Most Formally Educated Pros

[Prostate Exam]

Lenny Rivas

[Madam, I'm Adam]

Ted Barrow, PhD candidate for art history I believe. Pro for Strangelove

-Ben Kopel (rollersurfer on Instagram) has a masters in education and works as a second grade special education teacher

That's awesome. Stumbled across his insta awhile ago, he's a lot of fun to watch skate.

[El Rey]

Brian Chung is a doctor.

https://blacklabelskates.com/black-history-month-brian-chung-rips/

I remember a short profile/interview with him and Chung saying as a tip "Just go to school and don't start smoking" iirc. (Was in Thrasher I think)

Great tip if you look how quite some pro skaters careers pan out.

[PatrickSkateman]

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Suciu but god he really seems insufferable when he tries to act all academic

[close]

Suciu has a BA in literature from Temple but gives interviews like he’s Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

[close]

i mean it’s pretty impressive to get a bachelors degree in a language he’s been speaking his entire life at a college that (from experience) graduates a decent amount of people that are functionally illiterate.
i think jenkem did an article about Temple having the most pros per capita though, so i’m a proud alumnus.

[close]

I got my Masters there.

[close]

what’s up my fellow owl. shout out fran dunphy

RIP John Cheney

Also, Jimmy Chung quit skating and gave up being pro the first time to get a finance degree.

[bigdave]

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Suciu but god he really seems insufferable when he tries to act all academic

[close]

Suciu has a BA in literature from Temple but gives interviews like he’s Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

[close]

i mean it’s pretty impressive to get a bachelors degree in a language he’s been speaking his entire life at a college that (from experience) graduates a decent amount of people that are functionally illiterate.
i think jenkem did an article about Temple having the most pros per capita though, so i’m a proud alumnus.

[close]

I got my Masters there.

[close]

what’s up my fellow owl. shout out fran dunphy

[close]

RIP John Cheney

Ha, was literally gonna post this when I saw the Temple love.

[mj23]

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-Ben Kopel (rollersurfer on Instagram) has a masters in education and works as a second grade special education teacher

-Phil Shao got a degree in lit from Berkeley

[close]

I'm still sad Phil never got to take over Thrasher. More intellectualism in skate writing is needed tbh. Carnie is the only one to ever do it properly imo

Sligh diversion from the main topic here, but I’ve been thinking a lot about skate literature lately, and how it mostly sucks/barely exists.

I’m reading “Barbarian Days” right now, which is a surf memoir by a New Yorker columnist who won a Pulitzer. It’s great but it just makes me want to read a similarly well-done skate book.

 I’ve read Rodney Mullen’s autobiography which seems very ghost-written and targeted at kids; I’ve read the Roctacon short stories which are basically indulgent soft porn, and I guess there’s a Walker Ryan skate novel in the world? Unless I hallucinated that one?

Anyway I just want to see our sport properly represented in literature. If anyone knows a good skate book please shout it out!

[veritas]

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Suciu but god he really seems insufferable when he tries to act all academic

[close]

Suciu has a BA in literature from Temple but gives interviews like he’s Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

[close]

i mean it’s pretty impressive to get a bachelors degree in a language he’s been speaking his entire life at a college that (from experience) graduates a decent amount of people that are functionally illiterate.
i think jenkem did an article about Temple having the most pros per capita though, so i’m a proud alumnus.

[close]

I got my Masters there.

[close]

what’s up my fellow owl. shout out fran dunphy

[close]

RIP John Cheney

[close]

Ha, was literally gonna post this when I saw the Temple love.

What y’all know about big Dick Englert

[sketchyrider]

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-Ben Kopel (rollersurfer on Instagram) has a masters in education and works as a second grade special education teacher

-Phil Shao got a degree in lit from Berkeley

[close]

I'm still sad Phil never got to take over Thrasher. More intellectualism in skate writing is needed tbh. Carnie is the only one to ever do it properly imo

[close]

Sligh diversion from the main topic here, but I’ve been thinking a lot about skate literature lately, and how it mostly sucks/barely exists.

I’m reading “Barbarian Days” right now, which is a surf memoir by a New Yorker columnist who won a Pulitzer. It’s great but it just makes me want to read a similarly well-done skate book.

 I’ve read Rodney Mullen’s autobiography which seems very ghost-written and targeted at kids; I’ve read the Roctacon short stories which are basically indulgent soft porn, and I guess there’s a Walker Ryan skate novel in the world? Unless I hallucinated that one?

Anyway I just want to see our sport properly represented in literature. If anyone knows a good skate book please shout it out!

i lent out barbarian days and never saw it again, you're a suspect

[urbneathme]

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Suciu but god he really seems insufferable when he tries to act all academic

[close]

Suciu has a BA in literature from Temple but gives interviews like he’s Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

[close]

i mean it’s pretty impressive to get a bachelors degree in a language he’s been speaking his entire life at a college that (from experience) graduates a decent amount of people that are functionally illiterate.
i think jenkem did an article about Temple having the most pros per capita though, so i’m a proud alumnus.

[close]

I got my Masters there.

[close]

what’s up my fellow owl. shout out fran dunphy

[close]

RIP John Cheney

[close]

Ha, was literally gonna post this when I saw the Temple love.

[close]

What y’all know about big Dick Englert

dudes a total disgrace to his very fun name. fucked up the job and the neighborhood to the point you couldn’t even have fun with his name.

remember when john chaney put the bounty on dante christmas?

[Star Whores Episode I: The Fellatio Menace]

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Suciu but god he really seems insufferable when he tries to act all academic

[close]

Suciu has a BA in literature from Temple but gives interviews like he’s Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

[close]

I'm sure he feels that way in the van with the Thunder team, but yeah, to the average reader he seems like the most insanely pretentious bore.

[close]

I heard he brings books out to the bars, but I’m not sure if he ever cracks them open. Also this is not a joke.

[close]

Maybe they're for the bus/train ride, or if the people he's meeting show up late? Or is he really that pretentious

I once saw a dude at a cocktail bar in brooklyn at like 11:00 at night reading a NYT alone in the corner, surrounded by 24 year olds trying to get laid. That was the most epic level of pretentiousness I've ever seen.

[hairdo]

people read book in bars in a lot of places , literary industry type people (writers, agents, etc) and academics are drunks

[PatrickSkateman]

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Suciu but god he really seems insufferable when he tries to act all academic

[close]

Suciu has a BA in literature from Temple but gives interviews like he’s Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

[close]

i mean it’s pretty impressive to get a bachelors degree in a language he’s been speaking his entire life at a college that (from experience) graduates a decent amount of people that are functionally illiterate.
i think jenkem did an article about Temple having the most pros per capita though, so i’m a proud alumnus.

[close]

I got my Masters there.

[close]

what’s up my fellow owl. shout out fran dunphy

[close]

RIP John Cheney

[close]

Ha, was literally gonna post this when I saw the Temple love.

[close]

What y’all know about big Dick Englert

[close]

dudes a total disgrace to his very fun name. fucked up the job and the neighborhood to the point you couldn’t even have fun with his name.

remember when john chaney put the bounty on dante christmas?

Diontae Christmas played for Temple. Are you thinking of Delonte West?

[urbneathme]

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Suciu but god he really seems insufferable when he tries to act all academic

[close]

Suciu has a BA in literature from Temple but gives interviews like he’s Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

[close]

i mean it’s pretty impressive to get a bachelors degree in a language he’s been speaking his entire life at a college that (from experience) graduates a decent amount of people that are functionally illiterate.
i think jenkem did an article about Temple having the most pros per capita though, so i’m a proud alumnus.

[close]

I got my Masters there.

[close]

what’s up my fellow owl. shout out fran dunphy

[close]

RIP John Cheney

[close]

Ha, was literally gonna post this when I saw the Temple love.

[close]

What y’all know about big Dick Englert

[close]

dudes a total disgrace to his very fun name. fucked up the job and the neighborhood to the point you couldn’t even have fun with his name.

remember when john chaney put the bounty on dante christmas?

[close]

Diontae Christmas played for Temple. Are you thinking of Delonte West?

i was thinking of John Bryant. sixteen years made some rosters blend together whoops

[PatrickSkateman]

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Suciu but god he really seems insufferable when he tries to act all academic

[close]

Suciu has a BA in literature from Temple but gives interviews like he’s Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

[close]

i mean it’s pretty impressive to get a bachelors degree in a language he’s been speaking his entire life at a college that (from experience) graduates a decent amount of people that are functionally illiterate.
i think jenkem did an article about Temple having the most pros per capita though, so i’m a proud alumnus.

[close]

I got my Masters there.

[close]

what’s up my fellow owl. shout out fran dunphy

[close]

RIP John Cheney

[close]

Ha, was literally gonna post this when I saw the Temple love.

[close]

What y’all know about big Dick Englert

[close]

dudes a total disgrace to his very fun name. fucked up the job and the neighborhood to the point you couldn’t even have fun with his name.

remember when john chaney put the bounty on dante christmas?

[close]

Diontae Christmas played for Temple. Are you thinking of Delonte West?

[close]

i was thinking of John Bryant. sixteen years made some rosters blend together whoops

Pepe Sanchez/Mark Karcher was the best one from the last 20 years.

[rock2fakie]

Sligh diversion from the main topic here, but I’ve been thinking a lot about skate literature lately, and how it mostly sucks/barely exists.

I’m reading “Barbarian Days” right now, which is a surf memoir by a New Yorker columnist who won a Pulitzer. It’s great but it just makes me want to read a similarly well-done skate book.

 I’ve read Rodney Mullen’s autobiography which seems very ghost-written and targeted at kids; I’ve read the Roctacon short stories which are basically indulgent soft porn, and I guess there’s a Walker Ryan skate novel in the world? Unless I hallucinated that one?

Anyway I just want to see our sport properly represented in literature. If anyone knows a good skate book please shout it out!

This summer (august i think?) “The Most Fun Thing” by Kyle Beachy (at least i think thats his name) will be out, it’ll supposedly be part memoir part collection of skate essays. I read one of his essays about a particular Dakota Servold clip in Green and really enjoyed it so I’m keeping my eyes peeled for his book.

[Guy Marinara]

jimmy gorecki went to temple as well not sure what his degree is in though

[weregoingunion]

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Sligh diversion from the main topic here, but I’ve been thinking a lot about skate literature lately, and how it mostly sucks/barely exists.

I’m reading “Barbarian Days” right now, which is a surf memoir by a New Yorker columnist who won a Pulitzer. It’s great but it just makes me want to read a similarly well-done skate book.

 I’ve read Rodney Mullen’s autobiography which seems very ghost-written and targeted at kids; I’ve read the Roctacon short stories which are basically indulgent soft porn, and I guess there’s a Walker Ryan skate novel in the world? Unless I hallucinated that one?

Anyway I just want to see our sport properly represented in literature. If anyone knows a good skate book please shout it out!

[close]

This summer (august i think?) “The Most Fun Thing” by Kyle Beachy (at least i think thats his name) will be out, it’ll supposedly be part memoir part collection of skate essays. I read one of his essays about a particular Dakota Servold clip in Green and really enjoyed it so I’m keeping my eyes peeled for his book.

yeah i'm stoked for that beachy book. already got my copy pre-ordered.
anthony pappalardo (the writer) just came out with "heaven or las vegas". not sure if it's about skating, but i've heard it's good.
yeah, walker ryan wrote "top of mason".
there's also that skate-erotica book that roctakon/andrew brown wrote "none of the bad ones".

[urbneathme]

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Suciu but god he really seems insufferable when he tries to act all academic

[close]

Suciu has a BA in literature from Temple but gives interviews like he’s Professor Emeritus at Harvard.

[close]

i mean it’s pretty impressive to get a bachelors degree in a language he’s been speaking his entire life at a college that (from experience) graduates a decent amount of people that are functionally illiterate.
i think jenkem did an article about Temple having the most pros per capita though, so i’m a proud alumnus.

[close]

I got my Masters there.

[close]

what’s up my fellow owl. shout out fran dunphy

[close]

RIP John Cheney

[close]

Ha, was literally gonna post this when I saw the Temple love.

[close]

What y’all know about big Dick Englert

[close]

dudes a total disgrace to his very fun name. fucked up the job and the neighborhood to the point you couldn’t even have fun with his name.

remember when john chaney put the bounty on dante christmas?

[close]

Diontae Christmas played for Temple. Are you thinking of Delonte West?

[close]

i was thinking of John Bryant. sixteen years made some rosters blend together whoops

[close]

Pepe Sanchez/Mark Karcher was the best one from the last 20 years.

i’m from bucks county so i always what-if dalton pepper

[waffle]

Part of why Barbarian Days is so good is the era of surfing in which most of it takes place. I can’t see that era of pre-discovery translating to skate literature, especially with so many spots being ephemeral.

Also, and it pains me to say this: reading about skateboarding is just generally uninteresting.

[manysnakes]

I bought "Barbarian Days", a book I hadn't heard of, specifically because of this thread.

[PatrickSkateman]

Cocaine and Surfing is another good one. I should crack open my copy of Barbarian Days soon.

[anon]

[BieberStance]

AO got unscooled. he went the extra mile to go back. no other pro can say that

[sultsult]

AO got unscooled. he went the extra mile to go back. no other pro can say that

lol came here to post the same diss

[walljam]

Sligh diversion from the main topic here, but I’ve been thinking a lot about skate literature lately, and how it mostly sucks/barely exists.

I’m reading “Barbarian Days” right now, which is a surf memoir by a New Yorker columnist who won a Pulitzer. It’s great but it just makes me want to read a similarly well-done skate book.

 I’ve read Rodney Mullen’s autobiography which seems very ghost-written and targeted at kids; I’ve read the Roctacon short stories which are basically indulgent soft porn, and I guess there’s a Walker Ryan skate novel in the world? Unless I hallucinated that one?

Anyway I just want to see our sport properly represented in literature. If anyone knows a good skate book please shout it out!

Have you read "the answer is never" by Jocko Weyland?  It's been a while, but I remember it as standing out amongst skate lit.

[DISTANT RUMOURS]

Andrew Cannon, Secondary Education, English -- Arizona State University

Dan Murphy, Psychology -- NC State

The Butcher , Chemistry -- Universidad de Palermo

Nick Jensen, Art (Masters) -- Chelsea School of Art

Danny Montoya, Liberal Studies -- Community College

John Rattray, Physics -- University of Glasgow

[botefdunn]

Brian Chung is a doctor.

https://blacklabelskates.com/black-history-month-brian-chung-rips/

No shit. So that's why he knew they were plantar warts.

[coldbrew]

Andrew Cannon, Secondary Education, English -- Arizona State University

Dan Murphy, Psychology -- NC State

The Butcher , Chemistry -- Universidad de Palermo

Nick Jensen, Art (Masters) -- Chelsea School of Art

Danny Montoya, Liberal Studies -- Community College

John Rattray, Physics -- University of Glasgow

LOL at liberal studies from a community college

[mj23]

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Sligh diversion from the main topic here, but I’ve been thinking a lot about skate literature lately, and how it mostly sucks/barely exists.

I’m reading “Barbarian Days” right now, which is a surf memoir by a New Yorker columnist who won a Pulitzer. It’s great but it just makes me want to read a similarly well-done skate book.

 I’ve read Rodney Mullen’s autobiography which seems very ghost-written and targeted at kids; I’ve read the Roctacon short stories which are basically indulgent soft porn, and I guess there’s a Walker Ryan skate novel in the world? Unless I hallucinated that one?

Anyway I just want to see our sport properly represented in literature. If anyone knows a good skate book please shout it out!

[close]

Have you read "the answer is never" by Jocko Weyland?  It's been a while, but I remember it as standing out amongst skate lit.

Hadn’t heard of it, but I’m now starting a list. Thanks everyone for dropping recommendations, I’m really glad to know that there are some exciting skate books out there beyond what I was aware of previously.
 
The others, from upthread, in case anyone else is following along:

HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS - by ANTHONY G. PAPPALARDO

NO BEER ON A DEAD PLANET - by JONO COOTE

TOP OF MASON - by WALKER RYAN

[bigdave]

Andrew Cannon, Secondary Education, English -- Arizona State University

This explains so much. Dude is extremely well-spoken/articulate.