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, your host and today's guest is wizard skater Rio Sutton. So how are you doing today?

Speaker 3: 0:50

Oh, fabulous, Absolutely fabulous. Honored to be on your show. Thank you for the invitation. I'm looking forward to it. Of course You're welcome.

Speaker 2: 0:57

So not a lot of people, because wizard skating is relatively new. I just heard about it a couple of months ago, so do you want to explain exactly what wizard skating is? It is yeah.

Speaker 3: 1:09

So wizard skating, um, for me personally, it's all about flow skating. Um, you know, it kind of branched off from the traditional rollerblading. It's kind of like a middle ground between aggressive skating and free skating. I like to see, um, you know, but it's progressing quite quickly. So some people might say it's kind of like parkour in a way, particularly how people are doing tricks lately. Um, so for me, I feel like wizard skating is forever an evolving thing. I mean, there's nothing better than me getting on my wheels and discovering new moves, just due to the rocker and just due to the way your equipment's made right. Yeah, so, yeah, so it's. It's kind of the middle ground, really, between aggressive skating as well as freestyle skating, that's the way I kind of put it very cool.

Speaker 2: 1:59

So now, when did your skating journey begin and how old were you?

Speaker 3: 2:04

So I'm currently 30. My business started when I was 29, just as I turned 29. I went traveling with my partner at the time and we went to Southeast Asia, stayed in New Zealand, at which point I was not skating at all. It was only when I got back to the UK and we had a little bit of a summer. I don't know if you know the summers in the UK. They're quite, they're quite short, right.

Speaker 3: 2:29

So there was a little bit of summer left, so I decided to buy some recreational skates. I just went on marketplace, bought them, and and those who know me know that I've got quite an addictive personality so so I was obsessed with it. I was hooked. I was watching YouTube videos, looking for tutorials how do I skate like this, you know and I kind of stumbled across wizard skating in the process. So then I of course had to upgrade my equipment, so I managed to move to a five wheel setup and and from there my journey just kind of began. Um, it was perpetual training, drilling, falling, yeah, just to get the moves right. So so that's kind of how my journey began yeah, so you actually just started skating at 29 honestly yeah nothing before that nothing like I've been on ice.

Speaker 3: 3:21

I've ice skated uh, it's probably about it but I was never any good at it. Um, honestly, I was terrible at it, um, but it was only like I said, once I got these, these new skates I think they were the fx40s, um, sorry, no, fx80s from the the pr, excuse me, sorry, it was the frx 80s. That's what I got from local skates in the uk and then I literally just started my journey from there nice.

Speaker 2: 3:53

So you've only been skating for like a little over a year because I mean I've seen your videos and it's like you did some amazing stuff. And I have another friend, robbie. He was on one of the episodes. He's only been skating for like two and a half years and it's amazing to see what people can do in such a short period of time, especially when it comes to skating. So what made you decide to start skating then?

Speaker 3: 4:19

It was just like I said it was just. I suppose it was out of coincidence Like me and my partner at the time were just walking down by the river the Trent River, it's called in Nottingham and we saw a couple just roller skating. I was like, oh, that would be cool. So I was like, okay, yeah, let's get some skates. And why not? I've not done it before, let's give it a go. And then from there I just got addicted to it. I started watching some of the flow skate videos, um, online, where they're just jumping over obstacles downstairs, uh, doing these wizard moves that I've never seen before. So so, yeah, that's just what made me pick it up.

Speaker 2: 4:58

And it was like every night I'd put on a youtube video and just fall asleep to it, you know, trying to understand and graph this, this craft, essentially, yeah so now, what is the skate like, the wizard skate culture like in the uk and I know you're not in the uk now, but what is it there and what is it like in canada, where you're at now?

Speaker 3: 5:18

okay. So, like you said earlier, it's it's quite a new thing. And back in the uk it seems like there are skaters, particularly aggressive skaters, um, but some of them are branching off doing wizard skating. But I find that's a lot of people are located or situated in london or surrounding areas, whereas I'm from the midlands, so I'm a little bit more north and in Nottingham I didn't really see any wizard skaters.

Speaker 3: 5:46

For me, the culture in the UK is quad skating like disco sort of vibe, you know, um, and that just wasn't for me. I've never ridden on a quad skate in my mind, never tried it. I'd love to try it, I just haven't got the gear. But, um, but yeah, I would say, in contrast to here, I've met a handful of people that do skate wizard and it was really fascinating to see and hear some of the stories of some of these people who have, let's say, know like Leon Bassin and all of the shop task people and have skated with them before. So for me it was really nice speaking to them and actually learning a few things from them, a few tips, because often it can be quite lonely, yeah.

Speaker 2: 6:33

So I know they have roller rinks in Canada. Just go to a roller rink and just rent a pair of quads. So it's a different feel. I can tell you that because you actually I don't know about other people but when I skate on quads I can feel the wheels on each side as opposed to straight down the middle. So it's different, but some things are easier with quads for me.

Speaker 3: 6:58

Maybe you should give me a lesson. That would be great, me. Oh, I didn't say.

Speaker 2: 7:02

I was good. I just said I could do some things better. So now you said you skate on a five-wheel.

Speaker 3: 7:13

Yes, currently I skate on a five-wheel. I've got the Advanced Wizard frames, which are phenomenal, and I've also got 4x100s from the NM skates. Okay.

Speaker 2: 7:23

I've got those frames as well, okay, and what's the frames as well, okay, and what's the size of the wheels on the five wheel that you have?

Speaker 3: 7:30

So you get the front and back wheel are 100 millimeter and because I've got big feet, unfortunately it's 84 millimeters on the middle wheels.

Speaker 2: 7:40

Okay, because I mean I have not seen five wheel skates inS in I don't know how long Back when I started five-wheel inline speed skates that were the speed skates back then. Now I got three-wheel speed skates and four-wheel speed skates. So it's kind of interesting because I've seen them online on Instagram and stuff. So you've skated on four because you said you have 100 millimeter four, yeah, four by 100s as well.

Speaker 3: 8:08

Um, yeah, I love, I love skating on the four by 100s. I think the rockering system is somewhat different, so you have to adjust your skating technique, particularly when performing these moves, just so you know where to pivot. For example, the middle wheel on the five wheel setup, but on the four wheel it's kind of like two wheels. You're kind of bouncing between different wheels as you're in rotation and doing your tricks yeah, so that's awesome.

Speaker 2: 8:31

Yeah, it's been a while since I've seen that. Um, now I know how long have you been in canada uh, mid-january actually.

Speaker 3: 9:30

Um, okay, I got, I got off the plane in calgary and I was like whoa, it's cold, there's so much snow. I was like how am I gonna skate here? Because I I thought, yeah, okay, wizard skating being founded in vancouver, canada, there's gonna be a lot of people, right, yeah how am I meant to skate if it's? Snowing, so I just kind of waited till the rain cleared and, yeah, I got more wheels do they have indoor facilities where you can do the wizard skating or?

Speaker 3: 9:56

there are not, that. I've not that I've visited any um. I know there's one by the peony. It's called um. It's like a, like an indoor roller disco. I know that I can go there, um, but for the most part I like to look for dry spots because I know that I can skate on the street and then find a spot, settle down, do some wizardry stuff and then go back on the street skate. You know what I mean. Yeah, I'd rather be on the flow, on the move while skating. Yeah, it's a lot more to see.

Speaker 2: 10:25

Now can you do wizard skating at skate parks with ramps and stuff like that and pools?

Speaker 3: 10:32

I'm trying because I'm not from an aggressive background. So it's quite funny because, like, aggressive skating would have appealed to me years ago if, if it did right. But it didn't. And it was only since I started to see this flow skating. That that's what got my interest, that's what got me hooked. So now, of course, I'm trying to um move towards skate parks, doing new things with my wizard moves and it's coming along. I'm currently doing footage and trying to get it out there.

Speaker 2: 10:59

Yeah, so hop in your seat soon. That'll be awesome Now, before skating. Were you an athlete before or is this like your first real athletic endeavor?

Speaker 3: 11:10

No, naturally I've been gifted by anything to do with physical sports, so I've pretty much played every sport in school. I I managed to um play at a decent level in soccer, as you call it here. I would argue it's called football, but we're not gonna have that discussion now. Um, but yeah, um, when I was playing soccer I played from my whole childhood really. I had a few opportunities at a couple of professional clubs. Didn't work out, so I started to play semi-pro, essentially before I picked up football or soccer coaching. But I just needed a change, yeah.

Speaker 2: 11:50

So now do you think, because with soccer you're like pivoting a lot and you have to be extremely good on your feet? Um, to me I think soccer and ice hockey are two of the toughest team sports, just because of the how long, especially how long soccer. I went to one one time and it was a long game, so I don't know how you guys last that long. But do you think that has, like your footwork, training in soccer has helped with your wizard skating?

Speaker 3: 12:20

I've never thought of it like that, to be honest, um, I suppose. So, yes, I mean, you know, you've got to be agile, you gotta be sharp, you gotta be um reactive to certain situations, and I suppose that can relate over to skating. But I, I don't see. Yeah, I mean, yeah, I suppose in many ways, because I've naturally been gifted, I suppose, with like muscle memory, muscle strength, all of that, like the core, you know, um physiological things.

Speaker 2: 12:50

Yeah, of course, definitely because with I mean out here. I would say pivot on a dime, but pivot on a coin in soccer. So, and you could pretty much do that with wizard skating is just stop and pivot on a coin right yeah, it seems like that so now is there competitions or anything for float or not flow skating? I know there is for flow skating, but for wizard skating yet, or is there? I don't.

Speaker 3: 13:19

I don't believe so. I mean, I try to look for these things when I'm browsing online A lot of the time it's aggressive skating, you know, because that's what came about. You know that was the original thing. Aggressive skating, that's what kind of built an upper name. But because wizard skating is so new, I suppose you know that was the original thing. Aggressive skating, that's what kind of built an upper name. But because wizard skating is so new, I suppose you know, hopefully in the future there are more you know um reasons to make such events, for wizard skates to go and share um. I know there's one called return berlin that I've been very interested to go to and I heard about that maybe around april time this year and all of the top skaters, particularly around europe who do visit skin, attend that and some people fly in and it's something that's really sparking my interest because I think it'd be really good for me to go to that, considering I'm so new.

Speaker 2: 14:13

And when do they hold that event?

Speaker 3: 14:16

It would be close to summer. So I think it was like don't quote me on this, honestly, don't quote me on this Maybe like June, july, so around about the summertime in Europe.

Speaker 2: 14:25

Okay, yeah, because I know Berlin they have a speed skating marathon. I want to say it's like September or October, but I was going to say cause I'm planning on going next year, so it would have been cool if it was around the same time we can meet up.

Speaker 3: 14:41

That'd be awesome. You can then show me those tricks on the quads.

Speaker 2: 14:48

I can skate backwards better on quads. That's it Cause I played rink hockey. My son was working at the roller rink Because in Colorado skating is everywhere, it's you. I've even seen homeless people with skates on getting around with inline skates on. So when I say it's everywhere, it's everywhere. I've seen them on skateboards, quads and inlines and maybe you can meet me in colorado that's where I live.

Speaker 2: 15:19

Come on out. But there are actually a few wizard skaters here and that was actually what the first time I heard the term was a couple of months back when I was talking. Because if I see someone doing stuff at the roller rink, I will go up and talk to them. And it's kind of weird because I'm kind of getting people coming up to me that know that I do the podcast. So it's kind of a weird feeling having that quasi-celebrity status, but only in the skating world, not anywhere else. But yeah, I mean, it's amazing to see how the skate culture is, and you said you've met some people out there in Canada that you've hooked up with, and it's just amazing how everybody just welcomes you in if you skate. There's not the thing, and I know for me skating is A cheaper than going to a bar.

Speaker 1: 16:08

Yeah, that's for sure.

Speaker 2: 16:12

And when you bump into somebody it's kind of like, oh, I'm sorry. They're like, oh no, that's cool, we're in a bar, you're stepping outside or getting hit right on the spot one of the two. So now how do you feel Like? Are you meeting a lot of people in the skating community in Canada? Because I know Canada is really famous for speed skating and figure skating and ice hockey, so they're known for their ice. So how is the roller culture compared to, let's say, england, where you're from? Because that's, I guess, your best comparison.

Speaker 3: 16:46

Well, I think you've got to look at, like you know, the geographics of where I am. It's probably one of the most beautiful places in the world and you see that in people and the energy that people bring. So in the summer I went to a roller disco which was outside on Sunset Beach, near English Bay, and you get the most phenomenal sunsets there. So everybody comes out with the luminous wheels, the disco. There's so many different skating disciplines there and it was awesome. People welcomed me. I saw a few regular faces from some of the communities I've joined here, particularly on Facebook and, yeah, just getting together just to share the very thing that we love. And, yeah, it's phenomenal, the energy here is so vibrant and yeah, now, have you met a few people out there?

Speaker 2: 17:35

because I think you mentioned earlier that you met some people that actually showed you how to do tricks, is it? Is it like really, because I know everybody is always willing to help everybody, but then sometimes you get a few egos that think they're cooler than everybody else. You're just like, yeah, I'm not even gonna talk to you.

Speaker 3: 17:52

Well, I'm gonna be genuinely honest, like the people I've met. They've been so open and and quite like approachable, so it I find a lot of people here in vancouver are actually quite polite polite, so you know, speaking with these people, meeting up with them, trying to hook up a session, yeah yeah, you just bounce off each other. So, yeah, it's a positive vibe here in Vancouver.

Speaker 3: 18:14

I was actually thinking about doing a video saying something like is Vancouver a good place to come and skate, for instance? And in my opinion, yes, but you'll have to wait to see that video.

Speaker 2: 18:30

I think it's somewhere in Canada, but they I saw a video of it looks like underground tunnels that are all graffitied up.

Speaker 3: 18:40

Oh yeah, that skate park thing.

Speaker 2: 18:42

I think I know what you're on about. Is that in Canada?

Speaker 3: 18:45

Yeah, I think I know what you're on about. There's definitely one here in Vancouver. It's like a skate park underneath a bridge, it's kind of like a tunnel and the ramps are kind of at the sides. Yeah, if it's the same one, you're thinking, yeah, it looks so awesome. I'm not skating it yet, though, why not? I just haven't. I've just been practicing my graft, you know, yeah, but, like I said, because I'm not used to, you know, being in a skate park setting um and going up ramps and stuff, yeah, that plays in your mind as a 30 year old, you know you've got responsibilities, you've got plans, and so, yeah, gradually, I'm starting to go to these skate parks with some of these guys that I've met and, um, and it's good. You know, it's insightful, it allows me to practice on elements of my skating that I would never have thought of just solely doing with this game. So so, yeah, it's uh, the people are there and it's good it's good.

Speaker 2: 19:45

I mean because, like we mentioned earlier, you've only been skating for a little over a year and you're very close, or if not, elite level.

Speaker 1: 19:55

So I'm surprised you got to go to the skate parks.

Speaker 2: 19:59

You got to just just the footage. You know that you post is amazing and I just want to see you in that skate park because it just sounds cool yeah yeah.

Speaker 2: 20:11

I mean because how far you've come in a year, I think if you did decide to do ramps and I think you would pick up on it very quickly with your skill level, so especially with that short a time, I mean you're way advanced, more farther advanced than most people are in. You know 10 years. But then again, you and I we skate on a regular basis. So and that's one of the things that I see all the time, that like in, I belong in a beginner skate group on facebook and the question is like how do I get better at this? I was like keep doing it, you can't just go out skate. And the guy that actually really got me involved, this was God. This is 89, 88. I wasn't born then, Thanks.

Speaker 3: 20:59

I'm already playing. I'm already playing.

Speaker 2: 21:01

But the first thing he taught me how to do was fall. Yeah, like he would show me how to fall and then, when I was skating, he would purposely knock me over. Once you get past that fear of falling, I mean it's just like anything, it's hard to learn. Yeah, and falling is just part of the game. It's like if you're afraid to fall, you're not going to get better.

Speaker 3: 21:24

I totally agree on that. I totally agree on that. There's always something in the back of the head that you know, as you get older, you start thinking right, I shouldn't be a bit more responsible? You know, I'm not as young as I used to be, you know, um, but you're absolutely right. I think skating has allowed me to overcome some of those barriers. Um, you know, the fear of a failure, the failure, uh, the fear of falling or hurting yourself. It's definitely know. I've fallen so many times trying to learn these moves. I've fallen today, you know. But essentially, if you don't fall and you don't fail, you're never going to prosper, you're never going to be able to master the craft that you're doing. So my advice to people would be yeah, fall.

Speaker 2: 22:06

It's part of the journey right, so fall and you know, yeah, it's part of the journey right, it's a fall, and you know, uh, at least try and make it look good. Yeah, and I only really look at it as a failure is if you give up after that. If you fall, it's just, it's just like a learning tool. It's it's like you're trying to do a trick and if you, you know, if you're an ice skater and you pull off a triple axle on the first time skating, you are just a prodigy. So I mean I mean cause if you watch training videos, you see them fall all the time. It's just part of the process. And, um, my girlfriend won't skate because she's afraid to fall and I told her I'd buy her the padded shorts.

Speaker 2: 22:42

So she yeah, I told her I'd buy her that. She just gives me the look. But what you said about being getting older, it's funny, because I'm 52. I've had some bad health issues and that kind of stuff and the only ones that remind me that I'm old are my girlfriend and my kids. Everybody else don't have issues with anybody else except those five people telling me that I'm old.

Speaker 3: 23:08

You look great, by the way.

Speaker 2: 23:12

It's years of not drinking, doing drugs, smoking. Five people telling me that I'm old. You look great, by the way. Thank you, you look great, by the way. It's years of not drinking, doing drugs, smoking. So I haven't really done any of that, so it's just. But on the other side, the health speaking of that, she just texted or called me. But yeah, it's probably just to tell me I'm old.

Speaker 2: 23:35

But yeah, so getting old, I think also because I go to adult nights at the roller rink and um, especially out here, it's cool because they want to start a freestyle. But I told them the way to do that, instead of trying to get one of the employees to do freestyle especially, or wizard skating when they're not good at it, is bring in somebody to hold a seminar, like, bring in you to hold a seminar. And I don't know if you know who chris edwards is, um, he's basically the godfather of freestyle skating. He was original team rollerblade in um when Inline Skates first came out and Rollerblade started producing. He was in a movie called Airborne. I don't know if you've seen that movie Airborne yeah, the one where the kid moved from California to Minnesota.

Speaker 1: 24:22

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 24:23

The main preppy guy that they were racing against on Devil's Backbone, that's Chris Edwards. Okay, he was actually my first guess. Devil's backbone, that's chris edwards. So he was actually my first guess. And um, so he started. He's a year younger than me, he's 51 and he's still out skating. So it's it's not an age thing, because, I mean, there's people we got a couple of guys that are in their 60s and 70s at the rink skating too. So, but have you seen the older generation out there skating with you guys, or is it just kind of the younger generation?

Speaker 3: 24:55

well, I don't really like I said I don't really go to the roller rinks, do I? Um? Or the discos, uh, maybe I should do it more. Um, it's funny actually, because around, like the seawall, there's this one guy I've never spoken to him, but he he basically skates the seawall and he's got his earphones in on a phone call and all he does is do laps around, which is pretty cool, and he's a little bit older, he's probably around your age as well, and he still enjoys skating. So so, yeah, you see them around, but not, but not many. I think I'd see more if I did attend, like a roller disco and so on. Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 2: 25:29

Yeah, I mean, and it's fun because they the center of the floor, you can try tricks. Go on an adult night, though Don't go when there's kids there, because you won't be able to do anything.

Speaker 3: 25:39

Fair Thanks, yeah, nice one.

Speaker 2: 25:41

Now I know you've got the athletic background with football. Have you always been competitive Like has your family always been? Do you come from a competitive family?

Speaker 3: 25:53

I think just solely because I one, I went to a boys school that was like in the UK, they called it sports college at the time and and the fact that I played in team sports, that naturally made me competitive, whether that was on sports day, racing, playing football, rugby, all of these sports I was always competitive and I'd always push myself to my limits to get in the team or, you know, compete at the highest level. So I suppose the drive has always been within me since from a young age.

Speaker 2: 26:27

so yeah, I would definitely agree and how old were you when you stopped football and coaching?

Speaker 3: 26:33

okay. So I started football roughly when I was about about 11 years old, just as I was going into secondary school, um, and from there I managed to start playing for a team, um, I come from a single parent background, so having the financial support or, let's say, having your dad or your mom there, it wasn't really a thing. The only way I would compete was through others and other families taking me there, driving me there and bringing me back and so on. So, yeah, thinking back to like my upbringing and stuff, yeah, I've just naturally had that competitiveness. You know, my mom instilled that into me that you always try your best, don't, don't give up at the first hurdle, and I suppose it just translates into many, many aspects of life, I suppose.

Speaker 2: 27:26

Yeah, skating included, for sure so what was the gap between, like, when you started skating was there like that competitiveness or the athleticism that you were missing? And and when you saw that, that's when you decided, hey, that looks fun I'm laughing.

Speaker 3: 27:44

You know the answer already. Yeah, just naturally, um, if I pick something up and I like it, knowing my background, my sporting background, I'm gonna push myself, you know um, to the extent where it's becoming obsessive to me. So having that attention to detail, um, and having that kind of inner drive really has helped me along my skiing journey thoroughly. And and the support from people who have seen me practicing and seen me get better, who would offer to video record or just support me in any other way, that's driven me more too, because clearly I've got something and I'm trying to just put it out there and, of course, create plans for the future with it as well.

Speaker 2: 28:33

Now, in your short journey that you have with skating, was there ever a point where you just got so frustrated with trying to do stuff that you were? You almost gave it up. I know you didn't, but sometimes you get to that point where you're like, screw this, I don't want to do this anymore.

Speaker 3: 28:48

I don't know. I wouldn't say I've come to a point where I felt like giving up. No, I've walked away from a move, absolutely. I've walked away from a move on that day and said, right, I'm going to pick this up another time. Or I'm going to look at some footage of somebody who's done it and just slow it down in slow motion slow motion, for example and just try and do it and learn it that way, because nobody's taught me how to skate, like if I was. Nobody has taught me how to skate. It's only been through videos and the few and I mean few tutorials that are out there. Um, so a lot of my learning has come from watching footage that's out there, slowing it down and trying to reproduce that and make it my own at the end of the day.

Speaker 3: 29:33

So, um, so yeah, I haven't. I haven't considered giving up skating. No, I love it. I just love flowing. People just look at you down the street like what's he doing? You know, it's just a nice feeling and it's very welcoming because people come and talk to you as well.

Speaker 2: 29:46

So yeah, it's just. It's just one of those things that um cause I go to the gym and I do minimal cardio in the gym, I'll get on the bike and ride the bike for like an hour, 30 minutes to an hour. But when you're outside skating or even at the roller rink and I'm not going to say I like the way it feels through my hair because I have none, but it's just that freedom that you get skating and I can skate for two, three, four hours without really thinking about it. But five minutes into a bike ride at the gym, or five minutes on the treadmill, I'm like, oh crap, it's only been five minutes. It's like so different doing that cardio as opposed to absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 3: 30:28

There's times when I was, uh, playing like I played football, like I said, I play sports. But whenever anybody said get to the gym or we're going on a jog as part of like the, the pre-season or something, yeah, I would hate that because I know that it's just like a mental tunnel.

Speaker 3: 30:43

You just got to go down this tunnel and, with sports and skate included, you're not thinking about that. Yeah, exactly, it kind of blinds the fact that you exert in your body in such a way that you know what I mean. It just covers it up, it just puts a blindfold over the ice, and that's what I like about sport in general.

Speaker 2: 31:01

Yeah, I'm, I'm a little bit more on the speed skating side, so I like to go fast and so that's where it is in four wheels, five wheels, cause, like just my rink skates have a hundred millimeter wheels on it and you want to get another pair that has smaller, just uh, just uh, so I can start skating backwards and stuff and start doing some stuff. But it's just one of those freedoms that it's like you really don't get like. If you're a cyclist, you have that freedom. If you're um're a cyclist, you have that freedom. If you're um, if you skate, you have that freedom. If you run, you're just complete psycho. So I mean, why would you run when you can get a good pair of skates? You know? Yeah, you can glide, exactly. So I don't, I don't know about running. But now, um, as you were saying that there's not much tutorials, there's very few tutorials as far as wizard skating goes. So is that something you're possibly thinking about? Starting classes and tutorials and training people?

Speaker 3: 32:07

I've already launched two tutorials already.

Speaker 2: 32:08

Okay.

Speaker 3: 32:09

Yeah, they're on my YouTube page Rio Skates it's R-E-I-O Skates, not Rio like Brazil, so R-E-I-O. It's R-E-I-O skates, not Rio like Brazil, so R-E-I-O. So I've launched two tutorials at the moment, currently in the process of editing the third. But, yeah, I decided right, because there's nothing out there and I was looking at some of the barriers that could stop people from trying wizard skating or trying to pick up skates in general. So I said right, some of these barriers that I found was it's inaccessible. I can't find decent tutorials other than like a handful that are like short, short, little snippets of it to actually aid me and make it more inclusive for everyone. So now that I I'm at the level that I am skating, I said right, it's about time. There's some more tutorials out there, and so that's what I'm currently doing I'm pushing out a few tutorials whilst balancing my work and job, of course, life.

Speaker 2: 33:11

So, yeah, Are you planning on turning it into a side business? Because I know with personal trainers, when they're training people, they'll give them the workout especially with the online stuff but then they'll have them film what they're doing and the trainer will look at the video and start to make tweaks and stuff. It's like, okay, this is what you need to do. Have you thought about getting it towards that? Because I just thought of this just now, as you were saying that and I know I've talked to people that do coaching before in different forms but is that something that you can foresee yourself doing, where you're actually making money off it and you're all right, send me the videos of you skating?

Speaker 3: 33:53

Yeah, I would definitely love to do something like that, particularly because I've been a soccer coach and you know I've earned money through that as well, so a lot of the skills there are translatable. Yeah, I mean, I've thought about this a lot. I choose to live my life doing what I want to do, so to branch off and put my mind on how can I monetize my gift essentially and pass that on to others. It's something that has really been on my mind and I'm hoping to put a plan together, uh, hopefully over the next six months, to really try and engage more people into skating, introduce them, um. Bearing in mind I've only been skating a year, yeah, and I'm already thinking about this. It's definitely an idea that I do have or just having like a free, open, public session, for example, and then from there have like personal classes and so on, or even getting certified to become an actual instructor and stuff like that. So, yeah, it's definitely something that's on my sleeve.

Speaker 3: 34:56

Yeah, because your tutorials now, is it just you showing the moves? Yeah, it's just me showing the moves, um, breaking it down. Looking at the concept um of wizard skating and how you manage to flow, um, whilst keeping your wheels in contact with the ground. Essentially, yeah, um, yeah, my tutorials really do break it down. I show demonstrations. I've got voiceovers of me doing the move and giving feedback. There's lots of bullet points that throw up, that pop up, sorry, and yeah, I've just tried to make it as inclusive as possible because that's what I want. I want to see more people skating on the street doing my discipline of skating, um, because I just it's just endless.

Speaker 2: 35:39

there's endless amounts of freedom with it because, yeah, the way you move is yeah and there's really no limits on what you can do, because if you think that this is all that's involved, then you come up with a new move and then it's just it just it keeps adding.

Speaker 2: 35:55

Now would this be something? It's another wild idea popped in my head. It happens sometimes I got an entrepreneur mind but getting one of your wizard skater friends that are out there and kind of doing it, where he's doing the move and you're making the pinpoints while he's doing it, and then he can show how to do it wrong and just like subtle stuff and that way you can point it out as they're working.

Speaker 3: 36:16

These are just my brain works all the time the way I look at it is like this I mean I can, I can put out a free public session, for instance, and people can come and skate with me for an hour and a half. You know, I could take video, I can let them sign off, whatever, and and then, yeah, and then we can start to build up this content around training or learning wizard skating and in hope that people tap into this and see that there are other ways to skate outside the traditional ways, you know. I mean, I mean I would never, personally, if I didn't skate, I would never just approach, let's say, an aggressive skater, because what they're doing is actually like whoa, they could hurt themselves. So there's almost like an automatic barrier. But but when it comes to like flow skating and wizard skating, I find people stop watch, talk and just just converse with you. So making it more accessible for me is probably my first priority, uh, as well as expanding on how can I make this work for me financially as well.

Speaker 2: 37:17

Yeah, yeah. And I mean the whole reason I started the podcast was I was actually on a roof working and didn't have a good skating podcast to listen to, and I'm actually surprised nobody has done this concept before, where you have all the different forms of skating and I mean cause I got skateboarding, I got ice, I got quad, I got inline, but then it's like you got hockey, figure skating, speed skating, short track rink hockey, ice hockey, like there's so many different things and to get people from different forms. And it was just kind of an idea at first. Then I did the first episode and I was scared. It was just kind of an idea at first. Then I did the first episode and I was scared, but just to bring more of the skating community together so that we can have an event that has wizard skating and aggressive skating and all different forms and make it a contest. And even if we start having some of the first contests for wizard skating or whatever, it's a possible possible future event.

Speaker 2: 38:18

I'll explain an idea that I have after the show ends to you. So no, you're awesome.

Speaker 3: 38:23

I like the idea. It's brilliant because you're right. I mean, there's so many things that can be translatable between all of these disciplines. Right, it's skating at the end of the day, yeah, and you can learn so many things from other people. You don't necessarily have to skate the way you skate, but because they've done it for so many years, you can translate all of that into your own discipline. And I like what you're doing. It's brilliant, yeah.

Speaker 2: 38:46

And it's cool because it's to me, if everybody skated, I don't think we'd have wars, because we'd all be too busy trying to learn moves off each other. That's just me, though. Trying to learn moves off each other that's just me, though, but it's just amazing because you have the different cultures. It doesn't matter what our ethnic background is. We come together and we skate and we're family. It doesn't matter our backgrounds or our upbringings or whatever, and I've known a lot of people and talked to a lot of people that skating has not just become passion for them, but it's also changed their lives and some people have saved their lives. So it's just, and that's why I like getting the stories behind everything, cause you said you grew up in a single parent home. I did the same. Mine was actually a widowed parent, cause my father passed away when I was young, so my mom wasn't able to be there for everything, but she did the best she can, and as I got older and now that I have kids, I'm apologizing for a lot of the stuff that I did as a kid, and I keep asking her to lift the curse. I'm like, just lift the curse, please, but it's one of those things that skating brings people together. If you're shy and you're lonely, if you're scared, it's just. If you have a rough background I've had some people with domestic abuse that have come into skating it's just.

Speaker 2: 40:09

It's amazing what skating can do and I think a lot of it. Like I said, we just come together as a family and it's a worldwide thing because, as I was telling you earlier, I'm planning on getting a guy on from South Africa and just getting the different and learning the different cultures and all over the place. And you're going to Berlin, I plan on going to Berlin. It's just one of those things where skating is everywhere. It's just when you get there. And the nice thing about social media which I didn't have as a kid is you can make these connections. So when you go someplace, you've already got connections out there.

Speaker 3: 40:49

Absolutely, absolutely, and that's what I intend to do. I mean, like I said, I've traveled quite a bit and now I'm traveling skating, so that's gonna. That's an exciting venture for me. Um, so I'm hopefully, hopefully, going to Europe as well soon, uh, to tap into the communities there, although there will be a language barrier because I want to speak English, but, um, but I'm still looking to tap in and just learning their story, you know, because we can all relate. We can all relate and with skating it's just genuine love, because you love doing skating, so you're genuinely going to love the people around you.

Speaker 2: 41:25

Yeah, so now, before you picked up on skating when you were traveling with your partner, when you were traveling to Australia and the different places, did you see skaters out there while you were traveling around or oh, I didn't go to Australia, so I did Southeast Asia okay.

Speaker 3: 41:42

I did that for six months and then ended up in New Zealand for six months. But no, I didn't. Skating was not on the cards, it was. It was nothing to me, I didn't even cross my mind, yeah, so so I didn't really see many people out there skating not in New Zealand anyway, because it's a small population, considering the landmass as well. So no simple answer I didn't see it.

Speaker 2: 42:06

Now that you're a skater, when you go to these places, you'll actually see the skating because you're more aware of it. It's kind of like when you buy that car you like but you've never noticed it before on the road, and you buy it and everybody's got one all of a sudden. It's just one of those things that just happens. So now, when it comes to, I'm going to ask it's going to be a two answer question for you, because since you just started skating, so with your upbringing and sports, who was your biggest influence? And now, when it comes to skating, who's your biggest influence? Oh wow.

Speaker 3: 42:42

So my biggest influence at the time in football, of course it's going to have to be Ronaldo, ok, messi, for the technical aspects, of course, that was my sporting influence, always like just mastering a craft, you know, when you watch them play and they've mastered the thing, the object or the equipment yes, phenomenal. So that kind of pushed me. Um, I suppose during my school days and not having my father around, it was like mentors in schools and stuff trying to help me and push me in the right direction. So I would have to definitely give credit to, to, to those, um, but with regards to skating, um, there's I don't forgive me if I pronounce his name wrong, but, um, I think his name's depolis louise. Um, and there's also another skater called billy arluomenal skaters in their own right. They've dedicated their lives to it and you know, if there's a person to go to you want to ask him any questions about skating, I just go, yo, billy. Can I ask you this question, mate, because I'm thinking about spending more money on skates. Can you help me out? Can you give me some advice? And they've been very welcoming and very lovely towards me.

Speaker 3: 43:58

I've not really reached out to the other guy, depaulis Louise, but I analyze his content so much. Um, just the way that he moves on the wheels, it's phenomenal, and you can see the years of experience that he's had right, um, and, and that's the kind of sorry I can't keep talking, but that's the kind of level of critique I have on myself. So I watched best and I try to learn from them, although I'm not being taught how to do it, the way that the method I've got to learn in a new move or something you know, I put it, I put it up there. So it comes with a lot of of failed attempts and it comes with a lot of, you know, frustrations, but equally it's got me to where I am now. So clearly the methodology that I'm using and talking to these people is helping me in many ways that they don't even know of.

Speaker 2: 44:51

Yeah, and when it comes to like learning a new move, especially with skating, a lot of moves are invented, so there's some you don't have that person to teach you. A prime example is Tony Hawk, when he first did the 900. I was fortunate enough to be at that X Games and I got to see him land it for the first time, so that was awesome. But it's just one of those things that with our sport, a lot of stuff we invent as we go. It's not unlike hockey or like football American and European football. It's played a certain way no regulations, no restrictions. Yeah yeah, you know, with NFLfl there's a way you have to play and stuff you do wrong you get penalized, for we don't have penalties with what you do. Um, our body might penalize us, but we don't. So now, what is your equipment? I know you touched on it briefly. Do you use a special brand of wheels, special bearings?

Speaker 3: 46:01

yeah, I've actually got them here. Yeah, um. So currently I use the advanced wizard skate. Uh, sorry frame. Um. Like I said, I explained the wheel sizes earlier. I used the Seba CJs, so the Wellmore boot carbon fiber. But I got this funny story I bought these maybe like two months before Wizards game brought out the official boot. I was stuck with these. But these are my babies, you know, I appreciate them.

Speaker 2: 46:35

And I gutted out the boot for performance and bought some interesting pro liners, um, which just were a game changer from the moment I put my foot into them yeah, and you know once you've skated as long as I have, I think I'm on my eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh pairs of skates and they're all different skates, they're not even like they're all different, so you'll get to the point where it's kind of like back when I started skating, rollerblades were made out of the um carbon.

Speaker 2: 47:07

Yeah, so the frame split from skating like a lot of the stuff, because it wasn't the metal frames like you can get now or the alloy it. You did something I mean I had. I remember I was skating one time and all of a sudden my front wheel because the front split, my front wheel just kept going without me. So it's almost like when that truck it pops off your car and just keeps going, you're like wait I kind of need you one race or something in a wheel part of the time.

Speaker 2: 47:35

Yeah it, like it freaked me out. I'm like what the hell? So what is your advice to kids, adults, people older than me because I'm not old that want to try wizard skating? What's your advice to them?

Speaker 3: 47:50

and so my first, my first advice would be learn the fundamentals of skating. You know, going forwards, stopping that, that is point blank. The the first thing that you should learn to do what when picking up the skates for the first time, um, and secondly, just wear protection initially. You know, like I'm not ashamed to wear protection if I'm gonna, let's say, launch myself off something to finally understand the move. And then, when I'm comfortable, they's say launch myself off something to finally understand the move, and then, when I'm comfortable, they take it off. You know, just naturally. But when I first started, I had the full work. I had the helmet, the elbow pads, wrist guards, knee pads, everything, and even the break on the back because I had those recreational skates. Oh yeah, so, um, so yeah, protect yourself first and foremost. And once you become comfortable, uh, understanding your equipment and doing the moves that you want to learn, that's when you can start, you know, to feel a bit more at ease. Um, because it took me a while before I was confident enough to actually take those off.

Speaker 3: 48:51

The second point I would say was is to be resilient. You've really got to be resilient with it. You can't pick something up and go, oh, I found that really hurt and then then pack it in and you know, first of all, you're gonna waste your money, but second of all, you're not challenging yourself enough. And and that just leads on to my final point always challenge yourself when you're doing anything that involved involved with sport, or or even in life. If you do something and you're doing anything that involved involved with sport or or even in life, if you do something and you're not challenged by what you're doing, you're less inclined to continue. Right, you're less inclined. So be persistent and tell yourself you can do it.

Speaker 3: 49:29

Because you know what I said that from day one I can do that, I want to do that initially, and I can do that and and so I've just pursued on this journey. You know, although you know there's not a lot of money in this, this field, you know I love doing it, so I'm not gonna stop. And and that's what's beautiful thing about it is I can say that I'm on the way to self-actualizing due to this, because I've found skating and what it does with my life, and it can do that with many other people's lives. It doesn't necessarily have to be skating, it'd be anything else, but so long as what you're doing or what you're learning is challenging enough for you to stimulate your mind to say, yeah, I'm gonna get up tomorrow, I'm gonna go again. That's what you should be doing in life. Do it, yeah, yeah, that's, that's my advice.

Speaker 2: 50:19

Well and now? How can the listeners follow you and see what you're doing?

Speaker 3: 50:23

Okay, so currently I'm on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube my. On all of them it's at real skates.

Speaker 2: 50:33

I said before it's r-e-i-o skates, so real skates, not like the country or the duran duran song, but I appreciate you coming on and I look forward to seeing more of your adventures in the future and possibly, uh, meeting up at some point, sure thank you for having me on the podcast.

Speaker 3: 50:56

You've kind of motivated me again to continue to do it and get on my laptop and edit and yeah yeah, thank you. I really appreciate you reaching out, sean. It's a pleasure and honor. Thank you, thank you, thank you.