Thrasher Magazine

Photo: Burnett

Sky is without a doubt the first skater in the mag that's also been on Dancing with the Stars. Yet despite all the celebrity success, she still makes time to crush the concrete for Nike SB's street-level production. Her TM and skate history teacher Mike Sinclair gives her a call to talk favorite Antiheroes, cutest logos and what she would say to a KOTR invite. As seen in the July '23 issue.


Sky adds to the killer ensemble with her transition talents. Fakie flipping in the deep end?! You'll see

Hey, what’s up, Sky? Is this gonna be your first time in Thrasher?
No, it’s probably my fifth time or something, but I’m always stoked to get in it.

So you’re 14; you’ve already accomplished a lot of stuff. When do you turn 15?
I turn 15 on July 7th.

What are your summer plans?
My summer plans are just to keep progressing and skating and surfing. I’d like to learn some new tricks, travel, teach kids around the world how to skate and inspire more people.

I heard you moved from your last place ’cause people found out where you lived and they were leaving weird stuff on your doorstep.
Yeah, I was living in Oceanside. I was always walking around there and people figured out where I lived and left some stuff on my front door. It was really sweet, like letters and stuff, but it just got kinda creepy. So yeah, we moved to a pretty secret spot.

Dancing in the dirt, Sky lives up to her name at an AZ bike track

That’s good. Keep it secret. What’s the biggest freak out you’ve ever witnessed in person?
There were a few fans that were tearing up and it felt really good, I guess, just seeing how happy they were to see me and it made me wanna do even more to inspire them. So yeah, there’s definitely been some really cool people I got to meet.

That’s cool. I had someone freak out on me before. You wanna hear the story?
Yeah.

I had someone recognize me when I was going into a truck-stop bathroom and then they followed me in there and I had to take a number two. Then they waited until I came out. I could see their shoes waiting for me. Then when I got out they tried to shake my hand but I couldn’t even look them in the eye.
That’s pretty good. I haven’t had that one yet. Maybe one day…


Yeah, you gotta watch out. The rule is you gotta travel in a pack. You can’t get caught slipping solo out there. What celebrity, if you saw them in person, would you freak out on?
Oh, there are a lot. Well, I guess I already met a few of them. It was really random but I met Avril Lavigne at the show Dancing with the Stars that I was on. I definitely freaked out on her. I got really starstruck and couldn’t talk. Oh, I met Drake, too, and I freaked out on him as well. I get pretty freaked out meeting cool people. 

Last time you and I went out skating you had donuts, then we got pizza, then we had soda and then we had ice cream later. Do you think that I could negatively affect your Olympic plans if we keep skating together?
Yeah, Mike, I don’t know—I think you’re making me a little bit crazy with this stuff. But it’s fine. A little bit of ice cream definitely makes my day.

Ice cream makes my day, too—as long as we don’t do it every day.
Yeah. Well, actually my mom’s a nutritionist so we’re pretty healthy at home, but when I go out and my mom’s not there sometimes I get a little sneaky.

Me too. If I was going to go on Dancing with the Stars, what type of preparation would I need to do?
Oh, since I was little I would always do little shows in the mirror and dance in the shower. I don’t know if you already do that but I think you do.

I haven’t done it lately. So that’s where I need to start—I need to get a bigger mirror.
Yeah. Don’t you already do that, though?

Channel-skippin' FSA where Puleo went backside O

Yeah, sometimes. If you could ask a pro skater to go on Dancing with the Stars with you, who would you ask?
I always see Dashawn dancing and doing those TikTok dances so it would be really funny. I think he’d be really good at it, actually, like from watching him doing that.

Oh my God, you guys would kill it.
Yeah, he would kill it, actually.

Dashawn used to be a dancer. You gotta call him or text him and tell him to show you his dance videos from when he was a kid.
Oh yeah, for sure. But yeah, I always see him at the skatepark doing little moves and I’m like, Ooh, he’s good.

You guys should go on there and you should win that shit again.
Oh yeah, he’ll be my partner.

Yep, maybe one day. Okay, I’m gonna do a pop quiz with you on core skateboarding. Who has the cutest logo in skateboarding?
I think Bones, maybe? No, wait. Toy Machine has a pretty cute logo, actually.

We’ll take that. Who’s your favorite Antihero team rider or video? I’ll give you a hint, you’re on the same team as him.
Okay, Antihero. I think—Grant Taylor?

Front rock in a Phoenix freeway side dish

We’ll take that.
Oh, and Jeff Grosso. I used to be really close with him. He came down to our place to skate a lot.

That’s right. Have you ever met Frank Gerwer?
Who?

Frank Gerwer. He’s the best. I should introduce you to Frank. He’d be your new favorite person.
Yeah, I would love to meet him. I don’t think I have, actually.

So what year were you born?
I was born in 2008.

Silas Baxter-Neal was Skater of the Year for 2008. Who’s your prediction for SOTY this year?
Oh gosh. This year I would vote Kieran Woolley. He’s been ripping it this year and I love watching him skate.

Nosegrind out back

He’s amazing. Who is your favorite GX1000 skater? Have you seen the GX videos?
Yeah, I have but I just don’t remember who’s in it.

Would you go skate with the GX1000 guys? Would you try to bomb those crazy hills?
Oh yeah, for sure! Bombing is really fun. I usually get worked on them, too, ’cause I ride loose trucks and I have to learn how to not get speed wobbles.

You ride trucks as loose as Daewon.
Yeah.

How did you decide that you’re gonna ride your trucks that loose?
Well, when I was little I was always—I would surf, too, so loose trucks kinda felt more cruisy.

You gotta be able to turn, yeah.
Yeah, and I was really light, so loose trucks help.

How many Thrasher magazines do you own?
I’d say about five.

What’s your favorite one?
I think the ones I have, I’m in them. But I think my favorite one was the last one. Wait, actually my favorite one was the one where Funa got the cover.

You gotta frame that thing. Get her to sign it and put it on the wall. Would you do King of the Road if you were asked?
I don’t think so.

That’s a good answer. When was the last time you think Jamie Foy ate a vegetable?
Is a potato a vegetable?

Yeah.
I don’t know when the last time was, but probably today.

At your age I used to sleep till one in the afternoon. What time do you usually wake up?
Honestly, I wake up around 6. I try to go to sleep early ’cause I wake up early, but it’s definitely hard.

Whoa, 6 AM every day? That’s amazing. Maybe that’s how you’ve accomplished so much in your short time.
I like waking up early and having a long day.

That’s a good thing. Okay, last question: what advice would you like to give to any up-and-coming skaters out there?
My advice is don’t try to fit in. ’Cause I know there’s so many different styles, so many different tricks—you can add your own taste to it, so definitely just do you and have your own style and that’s it.

I love that, Sky. Thank you so much.
Thank you!

Fakie flip Indy. Nobody told Sky that pools were only for old guys and scratch grinds. Now go watch the clip again