RODNEY SMITH

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Rodney Smith discusses skating in the 80’s, meeting Tom Groholski, starting Shut Skateboards with Bruno Musso, going to the Cow Skates contest in Ohio with Mike Vallely, creating new shapes for skateboards out of necessity & hand making boards when Shut first started, starting Zoo York with Eli Gesner & Adam Schatz, selling Zoo York in 2001, the opportunity to work with Dave Chappelle but instead having to work with Ashton Kutcher, finally saying goodbye to Zoo York and much more!

00:00:00 Rodney Smith
00:01:52 Where Rodney grew up
00:10:43 Finding skateboarding
00:16:35 Our Supporter: AG1
00:18:13 Meeting another skater in his town - David Sadler
00:27:36 Meeting more skaters
00:35:57 Skating in the 80's
00:36:35 Meeting Tom Groholski
00:52:01 Starting Shut Skateboards with Bruno Musso
00:56:19 Going to his first trade show in California
01:00:19 Going to the Oceanside street contest
01:05:25 Living in California
01:12:11 Missing the East Coast and moving back
01:14:41 Doing Shut Skateboards out of necessity
01:15:59 Going to the Cow Skates contest in Ohio with Mike Vallely
01:20:25 Rodney vs. Rob Dyrdek "skate-off"
01:24:05 Creating new shapes for skateboards
01:33:21 Hand making boards when Shut first started
01:35:15 Billy Waldman stepping to Bruno & Rodney at the Brooklyn Banks
01:44:16 Shut partnering up with Cow Skates
01:50:02 Getting a call & an offer from Brad Dorfman
01:58:01 Jimmy George from Cow Skates tries to sue Shut Skateboards
02:01:58 The downfall of Shut Skateboards
02:04:08 Quickly bringing Shut Skateboards back in 1992
02:08:17 Putting Shut back to bed
02:09:33 Doing something new with Eli Gesner
02:13:22 Naming his new brand Zoo York
02:25:08 The origins of the Zoo York name
02:29:16 Selling Zoo York in 2001
02:38:22 Linking up with Ecko
02:49:20 Internal sabotage at Zoo York
02:52:52 The mass exodus from Zoo York
03:00:14 The opportunity to work with Dave Chappelle, instead working with Ashton Kutcher
03:03:05 Finally saying goodbye to Zoo York
03:10:14 The Zoo York mixtape video
03:14:03 Advice for the bedroom brands