Robbie was a friend growing up in West LA, we both skated for Hot Rod skateshop. He already had that smooth style and high speed attack back when he was a Society Dog. It's been a sad week for our little Hot Rod crew because, in retrospect, he was our most talented skater. He didn't really like the pressure of being a sponsored skater, though. He was just so fucking talented that big companies came after him. He was a true California kid who walked away from skating to simply enjoy life and later to surf. People talk about him not going pro...the guy got on Girl, the most elite team maybe ever, and was on his way to getting a shoe on DC for sure. Those are massive accomplishments. I sold him my GMC truck when I moved away to NY at age 18, and 10 years later when I returned to Cali he was still rolling it up and down the coast, surfing a ton with Matt Solomon, who used to manage Hot Rod. Some people are here on this earth simply for the experience — that was Robbie. That thought is comforting, as we all know he enjoyed some great experiences in life, despite leaving Spaceship Earth a little earlier than the rest of us. Peace, Robbie