I'm proud that I was able to use my recognition to, maybe, raise the awareness of skateboarding and help grow it, and to help fund public skateparks. That's the legacy, just trying to grow the entire sport.

I believe that people should take pride in what they do, even if it is scorned or misunderstood by the public at large.

My definition of success is doing what you love. I feel many people do things because they feel they have to, and are hesitant to risk following their passion.

I love the fact that there is now a skate park in almost every city, but it will always have a rebellious/underground edge to it because it is based on individuality.

I think that there's a sense of self-reliance that exists in skateboarding that kids can take to their daily lives. I think there's also a sense of creativity and community-based goals - in skating, even though it is an individual pursuit, a lot of things that you learn are things that you borrow and expand from other people's ideas. I call skating a combined evolution - it's individual, it's artistic, but at the time, there is a communal push to keep doing your thing. And a sense of camaraderie in that.

The best advice I can give is to believe in yourself and to create new challenges no matter how far you get. Even if you think you earned it all or if you're considered the best in the world, keep challenging yourself because you're only as good as your last trick in the public's eye. But only do it because you love it. Don't do it because you think it's your ticket to fame or fortune. If that's the motivation and you reach any of those goals, you're not going to keep that passion.

I started skateboarding at around age 10, and enjoyed the artistic aspect of it as much as the sporting aspect, so for me it was more of an art form and a lifestyle.