By: SimonAdam Taylor may be just 18-years-old, but this up-and-coming skateboarder is making a big name for himself on the AST Dew Tour. Competing against guys more than 10 years older than him, he has made it to the Finals at the last two Dew Tour events. Adam sat down with Kidzworld for an exclusive interview!
Simon: So far on the Dew tour you have had a lot success - placing fifth at the last two tour stops. How has all this success felt?
Adam Taylor: It's felt good so far. I'm doing well and working really hard. It makes you feel good.
Simon: Last year you finished 12th, so are you a little surprised of your big improvement?
Adam Taylor: Yeah, well I've been working really hard practicing my tricks and my lines and stuff. So I was just hoping to do better, you know, I've been practicing since the end of last year. I've been working really hard so I was hoping to do that well this year.
Simon: You are kind of the new kid on the block, are you started to get recognized more often?
Adam Taylor: Yeah now I am. Now that I've been doing well, people have recognized who I am. Yeah...it's pretty cool.
Simon: Does the attention ever bother you?
Adam Taylor: Naw it's just part of it when you start doing good. I mean it's just part of doing well...people are starting to recognize who I am. Yeah it sort of comes with it.
Simon: Right now you are currently fifth. By the end of the summer, where do you want to be?
Adam Taylor: This is pretty good. If I could stay at fifth or close to there would be sick because the guys ahead of me are like the best ever.
Simon: Speaking of those guys. Most of your competition is older than you. Do you ever get intimidated?
Adam Taylor: No not anymore. I'm used to it, since I pretty much skate with older skaters. My level of skating is more like those guys, so I'm used to skating with them. It's actually more unusual to be skating with kids my age (laughs).
Simon: This is your second Dew Tour. How fun is it to be around such elite company?
Adam Taylor: It's cool, just being around people who have been doing the Dew Tour since the first year. I don't know, this is like their fourth year or something. All the athletes been going together to these events, so everyone pretty much knows each other. And I'm starting to get to know people like I wouldn't know if it wasn't for this tour.
Simon:There's usually a three week period in between Tour stop, what do you do in between?
Adam Taylor:Skate. There's always other contests I'm going to. There's at least one contest in between each of them.
Simon: Portland's up next, do you have anything special in store?
Adam Taylor: No, well I mean I've been working on some stuff, nothing really special. Just staying consistent with my harder tricks
Simon: Outside of the Dew Tour I see you've been to China lately. Is that your favorite place you have gotten to compete at?
Adam Taylor:No, I've gone to a bunch of other places that are pretty cool. I went to Brazil for the X Games there and then I went to Copenhagen like a month ago for a contest there.
Simon: Just a little about your background, how did you get into skateboarding?
Adam Taylor: I got a skateboard for Easter when I was nine. I wanted to go to the skatepark since I had a skateboard. I don't know I just liked it and kept going.
Simon: Why vert skating versus other forms?
Adam Taylor: I don't know, it's unusual for most people. I liked riding the transition more than the street with the rails, the ledges and stairs.
Simon: Were there any pros you looked up to growing up?
Adam Taylor: When I was younger I liked Bob Burnquist, I still do. Who else? I was living in Florida I'd see guys like Anthony Furlong skate because they lived there. Some of the local guys I'd see.
Simon: I hear you have a family full of skaters how good are they?
Adam Taylor: My brother is pretty good, he's in Salt Lake in the amateur Dew Tour Finals right now. My sister skates good too. She's only 12, but she can skate vert pretty well for a girl.
Simon:"For a girl?" You're going to be in trouble with the ladies for that one.... Can you tell us a little about Timeline Skateboards?
Adam Taylor: It's a company me and my dad started four years ago. Me and my dad run it and it's a pretty small company, we just do it for fun to do our own thing. It's a learning experience and I've learned a lot. I do most the skateboard designing and all that stuff. And my dad does all the business stuff.
Simon: When you are not on your board what are you usually doing?
Adam Taylor: When I'm not on my board, I'm on my board so much! I'm usually trying to relax, I skate pretty much every day for a few hours at least, like I'm about to leave go skate after this interview. I usually just hang out, I don't do much but skate.
Simon: Who is playing in your ipod right now?
Adam Taylor: A lot of stuff like a bunch of Tupac, Bob Marley, Rick Ross.
Simon: What about TV shows?
Adam Taylor: I love that show the Office and South Park.
Simon: What are your goals for your career?
Adam Taylor: For short term, right now I just want to make all the rest of the finals for the Dew Tour. And long term, I would like to be the best skater I can be and be one of the top vert skaters in the world.
Simon: What advice would you have for kids trying to follow in your footsteps?
Adam Taylor: Don't listen to the negative things that other people tell you. Just do your own thing and do what you want to do. Before I was pro, a lot of people were telling me 'naw you can't be pro, you're not even good enough at all, you can never skate against guys like that.' And that just makes you want to skate better. I use it as motivation.
Related Stories:
