Growing up in Colorado naturally I learned to ski at a young age. Regardless of my ski-racing brother’s belief that snowboarding was rebellious, there was something about it that caught my eye. Consequently, when I turned 12 I made the switch to the dark side. Once I bought my first custom Burton snowboard and a few VHS snowboard films there was no going back. I was immediately hooked; I knew I wanted to become a pro snowboarder and snowboard film maker. 

I bought my first Bob Marley CD on a trip to the Florida Keys during middle school. During that era, skateboarders like Steve Olson, Matt Rodriguez, Quim Cardona, and Matt Field had caught my attention with baggy tams and interesting music tastes in their skate videos. Their style of skating was magnetic for me. I was testing the waters of new countercultures (following a waning interest in punk rock music) and Bob Marley provided a new link to skateboarders who had caught my eye with their style and interests. Being that I was young, impressionable, and eager to imitate skaters I admired, it made sense that I should check out Marley’s music. I had no idea where it would take me, but I was excited to find out.