What’s up Dakota, where are you at now? Where are you headed?

That is a great question. I’m leaving Long Beach for some much needed change and going to seek some more nature up north. Change up the scenery and just skate a bunch. Get into some new patterns, all to better my mental health.

You’ve been leading yoga classes over insta during the quarantine for the SF Skate Club and the Ben Raemers Foundation. How’d that come together?

SF Skate Club is a rad youth club that does a lot for the youth in the city. Being good role models and just giving kids a safe and creative space to go to. Such a great place and they wanted me on board to guide the kids through a little practice. The Ben Raemers Foundation, man just a beautiful foundation that Rob Mathieson started. They wanted me there to do a class for them and it was so rad man. It’s weird stepping into a teacher role as I will forever be a student, but it slows me down. It’s a meditation for me. I have to find what feels right and bring the people in on that feeling. A few people hit me up after the classes and it’s always so rewarding. It grounds me. It’s such a hippie word to use in the skate world, but it’s super rad when people comment after the class saying it makes them feel better or helped them get through their day. That shit fills up my soul!

Your most recent part had some pretty unique tricks. What’s your take on putting out parts now?

These days videos are coming out so fast and it feels like everyone’s just trying to top each other’s last part. My goal is to just do me and try to get creative and be unique and not try to compare myself to other skaters. Shout to Austin Leleu for editing it!

You’ve been rocking Enjoi boards lately, who’s hooking it up?

Louie Barletta’s the man. I’ve known him for a little bit. Met him and then stayed with him once. When I got back to skating I didn’t have a board sponsor and I didn’t really care to get one. I was just dying to skate after a year and a half of being injured. But I saw a shaped board they were making that Ben Raemers actually shaped and I just wanted every little bit of it. I wanted to ride a board with a lot of attention to detail. So I hit Louie up and was like, “how can I get some of these boards” and then we just stayed in touch and he was down to keep giving me boards. I’m kinda just flowing with it, staying in touch with them, skating, repping. I love the brand. So many legends have rode for them! Marc Johnson, Jerry Hsu, Louie! Best video part to ever come out was by Louie.

I’m still trying to figure out how old Louie is!

Can’t comment on that. I don’t even know. I don’t think he even knows!

Let’s talk about your injury. What happened?

There’s so much we can talk about. I tore my ACL and my meniscus in 2018. Got taken out of skateboarding for like a year and a half. It was my first knee injury and that shit was real. I had to put skateboarding aside for a second to focus on other things. I had to keep sane somehow and I couldn’t keep sane by going out on sessions. So I had to distance myself and went on a spiritual journey to try and keep sane.

How was it stepping away from skating and then jumping back into it?

For me, I need breaks from it. It seems healthy. For a year and a half I gave my body a break from slamming on concrete. I think that alone helped. I let my body heal in so many ways and got into eating healthy and organic. Just taking care of myself.

I see you’ve been building and selling boxes/ledges recently. You’re staying mad productive during quarantine.

Hustle is real in this time man! I’m just trying to stay afloat and keep some sort of money coming in. I always try to get under the table money and I love working with wood. I used to build these skateboard chairs. I made myself a ledge during quarantine for the first time ever in my life and was like “that was fun, maybe some homies still want one?” Hustle is real!

Glad to see you’re making it happen. Thanks for chatting with me. Any last words/shoutouts?

Black Lives Matter. Let’s work to end racism in this world! Loving vibrations to all. In these times of hatred we need so much love. Thank you to skateboarding for being alive. Support your local skate shop. If you are struggling through depression please seek help!