The Skateboarder Blog

For Dan’s full interview, check issue #73 of The Skateboard Mag—in skateshops now.

You have had a lot of change in your life lately, new board and truck sponsors as well as a cross-country move, and new house. What prompted all this change?

If I can narrow it down to one word, it’s opportunity. The economy is affecting people’s paychecks and all the companies. I was ready for change and I love skating back on the East Coast. Financially, NC is just more affordable. As for sponsor changes, I tried these new Theeve Trucks, they’re amazing, so I made the jump. And for boards, Mystery and me were just going in different directions and I found a new home at Foundation.

I’m hyped on what we got planned over there. Big things.

You seemed like a perfect fit for Mystery. A move to Foundation is a bit of a surprise.

I’ve been with every company I ride for since the start of my career. I’ve been so loyal to my sponsors, but I learned that loyalty doesn’t necessarily bring success. Skating and ripping brings success. To be perfectly honest I think Foundation has a lot more diversity. I think diversity in a skateboard brand is just a different way of branding a company. With Mystery, a lot of us skated

alike, we skated a lot of the same things, and we all went big, everybody kind of fit one model. With Foundation there’s a lot more diversity. There’s kids that might like Corey Duffel, then you got me on the opposite end of the spectrum, and there’s kids out there that might like me, what I do, my style, the way I portray myself, which would make them better appreciate Foundation. Not to mention we got everything in between. I think it’s just a different way of marketing a brand. When you have that kind of diversity you appeal to a bigger demographic.

Nosegrind.

Are you excited to have colors on your boards now?

Oh man. I’m getting e-mails back and forth from design at Tum Yeto, messing with all these colors. It’s like I’ve been colorblind for the last six years and now I’m struck. It’s shocking to see color on my skateboard. It’s sick, man. I love it. I’m really looking forward to some ill graphics.

You recently switched from Krux to Theeve, how did that happen?

I just love the trucks! I used to love Krux for the way they turn. The main thing is how the truck turns, obviously. There are certain things about trucks, the way they grind, the way they turn, that skaters fall in love with. I was the guinea pig for Theeve way before they launched it, and I just fell in love with the trucks. I like their “Probably” campaign, “Probably the best truck, Probably the best turning truck, Probably the lightest truck, Probably the strongest truck.” I love the way the truck looks and the way it rides. They’ve got that high-end truck that’s got new technology with no axle. There’s no axle going through. It’s sick man, I can ride them and I know I can sell them and it’s just something new.

Lipslide.

You said you were the guinea pig. Did you have input on how the truck should look and feel?

Not really the aesthetics. We were just testing the titanium trucks. I grinded different things like metal, granite, marble, and I just gave them feedback. We were just trying to get the composition of the metal right so it could still be the lightest and strongest truck and at the same time grind just as good as everything else.

How does the titanium grind? It is a harder metal than aluminum, which is what most trucks are made of.

It’s funny. It kind of burns and sparks but it grinds great. It grinds just as good as anything else. I’ve only ridden Krux. I’ve ridden Krux for ten years so that’s what I compare it to and I love it. I love it more than Krux. I’m psyched to be a part of it.

You have an interview coming out in issue #73. What are you stoked on from that interview?

I’m psyched on the interview in general. I guess the thing that I’m most psyched about is that we shot the whole interview in North Carolina. It’s kind of cool to show the world that not only can I handle my career in North Carolina but I can also get so much done right here. I can shoot all the photos and do an entire interview. That’s how many spots there are and how good the area is for skateboarding—people don’t know. There’s not a lot of skaters on the East Coast that have that many spots in one place and I think it’s gonna help put North Carolina on the map. We’ve always had an underground scene and I’m hoping to get it out from underneath the ground and show the world some more talent from North Carolina and get some more teams coming through and hype the country on this place.

It seems like a lot of other people are moving out of CA. Do you think there is

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