Tom Hyser Interview

Tags: rollerblade, team trs, tom hyser

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Q: You have recently packed your bags and headed north in order to be closer to RB headquarters, how has the move been? A: It was a crazy to move from Georgia to Vermont; a really big change. I grew up in GA and left all my old friends and family.

Q: You have recently packed your bags and headed north in order to be closer to RB headquarters, how has the move been?

A: It was a crazy to move from Georgia to Vermont; a really big change. I grew up in GA and left all my old friends and family. I love it up in VT: no traffic, local food and more earth conscious people around. It seems like more people are active and outside. My old friend Jared Toon moved to VT two years ago with his lady Vikka. Having a friend already here made the transition much easier. Jared is a super good blader (see Black Market dvd). Having a friend to blade with is crucial.

Tom Hyser

Q: RB has been the center of some very controversial debates within Blading culture, many people attempt to write off the brand as a corporate mega monster that plans to fire everyone and ruin blading. As someone who works closely with the head honchos at RB, what is their position on Street Skating and do they plan on continuing to support our industry?

A: Rollerblade is not a corporate mega monster. It’s owned by the Tecnica Group, which is owned by two Italian families. They are real people who take care of their employees and take pride in the products they produce for both the snow-sports and skate industry. Rollerblade USA is run by people who actually skate. My bosses both skate frequently and understand the street culture. The team situation in the past was not working out for various reasons. Honestly there were simply too many individual agendas going on. The company, team management, and the team all had good intentions and ideas on where the program needed to go. But they were all different and none of it was in sync. That caused misunderstandings and strained relations. So all three elements - company, team manager, and team have gone through needed changes to put a program together that is tight and focused and all heading in the same direction. In the end I think everyone moved on and it’s water under the bridge. Rollerblade sponsors Robert Guerrero, David Sizemore, Matthias Ogger, Sven Boekhorst, Steven Swain, and Jeremy Jimenez. These guys each represent a specific role on the team. We’re building the brand around guys that live blading and have a positive way of life. Rollerblade plans to keep supporting skaters for years to come.

Q: Team Rollerblade has been around since the nineties, with current fashion trends mimicking the fashion of that time do you have any plans on bringing back some rad neon blade designs? Lightning 2’s? Blade Gear?

A: Rollerblade has actually been around since the early 80’s. I think people are already going back to some of that kind of craze. A black skate with Neon wheels would be fresh.

Tom Hyser - Bs Royale

Q: You have always been a leader in innovation, creating the first sneaker style skate, helping to develop Sprung Technology (Fiziks) and now creating The Switch Frame or “gift of flight” as Andy Kruse calls it. What inspires you to push skate design and technology?

A: I’ve always tried to make my skates work better. When I started blading skates were not made for grinding and jumping down stairs. As me and Andy Kruse made up tricks, I would modify our skates to do those tricks easier, more stylish, and with less pain. That’s how I work with my team riders today. When I did the first sneaker style skate it was all about the timing of the product. At the time, I was still skateboarding quite a bit. I drew up a skate that looked similar to my skate shoes. I also knew that the sole plate needed to be flat to lock onto rails and ledges better. Fiziks on the other hand was a very challenging project. Ahead of it’s time maybe? Way too expensive to manufacture. I learned a lot from that project. It was interesting to work with another designer to make something work. Bruno Lowe came up with the design for the Switch frame. This frame was done before I started with Rollerblade. Bruno is one of the all time best street skaters. The Switch frame is amazing. You’ve got to use it on RB boots for the best experience. The 72mm wheel goes deep into the boot shell which keeps you low to the ground. Our new CR+ formula 72mm wheel is so fast. This way of skating smoothes out your style. You don’t have to stress to get speed to do a trick, which keeps you more relaxed. Watch Rob G. skate and you will notice he skates faster than anyone with a lot less effort. I honestly think other Pro skaters would love this set-up. Other folks don’t want to promote a 72mm wheel setup because it requires them to change their molds. Rollerblade is one of the few companies to invest in new, real technology for street skating. We’re not covering up old technology with fancy shoe skins. Making street skating more fun is what keeps me blading. I love to test a new idea and skate better because of it. Watching my Pro riders skate at a higher level because of a product I helped design is very satisfying.

Q: You are very close friends with the RB team riders, what do you feel are the strengths of the current RB team and do you plan on adding any other riders to the roster?

A: Robert and David are good friends and have been for years. Both of these guys have been a part of past projects I’ve been involved with. I trust them and they trust me. I used to help David learn new tricks when he was hanging out at the skatepark. He has always had this insane focus. He pushes himself so hard. I’ve seen him go from looking like a little kid spinning around to a mature and original Pro skater. David is an artist and he’s just tapping into his ability to create. His future is bright. Robert skated for Fiziks. He’s got the best style, so smooth and flowing. He’s had it since the day he started to blade. Rob skates the way I wish I could skate. Simple as that. If everyone skated a bit more like Rob, I think we would have no respect issues with other sports. He’s also one of my best friends. We’ve been through some tuff times and some amazing times. He lived with me and my family for a year and then for several months another time. Rob has lots of good product feedback. The new wheels are good because Rob tested so many different profiles and formulas. Matthias Ogger is like a younger Rob G., he skates fast and hard. Matthias is from Munich Germany which is a very important skate scene. Sven Boekhorst is a former Xgames champ. Sven does his own shows with his super ramp set-up. He keeps things rolling in Europe and helps me manage the Euro guys. Stephen Swain is a contest machine. He and David are our dudes who launch huge at demos and win contests. Stephen also has a focused approach to his skating. Jeremy Jimenez is an underground street skating hero from Paris. His style is smooth and mature. His true-spin tricks are the best in the business.

Q: What can we look forward to with RB and the team in the coming months?

A: We’ve got lots going on. Rob, Jeremy, Sven, and myself are filming in Amsterdam for a week. We’re going to the reunion session in Lausanne Switzerland, then to Italy to finalize skate designs for 2011. Sizemore is going to the Montreal Classic contest. Robert Guerrero, David Sizemore and I will be at the Last Man Standing contest in NYC. The Solo Collective Team video downloads start on October 31st on teamtrs.com. Sizemore’s section is 1st and other sections will follow every two weeks.

Tom Hyser - Fishbrain

Q: You have been on the business side of blading for years, some of them bad and some of them good. Do you have any advice that you want to give to young entrepreneurs who are interested in helping cultivate our industry?

A: My best advice is a good business and marketing plan. Understand that when you want to start a company it needs to make money. This industry has seen too many companies come and go. It makes the scene weaker when any company fails or does a poor job. Be careful your passion may also become your nightmare if your company does not work out!

Q: As an individual who grew up when blading was in its prime, I have always jocked you heavily for riding for companies like Rise Above and being a part of the K2 family. Many of the people who were skating with you back then have long disappeared, what made you want to stay in the game?

A: Working with Rise Above was fun. We were a core group of guys who made blading look cool. In the early days, style was lacking and we made skating look cool. When sales dropped in blading so did the money for Pro skaters. My friends from back in the day have all moved on to good jobs in the real world. I wish they could have all stayed in the game, but it was not possible. I always had an idea of where blading could be as an industry, so I’ve been fighting for that since day one. I’ve been able to create my own little nitch in this industry and it’s worked out so far. As the times change, I’ve had to adapt to the changes within the industry. Rollerblade came through at just the right time! I do believe there is a current resurgence in interest to street-skating. As skateboarding and scooter riding declines, we will see an increase in street-skating participation.

Q: What is your Dream session?

A: The dream session is about to happen during the Colorado road trip. You, Rob G, Kruse, and a bunch of other dudes camping and ripping up perfect cement bowls. A session with the old dudes would be fresh too: Tom Fry, Kruse, Manual Billiris, Scotty Crawford, Scott Bently, TJ Webber, B Love, Starr, Dallas Carlin, Rene Hulgreen, Toto Ghali, Matteo, Bruno, Holgar, and any other dudes, you know who you are.

Tom Hyser

Q: You still skate at least once a week, and rip when you strap in, any tips to the young guns on techniques to keep the body limber?

A: You have to learn to listen to your mind and body. Robert Guerrero always reminds me of this. Warm up slow and if you’re feeling it go for the basics first, then build upon that. If my body and mind are not feeling, I don’t skate. I also like to do other sports to let my body heal. Downhill mountain biking is like blading in the woods, living in VT is rad for this. I also run and go distance skating a couple times a week. Stretching is key. I need to do more of it!