Danny Way winning the 2009 X Games with a rolled ankle. For Danny a switch 50/50 is a warm up trick
ho hum a varial 540 at least 40‘ feet above the ground, what’s next?
Skateboarding Legend Danny Way is celebrating 20 years as a pro. We are not talking about 20 years of cruising either. We are talking about 20 years of pushing skateboarding to it’s absolute limits. From a rivalry with Tony Hawk that the media created early on to being part of H Street and Plan B, to winning SOTR and multiple Transworld awards, to being huge part of a shoe company that changed skateboarding shoes (DC) to essentially creating the big air genre of skateboarding, to winning the X Games while so broke off, he was not even able to walk. Danny talks about a variety of subjects from improving big air contests to riding essentially 30 year old trucks made for Duane Peters.
Approaching take off at 40-45mph
On what motivates him
DW: Just trying to show people what’s possible and what’s not. That’s what drives me, it’s not necessarily the gold medals but it’s not a bad thing to happen along the way
On getting hurt and not quitting
DW: I rolled my ankle on the first try, I had a plan, my intention was to make the first try and then move on but I got stuck there for a second. I started to lose focus; I was getting nervous because I didn’t make the thing I was looking to make to warm up. That was a stepping stone but I didn’t get that far but at least you get some things out, luckily I made what I made. I was proud to be able to keep going, I rolled my ankle pretty hard. I don’t know why I have to be the guy that get’s hurt and proves he can keep going. I don’t know if like that title very much or having that expectation necessarily but I do look at as this is a 30 minute window to skate. I think I tore my MCL on Wednesday and my knee is not strong at all so I was very lucky to be out there. I didn’t have too much expectation because I knew I was hurt. I just wanted to do the best I could, I didn’t anticipate getting more injuries along the way but that just seems to be the way things shake out for me
On skating the mega ramp switch because your knee is jacked you can’t skate regular
DW: It’s the right knee, which is my back leg if I am skating regular so dropping in regular was a lot harder because of the pressure and g forces on my back foot so it kind of made me have to stay on the switch program. You know I had more planned (he made a switch 50/50). I wanted to switch nose grind that thing…I didn’t get that far. I got far enough I guess.
On being a mega ramp pioneer along with Bob Burnquist
DW: Bob’s an innovator, he’s one of skateboarding best examples of being a unique individual. He approach’s skateboarding in his own way. We do have a lot of the same visions and we do look at certain things the same way so sometimes it’s a challenge for both of us because we want to stay on our own path and be original but sometimes I think our minds are thinking the same thing. We do have respect for each other and there’s so many things to be done and so many possibilities that we don’t have to go for the same thing. There’s a lot of room for creativity. He’s one of my favorite current modern day skateboarders. He’s one of the three or four guys that can skate mega ramp, vert, street at the highest level. He’s continuously doing things that blow my mind and he’s going to to continue to do that for a long time. It’s great to see other people out there that have the motivation and drive to conquer the things that other people think are impossible
On progression
DW: Things, that at one time, I thought were impossible are now possible. When you didn’t think it was possible is what drives you to try the next thing, it’s a chain reaction. It’s the feel after a land or a make of a trick that motivates you to try the next one. Skateboarding is beautiful that way, there’s so much possibility, I feel like we are barely scratching the surface. The mega ramp was just the first step of taking it to the next level. I think we are still in the infant stages of mega ramp skating. You see every year, things are going down…the first couple of events we would have never thought that people would be doing tricks no handed over the gap or trying 900’s after hitting the 70. I am completely honored to be part of something that is such a benchmark in the history of skating
About 13 surgeries, the lucky number and the risk of getting hurt
DW: I have always loved the number 13, people say that is the bad number but I thought it was a cool number and I plan to keep it that way. If I keep it 13 I will never have to face the knife again, I think it’s inevitable though, I’m not done taking risks, I ‘m definitely not done pushing the boundaries. I know each time we go out there and push it harder, the downside to those risks is always present, that’s what makes skateboarding hard, that’s what makes people give it respect at the highest level , it’s un predictable. You’re standing on a small piece of wood with four wheels going those speeds on the mega and trying things where you have to really be in control and stable to do.
On pioneering the equipment
DW: Our skateboards have evolved to the point where we can do that. I had to pioneer that back in the day, what set ups even worked on the mega ramp. I don’t think people even realize that. One of the biggest accomplishments I had in the mega ramp evolution was getting a board that worked and that took a while to figure out. I never thought I would be riding these wide 215 Independent Trucks that were designed in 1979 for Duane Peters, legend skateboarder. Because he skated pools and he wanted wide trucks so he could grind easier. Here we are, thirty years later, we’re riding trucks invented for a whole different reason. Everybody on the ramp has the same set ups. I don’t think people realize the set up is a major candidate in the ability to ride the mega. The set ups weren’t easy to figure out, that was something that took me some time to work through. The guys are glad they didn’t have to go through that process because when they started they looked at my board and said ok, what are you riding. I said this is what set up works, I have tried everything else and you don’t have to go through the process because I have already tried it. You are wasting your time if you’re riding any other trucks. Don’t think you can get away with riding a vert board on this thing, it’s not gonna work. A lot of guys don’t listen and come out with their set ups and drop in the thing and they are so wobbly and their board feels like a toothpick. A mega ramp board if you stand on it on the flat ground it feels like a big, big skateboard. It feels clumsy, big, bulky and heavy. When you are going 40-48 mph it starts to feel real small quickly
On waiting for body parts from a cadaver
DW: I waited for 2 month’s for the right candidate. My doctor deals with this all the time. It’s a harsh reality. He said this the season, we got graduation coming up, Memorial Day, the 4th of July. Those are the times the kids go out, they get drunk, they drive, it’s sad to say.
On being an organ donor
DW: I did put the donor logo on my license. I have taken from other people, it’s time to get back, if there’s anything left
On the first Big Air Rail event
DW: It’s cool but we could do best flip trick, best grind, whatever, we could make it categorized; 10 minutes of lip slides, 10 minutes of grinds, 10 minutes of spins. You just gotta figure out how to improve it, it’s all about making it the best show possible. How do we do we make the format so everybody sees the potential. If not, it’s just one trick and everybody tries the hardest trick and falls a lot but that’s not as exciting
On the newer jam style format which allows for continuous skating and no breaks, no “ESPN minutes”
DW: It’s great, I like the fact that things got underway and there wasn’t a lot of down time because you get in your zone and waiting is the hardest thing to do. The worst thing to do is wait, especially when your amped up. You’re heart rate slows down, picks back up, slows down, picks up…a bit more challenging than the continuous program
Although we only have X Games photos for this article, Danny is much bigger than what he has accomplished at the X Games. In fact the X Games brought the mega ramp to the X Games just to get Danny to show up. That’s my theory anyway. Here is Danny at the first X Games mega event with a backside air. Crazy, a backside air is almost un-acceptable now. Well, not a rad stylee method air, those are always good but most mega tricks are way beyond method airs
When you think of people like Danny you think he is super human but as you see here, he has a Mom
Straight off the board and to the crutches. On his website a fan asks - What does it take for you to fall and not get up and go again and the answer - “paralysis or worse”
backflip
2008 - This was maybe the craziest thing I had seen. Danny had taken 3 or four very hard falls in a row. The medical staff told him to stop, his response was “I am taking all my runs”
A familiar spot for Danny, wining pro contest since his first pro contest in Michigan In 1989