Aaron Kyro has more spin moves than a ballerina and has been dropping crazy combos since before it was the cool thing to do. His originality and creativity shows in his skateboarding. More importantly, he's not afraid to do his own thing. Right now Aaron is working on an independent video which you will be able to get through his website in the near future. Dustin Umberger recently hooked up with the underground technician on the following interview, check it out...

Dustin: Most people who've heard the name Aaron Kyro probably associate it with your video part, which has become a You-Tube phenomenon. Could you begin by just telling us who you are and what you're all about?

Aaron: Ok, well lets see here I am actually a country boy from my home state of Montana where I grew up and learned to skateboard. I migrated to California like most skaters in the city because of the nice weather and great spots like Pier 7 (also at the time I was living in Canada with no citizenship and couldn't work so down to the states I went). So basically my entire life was encompassed by skating, learning new tricks, and just seeing what I could create on a skateboard. I was always kind of into doing different things that I hadn't seen before or just skating a spot differently then I had seen others skate it. So having said that I would say I am a skater who looks at thinks from a different perspective and puts my own little twist into everything I do. Thats who I am and what I am about.

Dustin: Back to your video part - when was that footage filmed? Was it for a video or was that part just an indy release?

Aaron: The video part is a mix of footage from two videos. Its footage from Seasons 2 filmed and edited by Trevor Prescott and Mijos filmed and edited by Richard Deverra. Trevor asked me to film a part for his video at the premier of Seasons 1 and I was already filming with Richard for his video so I did both at the same time. They came out a month apart from each other first Seasons and then Mijos. Months after those videos came out I had all the footage on my computer so I edited together a little part with music that really stuck out (whether people liked it or not I didn't care) and put it on You-Tube for the fun of it. I don't know the exact dates the videos were filmed but if I had to guess I would say 3 years ago.

Dustin: Your skating is equal parts creativity and technical mastery - some of those manual combos fall in the "never been done" category methinks. What motivates your approach to skating?

Aaron: My approach to skating is to just have as much fun with it as possible and to be as creative with it as possible. Its like being at a spot and your friend is pushing you to try a new trick and your pushing him to learn something new saying "I think you could do a (insert trick here)." You both come out of it with something entirely different then you have ever done before and its awesome. Or you think of something and even though your like no that could never be done you dink around with it for 20 minutes and next thing you know your riding away. To me thats a great feeling when you think of something and either you have a specific spot in mind or you have to find the spot and do it and it just all comes together. Pushing your friends and yourself to learn more and get better is awesome.

Dustin: What's your take on the current SF skate scene in light of all the ruined or destroyed spots? Where do you session regularly?

Aaron: I think that it sucks and that the skate stopping guys are dicks! When Pier 7 got capped I was literally considering moving and joked about it all the time. Thats how pissed I was. I go to the Shoreview skatepark to roll around because its nice and mellow, smooth ground, and ledges. For street skating I seem to spend most of my time in the greater San Jose area. There are a lot of good spots down there if you have a good spot guide lined up for you.

Dustin: A question I've been asking people lately is what do you think about the push from street skating back to skate parks in the wake of new park openings and more street spots being knobbed or a bust? Do you think the future of skating lies in parks and plazas, or will street skating endure from your perspective?

Aaron: The push is all from this one company in Oregon called like grind forever or flow rider or whatever it is. Basically its an underground conspiracy to turn your local ledge spot into a 300 foot full pipe that ends into a canyon filled with alligators and if we just build one of these in every town everyone everywhere will be happy. Parks are fun and they are a good community builder and place to meet your friends etc... But nothing is going to ever replace street skating. No matter what there are always new street spots and places to skate. It just takes a little searching and you can't be so lazy. As far as I am concerned finding the spots is part of skating. When I find a new spot I am just as stoked as if I just did a quadruple kickflip down an 80 stair to krooks on just the kink part of the rail at the end. So yeah street skating is here to stay but don't get me wrong here tons of props to tranny killers!

Dustin: Your manual tricks emphasize a lot of reverts and little unexpected twists rather than the typical flip-in-flip-out stuff. How do you come up with these tricks, and do they come naturally most of the time or do you have to work for them?

Aaron: Basically I will be walking down the street and I will just start to think hmmmm I wonder if i could do a manual to frontside 180 land in switch manual ride that for a bit then backside revert back to nose manual and hold it till the end... I just wonder then I go somewhere and test it out. Some I can do and some I can't and some come easier then others. I have thousands of tricks that I have thought up that have never seen the board. It seems kind of funny but thats actually how it works for me.

Dustin: Are you on the going-pro track, or do you have other plans for the future? What do you do when you aren't skating?

Aaron: I plan to just do more skating and keep doing more and new tricks and really just push myself. I am working on a little web site project where I will have mine and others video up for everyone to check out and get for their computers or ipods. As part of the site I am making a video as well. I like to be totally uninhibited with skating so doing a video and web site and having control over it is nice. By the time you read this the web site should be up so check it out at www.brailleskateboarding.com. When I am not skating I mostly work but I try to fit in time for my girlfriend as well.

Dustin: Besides you, who is the most underrated skater in the Bay Area?

Aaron: There are two kids that really stick out in my mind on this question. Brandon Nguyen and Mark Suciu are both super sick! Skating with these guys is awesome because they learn new tricks everyday and they always push you as well. Its like they consumed pixie sticks for a month straight and just can't skate enough they are buzzing around like little spazzes doing every trick perfectly!

Dustin: Are you working on any video parts or other projects at the moment?

Aaron: Yeah I am working on making a video and web site. This whole thing for me is one big experiment and maybe it works and maybe it doesn't just like some new trick I think up. For part of the video I want to give any no name from no where kid a chance to send in his footage and be in the video. I want my friends to be in there too and make a good skate video but I also want to see what skate parts we can get sent in from the middle of no where North Dakota you know. So Im excited to see what I get, its like what Forest Gump said about the chocolates.

Dustin: What's your go-to trick, and also what tricks give you problems? Also, any last words or shout outs?

Aaron: I like to go-to with a nice kick flip and thats about it. Just do kick flips over and over and if Im really feeling it I will through a three flip in the mix. I really have problems with regular heel flips. I have taken a recent pole and 78% of skateboarders living within the greater regions of the United States agree that regular heel flips is the hardest trick in skateboarding. So at least Im not alone. Im going to try and throw one in for my new part so be on the look out for that Im sure you will be disappointed. I would like to shout out to anyone and everyone who has helped me in no particular order- Andrew Steelman, Remy Stratton, Ryen Motzek, Tony Heitz, Mickey Reyes, Darin, Richard Deverra, Trevor Prescott, Kevin Calderwood, and of course to all my friends, family, and my girlfriend. Anyone who I have ever skated with and has pushed me and encouraged me I give my sincere thanks...