I met Jay on the basketball court. We played in a low-skill high-fun league and we became quick friends or enemies, depending on how the teams shaped up. His energy, intelligence and creativity was pretty evident and it didn’t totally shock me when I started seeing him on the news as a pop-up tech guy just a few years later.
When did you start skating?
I started skating in the 80s, around the time of ‘Gleaming the Cube’ and Powell Peralta. I took 4-5 years off, then tried it again for a short while with tiny wheels and a slick deck. I really became obsessed in 1995.
What was your first skateboard?
A yellow mini Caballero deck with black/grey Gullwing trucks and Rat Bone wheels.
When did you stop or slow down significantly?
I stopped most significantly in 2007, I think.
What do you do for a living?
Journalist/blogger.
When you are not skating, how often do you think about skateboarding?
Everyday, probably 3-5 times a day.
How did skateboarding affect the direction of your life?
Well, all of my friends from 1995-2008 came from skateboarding. Through those friends, I met my wife. Because of those friends, I lived in Philadelphia after college, which led to me doing what I’m doing.
Essentially, in the most formative years of my life it was my number one focus and just about everything in my life can be traced back to skateboarding on some level.
What is the connection between skateboarding and creativity?
Skateboarding is all about seeing the world differently which is what creativity is largely about.
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