words and photos by Luke McKaye

How old are you, and how old were you when you realized that skateboarding was something you were passionate about? Do you remember who or what exposed you to skating and provided that spark?
I’m 31. I’d say about eight years old is when the spark was lit. Skating was all I would think about starting way back in 4th grade. The exposure was pretty much being interested in whatever my older brother (Joe) was interested in at the time. We were already experimenting with rollerblading and biking as kids, so eventually skateboarding was introduced by some other outside influences, and it definitely stuck with us.

Are you Ohio born and raised?
Born in Reynoldsburg, a Columbus suburb. Lived around Columbus until I was about 23 before bouncing around a bit.

Is this when you moved to San Francisco?
Yeah, in 2015, and I stayed there for about two years.

What made you decide on SF?
Well, I was already familiar with it, having been a few times to visit family when I was young. I actually had some of my first skate memories out there, like learning how to go down a bank and roll in. Also I loved the weather so much, and it’s just a skate mecca type of city, so it was the most appealing. Drake (Johnson) had visited once and had such a good time that it was enough for him as well.

What was that process like for you?
Basically me and Drake sat down one evening and decided we needed to get up and out of Ohio. So we decided to pick a date and stick to it.

Did you have homies out there?
Drake had a good friend Craig, out there who was able to house us for a few months until we got our feet on the ground and that was a tremendous help.

Were you able to plug in with the SF skate community pretty quickly?
I’d say it took a solid six months to feel like we were comfortable in the skate scene there. Having met Joe Brook prior to living there was a big help, so shoutout to Joe! He was able to get Drake and I into the Big Blue tour van only a few months after being there which was incredible. He also introduced us to the late Thrasher filmer P-Stone, and Redder who lived at Double Rock and would let us come skate there on rainy nights. At one point it became our home for two weeks. These things opened a lot of doors for us. Another thing that helped was skating in a FTC x Spitfire contest at Waller, that’s where we linked up with Ando from FTC who took notice of our skating. He asked us shortly after that if we wanted to model for FTC, so we hopped on that. Plugging in with the FTC guys really helped us feel like we were part of the local community and not so much outsiders anymore.

What would you say was your most memorable experience there?
Honestly my favorite memories there are after our whole crib just turned into the Embassy Ohio house, because we inspired some of our other Columbus friends to move out there, and it became a whole takeover in 2017. The best nights were when we would head up to Twin Peaks (highest viewpoint in SF) on mushrooms, or not, either way. Being in a majestic place like that with all your homies bombing back into the city is unbeatable.

At what point did you decide it was time to leave SF?
Our living situation got a little hectic in 2017, the guy who rented us our room was pure evil and had put hands on our Ohio homies multiple times and it was time split. There was some legal action that took place for the assaults and by the end of it the owner of the property wanted us out as well and paid us to leave. At that point I decided that was my time to come home and reconsider my next move. I posted up in Ohio for about a year before moving to Oregon.

How was your time in Oregon?
Oregon was the biggest adventure ever. I moved out there with four good friends and we all got a house together in Eugene. We ended up staying there for three years and put out two different full lengths Embassy: 93 and Mutual Combat by Jack Eddy. After those three years, I moved to Portland with my girlfriend at the time and stayed there for another two years. Portland was super fun to skate but was so rainy that I ended up in parking garages 75% of the time. That helped me learn a lot about slappys.

What’s it like being back in Ohio, what does Dan’s daily life look like nowadays?
All-around, being back in Ohio has been refreshing. I feel like I have somewhat of a community and just overall am close to my friends and family now which feels a lot better. Nowadays, I live on my own and work as a Lyft Driver which is very fitting for my lifestyle as a skateboarder.

I’m sure that lends itself to some interesting stories, and gives you the freedom to work on whatever schedule you want. What do you like about it?
Too many stories honestly. I definitely like the freedom of being able to work as I please, but I usually do stick to a particular planned schedule every week, and that provides me with structure I need for proper balance. The best part though, is that you never know where you might end up, which means I’m always finding new spots to skate or fix up.

Are you stoked on the spot selection in Columbus?
For the most part I am pretty grateful for what Columbus has to offer. It’s definitely crusty a lot of the time, and most spots are harder to skate than they look in the footy. I also love that I have a new set of eyes with having lived elsewhere and learned new things, I’m able to unlock a lot more untapped potential. The one downfall for me here is the lack of hills. Hills provide different types of spot opportunities. Thankfully there are cool cities within an hour from here that have that.

Do you venture out to other Ohio cities often?
As far as smaller cities, yes but not enough. That has been a goal of mine, to explore more untouched zones of Ohio. There’s so many choices from Columbus being in the center of the state, you can go any direction. I love going to Cleveland to skate which I need to do more of. They have a very welcoming community and a top notch skate scene.

Tell me about Embassy, I know they’ve been a staple in Columbus for a long time. How do you think that presence impacts the skateboarding scene in Columbus?
That’s my shop for life. Embassy’s had a positive impact on the skate scene here; it’s brought so many generations of skaters together over the last 20 years and a lot us wouldn’t have had certain experiences without that love. So thank you Embassy (Eric Barkow)!

Have the generations of skateboarders before you in Ohio influenced or guided you in your skating? Has anyone in particular been more impactful?
Most definitely, there are quite a few names that deserve being mentioned as far as early influences that were doing the thing well before I was. Jeff Trasin, Franz Lyons, Max Palmer, Chad Butler, and Gabe Peterson. The most impactful experience was my first cross country road trip with Max and Chad. I was 16 at the time and that trip changed my life for the better.

What is something about the skateboarding scene in Ohio that makes it stand out as unique from SF, Oregon, or anywhere else you’ve spent time skating?
That’s easy. Ohio stands out because it’s not as touched as other places. People seem to be more genuine to themselves here as far as being an individual. Everyone is the king of their own culture, as my friend Jacob once said. Whereas you go to other places and people are maybe a little more superficial and trying to mesh with the crowd. At least that’s how I see it.

What’s next for Dan? In a perfect world where do you see yourself in five years?
Currently I’m working on a part with my brother who is definitely one of the most talented filmers ever. I’m excited to see what we’re able to muster up and am hoping to have it out in late 2025. It’s been a work in progress since moving back home. As far as five years from now, I don’t know what will be up, but I project nothing but positive progression in all aspects!