(This interview originally appeared in our Member / Inductee Newsletter Jan. 2025)
Have you visited the SHoF and Museum lately?
I visit the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum often. Every time I go, I’m impressed by the warm and inclusive atmosphere. It’s like visiting a wise old friend with a wealth of knowledge about the history, progression, and raw essence of skateboarding. The mind-blowing collection of memorabilia clearly depicts the evolution of skateboarding, its technology, and the legendary skaters who made it a reality.
What keeps you moving on a daily basis?
The same thing that motivated the development of skateboarding as we know it today: the unknown. Not knowing what’s possible or what the next moment will bring keeps me excited and looking forward to every day.
How often do you get to skate and do you still push yourself?
*Not as much as I’d like, but probably more than I should. One of the cool things about skateboarding is that it’s for everyone who’s bold enough to try it. Each person has their own unique style, skill level, and goals. This diversity is what helps skateboarding evolve in new and exciting directions.
To me, if you step on a skateboard, you’re pushing your limits. It’s not a matter of if but when. So I say, go for it!*
Where do you like to skate the most?
That would be telling.(wink)
Where was the most exciting place to skate in your entire life?
I’ve skated a lot of cool spots: pools, banks, ditches, hills, pipes, and skateparks. It’s hard to pick just one, but one of the first pools I skated was called the Rabbit Hole. It was owned by a magician, and from above, the pool looked like a rabbit. The coping in the middle of the deep end formed a rabbit’s tail that you could grind. It was round, deep, tight, and challenging. Not the best, but I’ll never forget it.
Did you recently retire from your job? What are you going to do with all your spare time?
I recently retired and I’m excited to have more time to devote to our family business, Grimes Skateboards. Fifty-six years of experience in every board, and the unwavering quality keeps me and everyone who owns a Grimes board smiling.
