What I do is I take action because I value the position I have, the career I have, the life I live, the people I interact with, my fanbase, my friends, however you want to say that. I value those relationships and I use the opportunities they present to me.

I strive to do my best every single time and I think that's something the skate community knows about me and appreciates.

I always try to individualize everything, every person. I see individuals and that's why I've never fallen for racism, or any type or classification of people.

Through skateboarding, I have an open line of communication, some common ground and common ground is big man. That enables me to travel around the world and no matter where I am, or who I'm with, connect with other young people, and I can have an instant dialogue and an instant relationship based on the fact that we skateboard, and when I'm doing appearances and demos, that's not lost on me.

I grew up with heroes, people who made me aspire to raise my game, to dream bigger and I like to keep it that simple.

I'm not out here on the front lines trying to create clones, or consumers, or worshippers of who I am, and what I do. I'm trying to nurture the idea that you should do your own thing, which is really powerful.

We didn't call it a sport necessarily, and skaters definitely weren't thought of as athletes, we were thought of as misfits.