I knew many of my clientele as friends well before I picked up a tattoo machine. As I enter my 6th year of full-time tattooing, I think about how many new relationships I have made. There are people who, just a few years ago, didn’t even know my name or have a clue what the hell I was up to “B.T.” (Before Tattooing).
Here’s what took me away from my hometown of Pickens, SC, allowed me to pay my bills, and completely flipped the script for this country boy.
B.T. I had worked in skateboarding in some form or fashion for over 15 years.
Skateboarding is like an unspoken universal language. It comes with such a mutual respect and community for all skaters because there are no shortcuts or workarounds when it comes to doing it, much like tattooing. You have to put in that time to progress.
Me and Abdias skating and Ian keeping an eye on the cooler. He was skating some too I’m sure.
Like tattooing, skateboarding has no rules, no limits, no coaches or out of bounds. It’s only as good to you as the effort you put in.
Slappy at South of the Border.
I have compared tattooing to fellow skateboarders. Doing a solid tattoo that you and the client are both happy with is like getting a clip in a skate video that will never be forgotten about because it will be around as long as that person is alive.
Speaking of clips and tattoos, this man films some of the craziest skateboarding of all time for a living.
Love ya, Ira.
In 2004, I was 17 and still in high school.
I got my first job in skateboarding at a skate shop called New Generation (“New Gen” for short) in Easley, SC. I helped open multiple locations throughout upstate SC and one location in Lawrenceville, GA. I had some of the best times of my life working there and learned just how much skateboarding meant to me.
Old shop deck from New Gen back in 2000. This one was done by a friend of mine Eric Hunter.
Another Old Shop Graghic.
Skating in Pickens, SC.
Fast forward to 2011, needing a change of pace, I took a one way flight to Tampa. I had an interview at Skatepark of Tampa and I wasn’t taking no for an answer. Luckily, I got the job and was able to start working right away.
I worked at S.P.o.T from front to back. I helped with everything from the daily operations of the skatepark and shop, to working back in what we call “Innetech” handling all the online orders and shipping and receiving.
I use to have my hands on every online order at SPoT.
I worked events like the local Tampa Am and Pro contests and traveled for the DamnAm contest series. Later, I moved into the occasional announcing/judging.
Andrew Cannon and I running the renegade mini ramp jam in the alley behind The Bricks. This may have been the last year we got away with it.
Judging Damn Am Atlanta at Hazard County. Miss that place.
During this time, I was getting to use my art in different ways from making graphics for SPoT to drawing on the boxes of the online orders.
20 year anniversary deck I painted back in 2012.
After a separation in management at the skatepark, I decided to step away from my role. I took a few odd jobs to stay afloat until I was invited onboard with the crew at The Boardr.
I started working at The Boardr in 2015 by building out multiple contest rigs that would be taken to all the skateboarding events they run across the country. The biggest rig being an RV we named Bonnie.
Ryan Clements and I driving Bonnie off the lot at Lazy Days RV.
We also had a few F350s with a 27’ trailer, Flat bed, and more all decked out with everything you could think of to run an event.
NYC with a truck and trailer is some of the most difficult driving I’ve ever done.
On our way to TX here and stopped off to stretch our legs.
Watching kids fall in love with skateboarding is the best.
I would often have the opportunity to design different things with the company. I love helping put an image with the idea.
Trophies for the Tampa stop of The Boardr Am’s first year.
Original watercolor/microns drawing
We built some fun stuff to skate in my time there. Check the edit about this old spot we had by the airport for a short time.
Working with the crew at The Boardr, I learned a lot about skateboarding, traveling, and our beautiful country, some of which I may have never known otherwise.
White Sands, NM with a big white RV.
I got to work along side of some of the best at what they do in this Industry.
Big Al Russell and me building a massive bank for a Zappos contest at their headquarters in Las Vegas.
Everyone lending a little muscle to get this bank in place so we can get this show on the road. Check the full coverage from this event here.
California somewhere or another.
I made life long friendships and logged some heavy highway miles.
Shout out to the Road Crew: Chaz Miley (Photographer) Scotty Conley (Announcer).
We ran every kind of skateboarding event you can think up.
Take a deep dive into all their events new and old.
I worked at The Boardr right up until I finished my apprenticeship and started tattooing full time at the Atomic Tattoos in North Tampa in 2018.
Tattooing my wife, Julie, fresh out of my apprenticeship.
There was a time in my life that I would have told you that I would be working in skateboarding forever. I don’t think I ever had dreams of being a professional skateboarder, but I wanted to make it pay my bills and let me travel. That is exactly what I did.
Skateboarding will forever be my first love.
Ollie/wallie in Houston, TX.
I will be a skateboarder for as long as I’m alive.
