we've met with a bit of a less enthusiastic public for sure.

Gonzalez: Was it what you had hoped or expected?

Zhang: We were hoping that people would know what we've been doing or at least be interested in hearing about what we were doing, but we also expected a lot of people to be confused or disinterested with what we've been doing. Some people who've recognized us have stopped us to talk and make donation, while others shout vulgarities from their cars at us or simply give us strange looks at our lemonade stands and walk away.

Gonzalez: Have you been approached by any skateboarding industry related companies or pro skaters offering to help your cause? If so, who and how have they helped?

Zhang: We've approached several longboarding companies and they've been very generous in helping us out by providing us gear to ride. Especially this year, we have been riding Kracked Skulls boards, Paris Trucks, Divine Wheels, and Daddies Boardshop Bearings. We've also received plenty of other things such as Function drinks and Frends headphones!

Gonzalez: Thus far, how much money have you raised through this year’s skate trek?

Zhang: From our online donation page, we've raised over $2000, not including the $10000 we raised last year. We have yet to total our lemonade stand donations and external donations, but we have a general idea of at least $3500 this year, so far!

Gonzalez: What has been the most challenging aspect of planning and executing your skate treks and how have you dealt with the challenge?

Zhang: I would definitely have to say that the hardest part of planning our trips is finding out which towns we should stop in and where we will stay each night in those towns! It did involve quite a bit of calls and calculating and recalculating routes, as we did have to account for where we'd set up lemonade stands each day and how far away our hotel/house/anywhere to sleep would be. Since our only method of transportation for the 7 days is longboarding, we wanted to make them at least within 3 miles of each other.

Brookes: For me, I guess my body isn't meant for this kind of thing. I believe that I may have re-fractured a bone in my foot and am experiencing hip problems. Both of these issues make it incredibly painful to skate; although, I will always be right next to Edwin, even if it is on a bike.

Gonzalez: Do you plan to continue holding skate treks for charity and if so, what can the skateboarding community do specifically to support your efforts?

Zhang: Depending on success as our second year, we may or may not continue with Skate Cape May. Compared with last year, enthusiasm for our event has seemed to really die out. Of course, there are people who've heard about us and are very excited about what we're doing, but our impression this year is that many people are simply just not as interested.

The skateboarding community can definitely help out by making donations online through our website to Alex's Lemonade Stand, or help by creating their own fundraisers for the cause! The idea I find most important to get across is that everybody can help out in the community in their own unique way – in our case, skateboarding!

Gonzalez: What was your initial reaction when you found out that Skate Cape May was being recognized as the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research’s Top 100 Fundraiser for 2010?

Zhang: My partner, Danny actually told me the news over the phone and I was actually in a bit of disbelief. He gave me the award plaque and I had a great feeling of fulfillment – it was nice to know that our efforts had not gone unnoticed and that we've helped out a great deal for the cause!

Gonzalez: What advice would you give to someone interested in starting their own skate trek for charity?

Zhang: Good planning is key to a successful journey. Knowing in advance where you're going and when helps out a ton in letting everything go as smoothly as possible for the actual skate. It is also a good idea to contact a lot of skateboard companies, as many are very willing to help out, whether it be with publicity or a donation! As for the skate, a good backpack like the CamelBaks we use are also fantastic, as constant hydration is very, very important, especially on longer distances!

Brookes: Having a good balance of planning and practicing would be ideal.

Gonzalez: What skateboarding events are you planning on participating in for the rest of this year?

Zhang: Personally, I was thinking about just longboarding around my town for fun or attending some impromptu slide jams as they are organized throughout the year.

Brookes: I was hoping to attend the longboard event called “Broadway Bomb”, as well as just skating around, probably with Edwin.

Gonzalez: What other social causes (charities etc.) are you passionate about and why?

Zhang: I also care for the American Cancer Society and their efforts towards cancer research. I am an active participant in their yearly Relay for Life. I find it great that fundraisers like Relay for Life are able to bring together a huge number of people under one cause, especially one that has affected our family. My younger cousin was actually diagnosed with leukemia in his childhood but has since recovered.

Gonzalez: What person do you most admire (living or dead) and why?

Zhang: In longboarding, I would have to say Adam Colton. His passion for longboarding really shows through in his work with Loaded and the videos he films/skates in. I love especially that he is able to really demonstrate a sort of purity of spirit to the sport that simply very few can even attempt to do.

Gonzalez: Where do you see the sport headed within the next five to 10 years?

Zhang: I see longboarding pictured as more of an “extreme” sport, especially with the rise of downhill racing and high-speed sliding among the longboard community. Skills are rising as riders get younger and younger and more and more competitive!

Brookes: I can see longboarding, the cruising side of it, becoming more popular.

Gonzalez: Where do you see yourself within the next five years to 10 years?

Zhang: I hope to be studying or finishing studies in chemistry or chemical engineering as I love science, and I will be definitely keeping longboarding as one of my hobbies!

Gonzalez: If you could only be remembered for one thing what would it be and why?

Zhang: I would hope to be remembered for being an inspiration for another who starts their own charity event. I think it’s especially important in charity to constantly replenish community involvement in causes like childhood cancer. If I could be remembered as an inspiration for another charity event, it would be wonderful to know that the community would continue to work on towards a common goal through different methods.

Brookes: I would like to be remembered as a caring person who has potentially changed the lives of many.

Author's Note: My interview with Zhang and Brookes took place in 2011. The interview appeared on Yahoo! Sports in the summer of that same year. Since that time, all publishing rights have reverted back to me.

My 2012 Interview with Art on Board’s Founder, Rich Moorhead (Yahoo! Sports Reprint) #ThrowbackThursday

One of the things that have always impressed me about the skateboarding industry is the sheer pervasiveness of it. It has inspired art, music, accessories, apparel, furniture, home construction, cultural understanding and design as well as spurred cottage industries. Among the businesses that skateboarding has inspired is Art on Board.

Art on Board is one of the organizations that understands and appreciates the functionality of a skateboard on multiple levels. Founded by a former skateboarder, the company has a very symbiotic relationship with the skate community. It turns skateboard fragments into sustainable commercial and residential interior design solutions as well as gives back to the skate community in various ways.

The company’s work intrigued me to the point that I decided to make contact with Rich Moorhead, the company’s founder, in an attempt to learn more. We ended up talking about his work, the skateboarding industry, the environment and the economy.

Here’s what Rich had to say:

Gonzalez: Please tell us a little bit about your business. What inspired you to come up with the concept of Art on Board and what was the most challenging aspect of getting the business started?

Moorhead: Art of Board was born peripherally from my desire to open a skate shop 10 years ago. Bored with corporate life, I recognized a demand for a shop locally and thought it would be refreshing to reconnect with my youth as a skater. The shop never happened, in large part because local folks wouldn't rent to me knowing it was a skate shop.

During this same period of time, my nephew was heavily into skating and had a pile of broken decks slated for the trash. Having a carpentry background, I asked him to hold off on the trash bin, as I saw something in the worn graphics, scrapes and gashes appearing on every deck. From there I started experimenting with hat racks, picture frames and mirrors.

I began showing my creations to skate shops outside the local area and questioned where their broken decks ended up……..I saw a pattern developing, with a consistent answer of "we trash them". Shops were more than happy to donate their piles of wreckage, knowing I was doing something creative in return.

As my projects evolved, so did the possibilities in working with the form pressed material. Developing a method using small squares, which created a very colorful palate, minimized waste, and allowed the curved material to lie flat, I began experimenting with a tile concept. Knowing the industry was littered with broken decks, I was sure this could be the sustainable solution for the skate industry, providing true environmental impact.

My original mosaic, entitled "The Art of Board" in 2005 was my first attempt at grouting the material, hence giving birth to what is now known as Art of Board. Five years later the demand for our Sk8 Tile feeds off of our grass roots recycling movement called "I Ride I Recycle" and is the first comprehensive recycling movement to the skateboard industry.

Gonzalez: What was the initial reaction you got from the skateboarding community to Art of Board’s mission and was it what you had expected?

Moorhead: As we expanded our efforts from regional to nationwide, communicating our movement typically comes down to an initial phone call or email to a prospective shop. One shop in particular hung up on me, thinking I was selling something………so I simply called them back.

That same shop, West Side Skate Shop in Cleveland, OH has been recycling their broken decks for over four years with AOB. Most shops are owned by environmentally conscious people with a stake in doing the right thing, and have absolutely embraced Art of Board/I Ride I Recycle.

Gonzalez: How has Art on Board’s efforts been received by the residential and commercial design industry and has it been what you had expected?

Moorhead: We recently displayed at the ICFF Show in NYC, where our Sk8 Tile created tons of buzz with the design community, both residential and commercial. Our product is so unexpected and refreshing that we typically leave designers beside themselves. With a product that offers environmental impact, colorful landscapes and an edgy coolness of skateboarding………..how can you miss?!

Gonzalez: What are some of the commercial interiors that your company has worked on?

Moorhead: With a few high profile projects in the works, Art of Board is proud to have contributed to the LEED Platinum, Cherokee Lofts in West Hollywood, which was featured in Interior Design Magazine last summer, as well as the latest issue of Tile Magazine.

Our product was also an integral part of the Life Rolls On (A Subsidiary of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation) boardroom and reception area. Art of Board has no limits to its application, including libraries, universities and even surf shops.

Gonzalez: What accomplishments are you most proud of and why?

Moorhead: I'm proud of finding a solution to the mountains of waste sitting in skate shops across the country and creating a business that gives back to skateboarding in so many ways.

Gonzalez: In your estimation, how many trees are cut down annually to support the action sports industry hard goods market?

Moorhead: That would be a guess on my part but when you consider millions of skateboarders replacing multiple decks every year, it's substantial.

Gonzalez: I read that your company employs skateboarders. How has skateboarding changed since you started to immerse yourself in it? Do you think that those changes have added or subtracted from the sport?

Moorhead: Yes, my partners have a skateboarding history and continue riding today. It was their love of the sport that gravitated them to AOB, with the thought that they could make a difference.

Skateboarding is a fickle, sensitive industry that becomes hard to pin down. What's hot today may not be tomorrow. Online shops make it even more difficult for small shops to thrive, and may represent the biggest challenge of moving forward. I've seen many shops come and go since AOB came about, and at least some of that is due to the change that has occurred with the online presence. I Ride I Recycle will challenge this shift, forcing the recycling effort to the heart of the industry……… the local skateshop.

Gonzalez: Where do you see the future of action sports going and what role do you and your organization hope to play in it?

Moorhead: Action sports aren't going away and sustainability is only going to become more relevant. You don't have to look any further than the surf industry that has a major struggle on their hands with the boards that are used and the eco-unfriendly materials used in them. Art of Board is positioning itself as the architect of sustainability within skateboarding, with I Ride I Recycle being the blueprint.

Gonzalez: How many tons of skateboard material do you recycle annually?

Moorhead: To place a tonnage estimate on our recycling movement would be difficult, but I can say that I Ride I Recycle has proven a successful resource for the industry and a sustainable solution for shops and skateparks across the country.

Gonzalez: Is Art on Board currently working with or being supported by any well-known skate artists, major skate companies or skate pros?

Moorhead: We just completed Coastal Carnage with Converse at the US Open of Surf and it went incredibly. There are many things in the works that are exciting for the future of AOB.

Gonzalez: What are the tangible and intangible benefits to the skate shops and skaters that participate in the Art on Board/ I Ride I Recycle Program?

Moorhead: Art of Board is all about supporting the shops that support I Ride I Recycle. With a simple recycling movement we encourage skateboarders to physically bring their broken decks to their local shop vs. an online experience, which promotes shop traffic.

We also have recycling contest where Art of Board purchases a "complete" skateboard from a participating shop and awards it to the skater bringing in the most recycled decks. We recently had a winner at Pitcrew in Frederick MD where the winner hauled in 90 decks! Pitcrew has been on board from the beginning and has donated over 1,000 broken decks to the AOB movement. Our program is a win-win for the shop, the skater and the industry.

Gonzalez: Please tell us a little bit about the skateboard recycling process. Is the process labor intensive? How long does it take to recycle a skateboard?

Moorhead: The broken decks arrive to my shop via prepaid shipping labels provided by AOB. Shops already have boxes from a steady flow of new decks arriving on a regular basis. The broken decks are placed in the box, shipping labels adhered and handed to UPS upon arriving for deliveries (no scheduling necessary), with no disruption to the shop. Decks arrive to my shop, stacked and await selection for cutting. The rest is my secret!

Gonzalez: Besides skateboard decks, what other materials does Art on Board recycle?

Moorhead: We're all about skateboarding and have no sights set on any other products at this time……….however, we do recycle the grip tape left on the deck!

Gonzalez: How many boards do you donate to Boards for Bros per year and what other charities/social causes is your company actively involved with?

Moorhead: We've just started dialog with Boards for Bros and will do a charity art exhibit through Skatepark of Tampa in November to kick things off. Because we deal with broken decks, I probably have 50 decks to donate on behalf of Art of Board. Other skate based charities and causes include The Tony Hawk Foundation, Grind for Life, Johnny Romano Skate Jam, Reid Menzer Memorial Skate Park and others.

Gonzalez: Is your company planning anything special for Earth Day 2012?

Moorhead: It will be a surprise, it will be fun and it will be big!

Gonzalez: How has the current economic climate affected Art on Board and what are you doing in response to those affects?

Moorhead: Our products are very labor intensive and hands-on, which is also the appeal. People have responded to a product that represents the "human touch". Not only in our process but also in the skaters abuse of the deck, creating artwork through every scrape and gash. The economy could be better but it won't change what we do, it will only expand it. Stay tuned!

Gonzalez: What are your thoughts on Global Warming and President Obama encouraging Americans to look towards Green Jobs for the future?

Moorhead: Without getting political, I think we all have a responsibility to reduce waste. This was instilled in me through my parents, who were of the generation that waste wasn't an option and reusing materials was expected. Today, it's hard to find a company without a Green Initiative in their marketing strategies, which is encouraging. Green is definitely spawning innovation, which is a good place to start.

Gonzalez: As a business owner, what are your thoughts on the debt ceiling debate and how do you see it affecting your business?

Moorhead: As AOB expands, financial leverage typically follows. The debt ceiling debate can be far reaching, affecting interest rates on borrowing money and the terms at which we borrow. Until we're faced with such challenges, Art of Board is well positioned for healthy expansion, and our sights set on a very bright future.

Gonzalez: What person do you most admire (living or dead) and why?

Moorhead: My dad. He taught me to believe in myself and not to rely on others to achieve success.

Gonzalez: If you could only be remembered for one thing what would it be and why?

Moorhead: That I made a difference. So many people talk about doing, but instead live in fear of change and end up doing nothing instead. I want my kids to know that anything is possible if you believe in it.

Author's Note: My interview with Mr. Moorhead originally appeared in 2012 on Yahoo! Sports. All publishing rights to this article now belong to me.

Interview with Bridge to Skate Founder, Chantelle Heroux (Yahoo! Sports Reprint ) #ThrowbackThursday

#Throwback Thursday - This article is a reprint of my interview with Chantelle Heroux. It originally appeared on Yahoo! Sports several years ago. All publishing rights now belong to me.


Bordered by Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and two gulfs is the Republic of Honduras. Considered one of the world’s poorest nations, an estimated 7,212,000 people live there. The population is spread out over 43,433 square miles in small villages and communities, many only accessible by worn footpaths through the unforgiving terrain. It is in a region of Central America known for fresh water sharks, agricultural products, Mayan ruins, political unrest and now, skateboarding.

Sure, at first blush it sounds like an unlikely place to find skateboarders, but then again you and I are not looking at it through the eyes of Bridge To Skate founder, Chantelle Heroux. A long-time skateboarder and all-around do gooder, Heroux sees things from atop of her skateboard that others may not. And she is hoping to take her vision and use it to change the quality of life for the children of Honduras one skateboard at a time.

I was able to catch up with her this week for an interview and she graciously gave me a glimpse of the world through her eyes. Here’s what she had to say about skateboarding and how she plans on combing her passion for the sport and the children of Central America with the hopes of making the world a better place:

Gonzalez: How long have you been skateboarding and what are some of your favorite skateboarding spots?

Heroux: Wow, I guess I've been skateboarding for at least eleven or twelve years. As for my favorite skate spot- it's definitely the skateboard park Bridge To Skate built in a small mountain village named Perlas de Oriente in Honduras! All of the kids are shocked when I'm able to do anything and are rolling on the ground laughing when I fall. It doesn't get much better than that.

Gonzalez: In your opinion, how has skateboarding changed since you first picked up a board?

Heroux: I think it's actually changed quite a bit. When I was growing up, nobody skated to become a pro skateboarder. We skated to skate. I'm not saying it's not like that anymore because I'm sure this is still the case with many people. But, it's hard for me to think it's the same when I meet parents that have their children in skateboarding training programs and X-Game champions are landing the cover of the Rolling Stones.

Gonzalez: What is your preferred skateboard set-up?

Heroux: Preferably, I'd be riding a 7.62 with new wheels and bearings, and the same trucks I've been using for the last year. They're perfect.

Gonzalez: What inspired you to found Bridge To Skate and what is its mission?

Heroux: I volunteered for a non-profit in Nicaragua in the past and promised myself that when I got my act together, that I would give back. Bridge To Skate is the response to my promise. While working in Nicaragua, I was constantly exposed to the roles of non-profits in the area.

Generally speaking, all non-profits are doing amazing acts. However, in an area that has so much need, it's hard to focus on children. With soccer being the only option for kids, what happens to the children that aren't good at soccer?

Personally, I wasn't good at soccer when I was younger. In fact, I was cut from my middle-school team. I became a confident person from art, skateboarding, wakeboarding, etc. I decided to make it my focus to fill in the void that all the other non-profits were missing and provide more options for children, as well as fun.

Every child deserves a childhood and what's a childhood without a swing set? Without Art? Without a skateboard? Our mission exemplifies those beliefs- "Bridge To Skate is a 501(c)(3) public charity that uses skateboarding and play to aid in the creation of life skills, promotion of health, fostering of peace and education of cultural differences internationally."

Gonzalez: Why Honduras and why the communities of Trojes and Danli? Please tell us about those skate communities and what motivated Bridge to Skate to provide assistance in those areas first? What other areas are you hoping to expand to in the future?

Heroux: Other than seeing a handful of kids with skateboards in major cities, I haven't found much of a skateboard scene in Honduras. As far as I know, we built one of the first skateboard parks in Honduras, if not the first. We really are trying to focus on providing opportunities to areas and children that wouldn't get them without our help.

Lately, Honduras has had a lot of struggles. Besides the Roatan area, it's a country that has been lost in the travel books and destination guides. With safer and similarly poor neighboring countries, Honduras isn't even a popular destination country for non-profits. If non-profit organizations even make it to Honduras, they generally aren't venturing far from the major cities.

We're working in areas that sometimes only have a hiking trail to them. If we don't bring these kids skateboard parks, playgrounds and art, it's likely nobody will. Overtime, we plan to expand outside of Central America. Our next focus area will probably be in East Africa and/ or Haiti.

Gonzalez: Please talk a little bit about Bridge to Skate’s skateboard sponsorship program. What is it and how may skateboarders provide support?

Heroux: We've started a skateboard sponsorship program that supports children that we feel would be a good recipient of a skateboard. Often these kids are from low socio-economic communities and could be considered 'at-risk' youth. Whatever their labels are, we give them a skateboard because we think it could brighten their life.

For many kids, when given a skateboard, the area they live in can be their skateboard park. The skateboard will give children a way to grieve, a form of transportation, entertainment, creativity and hopefully, friends. Every skateboarder understands the power of a skateboard. We've given skateboards to probably over 80 kids through our individual skateboard sponsorship program in the United States. Some of these kids we've met individually and we still work with one-on-one. Others, we've never met, but hear stories about.

We also have people giving skateboards away in our name. We just received an e-mail from a man in the UK who had a bunch of old skateboards he wanted to send us and we recommended he find children to give to there, instead. We hope we get more e-mails like that.

We also have been working with a handful of community centers to outfit them with skateboards to have on a 'loan-basis'. We want children to be able to 'check-out' skateboards like they can 'check-out' library books. Right now, we're working with the WLCAC in Watts, California. The Tony Hawk Foundation built an amazing skateboard park there, but many of the children don't have skateboards.

The kids there have been impressively good at sharing, but we're currently trying to collect skateboard equipment donations to provide to the center to loan out each day. For children that have never tried skateboarding, but want to, this has proven to be a great way to get more individuals involved at no cost!

Gonzalez: Do you have any amateur or pro skateboarders on tap to help with Bridge to Skate’s skateboarding clinics? If so, who are they and what specifically are they doing to help?

Heroux: We actually don't have any pro-skateboarders helping with our clinics (yet). A lot of our clinics are very grass-roots in that we take the best skateboarders from the area, bribe them with smiles and give them the task of helping the beginners. It's really cool because it helps create a really tight-knit family of skateboarders in the community. This format also ensures that the clinic continues long past its end.

Gonzalez: How many skateparks is Bridge to Skate hoping to build each year?

Heroux: I would like to complete at least one construction project a year. This year, our focus project is to complete the skateboard park, playground and school in Trojes, Honduras.

Gonzalez: Has the reaction Bridge to Skate has gotten from the skateboarding community been what you had hoped?

Heroux: Yes and no. What we've been able to do at a grass-roots level is amazing. Most of the skateboards that we've given away in our skateboard sponsorship program and to the children in Central America are from donated skateboard parts either collected at our events, or given to us from individuals who believe in our cause. We have had some support from the industry, generally from the smaller companies, but I'd like to have more.

Gonzalez: What has been your most memorable Bridge to Skate moment?

Heroux: Gosh, these are happening every day. However, I think teaching children who have never seen a skateboard in their lives, how to skateboard is a pretty insane feeling. The first time I did it, wow. I'll never forget that.

Gonzalez: In your opinion, why is it important to provide sports opportunities to at risk and low-income youth in other countries? What benefits does skateboarding provide them that other activities may not?

Heroux: I think it's just as important to provide sports opportunities to at risk youth in other countries as it is in our own. In the case we're dealing with now, it's really about just providing opportunities. Without any options, how are the kids that aren't good at soccer (the only activity option really available in Central America) supposed to become successful and confident in anything that they do?

Often the kids who really excel in skateboarding aren't the typical 'team-sport superstars'. Relatively speaking, skateboarding really doesn't require much to pass on. But, it can be life-changing to a child who has nothing.

Gonzalez: How have the recession and the recent downgrading of America’s credit rating affected Bridge to Skate and what are you doing differently, if anything, to counter the effects?

Heroux: For us, it hasn't really changed anything. Obviously, if the economy was better, we may receive more support. However, we're very crafty with what we have and we truly use all of our resources to get things we need. As I was saying earlier, most of our skateboard equipment comes in donations from people who have extra.

A lot of our competition trophies are handmade. Old skateboard decks that can no longer be used are recycled into art. Our art is sold to raise money for the construction of skateboard parks and playgrounds. It'd be great to have unlimited access to everything we need, but I think we really take advantage of what we have right now instead of comparing ourselves to other organizations or thinking about the 'what ifs'.

Gonzalez: What has been the most challenging task you have ever undertaken with Bridge to Skate and how did you approach it?

Heroux: I feel like we're constantly facing tasks with Bridge To Skate, and each one has to be approached differently. However, remaining focused is probably our biggest challenge. When we travel to third world countries and people realize we want to help, they're quick to show you what they think you should do. It's hard to say no to medical centers, schools and homes. But sometimes you have to. This is the worst!

Gonzalez: What person do you most admire (living or dead) and why?

Heroux: Wow, this is an extremely difficult question because I've always looked up to people like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. I'm also constantly meeting local heroes like George Sichelstiel and John Jones. But, the person I most admire is probably my mother, Maureen Heroux. She's an adventurer, philanthropist and teacher. She always has a smile on her face and a positive outlook in her horizon. She's been supportive of even my most insane ideas and an inspiration to some of them. I'm constantly learning from her and can only hope that someday I'll be as wise and considerate as she is.

Gonzalez: If you could only be remembered for one thing what would it be and why?

Heroux: I would probably want to be remembered for my positive attitude and attempt to make a change in the world. I have put so much effort into giving children opportunities and I hope they'll remember what I gave them and pass it forward in the future. Being brought up in the United States we are given an option to do great things. I hope I am able to embrace that as much as possible and inspire others as I've been inspired.

Interview with Jaret Belliveau: Director of the Skate Documentary, Highway Gospel (Yahoo! Sports Reprint) #ThrowbackThursday

Author's Note: This interview originally appeared on Yahoo! Sports and Yahoo! Entertainment several years ago. All publishing rights now belong to me.

This week the skate documentary “Highway Gospel” will be shown at the Ottawa International Film Festival in Canada. For those skate fans unfamiliar with the skate documentary, it focuses on a group of BC skateboarders. Among them are World Championships of Slalom Skateboarding’s Executive Co-Chair and course designer Claude Regnier as well as skaters Bricin “Striker” Lyons and Jody Wilcock.

The film was directed by Jaret Belliveau and Craig Jackson, both of whom skate. Belliveau graciously took time out of his schedule to sit down for an interview. We talked about the skate documentary, his advice for aspiring film makers, longboarding and the skate scene in BC.

Here’s what he had to say about it all:

Gonzalez: How has the downhill and slalom skateboarding scene in BC changed since you first immersed yourself in it?

Belliveau: The scene has changed a lot since we started filming, I don’t know much about the slalom scene in BC in particular but I know that the Slalom scene seems to be exploding in North America and Europe. As for the Downhill scene in BC, every year it just seems to be getting bigger and bigger. There are more races every year and a lot of this is to do with Bricin Lyons.

Gonzalez: I read that you took up skateboarding at the age of 21 and found it cathartic when dealing with your mother’s cancer. What was it about longboarding that brought you comfort during that time?

Belliveau: I find longboarding completely engrossing, when you’re bombing down a hill you cannot think of anything else other than staying on your board.

Gonzalez: Your film’s title “Highway Gospel” alludes to a similarity between religion and downhill skateboarding. What similarities do you see between the two?

Belliveau: Well the title came from an understanding that most of the people we were documenting treated skateboarding like their religion.

Gonzalez: Do you still skate and if so how often? What are some of your favorite skate spots?

Belliveau: I haven’t been skating a lot lately because we have been working on editing “Highway Gospel” but I do have a couple favorite spots in Halifax, one being the back side of citadel hill in downtown Halifax.

Gonzalez: Other than Hot Docs, where else can people watch “Highway Gospel” within the coming months? Do you plan on releasing it on DVD and if so when and where?

Belliveau: Well the film is playing at the Ottawa International Film Festival on the 19th of August and we are hoping to be screening in Halifax at the Atlantic Film Festival this September. The film has just picked up distribution in Canada and we plan to have DVD’s available by early 2012.

Gonzalez: Over the years how many skate films have you made?

Belliveau: This is the first film I have ever directed or shot.

Gonzalez: Do you have any other films that you are currently working on? If so what are they and when do you expect to release them?

Belliveau: I am currently developing a documentary film in New Brunswick about a rapper, actor, porn star and Canada’s first action hero. I am hoping to be wrapping this film by early next year.

Gonzalez: What emerging trends are you seeing in independent film making?

Belliveau: I haven’t noticed any trends myself that I could talk about in any depth.

Gonzalez: When it comes to film making equipment, what cameras and lens do you prefer?

Belliveau: I prefer using camera’s that are small and have wide lenses.

Gonzalez: When you are heading out for a day of filming what are five essential items you always take with you?

Belliveau: When heading out to film I need lens cleaner, water, model releases, avocado & tomatoes sandwiches and my sound guy.

Gonzalez: What camera equipment would you recommend to an aspiring skate filmmaker?

Belliveau: Well I would recommend that they get whatever they can afford because the camera equipment you us is the least important part of making a film.

Gonzalez: What words of advice would you offer aspiring filmmakers in regards to capturing the perfect skateboarding action shot?

Belliveau: Be ready to capture the moments.

Gonzalez: Thus far, what has been the most memorable moment of your film making career?

Belliveau: My most favorable moment so far has been our Premier at Hot Docs this April. We were lucky to have all of our subjects fly in for the event, which made it quite a memorable experience.

Gonzalez: Do you still keep in contact with the Coastal Longboarders portrayed in the film? Have you, or they, seen a change in how the general public views skateboarding and skaters as a whole since the film’s release?

Belliveau: I still talk to Bricin, Jody and Noah but I am not sure if anything has really changed in the way the public see’s longboarders. Skateboarders have been having confrontations with the general public since its inception in the early 1960s; I doubt a movie can do much to change this.

Gonzalez: Do you think that overall today’s skate films add to the general public’s misconception about the nature of skaters and skateboarding or detract from it?

Belliveau: Skateboarding is a multi facetted sport and there are ton of different images being promoted in films today but with that being said most people only hear and remember the bad stuff anyways.

Gonzalez: Let’s change gears a bit. If you could cook and have dinner with five famous people, living or dead, who would you choose and what meal would you make?

Belliveau: John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Gandhi, Anne Frank and Albert Einstein. I would have a selection of Fresh fish from Atlantic Canada and lots of wine.

Gonzalez: If could only be remembered for one thing in this life, what would you want that thing to be and why?

Belliveau: I would want to be remembered as a kind person because that is how I have been raised.

Football Legend Tyrone Jones: My Meeting with a Man on a Mission (Yahoo! Sports Article Reprint - Circa 2008) #ThrowbackThursday

Football legends, the sports world is ripe with them. We watch them play their hearts out on the field. Cheering them on whether they win or lose, often without a thought to their personal stories.

Perhaps that tendency to ignore what is behind the public facade comes from the common misconception that once a football player has fortune and fame, happiness is never far behind. Their fame and fortune almost disconnects them from the rest of the world, except in the case of CFL linebacker Tyrone Jones. At the end of his life, his “blessings” as he called them, only sought to propel him ever deeper into the heart of humanity.

What follows is a summary of Tyrone Jones’ football career and the story of how I came to know the man behind the #35 jersey.

Summary of Tyrone Jones’ Career

Linebacker Tyrone Jones started out in the late 1970’s playing Camden County High School football in his native Saint Marys, Georgia. From there he went on to play at Southern University for four years before moving on to such NFL and CFL teams as the Arizona Cardinals (1988), BC Lions, Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Inducted into the WFC Hall of Fame in 1999, Jones is celebrated as having made 98 sacks in his career with the Blue Bombers earning him the venerable distinction of a Winnipeg Career Sack Record.
Considered a 5 time division all-star, Jones can also lay claim to several other records and titles including Grey Cup MVP in 1984 and CFL top Defensive Player in 1985. He saw his team to two Grey Cup Championships before hanging up his #35 jersey in 1993.

Afterward, his true zeal for the sport did not diminish. In the mid 1990’s Jones parlayed his two great loves, football and family, into one when he accepted a coaching position at Morgan University under his cousin Stump Mitchell. He then went on to serve as a guest coach with his beloved Winnipeg Bombers in 1999.

Always known to be a skilled game changer, in January 2005 Tyrone Jones received news that would forever change his personal life. Doctors diagnosed him with a cancerous, inoperable brain tumor that was expected to take his life sooner rather than later. Defying the issued odds much like he had done while playing football, Tyrone surpassed the life expectancy he was initially given. He would eventually slip from this mortal coil in June 2008, but not before uniquely touching the lives of the people in one Southeast Georgia community. I had the pleasure of being one of those people.

Getting to Know the Man behind the Jersey

Tyrone Jones entered my life in the winter of 2008. At the time I was working as the Director of Social Services at a healthcare facility and as such became his social worker. A remarkable man with an unending compassion for others and an unwavering desire to inspire, Tyrone was unlike any client I had ever worked with. He did not concern himself with his grim prognosis, wallow in self-pity or spend hours reliving his “glory days.” Instead he chose to focus on making the world a better place to live in one hour at a time.

Normally watching an ailing person dragging a series of health sustaining equipment behind him would elicit pity, but Tyrone Jones would have none of that. He didn’t need or want people’s pity. He needed their attention because he was a man with an urgent message to deliver.

He told me that his life had been full of more blessings than any man could ever hope for. Among those blessings was a successful football career, beautiful children, good friends and a loving family to support him. He went on to explain that he longed to talk to people in the hopes that doing so would make them realize that they too had blessings to be thankful for. He wanted to show as many people as he could that life’s moments, no matter how infinitesimal or seemingly painful, were meant to be cherished.

Tyrone asked me to help him get his message across by finding him people to talk to and organizations to volunteer for. I obliged with his wishes and before long Tyrone was spending as much time uplifting others and volunteering as his cancer ridden body would allow. His delivered his message with such infectious enthusiasm that before long others who had all but given up on life started following his lead. Soon others in the healthcare facility also started volunteering and spreading Tyrone’s message.

In the end, his final efforts raised both funds for the American Cancer Society and awareness of the sanctity of life’s moment. Now that he has since passed on, many people remember certain aspects of the football legend in their own way. For me, one thing about the man will always remain clear. Whether he was on the football field or off, Tyrone Jones never lost sight of the ball.

Additional Information

After Tyrone Jones’ death the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers started a scholarship in his honor. Those that would like to learn more about the Tyrone Jones Scholarship and the Never Alone Foundation should log onto the Winnipeg Blue Bombers website.

Author's Note: This article originally appeared on Yahoo! Sports. All publishing rights now belong to me.

My Interview with Salvage Boards Founder, Andre Drescher (Yahoo! Sports Reprint - 2011) #ThrowbackThursday

Ask a group of people what constitutes a craftsman and you are likely to get a variety of answers. Nestled within the Pacific Northwest City of Olympia, near the southern end of Puget Sound, is an old school skateboarder and surfer. His name is Andre Drescher and he owns Salvage Boards.

Sporting a look that resembles a cleaned up Jerry Garcia, with the sounds of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the air, a swirl of sawdust around his feet and a vibe all his own, Drescher puts a little bit of soul into every skateboard he makes. To me that makes him a craftsman, which is why I sought him out for an interview in 2011.

Here’s what Drescher had to say when asked about his craft, skateboarding and what it is like being a small businessman in today’s world:

Gonzalez: Please explain what inspired you to start Salvage Boards and give a bit of history about the company.

Drescher: I grew up in Mission Beach California where I had been skateboarding and surfing since I was about ten. Kids in my neighborhood were either in the water or skating the streets, and we weren’t rich so we would do what we had to do to keep the fun going. We would experiment with making our own boards, and for me this started at around the age of twelve.

Many years later when my son Jesse became interested in skateboarding we did what most folks do, we made the rounds visiting various skate shops, checking out all the different boards. The boards and gear changed a bit since I was a kid, but pretty much every company was cranking out the same stuff. Each board was very similar to all the others, so I decided that instead of going with the standard mass-produced board I would make one myself, thus making it a one-of-a-kind and it would also hold sentimental value, since I crafted it by hand.

Once I started with that one board I guess I was hooked and my love of skateboard making was rekindled. The idea of using salvaged wood made sense to me, I just couldn’t see going main stream with my boards I wanted them to be unique and not like the others, plus I wanted in some way to make a difference. As the boards evolved they started to become a statement about how I view the unnecessary waste and consumption of our natural resources. I wanted my business to be a positive contribution by being ecologically conscious, so that’s basically how Salvage Boards was born.

Gonzalez: As someone who has been in the skate scene since the 1970s what would you say has been the biggest change to the sport and what are your thoughts on that change?

Drescher: Well, I guess the fact that skate boarding became a sport and a huge industry is a major change when you look at the evolution of skating. Park skating took off and was enmeshed with the extreme sports period, which made park skating very popular and the industry remained focused on this style for a long time. There has been a very competitive edge to park skating and that has created some important benefits, such as technological advancements that have benefited all skaters, but sometimes whether its surfing or skating there can be an element of exclusivity, so I really enjoy the idea of opening up the sport to everyone.

One of the things that I really try to emphasize when it comes to skateboarding is that it should be inclusive and about the fun. Novices can get intimidated by the more experienced rider, so one of my goals with Salvage Boards is to make everyone feel welcome and hopefully we can erode some of the barriers that get formed when riders take themselves too seriously. Skateboarding is a great high and there’s no better feeling than the camaraderie you have when you’re cruising and carving with your friends.

Gonzalez: Do you find the public’s interest in longboarding increasing and if so, what do you think that will mean for Salvage Boards as well as the skateboarding industry as a whole?

Drescher: I see longboarding becoming popular and finally gaining recognition not only here in the U.S., but also worldwide. I have friends that have really taken to downhill longboarding and it seems to be taking a path similar to surfing. With surfing some of us would travel the distance in search of that perfect wave and now I’m checking out videos and blogs of longboarders traveling to find the best hills. I see this bringing more attention to the longboarding scene.

I’ve also noticed that longboarding is becoming an alternative to our usual modes of transportation. Due to our economy consumers out of necessity have increased their use of public transportation, and bike riding as well as skateboarding, which is really evident when you live in a college town as I do.

Our students here in Olympia, Washington, tend to be ecologically conscious and aware that their generation is facing some very serious challenges, one of them being climate change, so because of our shared concern Salvage Boards has gained a lot of interest and support from our community by promoting a green product.

Gonzalez: In your opinion how does the culture of longboarding differ from other skateboarding disciplines?

Drescher: Since I was a kid in Mission Beach I remember there were two types of skaters and the difference between the two was also reflected in ones style of surfing. I rode a longboard surfboard and I enjoyed catching the waves that gave me the longest ride, and there were the surfers that rode the short surfboards and they were all about shredding, so I guess the similarities correspond. I’m a mellow dude, so I like casual cruising and skating down hills that allow me to gain speed and carve freely basically simulating surfing. And then you have the short boarders who might just be a bit ampier and really enjoy doing tricks and ripping it up, it’s all good.

Gonzalez: Do you still skateboard? If so, what is your favorite skateboard set-up, how often do you skate and where?

Drescher: Yeah, I’m forty-seven now, but I still get out as often as time and weather will permit. I go out riding with our Salvage Board crew the “Crash Test Dummies” they’re a great group of kids that support what we do, and I couldn’t be luckier to have them as friends.

In the Pacific Northwest we definitely have a short season, so we go heavy in the summer and get very stoked when we get a few dry days in the winter, but we try not to let it dampen our spirits, no pun intended.

My favorite set up lately is my 38” pintail with 76mm wheels. We have a few choice spots in the outlying areas of Oly that we like to ride and when the business activity slows down we bomb through town, but we keep it chill and make a point not to ruffle any feathers.

Gonzalez: In your personal opinion, how has the skateboarding scene in Washington State changed over the years and what is it like now?

Drescher: I can only speak for the last six-years since I’m a transplant to Washington state and I’m really only privy to the skating scene here in Olympia which is where I now call home. From what I understand there’s been a local skating presence here for quite a while and there are also skaters who migrate here as students to attend The Evergreen State College.

These skaters bring their own personal flavor of skating from all over the U.S. and abroad. I have noticed an increasing interest and participation in boarding specifically in downhill longboarding, it’s not really what I’m involved in personally, but I’m really interested to see how far this sport will go. I think interest in longboarding is going to continue to increase and I’m looking forward to contributing my share of enthusiasm for longboarding.

Gonzalez: I have read that you have created custom skateboards out of church pews, cabinets, doors and a whole host of other recycled materials. With that said, what has been your most favorite medium to work with?

Drescher: When you are dealing with salvaged wood products it’s a treasure hunt and supply isn’t always consistent, so rather than lean on a specific wood product my primary objective at Salvage Boards is to reclaim the best quality wood that will withstand the abuse of skateboarding, so I root out the high grade birch and maple because it works best and it’s the most aesthetically appealing.

Gonzalez: What has been your most memorable custom skateboard project to date and why?

Drescher: Besides the first board I made for my son Jesse it would have to be the board I made for a family friend. The board was made as a memorial for our friend’s father who died in a motorcycle accident this year. I made the board out of an old church pew that had a natural concave built right into the wood. Our friend’s father was a union carpenter, so we put artwork on it that reflected his affiliation with his local union and a drawing of an arm holding a hammer. This particular board holds a lot of sentimental value for everyone involved.

Gonzalez: Do you have any new custom boards releasing in the near future and if so what are they and when are they releasing?

Drescher: At present I have a collection of thirteen designs which are my standard shapes and I’m working on a new design, which I will have more details nearer to its release in April 2012. The new design I’m calling my hybrid and it will still have the old school flavor I am known for, but it will be a bit different from what I have been making to date.

For those who are not familiar with Salvage Boards they are not replicas of the older 70’s boards they are bits and pieces of past memories combined with an appreciation for the beauty of wood that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill. So I want to share a bit of history and I do this by bringing back a style reminiscent of what I grew up with. My designs expose the natural wood rather than hide it with graphics and grip tape. I make my own grip that allows the artwork as well as the wood grain to pop through.

Gonzalez: What inspires you to create a new board?

Drescher: This newer generation really inspires me to create these boards, because I want them to experience and understand what quality and craftsmanship looks like. I ride with a lot of kids my sons age, he’s 19, so many of these kids have only been exposed to the newer decks, which many are mass produced and imported by the major companies.

Today we are getting cookie cutter mass produced products that are shiny and pretty, but they have no soul and unfortunately our kids are becoming accustomed to and accepting of inferior products that are stamped out exclusively for big profit. These boards are shipped in and marketed to our youth without any regard of the impact it is placing on our global environment, our economy, and the future of our kids to obtain viable employment opportunities, so this is also a total disregard to the youth who are the very consumers these companies are marketing to.

All U.S. business’s in general need to be responsible to our kids future and work toward building and maintaining a manufacturing base here, which is greatly needed. I’m a small craftsman who hopes to expand and create jobs in manufacturing, so this is a subject that I feel strongly about. It’s about our kids having an ability to make their dreams come true, so this is what inspires me.

Gonzalez: How long does it take you to create a custom board from idea to finished product?

Drescher: It varies, but if we’re talking about custom artwork on an existing shape probably one week, but if we are talking about a custom shape, that entails a process that is more involved, so probably about three weeks on average. My business at this point is small but as it expands so will its efficiency and the ability to implement processes that will increase speed.

Gonzalez: Among the other artists who work with skateboards whose work do you favor?

Drescher: One of my skater buddies turned me on to Haroshi, his work is incredible and in a realm in which I could never enter. I am amazed at what he is able to create from old decks. I think his work is a major statement about the limitless possibilities there are for creating beauty out of something that would otherwise be considered refuse.

Gonzalez: I love Haroshis work as well. The man is clearly a creative genius. How much are your custom made boards selling for and how can skaters get their hands on one?

Drescher: I keep my prices very competitive and sometimes I get people saying I should sell them for much more because of all the work it takes in sourcing my wood and the fact that they are hand crafted and not mass produced, but I plan to keep my prices competitive because I really want everyone to ride my boards not just an elite group who have deep pockets.

My decks that are up to 36” sell for $89 and over 36” are $99, but the price does increase for custom artwork and a custom shape, but even on customs my board prices will never become out of reach for the average shopper. I have a new website and I can also be reached through email at salvageboards@yahoo.com and Facebook.

Gonzalez: How have the recession and the recent downgrading of America’s credit rating affected your business and what are you doing differently, if anything, to counter the effects?

Drescher: I’m a small business man who has always had to be very frugal and resourceful, so that behavior hasn’t changed. Making products out of a salvaged material is by nature a practice of desired sustainability so as long as I keep my eye on this goal I will just continue to forge ahead on my path to the best of my ability.

There are extenuating circumstances that affect every business man, but I feel as long as I stay true to my core values for Salvage Boards we will just take it as it comes and stay positive. Boarding is a great stress reliever and makes you pretty agile, which helps as your trying to maneuver in today’s business world. When the going gets tough at least I have boarding to look forward to. It’s all good.

Gonzalez: What social causes are you passionate about and why?

Drescher: I’m all about making positive changes in one self, which radiates within your immediate family, thus branching out to ones community and this in turn promotes positive changes globally. When you uplift someone in your life it has an effect on another, a pay it forward type of philosophy. I have been involved in charities to raise funds for college scholarships and other fundraisers for programs such as Habitat for Humanity. We also try to lend our hand in supporting artisans and we are presently putting together a fundraiser focused on our local starving artists to promote their work.

Gonzalez: What person do you most admire (living or dead) and why?

Drescher: The person that popped into my mind is Albert Einstein, because although he was a genius he also had a wisdom that was down to earth and humble. I admire that no matter how much intellect he had he never took himself too seriously and I think that is something we can all learn from.

These are some of my favorite quotes, which I think are relevant. “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” and finally: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Gonzalez: If you could make a custom skateboard for any famous person in the world, who would it be and what would the skateboard’s design entail?

Drescher: I have been a huge fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers since their early years. I love their music which resonates to me a familiarity within their lyrics and style that leads me to believe we may have had similar experiences growing up in Southern California. I would make a board for Anthony Kiedis the lead singer and I would do it in a style that would be my interpretation of how I see, hear and feel about their music. As a matter of fact I listen to their music all the time when I’m making boards so I guess they all have a bit of Peppers in each one.

Gonzalez: If you could only be remembered for one thing what would it be and why?

Drescher: How much I care about my family. My family consists of my wife and children, but also extends to friends and to my greater community, so what I would like to be remembered for is that I made an attempt to be a good friend and I think that that’s what life is all about, be nice to those who love you and try to reach out to those who don’t, but whatever the outcome we will all be better for trying.

Author's Note: This interview was originally published on Yahoo! Sports in 2011. Since then, all rights to the article have reverted back to me.