WEBVTT - Going for Gold: A Conversation with Team USA’s Olympic Skaters 0:00:02.520 --> 0:00:08.959 Simone Ladeci Shakri Lebron. They ain't got nothing on Tom 0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:12.840 Gavin and Tate Ocome everybody to this very special edition 0:00:12.920 --> 0:00:15.320 of Amy and TJ Robes. We have spent so much 0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:18.720 time watching Olympics coverage, but we've been getting into a 0:00:18.720 --> 0:00:20.840 lot of sports that we don't normally get to watch 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:25.800 bad Medden, table tennis, canoeing, fencing, surfing, judo, and a 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:28.800 lot of that is us asking questions like what are 0:00:28.840 --> 0:00:30.000 the rules here? What are you doing? 0:00:30.560 --> 0:00:32.960 We don't even I mean, I've watched sports that I 0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:35.800 didn't even know existed FORFO. So I've been doing a 0:00:35.800 --> 0:00:38.879 lot of Google searches, learning a lot about sports and 0:00:39.120 --> 0:00:43.280 just being in general awe of the athleticism in so 0:00:43.440 --> 0:00:47.320 many arenas and areas that I didn't even know was 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:48.800 US sports. 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:50.960 And so one of them we got and I shouldn't 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:54.760 say stuck, but we got caught up in and watched 0:00:54.880 --> 0:00:59.160 every moment was skateboarding, and it was the women in particular. 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:02.040 We didn't understand single rule like wait, she fell, she 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:04.000 gets to go again, so they get one scratch it. 0:01:04.200 --> 0:01:05.240 So we were trying to figure it out. 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:08.320 Yeah, it was street skateboarding, and we were in awe 0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:12.280 because what they were doing was crazy and watching them 0:01:12.319 --> 0:01:15.400 fall and just bounce back up and dust themselves off 0:01:15.400 --> 0:01:17.520 with a big old smile and try it again. 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:21.840 So that was street skate, yes, but there's also park 0:01:22.160 --> 0:01:24.760 skate that we're about to get an education on in 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:26.320 the next couple of days. But we're going to get 0:01:26.360 --> 0:01:29.199 it right now. From one of our stuts. Tom Sharp 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:32.720 joins us from Paris. Okay, you have to forgive us here, Tom, 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:35.160 you're gonna have to help get everybody caught up a 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:39.600 little bit. So let's start with that park skateboarding. What 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:41.959 exactly are we talking about here. 0:01:44.040 --> 0:01:45.880 I've had to try and explain it to a lot 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:47.480 of people over the past couple of days, and it's 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:50.600 kind of hard to explain. I guess the best way 0:01:50.640 --> 0:01:54.560 to put it would be, it's like an empty backyard 0:01:54.600 --> 0:01:56.520 pool on steroids, pretty much. 0:01:56.920 --> 0:01:58.000 Okay, that's pretty good. 0:01:58.040 --> 0:02:01.200 All right, that's very cool, And like I'm sure many 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:04.040 of your counterparts, you got started very very early. When 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:07.720 I was googling you, one of the words that came 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:11.520 up in association with your name was prodigy. When did 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:13.079 you start skateboarding? 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:17.120 Oh god, my older brother skated and that's how I 0:02:17.120 --> 0:02:19.840 got into it, And I think I really started when 0:02:19.840 --> 0:02:22.560 I was like four or five. So I've been skating 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:25.040 for twenty years now, which is pretty crazy to say. 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:27.960 Wow, twenty four years old, been skating since you were four, 0:02:28.280 --> 0:02:32.360 You're at the Olympics. Tell me how you're feeling right now. 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:33.919 It's pretty crazy. 0:02:34.240 --> 0:02:36.240 If you would have told me this is where I 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:38.240 would be when I started skating, I would not have 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:38.760 believed you. 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:39.440 Absolutely not. 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:44.720 When did it become, I guess, a job or a 0:02:44.840 --> 0:02:47.320 mission or something more, Because I'm sure when you first 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:50.200 picked up a skateboard you were just having fun, and 0:02:50.240 --> 0:02:52.160 I'm sure you still have fun doing it, But when 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:55.160 did it kind of become serious and a craft and 0:02:55.200 --> 0:02:57.000 you had a mission of being competitive? 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:01.079 Yeah, I mean, you're exactly right. Started skating just because 0:03:01.520 --> 0:03:03.800 I loved it. It's the funnest thing ever, and it 0:03:03.840 --> 0:03:09.079 still is for me. But I guess as I kind 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:12.079 of like progressed and got better, it started kind of 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:14.639 showing I was doing more contests and doing better in them, 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:17.440 and I just kind of started taking it more seriously. 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:19.600 I don't really remember how old I was, maybe when 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:24.880 I was like fifteen or sixteen or something and then yeah, 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:27.560 I just tried to kind of really work on it 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:29.400 a bunch and it's it's paid off. 0:03:29.440 --> 0:03:31.320 I made its bears, so I'm really happy. 0:03:31.760 --> 0:03:34.079 Yeah, I would say so. I would say, so, tell 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:36.920 us what we're going to see when the best of 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:42.200 the best you included, of course, skate that basically unfilled 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:44.920 pool area in Paris. Tell us what we're going to 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:45.560 see at home. 0:03:46.680 --> 0:03:49.240 So you get forty five seconds to do the best 0:03:49.520 --> 0:03:51.240 run that you can in that time, and you get 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:54.920 three tries, and yeah, it's pretty much just be as 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:57.040 creative as you want with your forty five seconds and 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:00.880 try and please the judges the best you can. You'll 0:04:00.880 --> 0:04:03.280 see a lot of kind of errors, and it's a 0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:05.520 lot different than street streets, like more of a technical 0:04:06.720 --> 0:04:09.800 kind of It's maybe a little bit harder to understand 0:04:09.800 --> 0:04:12.520 for like the average viewer, but park I feel like 0:04:12.560 --> 0:04:15.280 it's a little easier for someone that doesn't know skateboarding 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:17.680 as well to understand because it's just kind of high 0:04:17.680 --> 0:04:20.960 speed and there's a lot a lot to look at 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:21.480 for your eyes. 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:25.120 So how much of that is as you all just 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:28.080 winging it? Do you know exactly what routine you're going for? 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:29.960 Or you just go out there and kind of fill 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:31.280 it and let the chips fall what you may. 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:37.119 Yeah, I mean to an extent. When we first started, 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:39.240 it's kind of winging it. We have four days of practice, 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:40.839 so you have enough time to kind of try and 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:44.120 figure out the whole park, and by the end of it, Yeah, 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:46.719 everyone usually has a pretty good run in their head 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:47.960 that they know they want to do. 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:52.240 That's crazy. You make up your run when you get 0:04:52.279 --> 0:04:55.040 to Paris and you see the course and you just 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:57.840 figure it out. That would be so freaky to me. 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:00.600 Everyone else coming in, or at least I would believe 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:03.240 that most people going in to the Olympics have a 0:05:03.320 --> 0:05:07.599 routine that they've been practicing, specifically four years. Even someone 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:11.159 knows what fault exactly, so you're just like figuring it 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:13.720 out on the fly. That is remarkable. Do you have 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:16.839 a coach? How do you get to the level you're 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:20.280 at right now to be an Olympian park skateboarder. 0:05:21.320 --> 0:05:23.640 I don't personally have a coach. We have the Team 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:27.159 USA coach Andrew Nicholas, and he's been great helping us 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:31.880 all out. But I mean, you can kind of know 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:34.479 what features will be in the park, it's kind of 0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:36.760 similar every time, so you can kind of practice those 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:40.560 specific things, but you never know if everything's going to 0:05:40.600 --> 0:05:42.080 line up the way you want it to. So that's 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:44.080 why we get our four days practice try and really 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:45.920 kind of dial everything in and make. 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:48.520 Sure how many runs do you all get to do 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:49.479 in front of the judges? 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:50.440 We get three? 0:05:51.120 --> 0:05:54.479 He gets three? So combined score, you dropped one. How's 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:54.839 that work? 0:05:55.480 --> 0:05:56.599 Just your best run counts. 0:05:57.040 --> 0:05:59.799 Whatever one they thought was the best is the score 0:05:59.800 --> 0:06:02.800 they get, and then they take the top eight from 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:04.720 the semi finals to the finals and then it's the 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:07.000 same thing again in three runs forty five seconds. 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:10.880 Wow, I mean that's a lot of pressure, Tom. How 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:13.240 nervous do you get? Do you get nervous? 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:14.240 Yeah? 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:18.160 I definitely still get nervous. It's even though I've been 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:21.160 doing contests for I don't know how long, fifteen years now, 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:23.400 probably I still just get as nervous as I did 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:24.440 with my first one. 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:27.600 So what do you do before you go to quell 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:29.679 your nerves to get focus to get in the zone. 0:06:31.200 --> 0:06:32.920 I mean, honestly, I just kind of try and remind 0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:35.280 myself how lucky I am to be in this position 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:37.320 just doing this so I just kind of try and 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:39.240 look at it as like a big picture instead of 0:06:40.400 --> 0:06:43.479 just dwelling on if I can do my run. Just 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:46.240 kind of remind myself that I'm just here to kind 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:48.719 of show the world what skateboarding is supposed to be. 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:52.360 We hear so much about how athletes, elead athletes prepare. 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:55.200 I mean you hear about the nutrition and the sleeping 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:58.600 habits and the all of this that the tracksors might 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:02.240 do or the gymnast might do. But for a skateboarder, 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:05.839 how do you prepare? Is there a special meal, do 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:08.280 you have to use a certain diet or do you 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:10.440 are you drinking mountain dew? That's the stuff we have 0:07:10.520 --> 0:07:12.440 in our head. I mean, just tell us what is 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:15.200 your regiment or your your physical regimen. 0:07:15.840 --> 0:07:18.680 I do a good amount of training outside of skateboarding, 0:07:19.960 --> 0:07:21.720 just to try and stay healthy and strong the best 0:07:21.760 --> 0:07:25.040 I can. But food wise, I mean just trying to 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:28.600 eat healthy and nothing too crazy. I mean, the chocolate 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:30.000 muffins in the village are pretty good. 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:32.680 So I be I was going to ask you a 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:35.600 lot's been made of Olympic Village food that it's not 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:38.440 been up to part. What has your experience been like? 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:40.160 So far an Olympic village. 0:07:40.480 --> 0:07:43.240 The food is it's all right, it's not that bad. 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:47.960 The best is more where I'm struggling, But I mean, 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:51.440 it's it's all in all, it's it's all right, it's 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:52.000 all right. 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:56.560 What's the Olympic experience like for a skateboarder? You'll, I 0:07:56.560 --> 0:08:00.000 mean there's a bunch of big name athletes, very recognized 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:04.000 the bull and you all probably not necessarily among that 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:06.800 group of most recognizable guys. So what's it like for 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:09.440 a skateboarder to hang out Olympic village? Which is just 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:10.880 what's the Olympic experience been? 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:11.000 Like? 0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:12.520 It's cool. 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:17.000 I get mixed kind of feelings from people. We were 0:08:17.000 --> 0:08:19.600 going around asking random people what sport they thought we did, 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:23.840 and a couple of people just said nothing. But then 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:26.240 there were other people that we told we did skateboarding, like, oh, 0:08:26.280 --> 0:08:26.800 that's so cool. 0:08:26.800 --> 0:08:28.480 I want to check it out. So it kind of 0:08:28.480 --> 0:08:31.040 depends who you would ask. I feel like, that's funny. 0:08:31.040 --> 0:08:34.560 Have you had that oh my god, Olympic moment yet? 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:37.400 Just walking around? Have you met anyone that Wow? Do 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:39.600 you have you just had that I can't believe I'm 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:40.320 here moment? 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:41.400 Yeah? 0:08:41.440 --> 0:08:45.240 Absolutely, doing the opening ceremony, meeting the whole basketball team. 0:08:45.840 --> 0:08:48.800 I see someone in our building like almost every day. 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:50.959 It's it's pretty insane. 0:08:52.320 --> 0:08:55.000 That's it's so that's so cool and casual. It's always 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:56.920 great to hear those stories. Are Are you able to 0:08:56.960 --> 0:08:58.880 have family there to experience this with you? 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:01.720 Yeah, my mom and my dad, my brother are all 0:09:01.800 --> 0:09:05.120 out here. But honestly, I think they're enjoying it more 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:07.120 than I am. They've gone to like every event so far, 0:09:07.160 --> 0:09:08.960 and they're just they're having a good time. 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:12.640 Have you say, have you been able to watch any 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:14.520 of the events. Have you been able to watch any 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:17.240 of the Olympics or you just focused on your event? 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:18.200 Uh? 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:21.480 Yeah, I've been here for like ten days now. Practice 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:23.960 just started, so I had like a week of three 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:26.840 times just kind of hang out. And we went and 0:09:26.880 --> 0:09:29.880 saw ping pong which are sorry table, which is by 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:31.000 far my favorite one. 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:31.440 Uh. 0:09:31.559 --> 0:09:34.880 We got judo and three v three and uh three 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:36.559 v three basketball and a bunch of other stuff. 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:37.760 It was It's very cool. 0:09:38.280 --> 0:09:40.640 How competitive we're going to be. Talking to your teammates 0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:43.560 as well and your friends of course, Gavin and Tate, 0:09:44.960 --> 0:09:49.360 what questions would you want an interviewer to ask your 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:51.760 two friends to put them on the spot. What should 0:09:51.800 --> 0:09:52.360 we ask them? 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:54.960 I think just asking them more about the village. They'll 0:09:54.960 --> 0:09:56.280 probably have some better insight than out. 0:09:56.360 --> 0:09:59.440 Oh okay, all right, that's always that's always good information. 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:02.440 And this it really is a brotherhood. When we see 0:10:02.440 --> 0:10:05.360 you all competing, A lot of you all are all 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:08.720 from southern California. You've been skating together for your talk 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:11.560 a little bit about Obviously you're competing against one another, 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:14.920 but what is it like to be with the guys 0:10:14.960 --> 0:10:18.520 who are really a part of your family and you're competing. 0:10:18.160 --> 0:10:22.240 Against Yeah, exactly. I mean we all grew up skating together. 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:26.280 I've known everyone in this contest since I was eleven 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:28.680 twelve years old, so it's really just like a big family. 0:10:28.720 --> 0:10:32.160 And we all get to do these other contests outside 0:10:32.160 --> 0:10:34.640 of the Olympics, so we're always hanging out pretty much 0:10:34.800 --> 0:10:35.400 all year round. 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:37.160 It's really special. 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:39.520 Well, I wonder we're gonna let you go here, man, 0:10:39.559 --> 0:10:43.560 And I wonder because you sound so chill your voice, 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:47.319 so I expect you to be much more intense once 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:52.480 you get into that pool on steroids in Paris. To 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:55.760 congrats to you, young fellow, Really, man, are I assure 0:10:55.800 --> 0:10:58.200 you no matter what time you all are on, we 0:10:58.240 --> 0:10:59.760 will be up and watching it live. 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:02.440 I think it might be another three am for you guys, 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:03.000 but thank you. 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:06.079 Yeah, and you don't say break a leg to a skateboarder, right, 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:07.120 what do you just saying about? 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:09.640 Probably not, but it works. 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:14.000 Thank you, Tom, Thank you. 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:26.480 All right, everybody, we have Tom's good friend Gavin Bodker 0:11:26.520 --> 0:11:30.120 here with us, current world champion. And Gavin, did I 0:11:30.160 --> 0:11:32.400 get this right? You're just seventeen years old? 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:33.960 Yeah, I'm seventeen. 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:38.720 Wow, seventeen, current world champion and you are in Paris 0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:41.280 at the Olympics. Let me ask you how you're feeling 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:41.760 right now. 0:11:43.040 --> 0:11:46.920 It's insane. I'm still like it hasn't really settled and 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:47.520 I've made it. 0:11:47.559 --> 0:11:49.000 I don't know, it's crazy. 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:51.400 That makes a lot of sense. 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:54.400 You got other friends who are sixteen, seventeen years old 0:11:54.480 --> 0:11:56.920 back in California. I assume what are they doing right now? 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:03.240 Probably just skating, I mean vacation. 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:08.120 But so, Kevin, how did how did you get into 0:12:08.160 --> 0:12:11.520 the sport? I mean, we're probably we're hearing before the 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:15.640 age of six or seven, y'all were already skating and 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:16.240 doing your thing. 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:19.360 Yeah, I mean, I started skating when I was five 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:24.000 years old in South Lake, Tahoe, and it was just, 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:26.480 I don't know, it's kind of random. We just went 0:12:26.480 --> 0:12:28.400 to a park and like I brought like a scooter 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:31.559 by kind of skateboard, and I just was like kind 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:34.320 of trying it all, and I don't know, I just 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:37.679 stuck with the skateboard and pretty much from skating every 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:38.880 day that I can since then. 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:45.360 Now Tom Tom was telling us that you all start, 0:12:45.440 --> 0:12:48.240 of course, always for fun. Everybody picks up a skateboard 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:49.800 just wants to go out and have fun. I'm sure 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:51.600 you still have fun in what you're doing. But when 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:55.440 did it become a thing. Where are some folks like 0:12:55.520 --> 0:12:59.800 you just naturally blessed skateboarders or this is something you 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:01.600 just got to put in the time and the results 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:02.000 will come. 0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:07.200 I think there's a little bit of there's definitely I'm blessed, 0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:11.120 Like I'm definitely blessed, But yeah, I put in a 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.840 lot of time into this, So yeah, it didn't just 0:13:13.880 --> 0:13:14.920 come out of nowhere. 0:13:15.360 --> 0:13:19.160 Were you always a goofy footed skater skater? 0:13:19.320 --> 0:13:21.920 Yes, I was goofy footed, But when I first started snowboarding, 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:25.640 my first whole season. I snowboarded the whole season regular, 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:28.880 and then on the last day I switched to goofy. 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:32.400 And now you to explain to everyone doesn't know what goofy. 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:35.319 I've already googled it, but explained to everyone who's listening 0:13:35.640 --> 0:13:38.520 what it means to be a goofy footed skater. 0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:42.680 So when you're a goofy footed skater, if you're standing 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:45.800 on the board, your right foot is in front, but 0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:48.160 when you're regular, your left foot is in front. 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:50.160 Simple as that. Have you been giving a lot of 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:53.000 folks in education and skateboarding there in Paris? 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:57.200 Kind of not as much as I expected. 0:13:57.320 --> 0:14:00.959 Actually, perhaps when you've all actually start competing. On the 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:03.000 day you compete, people will be wowed and asking a 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:06.080 lot of questions afterwards. What has your experience been like 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:08.240 so far at the Olympics? What have you done? Who 0:14:08.240 --> 0:14:10.200 have you seen? How do you feel? 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:13.600 I feel good. I mean it's been crazy. I've seen 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:17.480 like a lot of people that like it's like whoa like? 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:20.920 I don't know, it's like shocking starstroke, I guess, but 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:24.440 uh yeah, I've just been trying to keep skating the 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:24.880 whole time. 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:28.400 Okay, let's go back. Who's got your starstruck. 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:31.680 Pretty much like any of the basketball players. That's aw 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:35.880 Lebron and I felt like the smallest person ever next 0:14:35.880 --> 0:14:36.120 to him. 0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:39.960 But it was gooz, do you fool fanboy out and 0:14:40.040 --> 0:14:42.120 get the selfies or you try to play it cool 0:14:42.240 --> 0:14:44.960 from southern California. You're cool kid now. 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:47.280 I try to play it cool. But yeah, I asked 0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:49.680 for it selfie you. 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:51.840 Yeah, very casually asked for a selfie any game. 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:55.920 Actually not from Lebron because he was photoed out the 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:56.880 day that I asked him. 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:58.440 It was on the opening ceremony days. 0:14:58.480 --> 0:15:05.520 So oh, you can always try again, right, always try again. 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:07.640 Have you seen any events while you're there or are you 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:09.000 just focused on skateboarding. 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:13.760 I've seen I've seen the other skateboard events and so 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:15.680 I've been I haven't seen them in person. I've been 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:17.520 watching them on TV. I just haven't had the time 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:20.400 to like get into those events. 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:22.880 Yeah, just like us, we've been watching them on TV too. 0:15:22.920 --> 0:15:23.520 I have to. 0:15:23.800 --> 0:15:29.320 I mean, just you see the unbelievable attempts that your 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:32.360 fellow skateboarders make and then sometimes they crash and burn. 0:15:33.400 --> 0:15:36.000 Talk a little bit about what it takes to get 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:38.960 up the nerve to do the tricks you do, and 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:41.160 how much risk are you actually putting your body in 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:42.760 when you do some of these moves. 0:15:43.000 --> 0:15:44.200 I mean you're putting a lot. 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:46.760 You're putting your body at risks like insane, but you 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:49.000 have It's basically you just have to know that you 0:15:49.040 --> 0:15:51.240 can get out of it if something goes wrong, like 0:15:51.280 --> 0:15:53.120 when you're in there, you kick your board away and 0:15:53.800 --> 0:15:56.120 tuck your shoulder or something, or make sure you get 0:15:56.160 --> 0:15:59.080 to your feet, and that's all it is. If you can, 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:00.800 if you know you can get out of it. I 0:16:01.600 --> 0:16:02.640 feel super comfortable. 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:06.760 Are you going into this fully? Pretty healthy right now? 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:12.480 No major elements, pretty healthy. I tweaked my neck yes 0:16:12.680 --> 0:16:15.160 or two days ago. I don't know what happened. I 0:16:15.240 --> 0:16:17.800 just got out of the bowl and my neck just 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:20.920 like kind of locked up on me. So yesterday I 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:23.760 didn't really get to skate all of practice, and I've 0:16:23.800 --> 0:16:25.120 been battling it all morning. 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:28.120 And that gets in your head. I would imagine Kevin 0:16:28.160 --> 0:16:30.400 also being the current world champion, A lot of pressure. 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:34.480 You're seventeen. How do you handle the mental part of 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:36.880 this and the nerves you I am sure will have 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:38.200 going into competition. 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:42.800 I feel like For the mental part, I just try 0:16:42.800 --> 0:16:48.040 and just remember its skateboarding and it's not that serious. 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:51.880 We're just here to have fun and it's like this 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:56.760 is super new for skateboarding, so it's I'm just stoked 0:16:56.760 --> 0:16:57.200 to be here. 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:01.240 Are Do you feel like an ambassador of the sport 0:17:01.320 --> 0:17:02.800 right now? Again a lot of people about to watch 0:17:02.800 --> 0:17:07.399 skateboarding who only watch it once every four years. 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:14.240 Yeah, not really, but maybe after this time. Do you have. 0:17:14.240 --> 0:17:16.679 Pressure on yourself? Do you say I'm going to come 0:17:16.680 --> 0:17:18.720 home with the gold or I want to meddle? Like 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:21.640 what what have you told yourself you want to walk 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:22.920 away from the Olympics with. 0:17:23.400 --> 0:17:26.119 I just want to walk away knowing that I tried 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:28.400 my best and I feel like that's all I can 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:31.399 hope for is just to skate as good as I 0:17:31.400 --> 0:17:35.880 can and see what happens, not think about the results 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:36.359 as much. 0:17:37.200 --> 0:17:39.000 Yeah, the last couple of things here give us a 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:44.320 better idea of the experience at Olympic village. What's that 0:17:44.440 --> 0:17:48.200 been like for you? Your room, the food, the people, 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:51.000 the friends you make, and the whole atmosphere. Are you're 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:54.280 enjoying it? Just get folks that people are so fascinated 0:17:54.280 --> 0:17:56.880 back here about Olympic village. So what's your experience been 0:17:57.359 --> 0:17:57.840 for a skater? 0:17:57.880 --> 0:17:59.720 I feel like it's a little bit different, just because 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:03.720 you're walking around and like baggy cut off jeans and 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:06.560 like you're skating around and people are kind of looking 0:18:06.560 --> 0:18:09.240 at you. Like I definitely feel I've fell out of 0:18:09.240 --> 0:18:11.840 place a couple of times, just because like there's these 0:18:11.960 --> 0:18:18.200 huge ripped like dude girls, I'm like a little guy 0:18:18.960 --> 0:18:24.199 walking around with my skateboard and so yeah, I definitely 0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:27.600 get some some I catch people just like kind of 0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:28.120 looking at me. 0:18:28.080 --> 0:18:29.920 A little weird, but like why are you here? 0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:30.760 Yeah? 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:33.320 Yeah, I like, whoa what does he do? Or something 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:33.879 like I don't know. 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:36.760 You know, it's funny too. You make a good point. 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:39.200 You've got these athletes who and you put in the time, 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:41.480 but it's a little bit more formal. They have coaches. 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:41.800 You don't. 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:44.359 You didn't have a coach getting into this. This is 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:47.880 just you rewheeling it, doing what you love and doing 0:18:47.880 --> 0:18:49.760 it at a very very high level. 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:52.480 Yeah, basically. 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:58.399 But food has been it's been all right, nothing nothing 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:01.560