Ryan Sheckler Interview

Courtesy of SOBE

Photo of Ryan Sheckler skateboarding over a ramp.

Courtesy of SOBE

By: Simon

Simon: So, how's your summer going? What have you been up to?

Ryan Sheckler: I've been working on the new Almost Skateboards video - shooting lots of footage for that. I also did some stuff for the new Tony Hawk Underground 2 video game and I'm getting ready for the X Games. I won it last year and I want to see if I can do something fantastic this year. It's always pretty fun. I've cut down on a lot of stuff this summer, just so I can hang out and be a normal kid for a while. You know, hang out, do stuff with my friends - some of the things I was kind of lacking when I was traveling all the time. It's all worth it because I love to travel but I've kind of just wanted to hang out for a while.

Simon: How do you manage to keep on top of your school work when you spend so much time skating and working on other things?

Ryan Sheckler: I just motor through school in the morning and then go skating. I'm really good in math and like it a lot. Social studies is one I don't like so much, but I still do well in it.

Simon: What's the best way to go about becoming a sponsored skateboarder? Ryan Sheckler: You shouldn't even think about getting sponsored. Just go out there and have fun and do what you normally do and someone will notice you. I guarantee they will notice you and recognize what kind of skills you have. If you go out there and your main purpose is to get a sponsor, then it's not gonna work. Just go out there and have fun. That's how I got sponsored. I never even made a "sponsor me" tape. I was just skating and wasn't even thinking about getting sponsored and it all kind of fell into place.

Simon: What's the worst injury you've had while skateboarding?
Ryan Sheckler: I fractured my foot in two places. I was just skating a nine-stair hand rail, trying to do a Smith Grind. I calculated it all wrong and I fell in an awkward position and broke my foot. That was bad. That one really hurt.

Click here to read Ryan Sheckler's skateboarding trick tips and to find out if he's got a girlfriend!