Brandon Thomas and Danny Atkins interview
While spending some time skating up in Powell the other day, Johnathan Hoch and I ran into a couple of guys who share an interesting story. Brandon Thomas and Danny Atkins are both exceptional skaters and best friends. Despite having a disability where he is unable to use his legs, Brandon skates with Danny every day, and the two of them push and encourage each other. We sat down with the two of them to catch a little of their story.
Skate Columbus: So, talk a little bit about how long you’ve been skating and how you guys met.
Danny Atkins: We skate every day, at least.
Brandon Thomas: We probably put an hour in a day…
Danny: At least…we met at Worthington, I saw him (Brandon) and I was like that’s off the hook, you’re a total inspiration…we’ve been best friends since then.
SC: So you guys met skating?
Danny: Yeah, I just showed up at the Worthington skatepark and this kid was skating around on his knees…we’ve both been homeless together, we take care of each other…
Brandon: And whenever I have money and he doesn’t, I help him out, whenever he has money, he helps me out. We’ve actually been through a lot, like he said, we’ve actually really been homeless together and just done our thing and lived life, but we’ve always stuck with our skateboards, and we’ve always stuck as a team.
Danny: That’s what our end goal is, we want to get a team here in Columbus.
SC: Do you get to help a lot of the younger kids?
Danny: Yeah, that’s what I want to do, just to be able to go out and show them to stick with it, you can to it, anybody can.
Brandon: And eventually I want to get out there and show the other disabled people, look, don’t be stuck in your house all day…it took me till I was about 8 to start getting the handstands down. I had a sofa chair and I would just stand on my head on it and lay back. Then I wanted to do it on a skateboard. So I eventually got on it, started doin’ it, and fell for about 5 months. Then I got back on it one day and got it down and from there on I just started doing all the handstands and…
Danny: That’s kind of where I met him, me and him push each other so hard, his finger flips, his lip tricks and everything…it’s just on it every day trying to encourage each other…I’ve been skating for 14, almost 15 years, and I just learned to do flip tricks two summers ago…
Brandon: Last year I started getting my finger flips down, and this year we were at Westerville and I just started coming out of this little corner part and trying to flip it. I just started getting them real good, and I tried flat ground and I didn’t think I’d ever get them but I finally got the energy and mindset to do them.
SC: Do you see a lot of similar interest in skating from other people?
Danny: Yeah, there aren’t too many people around Columbus that are like me…I’m kind of out there a little bit, but everyone has their own style. That’s why it’s good to encourage each other, it doesn’t matter who you are.
SC: So, switching gears a little bit, what do you think about the crowded atmosphere at the skateparks?
Danny: It’s real nice when we catch a park empty. We’ll go up to Westerville and it’ll be empty and we’ll have 2 or 3 hours to ourselves.
Brandon: Yeah, like one night we came here (Powell) and there were 2 people here and it was getting dark and it was really fun because you don’t worry about everybody if you mess up. You just cruise and you’re not worried about anybody getting in your way. And you just do things you never thought you could do. I think if you’re starting to skate, try to go late at night, where it’s light enough to see, but you get the park to yourself.
Danny: And your not worried about embarrassment.
Brandon: And a lot of new skaters are afraid of falling. Once they fall, they wont’ get back on their board. I’ve taken some pretty nasty falls, I’ve had my arm from my shoulder to my elbow messed up cause I went to grind the bowl in Worthington and spun out and ripped the skin off my shoulder.
SC: Do you guys have any tips for young kids coming out to skate the parks?
Danny: Just wait your turn and…
Brandon: They get impatient because the younger you are, the more energy you have, and you just want to get out there and have fun like everybody else. Another thing is just keep your eyes open. If you’re not too experienced at a park and you’re younger, just find a spot to do some tricks and learn your balance. The smaller parks are better for the younger kids too, like Worthington.
Danny: Worthington’s a great beginner park to teach you transitions and work up speed.
Brandon: It’s really relaxing to go down there and practice your moves and move on to another park.
SC: Thanks for the interview guys.
Nick Uhas Interview
Skate Columbus: What is your name?
Nick Uhas: My full name is Nicholas Alexander Uhas. I was named after the last Czar and Czarina of Russia, which would actually be Anastasia’s parents! And, my last name means Sheppard in Hungarian. The original spelling was Yuhasz.
SC: How old are you?
NU: I am 24 years old…sounds like a big number when I say it, but I have done a lot in 8,760 days!
SC: How long have you been skating?
NU: I started skating when I was in the 5th grade, and I was 10 years old then…so 14 years. Although there have been times where sports, school, etc. have become the focus of my life.
SC: Where did you grow up, and what’s the skating like there?
NU: I grew up in Hilliard, OH. Skating there was fun and only got better as I got older. Columbus and the surrounding suburbs have spent a lot of money making some really good parks and places to skate around town. It was not always like this… also, Columbus has some really good street too!
SC: Talk about the journey that skating has taken you on so far.
NU: There is not enough memory on my computer to fill this question! I have literally traveled all over the United States from NYC to LA for skating, and even across the Atlantic to Aarhus, Denmark! Skating has also brought me just about everything good in life, for real! I could tie rollerblading into almost every step and experience in my life.
SC: What are some things you have going on right now?
NU: At this very moment I am working on co-producing, hosting and skating for a rollerblading show the CW station here in town, WWHOTV, will be broadcasting. I have put a lot into the project so far and I am super excited to start filming for the show! I am also gathering footage for some RedBull edits as well as working on some BlueWallace skate shop edits with Kyle Wood.
SC: What do you like about central Ohio?
NU: I LOVE the people and the chill atmosphere. I have seriously travelled the entire world and the people in Central Ohio are legit…super good people live here.
SC: What are your future plans?
NU: I am planning on going to a TV and Film acting school in NYC, after that I will be pursuing a career in professional acting of which rollerblading fits into extremely well.
SC:Any final thoughts?
NU:Work hard and do what you love…if people do that, I think they will be very very happy in the end.
Worthington skatepark added
Check out the skateparks section of the site for info on the Worthington skatepark.
Johnathan Hoch interview
Photo by Brittany Dennison
Skate Columbus: What’s your name?
Johnathan Hoch: Johnathan Hoch
SC: How old are you?
JH: 25 years young
SC: How many years have you been skating?
JH: Uhh…let me think about this…16
SC: What setup are you on now?
JH: Xsjado (pronounced shadow) boots and frames, some Bones Swiss bearings, and some huge 60mm Senate wheels.
SC: What’s your favorite place to skate?
JH: I love skating Ohio State’s main campus for some good ole’ street skating. The university really frowns upon it, but there is no better time to skate street than during football season in the fall, sorry. All the college kids are back and out having a good time playing corn hole and beer-pong – the atmosphere is already awesome. Then when you show up at some rail or ledge and start to skate they all stop what they are doing and start cheering you and your friends on. I love it. You just feed off the energy from everyone and the atmosphere around you there. For park skating I would have to say Powell is my favorite place to be for the moment. Since Columbus has a good amount of suburban skate parks, I tend to find myself wasting gas traveling the 270 outer belt from skate park to skate park. But the skate parks work well for all the youths in the suburbs.
SC: Why do you like that park so much?
JH: Team Pain, the group that designed the layout of Powell’s skate park did a great job of creating various paths to flow around and variations in elevation. It is a pretty beginner to intermediate level park obstacle wise, so when you are just in the need to get a quick session in or just want to go out and roll it has a lot of different features that make the visit enjoyable.
SC: What do you like about rollerblading?
JH: I like inline skating (and I use that term “inline skating” to define my sport because Rollerblade is actually a company that produces inline skates) because it is a really fun activity. Even when I fall (and I do fall hard) it is still enjoyable. The feeling of coming back after the fall and going back to the same trick that you got hurt on – only this time around you pull your trick off and skate away clean. I like how I am able to conquer my fears. The fears that I get when trying a new trick help me develop the esteem I need to conquer the fears that come along in life with new experiences. Skating has helped me believe in myself and just trust my instincts not only in skating, but also in the path my life takes me.
SC: You used to skateboard too right?
JH: I guess you could say that. I just tried it for maybe a month back when I was 12…I just tried kickflips and ollies. I would get frustrated with spraining my ankles and hitting myself in the nether-regions as the board would make an attempt to flip off the ground. I also attempted biking around the same time too. I had fun with it one day at the dirt jumps and I tried a jump with a fire pit in a big hole that the bikers dug out, and landed on the short side of that, flipped over the handlebars….it was a real nasty fall…..and that was the end of that. I recently picked up bicycling again for my campus commute…cars don’t make it any more fun but at least I’m safe on the pavement. I also love to snowboard whenever I get a chance. Having attempted these different sports, even though they weren’t for me, I have much respect for those who are able to. It’s cool to watch people define their sports, even if it’s not the ones I participate in. That gives me motivation to keep going. Passion is passion regardless of what sport you are in.
SC: So when did you pick up a pair of skates?
JH: In the sixth grade my cousin handed me a Team Paradise catalogue. Took some money that I had saved up and bought a pair of Seneca skates from Meijer, went home and made a little PVC rail and some ramps. It was awesome then, my cousin and friends would all just meet up in the lobby when the bell rang, rush to put all our gear on, and head out the door to skate ledges right outside the school until we got kicked out. Then we would just skate all over town until dinner time. Then after dinner I would go back up to school and skate some more. You would look at pictures from magazines and just teach yourself how to get up on the ledge or rail. And your friends would critique you. Then play games of SKATE (like HORSE or PIG, but instead of shooting a basketball you would match the trick of the person in front of you).
SC: What do you think needs to change in the sport and/or industry of inline skating with where it’s at right now?
JH: You know, I honestly believe that the sport and industry are right where they need to be. You look at how young our sport is compared to skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding and its right there with BMX and freeskiing age wise. The only difference is that who ever was the acting voice of our sport at the time chose to handle things differently. But now, I think as a sport and industry we are seeing things in a different perspective than we once used to. We are growing up and growing wiser.
SC: In what way?
JH: Well a lot of people are labeled as professionals and being a professional means you have a certain duty to uphold at your profession. As a professional skater it is your duty to promote what you do, to EVERYONE. Not just one individual or group. If you want to have longevity with what you do you have to branch out, be willing to listen, and learn to negotiate to get what you want.
Photo by Eric Brown
SC: I know you’re pretty involved with the skating scene going on around here, what kind of things are you involved in to help the sport continue to grow?
JH: Currently I am working with The Ohio State University on research and development on skate parks, plazas and facilities that cater to action sports. The university sees a gap that needs to be filled in regards to helping bring these sports to the same level as swimming, soccer, and gymnastics. I am also heading a committee for the university and City of Columbus for the development of a regional size facility that will be open to the community but will also have programs available through students and staff at Ohio State. Lastly, I’m also working with the Recreation and Parks department of Columbus to form annual summer events and camps that utilize the surrounding skate parks in the suburbs.
SC: So you want to see it become more of a community effort?
JH: Yes! Just like how you see all those flyers for youth summer soccer, baseball, and swimming leagues. Kids who ride BMX, inline skate, and/or skateboard need the same support system – especially from the community. I grew up being labeled as a punk and deviant whenever I had my skates on. The community wanted nothing to do with me (and those like me) and I see something really wrong with that. Luckily some other community members saw us for what we really are and are capable of, which helped us to eventually raise enough funds for a public skate park in Lancaster, Ohio, my hometown. Skate parks are the only parks (compared to football, soccor, tennis, baseball, etc) that are utilized 365 days a year (minus those rainy and snowy days of course).
SC: So talk a little bit about what OSU is doing, and their plans.
JH: Hopefully in the next 4-5 years, Columbus wants to have a regional size skate park in comparison with Louisville scale-wise, which is roughly 40,000 square feet in overall area. The city of Columbus wants to do something different in making it a part of the town, a part of the community. They’re also working with Ohio State. It will be open to the public; you’ll just have to pay for parking. Ohio State really likes the route Woodward has taken with these sports in regards to education, athletic training, and overall professionalism. Ohio State is willing to travel down that road to see just how far it goes.
SC: So they’re really starting to look at it from every aspect?
JH: Yes, they see what goes into making a skater a skater. The athletic ability along with the thought process one has. They also really like the thinking that goes into designing skate parks and plazas. They see it from three view points; academic, athletic, and artistic.
SC: And you’re working for OSU right now?
JH: You bet. I am very lucky to be working with the university.
SC: What is it that you’re doing for them?
JH: Right now, research on existing organizations and skate parks, plazas, facilities that encompass action sports. I am also trying to repair the ramps at our temporary skate park. A lot of the ramps were donated and/or built by locals so I just make sure the surface and structures are safe and in working order for the users. We are also working towards repairing the asphalt surface so the ride is a little smoother. But down the road, hopefully in about four to five years we will have a legitimate facility. Right now we are hoping to utilize the 40,000 square foot area adjacent to the Jesse Owens West Tennis Center with roughly 75-80% wooden / Woodward Prefab ramps and the remaining for concrete bowls and obstacles you would find while skating street. Ohio State really likes what Rob Drydek did down in Kettering, Ohio with the DC Shoe’s Skate Plaza. Hopefully the users will see some familiar obstacles from campus and around Columbus facing them at the skate park.
SC: Are there any plans to put in a vert ramp?
JH: No, none of the kids really wanted a vert ramp. We held some focus groups over the winter and we were able to determine what users in our area need from a skate park in their community. Maybe later on – I would personally love to have a vert ramp. Also, Ohio State and the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department are holding more focus groups this spring and summer so we can get as much information out of the users/participants as possible. We all want this project to be something we are all proud of and we will not settle on anything below our standards.
SC: So it’s mostly just street stuff?
JH: It will be a mixture of both worlds. We want users to be able to be challenged all day long and not feel like riding the park becomes mundane at any one point. And to continue to come back day in and day out – this will be accomplished by the re-design of ramps and shuffling the layout of the park from time to time.
SC: And you said they want to do this within 4-5 years?
JH: That is our timeline as of right now but there is some flex time due to the economy. I guess I should say the goal is 4 to 5 years but ultimately it will be created once the full funding comes. We do have the benefit that a skate park on this scale will help by becoming a sort of tourist attraction to skaters. With road trips to the area comes spending money on food, a place to stay, gas, etc which will help to feed our economy and support our community.
SC: So, there’s really a lot of secondary advantages to having a larger park that benefit the economy?
JH: Oh yes. As a skater I like to travel, especially to communities that welcome what I do and right now that is few and far between especially here in the Midwest. So I think the City of Columbus, OSU, and the community members have a lot to benefit from this project. More importantly the kids will have a place to help push and support their dreams.
SC: Any last thoughts you have on stuff going on here in central Ohio?
JH: I know this summer there are a number of different events and contests going on in the action sport community. I know so far there’s a contest and cookout at DC Shoe’s Skate Plaza in Kettering, Ohio for the inline skating group. Then later on at Lancaster, Ohio’s Miller Skate Park there two events that are happening; May 23 and June 21 are both skateboarding events filled with contests and live music. I am planning on hosting a BMX and Inline event there as well. The date for the inline event is July 18. And I am leaning towards hosting the BMX event sometime in August. I know Woodward’s AIL (Amateur Inline League) is trying to set something up with Shannon at The Flow for sometime in September as well. I will make sure to put the information out as soon as it becomes available.
SC: Well thanks for the interview.
JH: No problem, thanks for helping the scene here in Columbus, Ohio. There are a lot of people out there that are passionate about these sports and lifestyles so this is a great way for all of us to stay connected and to work together.
Delaware skatepark added
Check out the skateparks section of the site for info on the Delaware skatepark.
Dublin skatepark added
Check out the skateparks section of the site for info on the Dublin skatepark.
Columbus (Dodge) skatepark added
Check out the skateparks section of the site for info on the Columbus (Dodge) skatepark.
Powell skatepark added
Check out the skateparks section of the site for info on the Powell skatepark.
Grove City skatepark added
Check out the skateparks section of the site for info on the Grove City skatepark.
Gahanna skatepark added
Check out the skateparks section of the site for info on the Gahanna skatepark.