Clem's Corner: Dylan, to Thine Own Self Be True
Published 8/1/2013 by Ryan Clements
Originally posted on Street League, May 2, 2013.
Dylan embodies the spirit of staying true to one's self. I wonder if he's even aware of it though. The impression I get is that he's just doing things the way he wants to do them, regardless of the consequences. I have a ton of admiration for anyone that can pull that off and make it look natural.
Over the years, skateboarding has brought us some of the most interesting characters. The likes of Christian Hosoi, Jason Jessee, and even Andy Roy come to mind. These are the skaters that keep us telling stories worth sharing. I think I've seen all of the tricks, but I can never get enough of the unique personalities. That's why I like Dylan so much.
Dylan is a tortured artist out there on the Street League course. He does pretty much the best fakie flip of all time down the Big Three, but is still frustrated because—I'm guessing—it's not up to his personal standards. So what does he do? He removes his shirt, exposing his ultra-cool tattoo placement choices, throws his board while giving it a dirty look, heads to the sidelines, whips his hair back, and lights up a smoke.
If anyone else acted like that I would discard them and claim, 'What a dick.' But when Dylan does it, I praise him and consider taking up the habits myself. I want to see him in every contest from here on out. And from the looks of his placing in Brazil, beating out both Koston and Billy Marks, he's working on securing his Street League spot for 2014. But he likely doesn't know. Or care.
Amidst the logos and sponsorship of today's corpo-funded events, Dylan is logo-free. And as a matter of fact, he was shoe and clothing sponsor-less in Brazil, too. (Goodbye, Gravis and Analog.) I hope that changes soon, but his adamant stance on no logos may just well be the difference between lucrative contracts and 'struggle street'. There's no doubt that sponsors want him; but what does Dylan want? I guess we'll have to wait to see what skateboarding's Johnny Depp is wearing in Barcelona.
Photos
L to R: Fakie flip blessed by the gods. Land everything in practice, then bail when the timer is running. Art cannot be subjected to time restraints. Dylan even smokes cigarettes without logos. Photos: Bryce Kanights.
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