I caught Ryan Sheckler’s episode of Firsthand on Fuel TV the other night. If you haven’t seen the series, it’s basically an hour long ride along with one Extreme!™ sports personality per episode. I’ve seen a few of the skateboarding episodes and they are generally worth checking out, even if you aren’t familiar with the skater in question. They offer a little more insight into personality without all the hype of a typical skateboard video setting, and of course they actually talk. Take Sheckler’s episode, it was shot when he was 15 and originally aired in 2005. His backyard skatepark is kind of ghetto compared to his new digs, and the hype hasn’t reached the level it is at today. In particular, one good scene catches him having a dork session at a local skatepark with one of his friends. There’s no front of attitude or image. He’s a surprisingly level headed and generally likable kid who doesn’t cry when he places lower than first. Sure, he’s got a meathead father, but at this point in his young life, he comes off like just a hard-skating successful teenager without an overblown ego. If you already like Sheckler it’s a no brainer. If you’re a hater, then this isn’t going to change your opinion, but you just might appreciate the episode anyway.
7 comments
SBerg
“plan b shecks and bam elements are the rage today. its all about blood and skulls and brains coming out the ear. that after all is what skateboarding is all about.”
Hey! Ever done a tail drop guys?
Check out the Chet Childress first hand on youtube. He does a tour of a bunch of Oregon parks.
The Doctor
I remember a kid like this in the mid to late 80’s who seemed spoiled and un-skater like and he is now one of the best. I personally saw him cry at a contest, for losing a pizza fight. His name, Danny Way. Now you know the rest of the story. “THE DOCTOR” GOOD DAY.
Greg N
Just read this is Thrasher….
“Thats how many millions of people watched my show last night”
-Ryan Sheckler on why he had ‘2.3’ written on his grip tape.
LP
plan b shecks and bam elements are the rage today. its all about blood and skulls and brains coming out the ear. that after all is what skateboarding is all about.
concretin
Lets not forget the pioneering genius of Bam either… (sarcasm)
Kilwag
Right, I’ve seen parts of it. It’s horrifying. but the point of this post was to point out he wasn’t always like that.
sir jorge
if you watch his mtv show “life of ryan” you’ll recant all of the things you just said.
In that show, he’s a crybaby, who cries about how girls don’t like him.
I think he’s a good skater, but man, that reality show was the worst move for him.