Even if you’re not an avid skater, the name Stevie Williams should ring a bell. He’s a professional skateboarder who has been crowned one of the most influential of all time and sponsored by huge brands like DC Shoes, Beats by Dre, Reebok, G-SHOCK and Supra.
But it wasn’t always like that.
In this VICE Sports clip, Stevie explains what it was like to hitchhike from Philadelphia to San Francisco with only a dream of making it in skateboarding and all of the sacrifice it took to get there. From sleeping in the streets, to couch surfing and engulfing himself in the culture/lifestyle, his tricks and determination garnered him the respect from the community right away. Now he’s an entrepreneur and global brand.
Williams also visited old spots he used to skate on and talked about the growth and why he wouldn’t trade any of those rough experiences for anything.