Original Silver Surfer

I started skating again at 49 after a really bad breakdown. It got me out exercising and having FUN. I wasn’t that good, but I enjoyed it, and ended up skating every day.

Roll on to the following year, and Tom contacted me through Instagram. (I’d been posting skating clips and my art daily…) He asked me if I’d create a new version of the Tic Tac logo. My art for a skate brand? YES PLEASE!

And that’s where the story began. I ended up doing LOTS of artwork for Tic Tac, and Tom arranged for me to have some Zoom lessons to up my skate skills. In the first session I learnt boneless, rail stands and made my first steps towards finger-flips… I’d never been able to flip my board and land on it - it scares the crap out of me.

I ended up filming a combo from this session, and submitted it to Revive Skateboard’s Quarantine Challenge. I won! I’d never won anything skating, and to win at 50 having started from scratch blew my mind.

Throughout that crazy year (lockdown), I skated every day, designed and had printed my first decks, finally met up with the Silver Surfers, went hill bombing, skated an indoor park, had lessons and got sponsored. 16 year old me was STOKED. Oh, I learnt to ollie. (thanks Tom!)

I’m now building a skate brand for children, had art published globally and skate better than I ever have. I’m super proud of my connection with Tic Tac.

Skateboarding saved my life.