Ben Weis has lived a rollercoaster of a life so far and he’s not even 40.  Ben came up in a dysfunction family in Minnesota, didn’t have the money to play hockey and ended up finding rollerblading.  In just three quick years he went pro in a sport where there was no money.  So contest winnings went into backing drug deals, they went bad, and Ben found himself a heroin addict/criminal who was in and out of prison.  He’s been out for a month, he’s clean, and this tale is a must listen. 

Saying Fabiola da Silva is the best, and most underappreciated female athlete of our time is a bold statement…but it’s one that I fully believe.  I can’t think of another case in sport where a woman was so dominant in her field,  that the sport’s organizing body decided to cancel the woman’s event and have the women (Fabiola) compete against the men...And Fabiola did not disappoint, standing on the podium with her peers at some of the biggest events in the world. 

Cesar Mora was born to become a professional soccer player and he was on track to make that happen.  He moved from Australia to Spain and began training with Rayo Vallencano before visa issues forced him out of Spain. When he returned to Australia, he worked at a skateboard shop, found rollerblading, and within two years, was on top of the sport.  He dominated vert from 95 to 99 and then he broke his arm.  While Cesar continued to compete, he was never the same.  It’s an interesting story with one of the best.

Aaron Feinberg won the X-Games on his 16th birthday and never looked back.  He was a skater with a park image who wasn’t all about the park and felt the need to prove it.  The evolution of his skating, combined with some calculated sponsor choices, created the path for Aaron to become one of the most respected street skaters in the game.   These days the world is a different place for Aaron and we look back on his career and talk about he’s up to today.

Chris Edwards lived more by the age of 20 than most people do in a lifetime.  He was a pro athlete at age 14, dropped out of high school a year later and became the face of the fastest growing sport on the planet.  Chris was in the movies, on TV, was the first to go big on ramps, first to grind a rail, and, as far as I know, the first to have 6 biological children and 4 wives.  Chris and I talk the rise and fall on the podcast

Brian Aragon’s life sounded like a dream until he realized it wasn’t.  He was a world champion pro skater and his video parts were as legendary as his park skills.  He’s traveled the world many times over, had 6 Pro Model skates, and a skatepark named after him all before the age of 30…. And then he rolled away from it all to become the Inside Account Manager over at Arrow Electronics.  Find out why on the podcast

Arlo Eisenberg was once dubbed the face and voice of his generation and his story sounds like the best 90’s movie that was never made.  Arlo, the punk rock kid from Texas drops out of the University of Texas and moves to California to become a star in a sport that isn’t really a sport yet.  He arrives on Venice Beach, gets “found” and blows up to be a global sensation who lives a life that is every 13 year old’s fantasy.  Along the way he stirs up a national controversy, hosts the X-Games and rides off into a world of graphic design.

Alex Broskow’s life is full of juxtapositions.  From dropping out of high school and moving into the dorms of the University of Kansas to being an athlete who is looked at as one of the best to ever participate in his sport…but couldn’t afford groceries.   This rare interview dives deep into the world of skating, travel and all that comes with being a pro athlete (minus money).

Chris Haffey is part athlete, part stuntman, part survivor.  He’s a professional rollerblader who started getting recognition for his skating when the industry was at its peak and became one of the top skaters in the world  as the bottom was dropping out.  While his peers were leaving the sport to find other ways to support themselves, Chris landed on the Nitro Circus, touring arenas across the globe with a motley crew of bad-asses.