Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Jones
Hi Nick, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It all started one day at lunch in high school. My best friend sat down and showed me a video of someone doing tricks on a longboard in the streets of NYC. The skating, the music, and the filming instantly inspired me.
I bought my first longboard, started learning tricks, and my passion grew quickly. A year later, I started a YouTube channel. Four years later, I got my first sponsorship. Now, twelve years later, I’m traveling the world, longboarding and creating content with the help of my four sponsors.
Looking back, I see that I’ve come full circle. I’m now the one in the videos, hopefully inspiring others to start their longboarding journey.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a pretty smooth road. Of course, there are injuries with any activity, especially when I’m throwing myself down big sets of stairs or steep hills every day. I sprained my ankle pretty badly three years ago, and it still hasn’t fully healed. But injuries aside, it’s been perfect.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What sets me apart from other longboarders is my focus on content creation. At big skate competitions or meetups, you’ll see me constantly running back and forth between skating and filming others. It’s almost overwhelming, balancing my desire to capture everything on camera with my love for being on the board. But I enjoy both aspects and have created thousands of longboarding videos to share online.
There are a few videos I’m especially proud of, including one called “Sao Paulo Longboarding” that you can find on YouTube.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Unfortunately, the longboard industry has faced some challenges recently. During COVID, there was a huge influx of new longboarders, which led companies to heavily stock up on inventory, expecting the trend to continue. However, the hype died down just a year or two later, leaving many companies overstocked with unsold products.
Despite this setback, there’s still a spark within the community, and with time, it could reignite the industry to its former glory.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickjonesk8
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/nickjonesk8
Image Credits
1. Anne Beeky 2. Lieke Leijdekkers 3. Justin Bright 4. Lauren Thomas 5. Justin Bright 6. Amelie Castain
