AJ Nelson / S1 Lifer Stories
AJ Nelson Lifer Story: Gear Up For The Terrain
AJ Nelson grew up in Kokomo, Indiana, born in '96 into a skatepark that didn't give anything away. Tight trannies, steep walls, three-inch black pipe coping. The kind of place that either runs you off or toughens you up. For AJ, it toughened him up.
Now he's in San Diego, riding for Demonseed, Speedlab, Ace, and S1 Helmets. Same approach, different climate.
Parks and ramps are built to be skated. Smooth, predictable, designed with the rider in mind. Street is whatever's there, rough surface, awkward angles, nothing made for ease of bailing. You run out of tricks or you move on.
He skates everything, slappies on curbs, DIY spots, whatever's in front of him. But put him in a bowl or on a vert ramp and you see where he thrives.
Watch AJ and there's no pause in that process. He commits early. Carries speed. Takes hits, circles back, goes again.
His inverts are some of the best in the business, fully flapped and stalled, pulled into every variation you can think of and a few you can't. But his bag runs deep and it doesn't repeat itself. Front smith into a stalefish grab, grinding through the corner to a ho-ho plant on the next wall. You stop trying to predict it.
It's not just what he's doing. It's how little space there is between deciding and doing.
He's got a reputation for hitting his head. Ask anyone who's been around the sessions. It happens. He gets up, resets, keeps moving.
When it counts, helmet's on.
Two days in, first session, the bowl's flooded. AJ's first in, hand on the drain, bailing it out.
Still chasing it the same way he did back in Kokomo. Same drive, same instinct, passing the stoke on, pushing friends older and younger, keeping it moving.
AJ wears the S1 Retro Lifer Helmet
"I think what was important was to do it as much as I can - like the more time on - the better the outcome. No matter how many times you fall - keep doing it. I wanted to keep doing it. Go faster. Go higher and push each other. That was the whole thing. And see what we can do next." - AJ Nelson (on progressing and skateboarding)
"Bowls and ramps are built for skating so we have this equipment thats made for this. I think the pads and helmets - knee pads - elbows pads any safety gear in skateboarding - i think it helps tremendously on improvement. You can go higher and faster. You can push yourself. You can do things that are completely out of your wheelhouse because you have a way to bail. You have a way to get out of it." - AJ Nelson (on pads and helmets in skateboarding)