060 Joshua Bridgewater AKA "Spina Bifida Skater"

To me, Josh is simply a bad ass, and an inspiration. Born with a hole in his back with his spinal cord outside of his body, a birth defect called Spina Bifida, his challenges started early in life, including being born at all. Well, thankfully for himself and all of us, he came out kicking and hasn't stopped. I've skated with Josh many times over the last decade or so and I am always inspired by the fact that he keeps the PMA turned up high, rolls with the punches, and keeps smiling!

The date we met to record this podcast and the day the pic was taken on the cover of the podcast icon, was one of the few I've ever seen him in without braces, and several times he's been in a wheelchair, but it never stops him. 40 plus surgeries in, he pads up and has as much fun as anyone I've ever known whenever I've skated with him.

He is always checking out most So Cal skate events with his sweet lady Shawna and they both always have a great attitude. I hope listening to him will inspire you to get through anything you've got to get through in life. He admits it's not always easy and he spends a lot of time in pain, but if he can endure that, keep smiling, and let skateboarding help keep him sane, I think we all can. He gives back a lot as well and encourages others on a regular basis. He is definitely an inspiration to me and I think he will be to you as well.

Enjoy the show, and Josh thanks again for joining me and sharing your story and your attitude...

059 S-One Helmets Dan McCashin and Chris Terins started as Insole Makers and became Helmet Icons.

These two started making S-One footwear insoles down the street from my Acme Skateboards factory in Costa Mesa back in the 90's. They share their stories as they morphed from an insole company into one of the most respected Helmet Brands in Skateboarding, BMX, Roller Derby and more.

I've been friends with them for a long time, have printed stickers for them for decades, have worn their helmets for a while, and have always enjoyed working with them on everything, and the great conversations we have everytime I see them, but a podcast gave us a chance to dig a little deeper. Hope you enjoy our conversation, they don't hold back to much so you may hear some surprising things. You may even get a chuckle as I try to remember when I first met them and confused where their first office was with someone else...

I first recorded a Podcast with Chris Terins about 2 years ago, and didn't have the microphone plugged in so nothing was recorded, so this is a long overdue re-do. Thanks for your patience Chris, and glad Dan got to join us this time (he likes to stir the pot more than you--haha)...

You can find them at https://shop.s1helmets.com/ or at almost any great skate shop..

Episode 058 TSM Skate Media Crew... Carl Carpentier, Marcelle Johnson, Tommie Zam

The TSM boys have done True Skateboard Mag www.Truesk8boardmag.com for many years. They are also @tsm_media on insta as well. They've been doing a Podcast and Talk Shows based around the Skate and Music Scene for quite a while. I've sat in on their show before when they interview Ron Allen at Grinderz etc..... I like these guys and love their passion for skateboarding.

Funny story is they told me that they wanted to do the show, and I assumed they wanted me to be on their show, so we set a date, and they came up to my office. I thought they were gonna start setting up their equipment and do a TSM Podcast/Show with me..., then they showed up and when I asked where they wanted to set up, they said we are here to be on your show.... It was a very classic moment and of course I was happy to do it that way. All the matters to me is enjoying conversations with people in the skate culture.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and get a good laugh out of the confusion. We all sure did.

Episode 057 Mike Mapp AKA "Micro" of Ramp Tech, Possibly the longest consistently operating Ramp Builder in the World

Micro is just a straight up skate lifer, who has been building ramps for decades, and runs his skate ramp building company RampTech out of Virginia. They build a variety of products from Quarter Pipes, Half Pipes, Rails, Boxes, Spine Ramps and more. He's built many amazing competition ramps over the years as well for Vans, ESPN and many many more.

Skateboarding flows through his blood and he's seen a lot of changes. He has survived each and every change, and keeps on building great ramps. In the 90's I used to send Mike skateboards when the skate industry had forgotten about much of their roots and Mike and I have always shared a great level of mutual respect.

You will hear stories of his views and the history of the ramp business, crazy scenes he was part of like the historic "Cedar Crest Ramp" and much more. They made a great movie about the history of Cedar Crest called "Blood and Steel", click on the words and it will link you to learn more. It's a good watch. If you know Micro, you'll be stoked to hear some classic stories, if you don't know him, you'd hear some history on the East Coast Skate Scene and about a player who helped us get where we are today whether you knew it or not.

Hope you enjoy our Chat.

Episode 056 Jeremy Wray A Skateboarder, An Artist, A Daredevil, A Filmer, A Husband, A Dad, A Wraybrother, and more

I like Jeremy Wray because he has a great smile, a great personality, is humble and smooth on his skateboard. He has countless amazing photos, magazine coverage, ads and boards with his name and art. He is embedded into skate history visually with iconic images like his amazing and insane Water Tower Gap he shot back in 1997 (where did 25 years go?).

We talk diving boards, crazy stunts done for TV commercials and movies , artwork and sculptures, our mutual Blockhead Skateboard roots and respect, skateparks and their collision guaranteed designs, favorite daily skate spots, kids, doing loops and much more..

We probably could have gone on for another hour, so we will have to do a follow up because Jeremy and I both wanted to go skateboarding, so we did...

Episode 055 Eric Dressen, one of my favorite, and one of the best humans to ever ride a skateboard!!

Definitely one of my favorite podcasts I've recorded for several reasons. Eric is truly one of the nicest souls on earth. Caring, gentle, speaks with his skateboard, not his mouth (unlike me), and he knows how to make someone feel special. He has always been one of my favorite skaters as he for decades has destroyed pools, ramps, ditches, and the streets. When Independent Trucks made it's history book, and had a release party where they sold the layout/proof pages for many of the books main characters, I bought the Eric Dressen and John Cardiel pages, so I've been a fan for a long time.

We've known each other for decades and always had nothing but kind words and interactions. But, it wasn't until he came with me to Ohio a few weeks ago for the Welfare Line Skateboard Collectors Bash #7, and we spent 5 days skating, eating, laughing, looking at houses, corn and soybean fields, and flowers that we really go to spend a lot of personal time together. Now, I love Eric Dressen more than ever and it goes both ways.

So what you get here is skateboard tales and history, recorded freshly off our Bromance, which I hope continues for many years to come. We talk about his path from Logan Earth Ski at 10 years old, to Alva, Dogtown, and Santa Cruz. Eric choose skateboarding as his life at an early age, we are all the benefactors. I hope you enjoy my chat with Skateboarding Hall of Fame Inductee and my friend Eric Dressen..

Episode 054 "SPIDEY" De Montrond, Musician, Skater, Surfer, Man of Style

Spidey has a new album titled "Synonymity" coming out this week, so I thought it would be a good time to do a podcast. For the last several years, Spidey and I have gotten to know each other more than ever, and he's come by dozens of times and picked up my acoustic Guitar and played in my office. We've had lots of fun and I've seen his talent on many levels, something that is hard to translate in words. Check out @theGentleOrchestra on Instagram and there is a link on the profile page to his music.

Spidey alongside myself, grew up in what I call the Pioneering Age of Skateboarding, when most everything done today was created. A simple time when we just skated with our friends and we happened to be lucky enough and just talented enough to sneak into the world of Pro Skateboarding.

Spidey had some very memorable, collectible, and creative Pro Model boards on Santa Cruz Skateboards, went on to a music career with Capital Records, and today spends most of his time surfing and playing music. He also designed many sock variations for Merge4 socks in recent years.

The conversation drifts across many areas of music, skateboarding, surfing, and more and hope you enjoy and learn something you may not have known before. Thanks for listening.

Episode 053 Beau Brown Legendary Downhill Skater and Long Time Icon in the Skateboard Industry

Beau Brown is a good friend of mine. He has deep roots in the skateboard culture. He grew up in Huntington Beach in a very pioneering time in skateboarding. He raced Stand Up Downhill Skateboards primarily but skated a little of everything. He found his way into the business side of skateboarding, selling skateboard stuff for many years for Madrid, Tracker, Brand X, and worked with me at Acme Skateboards / Abc Board Supply for over a decade as well. He worked at Etnies/Sole Technology after Acme, and eventually made his way back into the deck market and today still manages manufucturing decks and other goods for some major players in skateboarding. Beau has always been dependable, stable, and independent, he is a good man to have on your side.

We have been through a lot together, weddings, children being born, crazy days growing like wildfire at work, and we've watched some important stuff in our lives crumble in front of us. We've side by side through life's struggles emotionally, physically, and emotionally. Basically, you don't get better long term friends than this.

The best part of doing this podcast is just having conversations with my friends like Beau, who have been a big part of my life, and a big part of skateboarding, sometimes in the foreground, and sometimes in the background. Hope you enjoy meeting or learning something new. Thanks for listening.

Episode 052 Wyatt Hammond, 8 year old Future Pro Skateboarder

I mean seriously what else is there to say, Wyatt is 8 years old and skates better than you, and me, and most everyone else. The thing that will surprise you is listening to how to thinks, plans, and approaches skateboarding. I've sponsored him on my Powerflex Wheels brand for the last few years, and have enjoyed watching his fearlessness, and skills. It's been fun watching him grow into a young force on a skateboard, and I thought some of you might enjoy hearing the perspective of an 8 year old. He is amazingly well spoken.

I am always amazed at all the new videos he's putting out on the regular. If you don't know Wyatt, or haven't seen him skate, just google him or check his Instagram.. @wyatthammond

Episode 051 Bud Stratford and Laura Richards, Skateboarders, Owners of Zeppelin Aero Works Skateboards, and Industry Bullshit Callers.

Bud is a very opinionated, vocal, sometimes antagonistic man, and of course he doesn't hold back his feelings on controversial subjects surrounding skateboarding, and that makes me love him even more. He and Laura started a new brand Zeppelin Aero Works recently, and they are even doing a Jim Gray model (I know, why?).

Bud admits in our Podcast how he straight up ripped off Acme Skateboards with his Cleveland Skateboard and Supply Co, quite an honor to me but I made them buy me lunch anyways. See, there are perks to having your own podcast. 3 listeners in 4 countries and free lunch, I think I am gonna do this forever.

Hopefully you will find Bud and Laura's story interesting... Bud, found his way to Concrete Wave Magazine, did his own website EverythingSkateboarding.com and eventually decided to start Zeppelin Aero Works with Laura @zeppelinaeroworks on instagram. Their new company is dedicated to making unique and functional skateboards, something quite often overlooked by the skateboard industry. I look forward to watching and seeing what happens with Zeppelin and what kind of trouble Bud can stir up next.