The legend of Danny Way

Thrasher Magazine, Sept, 2003 by Jake Phelps

THE SANDS OF TIME ARE FICKLE. In skateboarding, heroes come arid go like played-out shoes. Through the years, names of legends like Logan, Olson, Peters, Alva, and Hosoi are memorable for their stamps on their eras. Danny Way's stamp on the '90s will never be forgotten, and his path will go unattacked. Where is he going in skateboarding now? Mega.

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

Danny Hay.

NOT DANNY'S BROTHER DAMON--NO WAY, Danny Way. Way back when a skateboard was rollerskates nailed to a two-by-four, no one would have jumped out of a helicopter. No one would now, either. For what? That's not safe or legal! Plus people have a hard time thinking on their own, including myself. Because of Danny pushing the envelope, well, let's just say when you think of Tony and come up short on power, Danny fills that for sure. You know he'll get it done. He's got enough Dan Sturt experience to kick the dog shit out of whoever would like dog shit kicked out of 'em. Danny's full on his way when it comes to breaking any social circles and records. So, when you think of who's done the most for skateboarding, don't, 'cause that's for Tony. Danny can do whatever it takes. You try going to Canada and getting some French pig's butthole and tits sewn surgically into your kneecap, and then you try the barrel roll. Danny's fucking great and if you can read this, I love you.--Jason Jessee

You've been pro for 13 years now...

...Fourteen.

What gives you the drive to still kill yourself everyday?

Fourteen.

Eighty-nine? Hawaii?

Yeah. Fourteen.

Ollie to fakie?

Ollie to fakie.

OK, well, that's not the answer.

I have nothing better to be doing I guess. Skateboarding is it. I've already committed to it.

You've already committed to skateboarding?

I've already made my commitment. It's a life-long commitment.

That's the way skateboarding is.

That's right. The people that I grew up looking up to, that's the kind of thing that was imbedded into my head that it's definitely a life-long commitment.

If it isn't you're just fooling yourself.

Yeah. You're just wasting your time.

Who are those people that you first looked up to?

Well, my all-time favorite is of course Christian Hosoi. I grew up looking up to Gator too, I lived in San Diego--Linda Vista, California--and Gator was from the town right next door. But anyways, we all grew up skating at--he was a bit older than me, but I grew up skating at Del Mar Skate Ranch watching guys like Gator. I'd see Hosoi there occasionally, but watching Gator, I'd say, they're kind of on the same level in a lot of ways.

Gator's line selection was incredible. He'd get speed out of things and you're like, where are you coming from with it?

People didn't realize--maybe people did, but I think Gator was ahead of his time.

Disasters off three-inches of nose.

He was the guy that had all the tricks, but he also had all the style.

How did you react when vert died?

It was painful in the fact that there was nowhere to skate vert. I grew up skating the street as a kid; most of my buddies that I grew up skating with all became street skaters and some of them became pro street skaters, It wasn't like some new thing, where I had to go down there with something that I hadn't already been doing for a few years before the transition really happened. I probably started street skating in 1986 or 1987, right when the hazard plants and the ho-hos and shit were coming in. Then it kind of took off. I was lucky to have a bunch of friends that were into it so I was always around it. So it was a little easier for me to get into.

You weren't as big as you are now.

I was a little skinny kid.

What's it going to take to make vert more popular again?

Obviously for some people who watch TV, they might respect vert skating, but they're not the people out there buying vert products or boards or whatever else makes it possible to make it a career for somebody, or a sport. I don't know what it's going to take. There's a lot of people out there who are just uneducated about what's fun to do on a skateboard because they haven't had the opportunity to experience it. I just hope that people wake up a little bit and look beyond what they're used to doing or seeing. Everyone's on the same path in a lot of ways, and there's got to be some people out there who are going to get bored or they're going to get curious to whatever else is available. Hopefully that'll motivate some people to try and skate vert, but it's easier for me to talk about it like that. Maybe other people don't have the same view I have on it; definitely by far I would say it's the funnest part of skateboarding that I've ever experienced. It's pretty cool to not have to push around, but to be able t o generate your own speed by pumping.

When you first learn that, it's one of the best feelings.

Yeah. And like I said, it's hard for people to relate because they've never experienced it. But I would like to see more people give it a shot. They don't really know what they're missing.

If people get through getting slammed all the time, it can open a lot of doors.