Ten years of Thomas: what constitutes a great skateboard career? What makes a great skateboarder? Is it talent?

Thrasher Magazine, August, 2004

We all know that Jamie Thomas has talent. But let's face it--talent is not enough. In the face of adversity, Jamie continues to conquer. Jamie is the visionary with the desire and ambition to see it through, every step of the way. He's an ever-scrapping, ever-hungry, 100-percent American mutt.

This is about a skateboarder and the big fat dent that he made in skateboarding. This is Ten Years Of Thomas!--Greg Ware

JAMIE THOMAS + THE TIMELINE

1984

Started skating around the neighborhood on a fiberglass board that was found in the attic.

1985

Moved to Florida. Bought my first board--Sims Superlight with Bennett trucks and OJ wheels. Started skating to school and around the neighborhood. First tricks were tic-tacs and sketchy 90-degree ollies.

1986

Got really into skating. Started to learn actual tricks and began getting into punk music.

1987

Moved back to Alabama. Saw a skate video for the first time, The Bones Brigade Video Show. Started racing BMX as the small skate scene began to die.

1989

Started skating again with much more enthusiasm as the skate scene in Alabama started to grow. Good times building and skating jump ramps all day and night. Looked up to Matt Hensley and thought that Hokus Pokus and the H Street generation were everything. Started a 'zine with friends called Unruly Youths. Fractured shin in the fall and couldn't skate for six months.

1990

Worked at Wendy's for six months to work off 500 hours of community service, then continued to work there for another six months in order to have money for boards. Started making pants, called Living Large and sold them at the local skateshop.

1991

Started traveling to nearby cities for local contests and skate jams. Worked ala skateshop, got sponsored by Thunder and Spitfire, and received flow packages from Real skateboards. Began dreaming about California.

1992

Quit school and started working al Burger King to save up for a car to make the drive to California. Stayed in Atlanta at my friend Devin's house for the summer and worked as a telemarketer to save for the trip to California.

Left The South in August with friends Sean and Hurley, headed to Texas for the NSA amateur finals. Got seventh in the contest, then headed to California. Ended up living on the streets of San Francisco for a little over three months. Contributed some ideas to a now forming company called Experience.

1993

Turned pro for the low-budget company Experience in January. First photo ever in a magazine, a quarter page Experience ad in SLAP magazine.

First photo in Thrasher, Left Experience in the fall of 1993 and started riding for Southern California-based upstart company Invisible. Shortly after getting on Invisible, took up permanent residence in Southern California.

1994

First magazine cover, June 1994 Quit Invisible after a Summer tour blowout. Ended up riding for Toy Machine.

1994

Finished first full-length interview, the theme being that it was all done in one day. Help put a new Toy Machine team together and directed the second Toy Machine video, Heavy Metal, which was released in the fall of 1994.

1995

Continued to build the Toy Machine team and filmed nonstop for Welcome To Hell throughout 1995. Made the first designs and started Zero as a small clothing company in December 1995.

1996

Zero started making logo boards in the spring. The third Toy Machine video, Welcome To Hell, was released in July of 1996. First pro-model shoe came out for Emerica in the fall.

1997

Got married to wife Joanne in February. Attempted the Leap of Faith in April. Released the first Zero video, Thrill of It All, in the summer of 1997. Left Emerica to help create Adio footwear later that fall. Got more involved with running Zero and started learning graphic design.

1998

Filmed non-stop with Erik Elington, Adrian Lopez, Jim Greco, Jud Ferguson, Matt Mumford and Ryan Bobier for Misled Youth.

1999

Misled Youth Premiered and was released in March. Accepted the Lord and became a Christian in May. First Thrasher cover and full length interview came out in the August issue.

2000

Started filming for the next Zero video which would be Dying To Live. Blew left knee out in August on a gruesome slam while filming in SF. Flew home and had major reconstructive knee surgery a month later.

2001

Worked on Innes clothing and started Black Box distribution to provide a home for Innes and soon-to-be-solo Zero skateboards.

Left knee was re-injured on summer tour, which was followed by another surgery. Spent almost a year recovering and filmed most of 2002 for Dying to Live.

Second Thrasher cover, July 2002

2002

Dying to Live premiered October 11th. The video was released after a three-weeklong world tour. Blew out left knee again, and had another knee surgery the following January.

2003

Started and launched Fallen footwear in September. Started and launched Mystery skateboards through Black Box in October.

2003

Wife gave birth to son, Julien Tiger Thomas on October 30, 2003.