I mean he has a bit of arrogance to his attitude in interviews, but he can also back it up with his skating and he's pretty young. An insane number of pro athletes that play ball sports also have that kind of attitude. It's probably why they're good. He's just really motivated and driven and not afraid to state his ambitions and drive. He's still only 23, which is pretty damn young in skating these days and basically any time he drops a single clip let alone a part it gets an almost universal positive reaction and backs up his "cockiness". It's not even cockiness- I can't think of the word, but maybe "high confidence". But I respect it because he's not fucking around and is going for it. None of the typical early 20's piling out.
I think that rubs people the wrong way when their preferences in skating are like, contests, stair counting, and figuring out who can do the most flip-in, flip-out shit. When he won SOTY the people I knew that were upset were saying shit like "he only had one part" and "so-and-so did this trick" and aren't the kind of people that really appreciate or understand how hard to skate a lot of the spots he skates are and that sometimes a really dope trick popped high over a trashcan is just way sicker than some Berrics park footy. These are kids that always remind you how core of a skater they are but they grew up on parks and Zumiez and would rather watch a stanky leg flat ground switch tre landed clean than TJ doing one switch down a double set because it's "less clean". I like the roughness. SW Front heel over that rail into the bank in Blessed was just so damn sick. But they won't get it because they never skated around a city with their friends an stopped at random spots and just did the hardest thing they could and moved on. I feel bad for them, that was one of the best parts of skating growing up.
Personally speaking I posted in the past that I don't think he's necessarily this massively successful entrepreneur yet, but the keyword is yet. Hardie's isn't a huge brand, which you can't dispute cuz it's not really sold that many places. Unless he really blows it his board brand will definitely sell. His shoe is probably one of the best selling shoes right now. It's hard to start a board brand and I mostly just don't like Nak, but I doubt TJ is going to let his buddy run the company when he is staying calculated about it becoming a lasting entity. I have no interest in his underwear line, but I'm not gunna fault the dude for just going for it.
I'm not sure if any of those criticisms are racist or not. I don't see them as such. I myself don't necessarily find it interesting when pro athletes have that kind of attitude, but I get why they tend to. It's celebrated in most sports, but since skating isn't based around touchdowns or batting averages it becomes this subjective argument over what's good and bad and who is this or that. I love his footage and rewatch it constantly. Quality over quantity.
Topic: Tyshawn Thrasher Cover (Read 24131 times)