“I was ready, I thought, for an evening to remember, ahead of Gabriel Summers’ ‘Out There’ and Thrasher part screening, which we were privileged to host. But before even hitting play, my head and heart exploded.

A recorded video message from my friend and hero Mark Gonzales played on the blind, announcing that he, alongside our darling wives, my team, and Al Boglio, all spearheaded by Gabbers, had been machinating for months on a pro board for me. Then Gabbers appeared and presented me with it — in real, actual life.

If you’d asked me at 10 or 11 years old, you’d have quickly gathered that having my name on a board was about the sum of my life’s ambition. But I made that seemingly impossible when, as a young man, I left my board sponsor as an amateur and skated for my own company. I accepted this bit of rough with the smooth, plenty occupied with other things and not feeling especially deserving of it anyway, but I never held the notion in any less esteem. I didn’t tell myself it was never a dream; I just told myself, “Well, you can’t have everything!”

That apparently I can is one thing, but what I am really still coming to comprehend by is the unknowing loophole: that I am surrounded by wonderful people who want it for me, and even know what ‘it’ may specifically, optimally be… I’ve now seen the extensive email chain, entitled 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀, and the number of options Mark gave is itself flattering. In the studio of a brand which, not coincidentally, is exactly my cup of tea, eating cake by the wife and reading cards from the kids, I reflected, as I did last year at our wedding, how often things happen at the right time after all, and was full of faith — that crucial component to any venture.

Whether or not it’s 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 time is not for me to say, but it is a good time, and I know so because, besides the above, one of my first thoughts was is there more than one of these, as I need to set one up immediately.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’m the luckiest pro I know.”

— Blondey