Ryan Sheckler

“I know exactly what I'm doing when I'm doing a trick. I really hate it when I fail.”

“The way I look at tricks is if I really have my mind set on one, I'm going to learn it until I can do it 10 or 20 times in a row. I want to perfect it.”

“'Thrasher' magazine's Skater of the Year is clearly my No. 1 goal. The only way I get that is skating. Other than that, I haven't set that many outrageous goals. If I got Skater of the Year, that would just really add to it all and make me feel really good. Whether it's this year, next year or five years from now, that is my goal.”

“For me, the reason I keep working out and want to get bigger and focus on staying fit is because when you do fall it's easier to tighten up and not get hurt. I also wrestle, and that helps me a lot with taking a fall. A lot of what I do at the end of they day are things that will help me to not get hurt.”

“Lakers are my boys! I'm 100 percent the biggest Kobe fan on the planet. I text him after every game to tell him what's up.”

“If you go out there and your main purpose is to get a sponsor, then it's not gonna work. Just go out there and have fun. That's how I got sponsored.”

“I'm always trying to figure out ways to one up everyone, and that's what I love about competitions. I love challenging myself and pushing the envelope.”

“I'm not trying to be as good or better than anybody; that's not how I work.”

“This is something I've always wanted to do- to skate through a part of New York City that thousands of people ride through every week, feeling the energy of one of the original stomping grounds of street skating.”

“For me, skateboarding is a lifestyle. I really don't know anything different. My life revolves around skating. If I wasn't a professional skateboarder, I'd still be skating every day.”

“The world is just waiting to be skated.”

“Every time somebody calls me out or tries to start something, it's motivation.”

“Don't ever give up. You gotta keep trying, and never give up.”

“It's not that I don't respect my parents' authority or appreciate all that they did for me, but when I was 18 I was able to move out, and I was out. I feel like a different person since then; I mean, it's obviously a big turning point in life. I feel like I've established myself, and I'm a smarter and more mature for it.”

“Hopefully, kids realize you can do anything you want. Skateboarding can be that gateway.”

“Whatever sport you choose, do it because you love it, and don't expect to be an expert first thing. It takes time to do well at anything, but if you love it, you'll stick with it.”

“I kind of just put my boards together wherever I feel comfortable that day. It could be on the kitchen table, on the ground, on the couch, wherever.”

“A signature ChapStick would be so sweet.”

“No one can tell me what to do on my skateboard. My skateboard is my safe spot. I can learn tricks, I can have fun, I can do whatever I want on my skateboard.”

“I am a skateboarder, and to stay fit for skating I have to stay away from a lot of things. I go to parties and that's fun for me, but between skating and lifting and everything, I know what I have to do the next day, so I'm very conscious about my schedule and keeping it.”