AM HOUR: LUKE NAYLOR

LUKE NAYLOR BY SEAN PATRICK QUINN PHOTOS BY BRIAN WEIS

Luke Naylor just turned a fresh twentythree, his Jordan year. I don’t recall how old he was when he rode with us to Pow-Wow for the first time; maybe sixteen or seventeen. Even at that age Luke had character beyond his years. While the boys and I wanted to crack cold ones, he was content with a Coke.

Since our first winter pilgrimage to the warm snake-runs of Kona, the lot of us have become kin. The bonds formed through miles, hardship and mayhem have fostered a robust ecosystem here in the midwest and beyond. It is within this environs that Luke has cultivated his talent in an era lacking in team tours, rosters, hard media, so on and so fourth. In an age of access, discussions of the past, present, and future of blading are rightfully ripe with contention. Without regard to debates on the why or how, or reasons and cures, Luke has side stepped banality with his capacity to do the damn thing. An undoubtable attribute when one is brought up under the wings of Brian Weis and Don Bambrick.

Luke’s last few years have been marked with some major street and park contests achievements, as well as consistent quality content. Yung Skywalkeh is soft spoken but his skating has enough attitude to make Danzig blush. He is smart, with a balanced lifestyle and admirable work ethic. Sic Urethane has taken stock, putting his first pro wheel under his skates. In the coming weeks Luke will have a full section in Catfish, a full-length blade flick by he and Kevin Lebeau.

He is neither a fresh face nor on the come up, he’s been ripping for a minute. This moment is the start of something, though. Blading has an exciting future, it will be realized by him along with the next generation of rippers. One of the best unsigned free agents out right now, the game needs Luke Naylor.