WALKER RYAN ’ 12
Manhattan , New York | Muir College , Sociology
01 . WHAT DO YOU DO ? I ’ ve been a professional skateboarder since 2011 . I guess you could say I produce marketing content — skating every day , getting coverage for sponsors and making videos . I also co-founded a skateboardingbased apparel / fitness company , Old Friends . Our products are used for strengthening and physical therapy , and soon we ’ ll have subscription-based injury rehab / prehab videos .
02 . WHY DO YOU DO IT ? I ’ ve always seen skating as an opportunity to challenge myself and express myself , and it has simply brought me the most joy of anything I ’ ve ever tried . I love that it ’ s all about creativity and pushing limits . In every trick , there ’ s a question of : can I do this ? And also , can this be done ? Being professional adds a dimension of progressing the sport and adding to the culture as a whole — you add your creativity , your personality and , of course , your ability . You can also be a role model too , a positive influence for younger skaters who follow you .
03 . WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ? I ’ ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world through skateboarding , about 50 countries so far . It ’ s an amazing way to see the world , as there are always local skaters wherever we go and they ’ re always excited to take us around . It ’ s a unique cultural experience to share that instant connection with so many different kinds of people . It sounds corny , but you can really speak the same language through a shared love for skateboarding .
04 . WHAT DID YOU LEARN HERE ? I was skating at an amateur level through college and I knew a pro career had the opportunity for that kind of travel , so I deliberately chose sociology to learn about how the world works . For instance , what I learned about specific countries in my soc classes made me more eager to visit them after I graduated . To this day I still do research on every new country I ’ m headed to .
FLYING OVERSEAS Walker Ryan ' 12 in the middle of a switch 360 flip , a shot that got him on the cover of Transworld Skateboarding magazine . Go online for the story behind the photoshoot at tritonmag . com / skate
Photo courtesy Dave Chami
05 . WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SINCE ? How much I value writing , for one . When I ’ m traveling , I always try to capture and share those experiences . I ’ ve learned the complexities of running a business , not only from my own personal trials , but from the many brands I ’ ve worked with over the last 13 years . And in general , I ’ ve realized how much college has complemented my skating career . I ’ m on the board of a nonprofit that gives scholarships to skaters , so I hope that helps bridge the two worlds more . It ’ d be cool to see more universities invest in skateparks on campus , too . UCSD could start !
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