Speaker 1: 0:09

Hey there, welcome to how Do you Skate, the ultimate destination for all skating enthusiasts. We cater to everyone, from beginners to pros. Whether you love inline and ice skating or prefer quads and skateboarding, we have it all covered, and we bring you exclusive interviews with professionals, talented amateurs and influencers in the industry. So sit back, relax and get ready for an exciting journey into the world of skating.

Speaker 2: 0:41

Welcome to how Do you Skate. My name is Sean Egan and I'm your host. Today's guest is Darius Graham, out of Las Vegas, and I'm sure he's got one of the greatest stories to ever tell on the show right now. So we're going to start with the first question how did you get started and what are your humble beginnings in the skating world?

Speaker 3: 1:06

I started when I was three years old, so I got my first pair of skates on my third birthday. Horrible thing, could not skate in my life at all. My older brother had been skating already. He's three years older than me so, like most of my early skate journey was just me trying to be like him. Just you know that little brother syndrome. Like, ah, if he can do it, I can do it. And, um, I actually learned how to skate like the worst way possible. If there wasn't a park near our house and my brother would take me there and just push me down the hill, he would put wd-40. I had the plastic quads that you know you put, the old ones that you put your shoe in. Yeah, strap over. So, yeah, he would put wd-40 on my wheels and there were rocks on one side and grass on the other and he said I'm either gonna learn how to skate really good or fall really good.

Speaker 2: 1:59

Yeah, the next two years I just fell really good hey, once you get past that falling stage, though, you have no fear of falling.

Speaker 3: 2:07

Yeah, once you get used to it, you know. And then one day, going down that hill, I couldn't stop. Somehow I ended up backwards and it was like super fun. I was like, oh, I can skate now. And then when I turned five is when I got my first pair of rollerblades. Okay, and that's when I got into doing hockey and the Junior X Games and stuff like that. I really got into speed skating. So I did that, those types of things, until maybe I was 14, 13, 14. Okay, we had moved to Vegas at that time and I saw there's a skater out here named Mecca. He was the only other rollerblader in the rink. I'm in high school now but I'm still a rollerblader.

Speaker 3: 2:55

I don't care if they're dancing, I care about winning the races. That was my thing. I went to the skate rink on weekends to race. They called races. I'll hang out on the side the whole time. As soon as they say it's time for races, I'm on the floor, I'm winning the free pizza point point period. But, um, I actually saw him in the middle of the rink floor and he was um, he was jam skating, so he was doing everything the quad skaters would do, but he was doing on blades and I was like ha, I know how to dance, why can't I do that?

Speaker 2: 3:26

you know, and that's where my rhythm skating journey started okay, and I have to know, since you had the skates that you have to put your shoes in, were they the metal wheels or regular wheels for skates?

Speaker 3: 3:38

oh, it was the plastic cheap okay at that time I think it was like big cave part that was selling them okay, you know it was still around. Yeah, it was, it was nothing, it was definitely the plastic ones 100 nice now, when you started your jam skating, how did that?

Speaker 2: 3:56

have you gone into competitions with it, or so?

Speaker 3: 4:02

when I saw him jam skating at first I was like, you know, I want to learn all the ground work and stuff. But then I was like I don't want to skate like anyone else. You know, if he's the rollerblader guy who's doing the jam skating, I don't want to be the other rollerblader like. I don't want to be like, oh you remind me of Mecca. I didn't want to be like, oh, you remind me of Mecca, I didn't want to be version 2.0, right. So I noticed him doing all that.

Speaker 3: 4:31

But then I started seeing other types of skate styles from all over the country and I was like, well, why can't I do those styles in blades? Why is it just jam skating? So the first move I practiced learning was crazy legs, which is like the basis for most. You know, whether it's jam skating, jb snapping, whatever everybody does crazy legs that's a universal move across all styles and it took me about three and a half weeks to learn that and I was like, if I can learn this that fast, like sky's the limit yeah I started learning more and more about different skate styles and stuff, and my whole goal was to take a little bit from each style and make it my own into one cohesive flow nice.

Speaker 2: 5:20

Now, when did you start picking up on the freestyle side of things was? Was that your first with the crazy legs?

Speaker 3: 5:29

That was definitely with the crazy legs. I've always known how to dance and I've always been good with rhythm and stuff, so it was more so. Just like, okay, I can crazy legs fast. That's cool. How many ways can I do the same move? How can I play with it, depending on the song that's playing? So then I just start playing around with rhythm and pace. Like I can do this to a song that's 72 BPM. I can also do this to a song that's 110 BPM and still be on the beat, yeah, and then from there it's like let your imagination take over. If you think you might possibly be able to do it, try it.

Speaker 3: 6:03

Yeah, exactly, even if you don't land in it, you might come up with something else that you didn't even expect to.

Speaker 2: 6:08

Nice. Now with the freestyle skating and stuff like when did you start to incorporate that in with the jam skating? Because I know freestyle skating is a lot of different tricks and if you add that with the jam skating, that could be pretty awesome, and I have seen a few of your video clips and that's why I reached out to you.

Speaker 3: 6:29

so I actually did the freestyle. I focused on that first and then I um, I got too confident. I got way too confident. Like right towards the end of year, one of me doing rhythm skating and I challenged Mecca to a battle.

Speaker 2: 6:47

Is that on video? It's on video I gotta see that.

Speaker 3: 6:52

I will send you that video. I challenged him to a battle being confident like you're past your prime. It's my time now. I'm the guy. The stand-up was fine.

Speaker 3: 7:05

know, I was solid, but then the thing about jam skating is they have a lot of ground work yeah you know I had this much and so the moment he started doing that, it was just like it's kind of uncomfortable to watch at that point because I had nothing. It was just like, okay, kicking the dead body like I'm done already. So, yeah, at that point I was like, okay, it's time to learn. So I want to say it like end of year one is when I started like no, I need some, I need at least the floor work aspect of it into it. I might not need the spins or anything, but that floor aspect. I need that. And when I started doing that it opens your mind and realizing that like skating isn't just about from your waist to your feet.

Speaker 3: 7:53

Yeah, it requires a lot of upper body strength and stamina as well. And jam skaters do that, you know, on go 24 7. So big respect to them, because I used to feel like I was about to pass out practicing that stuff nice now?

Speaker 2: 8:11

is battles a common thing with jam skating? Because I have not seen that yet out here and me being a huge fan of the step-up movies, I always love battles, especially non-violent battles, yeah, so jam like pure jam skating.

Speaker 3: 8:26

They actually host competitions and a friend of mine actually just won this year's big jam skate competition. His name's on season. He's currently on tour with Usher Okay In that show. But yeah, jam battles are like the epitome of jam skating. Okay, I haven't practiced for however long, just so that when those competitions come up, yeah, jam battles are like the epitome of jam skating. You can practice for however long, just so that when those competitions come up, it's on and go. Whether it's a solo battle or it's team battles, jam skating is made for that battle and competition type of environment.

Speaker 2: 9:03

Very cool Now with.

Speaker 3: 9:04

Not so much Rhythm skating with not so much rhythm skating, what I said. Rhythm skating like within the skate rinks not so much. Those are more so like just a flow type thing. You don't see a lot of that stuff. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 9:16

So now we have a huge event coming up out here in April called mile high rollers. I don't know if you've heard of that, but it's a. It is a major jam skating session is actually. I should say it's an event because it's all weekend and we have people come from all over the country and this year I'll actually, or this next year, I'll actually be attending and hopefully doing some, uh, media work there. But might be something you want to look into especially. I don't know how many people they have on blades that do the jam skating, that show up. It would be a pretty, I mean, even if it's just what's the word I'm looking for. A demonstration of it would be awesome. A demo, yeah.

Speaker 3: 10:00

I've been asked by a few different people to attend Some of the ones that are doing Utah and stuff. Yeah, it's just my schedule doesn't agree. When it happens, People would tell me two weeks to a month in advance. I'm like yo, there's a skate party you haven't booked. I have lessons that were pre-booked three months ago, or I have a gig to shoot or something. I get hired for skate gigs out here as well, down in Vegas, you know. So sometimes my schedule just doesn't allow it.

Speaker 2: 10:31

Well, I'll definitely get you the dates ahead of time so that you can plan for it.

Speaker 3: 10:36

Yeah, if you give me the date a few months out like 100%. So now.

Speaker 2: 10:42

I love watching that stuff. Did you ever have a time where you took a break from skating, or has it been consistent since three years old?

Speaker 3: 10:51

Outside of being sick or getting in trouble. At school I skated basically every day of my life. I did take a break from skating at the skate rink skating at the skate rink. When I first had my son, I stepped away. I stepped away for three years. Then, right when I was ready to come back, COVID hit. Everybody got shut down. We started doing a lot of skating barbecues outside at the park. It was something free that people can do outside. You can wear your mask and skating as a whole got a really big bump during COVID.

Speaker 3: 11:34

Oh, I totally agree, a lot of people grabbed skates A lot of people.

Speaker 2: 11:41

That's when I picked up skating again too and really resurfaced again in December and have not looked back so but now, did you go through any hard times with your skating, like just mentally where you wanted to quit and like either a move was too hard or something, and cause I know a lot of the times that a lot of the people I talk to they just have those moments mentally where they just get to that point.

Speaker 3: 12:10

I've never had a time where I didn't want to skate, like skating is my therapy. Yeah, you know, like, if I'm happy, I'm like yo, I'm so happy I gotta go skate right now. If I'm bad, I'm like you know, I just need to put my headphones on by myself and roll around. Like, whatever the emotion is, I find an excuse to go skate. I did have, like I said, that five-year gap where I just didn't want to skate around other people. Yeah, because, like any community, you know, every community has its ups and downs and sometimes you just need to step back, take a breath for your own sake. You know as much as I loved what COVID did for skating, how many new skaters it brought out, how many old skaters it brought back. It also gave that big social media bump to where people were no longer skating to have fun, they were skating to try and make some money. Yeah, longer skating to have fun, they were skating to try and make some money. Yeah, and it it somewhat took away from like the love of it, because you had people coming into the rinks and stuff only to get a video.

Speaker 3: 13:15

Yeah, you know, every time I used to, I could do, I I used to be able to do a spin just casually hear some people clap, and we keep the session going. Able to do a spin just casually hear some people clap, and we'd keep the session going. Nowadays, you do a spin the moment you stop. You look up, there's seven cameras on you and you don't always want that. You know what I mean. Yeah, sometimes I just want to go to the rink and just skate. I don't want a video. If I want a video, I ask somebody to record it for me, for my page. But sometimes I just want to skate.

Speaker 2: 13:45

Yeah, exactly, we're lucky out here in Colorado that not a whole lot of people film. I'll film some stuff for skating. I'm usually filming someone else and I get their permission first. It's not like I just whip out the camera and start filming camera and start filming. But yeah, it's almost. It's almost like people are trying to become like skating influencers, like influencers, like, uh, fitness influencers, and taking just the fun out of it, which I swear. I'm not trying to be an influencer, I'm just trying to bring the skating community together. Yeah, no like you're.

Speaker 3: 14:20

You're right with that, right Because you'll get like, especially out here in Vegas. Shout out to Usher. He's done a lot to bring like more attention to skating. He's done the flippers thing. He had his residency out here with the skaters on it for like three years, almost four years straight. Now he's on tour with even more skaters. Then we have HBO.

Speaker 3: 14:42

They just released Roller Jam, so a bunch of my friends are on that show and it's like people, people see that. And now it's like yo, let me be a media skate teacher on like YouTube or Instagram. You know, let me go into the rinks and go there for 30 seconds seconds, shoot this quick clip and then leave and post online. And a lot of people, you know, if you meet them in person, they can't demonstrate what you see online. Yeah, you know, because, because they solely did it for the quick clip, a lot of people came out and started skating during covid and four months take, uh, four months later we're dropping tutorial videos and it was like and we're dropping tutorial videos and it was like, if we're going to grow the community, grow it the right way, grow it with people learning the correct way. But you can't teach something correctly if you never learned it correctly.

Speaker 2: 15:35

Yeah, and with skating, though, it's like, you see, with a lot of sports there's a lot of egos, and skating can't have egos, because then you I mean, the thing I love about going to the roller rink is if I bump into somebody, it's like hey, I'm sorry. And they're like hey, that's cool. And I'm not a paid instructor. I'm not an instructor, but I help people, like all of us joined together to help people like hey, you know, try this and stuff, and you know, and just build up that confidence in the new skaters so that they can keep going and enjoy coming back. That way they feel comfortable where they can come back, exactly.

Speaker 3: 16:12

You never want to. I see it a lot and it's how do I say this? It's more so the skaters who don't, who are unknown stuff, who are normally the ones who drive new skaters away, the skaters who say, oh my god, I follow him on Instagram or something. You come up to us and say, yo, can you show me this 100%? Come on right now, not later. No, no, no, I got time. If you had the confidence to come up, that shows me you genuinely want to learn. So why not? Why can't I take three minutes out the session and show you real quick?

Speaker 3: 16:49

you know what I mean yeah, it's normally the people who they themselves don't even skate good, who always have the negative attitudes and comments towards the new skaters, and that's what drives people away, and I explain this to people all the time during covid, across the country, we lost over 3 000 rates yeah, that did not open back up, not the ones that closed. We lost over 3 000 ranks that got closed and rezoned by whatever city they were in. There is a documentary on HBO called United Skates. Okay, and if you guys haven't seen that it's on, like I said, it's on Max, you can go check that out and it was shot during COVID.

Speaker 2: 17:35

Okay.

Speaker 3: 17:36

And it showed the struggles of the skate world and how they were dealing with COVID and losing the race and stuff across the country from coast to coast. And that shows like with COVID and losing rings and stuff across the country from coast to coast. That shows if we want more rings to open up or the rings we have right now to stay open, you need more people to come in. Driving people away because you have a nasty attitude, because your ego is too big or your pride is too big. All that's going to do is bring less money to your rink. If that keeps happening, your rink's going to go down and now you don't have a place to skate either. Yeah, you know, be a part of the solution, not the problem.

Speaker 2: 18:14

Yeah, and it's usually. Every rink has its group of regulars that are there all the time, and it's pretty much our job to make sure that the new people feel welcome if they're sober enough to understand what we're saying.

Speaker 3: 18:28

Yeah, especially those adult nights, especially those adult nights.

Speaker 2: 18:32

Yeah, and you know, it's even like with the kids. I actually did Beetlejuice for our roller rink when they had a Beetlejuice theme night and I was like, talking to all the kids, I'm like, do you want to learn to skate better? We got classes here. You know it's promoting what the skating rink offers too. It's sometimes we just don't have enough of that and just getting the promotion out and even doing stuff to push skating.

Speaker 2: 18:58

And one of the reasons why I started the podcast was because I was actually up on a roof working and I couldn't find a good skating podcast that covers all aspects of skating, because I cover quads in lion's eyes and even skateboarding. So it's just, and I like the interview style because then I've been finding that I'm enjoying the stories more of the people behind the skating as opposed to of the people behind the skating as opposed to just the technical stuff on skating. So and it's it's like one of those things where it's like now you have a, did you have a son or a daughter? I had a son, okay. So now, when did he strap skates onto his feet? Cause I know you did.

Speaker 3: 19:41

So it was two months after he took his first steps.

Speaker 2: 19:45

Okay.

Speaker 3: 19:46

And how's?

Speaker 2: 19:47

he's eight now, oh wow. And how good of a skater is he?

Speaker 3: 19:51

I mean you know, unfortunately like so he's. He's a. He's a very standard skater for his age, but everybody wants their kid you know to to to have the super same interests as him. He likes it with me but he's not big on skating itself. You know, like if I'm doing this with dad, cool, but like he'll never be like yeah, I'm just going to go practice my skating, it's not his thing. We have video games. That's our shared thing. And that's okay, because neither of my parents were skaters yeah, I'm from the same boat.

Speaker 3: 20:30

Yeah like people. People will see me and they're like oh you know, your whole family is probably just your level and I'm like, no, not at all. I said my mom can't skate the same in her life. My dad was horrible at it. I said my brother was good at the time, but where I'm at right now he's nowhere. Like he stopped, he gave up roller skating and he got into skateboarding. Okay, he was a team. So you know, he was like like that's all. He was like it's just me, it's me and one of my cousins okay, out of my entire bloodline he actually skates.

Speaker 2: 21:01

So well, the nice thing is is, as kids get older, he may pick it up or he may not.

Speaker 3: 21:07

So he might. He might find inspiration that has nothing to do with me and be like uh, dad, I need you to train me. You know there's a school dance coming up and we're gonna be on skates.

Speaker 2: 21:17

Cool gotcha, let's go he's got to watch the movie airborne. That might influence him.

Speaker 3: 21:22

Oh man I was just talking. There's so many people who don't know that movie.

Speaker 2: 21:29

It makes me so sad well, my first guest was actually chris edwards, who was actually in the movie. He was the preppy guy so I know chris personally.

Speaker 3: 21:39

Okay, um, I actually met him. The first time I met Chris was 2024 now, so three years ago. I don't know if you know who Nell Martin is. I don't. So Nell Martin is a bronze and silver medal, been all around the world, did X Games and all that with Chris Edwards and a lot of the other great. He lives in Las Vegas. I've been a fan of him since I was a kid. First time I saw Chris and a few other people was when California Adventures opened as far as.

Speaker 3: 22:19

Disneyland their opening ceremony. They had them and Nell Martin was actually one of the skaters there. They were doing the half pipes and all that right. Ever since I was a kid, I was a fan. A few years ago, actually, right after COVID ended, I had been following him on Instagram and he followed me back. He messaged me. He was like yo, I love your videos. I had my fangirl moment.

Speaker 1: 22:44

I was like yo, I love your videos and you know.

Speaker 3: 22:45

I had my fangirl moment. I was like oh my God, my mom.

Speaker 1: 22:47

I was like you know.

Speaker 3: 22:48

Martin just like messaged me and I sent her a screenshot and stuff and he invited me to his house. He's like yeah, if you ever want to like get in the park, get in and really try it out, like come over. That's like, well, I live in Las Vegas. Yeah, me too. I was like, and then I found out he lived like seven minutes around the corner from me.

Speaker 3: 23:05

So I went to his house for something called verbiq, which is where he would do a barbecue and skate thing at his house, and he has an amazing house. But someone like that their regular friends are like your hall of fame on your bedroom floor. You know what I mean. So the first person who walked in, because I came like four hours early because I was too excited, I'm sitting in his backyard by myself and he's like, hey, I have to look at the airport, I'll be right back, you can stay. So I'm just, you know, sitting there hanging out. He walks back in with chris edwards and I'm just like, oh, my god, nice, like that, that's, that's him. Okay, he comes. He's like, yeah, I saw he comes over. He's like, yeah, I saw your videos. You're amazing. It's like you know, you try to keep it together in front of your heroes, but you're like I'll be advised.

Speaker 2: 23:54

I totally know that feeling. Dan Jansen is my hero and I actually got to interview him. So that was a it's it's. I've been involved in a lot of stuff and know famous people, but then it's like dan jansen, your idol for for skating, is in front of you on a screen, just like you are, and I'm just like um. I got questions.

Speaker 3: 24:16

I know I do it's surreal because, like I, I've met famous people in my life, like especially with my work and stuff. It's like, oh yeah, ok, hey, it's different when they're famous for doing something you love, exactly, you know, when it's somebody you used to watch, it's like I didn't have to go to a skate competition or get VIP tickets or or catch them at a competition in Europe or something like. Or catch him at a competition in Europe or something. He lives seven minutes around the corner from me and he's telling me I can come over and skate with him whenever I want.

Speaker 1: 24:51

What.

Speaker 3: 24:54

I just spit on my rollerblades. I'm a dancing rollerblader. It's definitely a real feeling. Now we're just casual friends. Now he texts me. Now has he given you any advice or taught?

Speaker 2: 25:04

you anything that you still carry with you? It's definitely a real feeling. Now we're just casual friends. Now he texts me. Has he given you any advice or taught you anything that you still carry with you and that you pass on to others?

Speaker 3: 25:14

90% of skating is mental. That is probably the biggest thing that I learned from him. 90% of skating is in your head yeah because if you are too fearful especially like when he was teaching me this, it was my first time he has a um a 12 foot vert ramp in his backyard okay and I worked myself up maybe six months to want to drop in on it and I was up there for two and a half hours bearing down two and a half.

Speaker 3: 25:53

He said hey. He said 90 is mental. He said if you can get past that block or you can just take one step past that mental block, he said the rest of this come to you. Yeah. I said you know what. All right, the worst I can. You know what that can happen is like you know, coma, why not? So I leaned forward, bent my knees, went down and from there it was just like, oh, I'm a park skater now let's go. Like I'm going back up, let's do this. So that's like the biggest thing that he taught me and I was able to apply that to my dance skating that well as well.

Speaker 3: 26:30

There were a lot of moves and dance that I saw people doing quads that I was too fearful to try on my blades. I'm like you know, I'm gonna break my ankle after that. I was like I just went down a 12 foot vert ramp backwards, like I went down forward, went up forward and backwards. Like I went down forward, went up forward and then came back down backwards. I said I there's nothing in rhythm feeding that should scare me to try and that got me to start doing like three 60 jumps while dancing on my skates. I started me doing moves like the big wheel, which is a Chicago based move Like it, just it. All that fear is out of here. It got me more comfortable doing my spins and stuff because, like what?

Speaker 2: 27:09

am I scared for yeah.

Speaker 3: 27:11

So, um, what is the skate like skate culture like in las vegas, because I'll actually be out there in april, so if you can make it out here in january we actually I don't know if you um saw my page today, but I was promoting it we actually have a skate party coming up the fourth anniversary of Skate Rock City.

Speaker 2: 27:30

Okay.

Speaker 3: 27:31

I won't be able to.

Speaker 2: 27:33

I won't be able to in January because I don't know why. I'm going to announce this, but my last guests have talked me into skating in the World Championships for long track ice, so I'm skating.

Speaker 3: 27:50

That's planning at the end of january, so kind of got that focus. Let's go yes, no, that's no, that's way more important. I promise we'll see you. We'll see you 2026.

Speaker 1: 28:00

It's fine, but you know exactly so I mean, I got a project that I'm going to be working on.

Speaker 3: 28:06

I'll discuss with you after we stop recording, so okay, yeah, that's that oh man, yeah, but I know the skate culture out here in vegas. Um, so originally the skate culture in vegas was jamscape. Yeah, it was just. You know, it was just like you talking about a lot of the older skaters that were from here, not the ones who moved here, but the ones who, like, skated out here kids and grew up out here. They were big, very big, and they're like jam skating, like shuffle skating. You know that group movement, fast pace around the edge, that was their thing I know shuffle skating.

Speaker 2: 28:40

Yeah, got the t-shirt definitely.

Speaker 3: 28:43

It took um I feel like every few years in some places. Vegas is one of those places. It's not a very skate culture heavy city. Okay, so a few years it does that drop yeah activity and then something will happen. You know, do that right now. We're definitely on that high rise since coven, you know.

Speaker 2: 29:03

Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 3: 29:05

And, right now, the culture due to social media. Right, social media allows you to learn or see different styles and different techniques and skating from all over the world from the comfort of your house. So you have a lot of people out here who use social media and you'll you'll just see a lot of different styles and stuff. The culture is growing. Some people were, you know, here for content, like we were talking about earlier. They want to be on stage, they want to be on the Super Bowl, they want to be on tour with people, they want to be on VH1 with Pink and stuff like that. And then you have some people who are just here to learn and have fun. Some people are here for exercise. You know, some people picked up skating as a way to stay fit during COVID and they kept with it even after COVID ended. Yeah, it's growing. The community is growing. People are starting to do a lot more things together.

Speaker 3: 29:55

I personally go live every day at 1130 during the week on my page. People from the community out here locally come in. I'm privileged enough to know skaters from around the country and around the world, so sometimes I'll get people from other cities come in, and now you have multiple cities. You know watching the chats and stuff and that's another way for like networking and bonding and stuff. I have some skate friends I've never met in person and they're like yo, we're having a skate party in our city, would love for you to be there. All right, cool, likewise. So it's it's growing out of here. It's growing. We still have a lot of ways to go, but it's growing in a positive way for the most part.

Speaker 2: 30:34

Awesome. Yeah, it's one of those things that I have watched you live a couple of times and communicated couple of times and communicated it was that the one we were talking about where I actually put input in, was the skate bearings, when we were talking about cleaning bearings. So did you ever get the monkey lube and try it out for your bearings?

Speaker 3: 30:54

So I did it because I am so horrible when it comes to skate Like I preach skate. I'm a hypocrite with this. No, I'm not the biggest hypocrite, especially when I'm teaching. Byite with this. No, I admit that I'm a hypocrite. I'm the biggest hypocrite, Especially when I'm teaching by students and stuff. I will preach and campaign for skate maintenance 24-7. Like make sure your bearings are good once a week, maybe even twice a week. You know, check your wheels this, that and that. If you're outside, use your outdoor wheels, If you're inside, use your indoor wheels. I haven't changed my wheels in six months. Okay, I haven't cleaned my bearings in like four months. It's, it's bad, it's just I'm a hit for it. But you know, do as I say, not as I do.

Speaker 2: 31:36

Exactly Just like a politician.

Speaker 3: 31:39

So you know be better than me.

Speaker 2: 31:44

There you go. So since we're on the topic of skate maintenance, let's get into the kind of equipment that you like to use. What's your boot of choice?

Speaker 3: 31:57

So I am sponsored by Akali Hockey and they are a full-on hockey company created by hockey players and they ship equipment to different leagues junior and senior leagues all around the world and I'm currently riding their Fire 2 model. So they have the Fire 1, the Fire 2, fire 3, seal 1, seal 2, c3. They have the fire 1, the fire 2, fire 3, steel 1, steel 2, c3. They have a bunch of skates feel free to um look them up on instagram or on um google and I ride their fire 3.

Speaker 3: 32:37

Now I did make it so that I ride 80 flat, 80 millimeters all the way across I skates are not rockered. A lot of people see my dance across my skates are not rockered. A lot of people who see my dance videos think my skates are rockered, but I'm 80 millimeter all the way across my laces. I actually don't use regular skate laces, I use paracord. I use neon orange paracord. It helps me tie my skates tighter. So I love to do spins, especially like low spins and like super long spins, so it just gives me a tighter fit. When I pull them um my bearings I will always run reds. I just I love them. That's just um my wheels. I have revolt Revolt wheels, which come from my sponsor. That's what they put on their skates and I just like how they feel, so I've never bothered to change them. I always throw a pair of Dr Shoals inside my skate because I am flat-footed and my arches scream at me every skate session.

Speaker 3: 33:43

Been there back in the old days you know great session, but that walk to the car after it's just especially after the long sessions, if you do the kid session and then you do the adult session after thursdays I teach, so thursdays, sometimes I'll have my first private class at 11 in the morning. Thursdays are our R&B night, so they don't end until 11 pm. So that's 12 hours of skating right there. At the end of that night, my feet are done.

Speaker 2: 34:16

What do you snack on during that 12 hours? Is it healthy, or are you eating the candy bars from the vending machine?

Speaker 3: 34:23

Again, me being a hypocrite is where it comes in. I preach to people make sure you have something to snack on. Stay hydrated. I will have like four cups of water that's it for 12 hours.

Speaker 3: 34:36

For 12 hours, I guess I get so caught up in skating like I don't want to leave the floor. I hate leaving the floor when I skate like I do my absolute best to stay on the floor, because every time I leave the floor that's, that's time, away from me practicing a new move or something you know. So I get in if the music's good. What is time?

Speaker 2: 34:58

yeah, so now, when did you start teaching?

Speaker 3: 35:03

I originally started teaching 2017. Okay, but it was like nothing serious. It was like if somebody hits me up, they want to learn. Like yeah, meet me at the park type stuff Charging to teach. It's going on for four years now. I started teaching outside and then I was charging like 15 bucks an hour and people were yelling at me like what are you doing? Like you, you know too much and you're too talented to be charging 15 bucks and my whole thing was yeah, but what if the kids want lessons?

Speaker 2: 35:42

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 35:43

You know, you don't know people's financial situation. And COVID just ended. A lot of people were out of work. So I'm not trying to charge an arm and a leg. I like skating period. It's just an excuse for me to put my skates on. I'm not going to charge an arm or leg for that. As time went on, my students were telling me to charge more. They're like if you don't charge more, we're just going to tip you of what you should be charging. So then I just changed my prices. I was like fine then, like I'll just do this across the board. And then I started getting you know more and more customers.

Speaker 3: 36:19

Um, earlier this year well, last year I started my business page. Earlier this year I actually went to skate. I started my business page. Earlier this year I actually went to Skate Rock City where I actually had worked at before I had my first son, and I was like yo, can I leave my business cards here in case people want skate lessons. At the time they didn't have an instructor up there. The manager was like I'll do you one better. How about you come be our skate instructor? Yeah, and I'm like I'm okay teaching outside. And so they hit me up for like a month, like no, we want you. And I was like, okay, but I'm not going to change my prices. So you know, we did the business end of that, which I can't talk about, but we got we, you know, agreed upon how things would go. And I'm teaching at the rink twice a week and the nice I was on how things would go.

Speaker 2: 37:13

I'm teaching at the rink twice a week. The nice part about that is when you end up with bad weather, you can still teach Exactly.

Speaker 3: 37:21

It has its perks. I get to skate for free whenever I want. I can just go into the rink when there are certain parties and stuff that happen. I don't have to buy tickets or stuff like that. Like I'm in there, you know, and then you know you get to meet a lot of people in the rink. Like I love skating outside, I prefer it, but in the rink you never know who you're you're skating with.

Speaker 3: 37:45

I think that's my actual favorite part about skating in general is, in this rink we are a skater point blank period, right, yeah, but you can see next to on one side, a second grade school teacher who's preparing the future of the world and on the other side a neurosurgeon who just got done, you know, saving a life and you'll never know. But it takes one little conversation and now you're like, wow, look who I'm skating with. You know Exactly. So I love that. I love hearing people's story that I skate with, like you know why? Why do you like skating so much? You just sit there on the side aisle where you're sitting there rolling together for a song and they're just telling you like you know, this is what happened. This is why I'm here, this is why I love it. This is like that's awesome you know.

Speaker 2: 38:33

So now the big question who was your biggest influence for skating, to get into skating and has put you where you're at now just because you've followed?

Speaker 3: 38:51

okay. So I got into skating because of my older brother, 100% like. But what really like made me fall in love with skating was the cast of Mighty Ducks D1, d2, and 3 and a lot of people. I didn't know this. A lot of people don't know this movie. I thought this was like a world phenomenon type movie that everyone knows brink on disney channel I remember that movie told me.

Speaker 3: 39:23

I've gotten into full-on arguments of people telling me they've never heard that movie. I'm like you guys never saw brink. That's where the whole Nanya thing came from, nanya business. But Brink is like, I love showing people that movie. But Brink in the Mighty Ducks movies, coach Bombay, yeah, that's all I needed right there. And then you know, like I said, I used to watch Nell Martin when he would perform. Once I saw him at California Adventure. From there it was. I was set, you know.

Speaker 2: 39:59

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 40:00

Brink is what actually got me into wanting to do inline racing. That final scene where they're going down the hills and stuff like that was like, that's me, like I'm gonna be in the Junior X games doing that. That was like you know, yeah, before I got introduced to rhythm skating, like that was, I'm into that, right there, that's me. Yeah, I'm going to be on their team. Chris Edwards was in that movie too. A lot of people don't know, but he was actually in that movie on the few of the beach scenes, okay, yeah and he didn't even bring it up.

Speaker 3: 40:37

I'm surprised he brings it up often. But yeah, I wouldn't bring it up too. But okay, I think it's more depending on who he's talking to, like their age, what movie he'll choose to flex.

Speaker 2: 40:48

Chris Edwards and I are the same age. Actually, I think I'm a little older than him, so it's more about airborne with us.

Speaker 3: 40:54

So, yeah, he you know he's like how are you so? Anyways, I was in this movie that year like, okay, yeah, he knows, because he has, he has a resume you know? Oh yeah, he does what he personally did for skating, especially in that time. Like you know, it was a lot harder back then because there was no social media.

Speaker 3: 41:13

You had to wait until a magazine got published about an event from three months ago. Even the TV channels, especially in the 90s, and stuff they weren't talking about roller skating, you know, like a big thing and here in America it's never been as big as it is outside of America. Skating is so big outside of America compared to what it is in America so for them to get the notoriety and stuff that they did back then without social media influence, without you know movies coming out, you have to catch a commercial to even know about stuff Exactly or hear a radio ad. What Chris Edwards did for Skaten at least aggressive inline and park skating, was just phenomenal.

Speaker 2: 42:02

Now, how can my followers follow you?

Speaker 3: 42:08

I'm mainly on Instagram right now, so you can follow me at blerd. Underscore on blades that's B-L-E-R-D-S. Underscore O-N. Underscore B-L-A-D-E-S. I'm on TikTok, but not too active. But same name and same thing on YouTube, just without the dashes, well, without the underscores.

Speaker 2: 42:33

And is that your business, or is that just your personal?

Speaker 3: 42:38

That's my business. I treat my Instagram as a resume. Yeah, that's how most of my gigs are contacted. Like we're in the age of social media.

Speaker 1: 42:48

You can have LinkedIn.

Speaker 3: 42:50

You can have. You know all those other ones, but most people when they're looking at gigs it's because you know when you're. When you're a skater you're more so in the same boat of like stunt stunt people. You know, yep, they take 13 seconds to look at your page. I like what I see. Call, call them in. Yep, it's that quick and you have to make sure if you are trying to get gigs and stuff like that, I tell people this all the time Make sure your page is organized, make sure your first three pin posts you show your talent, you show your story and you have your face shots and your model shots. You know if you can get a professional one, them, get them, pin them. The easier and more accessible you are, easier to contact, the more likely you are to get picked for these gigs.

Speaker 2: 43:37

Okay, that's actually really good advice for our followers too.

Speaker 3: 43:43

A lot of people want to get into stuff, but they don't know how and they're like you have to. Someone's always watching On social media someone's always watching on social media.

Speaker 3: 43:51

Someone's always watching, whether your post gets 2000 views or 20. It only takes one person the right person, to see it and be like that changed your life. Yeah, you know so just. But you have to, you have have to. You have to be ready. You can't get ready when you hear they're looking, because by the time you hear they're looking, they already found their purse Exactly. You have to be ready before they even think about looking. So when they first do start looking, you're on their radar already. You know? Yep, stay consistent, stay consistent. You can't just try one time and then not try again for a year. Not how it works. If you shoot the ball you miss, go grab it, shoot again. You know, treat your social media the way people treat commercials. You don't see a commercial error one time and then never again.

Speaker 2: 44:48

No, you don't see that Commercials 82 times in one day, every day, for the next year straight, you know yeah, exactly, but yeah, well, I appreciate you coming on and I look forward to eventually meeting up with you when I'm either in vegas or you're out here hey, you know you say you'll be here April.

Speaker 3: 45:11

Yes, um, will you be here for a full week or just like a weekend type thing?

Speaker 2: 45:16

Um, we're coming out for the sick new world festival, so I want to get out a couple of days early.

Speaker 3: 45:21

Yeah, Um, hit me up when you get here, come skate in. You know, maybe we can do an in-person interview, a part two. That'd be wonderful.

Speaker 2: 45:29

Definitely Well, I appreciate it.

Speaker 3: 45:33

Yes, sir, all right, Thank you for having me on Yep. We'll see you next time, thank you, thank you.