I don't talk down to kids. Usually someone my age who's talking to a ten or twelve year old is yelling at them.

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 don't see masses, I don't see it like, oh there's hundreds of people here and I'm overwhelmed. I just try to think, well I could be a kid in that crowd, or my daughters could be in that crowd, and no one wants to feel like they're just part of the masses.

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

I desire to have a dialogue that's positive, and communicative and moves forward, and is about something real, not just consumption.

I'm not going to beat somebody up for talking smack to me, especially another skater.