The Pressure Of Being A Pro Skater

[@bigfootisjustreallyshy]

I too can relate to that “all eyes on me” feeling when I go to my local park. Except in my case it’s because everyone is staring in bewilderment at how bad I am at skating.

[@ADaviiis]

i promise you that no one cares if youre bad, unless you keep getting in the way

[@Derpplup]

Don't worry big foot you'll get better

[@superwalt2159]

@@Derpplup i can't wait for the random post, "I straight up just saw Bigfoot blast the biggest shifty ollie over the pyramid then he bolted out the park. i got pic but its kinda blurry"

[@bakeraus]

Doesn't matter bro keep on pushing and having fun

[@BonesDMS4life]

I get that feeling too but i enjoy it as long as people stay out the way

[@michaelhicks97]

2006 New Blood Zero demo: the main park was utterly packed with kids trying to watch Chris Cole. My friends and I were 15 at the time decided to move to the empty part of the park and skate instead. Tommy Sandoval comes up to the bowl and starts riding with us. Naturally we just stop and watch in awe. He comes to the bleachers after couple runs and asks if we have extra water. He picks up my transworld (with the story on new blood) I brought to get signed, flips through tells us stories from filming. Finds his pictures signs it and rolls back to the main demo. Those little things definitely can have a huge impact on young kids.

[@roland4d]

❤

[@thatsoulsguy3028]

Tommy guns is rad for that awesome story man

[@paulmanoogian7646]

As a professional fishing guide in Miami I really connected with the points you all made at the end. "Don't pay attention to what you think people think" "You don't know what they're thinking" "Live in the moment." I can't tell you how many times we've been out fishing and I thought it was a subpar day and the clients were absolutely amazed at how good the day was. Also I made the connection that there are Kostons, and Carolls and P.Rods in every industry, you can learn from them, but just do your own thing and live in the moment. You're there because you love it.

[@johnfrum4116]

as far as demos go, seeing daewon at my park just skating the bowl, like not even doing any tricks, just cruising around in the rain was the most mindblowing shit as a kid and it seriously changed my whole outlook towards skating. when you live in the middle of nowhere the pure acknowledgment of having pros come to your town and skate what you skate is such a big thing that how well they perform is really the last thing on your mind.

[@brandonchapman6363]

The interactions definitely make an impact. I couldn't afford a board when zoo York came to mesquite tx in like 05 or 06 and I was telling my buddy I needed one while we were in like to get autographs from everyone and Kenny Hughes heard me reached under the table and gave me a board which the whole team signed. I couldn't ever bring myself to skate it though which I'm glad honestly because Harold Hunter was one of the ones who also signed it which makes it super special.

[@curbmuncher]

Dude you're a culture vulture.

[@timothee3446]

I met Harold as a kid he was such a funny and chill guy . The advice he gave me Then I still look back on to this day.

[@rmhfpv9225]

I wish there were more "seeing the process" videos - raw and uncut. Seeing the pros struggle to land, figure it out and then land it is far more entertaining and FAAAR more motivating to go skate.

[@decaf95]

so kinda like street dreams but with better acting

[@pointeighteen2437]

rough cuts

[@rmhfpv9225]

@@decaf95 lol... Maybe staring Chima for part.

[@arayapokey]

I’m not a skater, but I can relate to what they’re saying. I’m a musician and I love watching bands in the studio working on albums, watching the process helps my process.

[@pinthetailproductions4859]

Around 2007 there was a video on KZbin at the Wilshire 10 with Koston, Reynolds and a couple of the Baker 3 guys. Not one single trick landed for 7 minutes straight. It showed just how hard that video and filming is . For the life of me I can't find it. I think Koston was trying to land a fake 360 flip to front board.

[@gameboysleepyd4277]

I'll never forget ELDIS face after he broke his finger and reset it on YEAH RIGHT. that SHIT is hard

[@runitbackchop8923]

The reason Daewon Song skates so creatively and is always pushing his own boundaries is because of this pressure he said in an interview it’s the only way to stand out and stay on top. So that pressure is real.

[@damodaraomalley3974]

Glad you'll are talking about this. These things are the reality of advancing in many aspects of life. I am just making the jump to a new position in my welding career and I can relate to this directly. Cheers from W.a. guys🤙🌊☀️

[@anthonysmith8321]

I remember in the '90s when I make sponsor me videos I would write out my trick list. I seen another kid who was sponsored do it when I was coming up that's why I got the idea from.

[@mattfowler2749]

really great conversation, awesome clip, thanks nine club!

[@zekepowers]

I watched Eric Koston miss a flat ground kick flip at a demo at Pizzey Park in 2008 and that was the first time I realized pro skaters were all human, it was refreshing. I also cut off Rick McCrank by accident 2 or 3 times while he was trying to nollie hard flip over the big pyramid 😂

[@dommcloughlin9447]

Great and insightful chat, loved it

[@javimartinez6339]

Damn I feel bad now, I seen Justin, Jerome, Crob, and Daniel Castillo at eucalyptus skate park back in the day when chocolate had jaw breaker boards, and I was star struck asking all of them to do tricks and sign my board and just asking too many questions

[@highginx]

We were all like that as kids when we crossed paths with our favorite pros

[@lesvegas5]

You're goddam right. I'm 48 and the biggest, happiest memory I have of the Plan B tour which came to the UK was shaking Pat Duffy by the hand. Seeing Danny and PJ skate was cool and all but shaking and talking to Pat was immense!!

[@mrblaze6982]

That’s dope! Im psyched for you! ✊🏼

[@day245]

Most underrated alltime

[@BeingIntegrated]

As if skating on the highest level isn't hard enough, imagine having to meet that expectation and having your career depend on it too.

[@Beachboyy_Prod]

Just wanna say appreciate you giving a bit of backstory behind coming out thanks haha

[@illmuskyhunter3313]

Eldy "came out" and people accepted him for it 😂😂😂

[@maximillionmwinn]

“The way he came out though wasn’t like anyone who came out before” - the nine club

[@sethgoodpaster5528]

i met justin elridge at a demo and he was super nice to me n' my buddy and i still look up to him for being so down to earth

[@JohnADuerk]

While I understand the points that you guys are making, here are a couple of thoughts: (1) professional skateboarders (and every other professional athlete in the world) has a career because of what other people think about their abilities; and (2) it's always easier to dismiss anxiety (or doubt or any other negative feeling) in retrospect when you're no longer in the thick of that experience (i.e., looking back from a position of relative comfort that's a direct result of your accomplishment(s).

[@moldyrefrigerator]

The demo discussion is true. I definitely met Jeron Wilson and Justin at a Pretty Sweet demo and they were behind the main area skatepark in the flatground area lol

[@shadyp-zv3uf]

és were my favorite and first pair of skate shoes... the solid navy blue ones with the 23 in little red numbers on the side. didn't know how the pronounce it.... I called the company E S ...lol

[@bluecandyart8596]

I thought the loop of the switch flip manual wasn't a loop and a Chris was just doing it a bunch of times in a row.

[@mrblaze6982]

My biggest hype moment was meeting bryan herman at a baker signing while i was in la! I live in germany and for me that was my ultra fanout! Plus meeting people from the whole baker like reynolds, beagle and nuge and all those guys!

[@moldyrefrigerator]

As someone who’s beaten some pros in S.K.A.T.E. before, it’s definitely a huge advantage when I already know all the tricks they like to do, and they don’t know any of mine.

[@fuckcensorship69]

who have you beaten? what tricks did you use?

[@moldyrefrigerator]

@@fuckcensorship69 Theotis Beasley, Grant Taylor (SOTY), Justin Brock, Dan Murphy, David Gonzalez (another SOTY), probably one or two more that I can’t remember. And I use different tricks for every game I play, which is exactly why I said that it’s an advantage when I already know what tricks the pros tend to do, and can adjust my strategy accordingly to pray on their weaknesses, while at the same time they’ve never seen me skate before, and thus don’t know any of my weaknesses. But I don’t always win, I’ve lost to Shane O’Neill and most recently lost to Tyler Peterson.

[@briansakurada2823]

I wanted that so bad for myself until Jayme Fortune became one of my lifelong best friends and I was there for all the filming (I helped procure Jayme's famous benches) and also all the just hanging out and skating spots after the cameras were off, just watching how different it was and how hard it was on him. I literally gave up on the dream within a month of watching him film and on the phone dealing with all the politics. Eventually the pressure ended his career. But as his friend, it was absolutely for the best.

[@drewwolf3405]

I love the clips. Thank you guys

[@RobertNazarov65]

I always think people are looking at me but for me it’s just in my head

[@michaelrowe8115]

I wanna see that Jeron vs Eldridge game of skate

[@dgkidz3527]

Saw Kevin spanky long at the emerica jam in Philly, asked to go play skate n dude just looked at me n laughed🤦🏻‍♂️😅 in his head he was prolly like not worth my time😂

[@redrobbo1896]

The flip side to that is if he did go he'd have a life long fan. What do they say about not meeting your heroes.

[@maxwestmoreland9810]

Haha that's funny, I was at that same demo and I talked to him and he was cool as all hell. Must not like playing skate lol

[@insaneconqueror5421]

I felt that too as a store sponsored skater in the 90s. Any demo I tried to destroy myself

[@littlebear2477]

Great Ep

[@Shin90x]

its called anxiety.

[@corrd3ll]

I was never pro. But when I was sponsored, it helped me a lot and fked me up at the same time

[@peazeralus]

You can't say you don't care what other people think and punch down on smaller skaters/content creators everytime someone even mentions the Nine Club.

[@kylefenrick9168]

Sounds more about a personal issue, over an issue with an industry, and a representation of a person not wanting, what they thought they did.

[@justneagle]

I thought the discussion here was really great, videos about introspective ideas on being pro offer's great incite to what its really like. Great video!

[@johneapleseed6876]

I sometimes wonder if Dubs has seen PJ skate irl. He actually land’s everything 1st try. 40 trick lines with out thought.

[@arnonroyna4420]

Skateboarding is a lot like baseball when it comes to success. In baseball, a good batting average is .300, which is only 30%!!! There is a lot of failure in these sports because they are difficult! It's the successes that make it so much more impressive, especially when you know how hard it is to skate, or play baseball.

[@ZackWhyel]

Great clip fellas ⚡

[@GregSemiensLive]

This is never never never really talked about when bring up skateboarding

[@UrbanLikwid]

You are a marketer for a brand. You have to be part of a team where you get along with the members then you have to sell the brand and sell your pro model. If you aren't selling you get cut. I'd imagine the average pro with no big named sponsors is making 20-30k a year if lucky. What a hustle.

[@RatSewage]

Did you guys coordinate your hats intentionally here? lol

[@funkydankspliff]

3:50 one of Chris’ best puns of all time

[@Eric-mz9en]

Shout out to The Nine Club. ✌

[@chrisletourneau1573]

Welp... Eldy.. no joke. My first girlfriend thought that you were the shiz. I had an ad photo of you on my binder. Girls loved you and actually stole the photo. Hahaha

[@ketchupheadd]

there was iphones with video camaras around pretty sweet era wth lol

[@zaccconnell]

Chasing the endorphin dragon of physical standard

[@TenThumbsProductions]

Not all skaters are demo skaters. Zarred Bassett is though.

[@Sansón_Carrasco]

what about the pressure to survive on the wages and benefits most skaters get

[@dylanschannelable]

Nine club is awesome

[@elijah.skate14]

That was a great question.

[@thinglizzy2718]

Skating on someone else’s terms must change skating completely. Like “Go be creative right now!” Or all those other pressures.

[@jbachman01]

That’s all creative professions

[@thinglizzy2718]

@@jbachman01 Yeah that’s just hard. I love to skate almost everyday but I would struggle with that

[@5ylan]

Wait so are we going to see jeron & eldy play skate now??

[@mashmartmusic]

It's hard to kind of take the pressure of you when you skate with every koston everyday.. N try to maintain an evolution momentum...already u should be a proskater wich is already hard on 😒

[@Andruwjonesrichar]

Eldy's goof of the week

[@shortbusshorty1879]

I luh dis show ❤️

[@joemele8513]

Is that Eldridge?

[@luisjesuspichardofuentes5639]

i need a {skateboard}shoe sponsor

[@jacobrubin3580]

I played bastien salabanzi in skate ahaha

[@skait174]

Dubs VS Eldy bonus clip???!?!?!!????? would be better than the entire BATB this year tbh 🤮

[@pierreroberts9169]

Somme. That’s what they want. Was playing football.

[@pierreroberts9169]

Somme. Mortgage.

[@chrishelmly6682]

The pressures of making well over 100k at my day job and ripping it on my skateboard in my 40's and no one knowing who I am... Priceless!

[@4everhumbl36]

L

[@noediaz2392]

Da homies...

[@Keam223]

Wow

[@phil1657]

still can't go shopping like a nOrmal person

[@chrishaha6906]

Another thing that sponsored skateboarders go through is having your friends around you that are shredding super hard and aren't sponsored being bummed that your sponsored that s*** sucks to I tried to hook my friends up the best that I could do so.......🛹❤️ 🇹🇭