Shawn Connolly has always been a sick skater with a smooth style. He's one of those people that has quietly ripped in San Francisco for over a decade even when he was between sponsors. A few years ago, Shawn founded the SF Skate Club - a program which teaches young kids how to skate by taking them to various parks in the Bay Area as well as introducing them to local pros and creative professionals. Not only is this a really original idea, but it's also had a positive impact on the community and says way more about the type of person that Shawn is than this intro ever could. We recently got Shawn to answer some questions about his history and what he's got cooking now, check it out below.

48 Blocks: You're originally from the North East, when and how did you first  get into skateboarding?

Shawn: I started skateboarding when I was 9 years old. I grew up in a tiny town called Brunswick in the state of Maine. We had winters that lasted 6 months. If shoveling snow to skate a spot was what it took, I did it. But it was still cool. Back then, I thought about how much better my skateboarding could be if I could skate year round. At least that was my excuse when videos like Questionable came out.

48 Blocks: What year was it that you first came to California and what made you decide to move to SF?

Shawn: I made the move to SF in 1996 strictly for skateboarding. I had almost no plan except to skate everyday. I talked a good buddy, Dan Hatch, into moving out here with me. After being here for less than a week, I talked him into signing a year long lease with me on Geary Street in the Tenderloin. I ended up living on that block for 9 years.

48 Blocks: Can you describe what the vibe was like in the city when you first came? How was it transitioning from the East Coast to San Francisco?

Shawn: When I moved here, you still had EMB, Brown Marble, Black Rock, Union Square, Pier 7 and all the spots that made SF the best. You could skate from one spot to the next and you never knew who you would run into and make friends with. It also seemed like everybody was from somewhere other than SF. It felt like the best or most motivated skateboarder from every small town moved to SF at the same time. Transitioning here was easy since I was in the exact place I wanted to be.

48 Blocks: You rode for Think back in the day, how did you hook up with them and were they your first official sponsor?

Shawn: Fausto Vitello put me on Think. I used to work at High Speed, where they make Slap and Thrasher Magazine. I was in the shipping department. We used to skate every morning during our break, around ten. One day after the break, Ed Riggins, the publisher came up to me and said, "You caught Fausto's eye out there." If you worked for High Speed you could buy boards from Think at wholesale for about 20 bucks. This was fine by me at the time. But the next time I was over at Think buying a board, Fausto told Greg Carroll right in front of me that I didn't have to pay for boards anymore. Fausto also put me on Circuit  wheels which was my first official sponsor. One day while I was working in the shipping department, he told me, "Go out with Luke and shoot a photo and you can have the next ad." Later that day, Luke takes me to a spot and says, "Can you do anything on this?" We shoot a photo, and the next day they were laying it out. That was my first photo in a mag. I think I was the only am on Circuit with pros Danny Way and Tom Penny. I can almost guarantee they do not know who I am.

48 Blocks: Talk a little bit about Kenny Reed, you lived with him for a bit  and  used to roll with that crew consisting of you, Kenny, Cairo, Kyle Demmers, Alex Klein, etc. Talk a little about those times.

Shawn: Those times might well be the best times of my life. Not one of us had five dollars between us yet we skated every day and made ends meet. Nothing meant more to us than skateboarding. Around 98-99, I didn't  work for about a year and concentrated on skateboarding full time. Around this time, I met Kenny at Union Square skateboarding. Kenny has the ability to be the most positive person you have ever met. It will rub off on you. He is the type of guy you would let talk you into anything because when he talks about it, he sells you. The first night I skated with him was near Cardiel street gap. We were skating down the street and he unknowingly rolled over a match book and it burst into flames. He didn't notice and I don't think I have ever told him about that. Our coverage around the time might have looked like we were tight, but Cairo was more Kenny's buddy than mine. Either way, I always liked to be around Cairo. I don't think I have ever heard Cairo say a bad thing about anyone before, and his skating speaks for itself. I met Kyle through Kenny and we became unlikely friends. Over the years I would have to say I know him the best out of the crew. We were the last ones of the group left in our apartment and in SF. Kyle is a hugely underrated skateboarder.

48 Blocks: The first part that I can remember from you was in FTC 3 - was that your first big part, if not what were you in before that? What do you remember about filming for that part?

Shawn: That was my first big part. Around that time I was skating and filming a bunch and gave Matt Mcgrath some footage for an FTC 411 Industry section. We kept getting stuff and pretty soon Matt called me up and said "What's up with a part in FTC?" Not too long after that Trevor Prescott (RIP) became involved in the project and helped me get together a part. This was around the time all the spots were disappearing in SF and we had to improvise. We made a lot of bumps out of wood.

48 Blocks: At some point you left the Think camp and switched to ATM. What prompted that decision?

Shawn: I was ready to move forward and Greg didn't agree. I felt like I either had to make them say "no" to me, or nothing would have changed. I had a ton of coverage that said Think on it, but I still felt a little left out of the plan. Also, at the time I didn't have any friends on Think. I look up to Greg Carroll and have no hard feelings. He told me "Shawn, leaving a team can be like leaving your girlfriend. It seems like a big deal at the time but eventually you find another." Right at this time, I was skating with Jeremy DeGlopper a bunch and rode for Iron Horse grip. I liked skating for a team and having a buddy on there too. Deglopper is a good skateboarder.

48 Blocks: You skated for ATM for many years, what was it like working with them?

Shawn: It was cool. John Falehee is a rad guy. I made my first bit of money ever while skating for them. I still lived downtown in the TL around this time and they sent me a bonus check. I had zero dollars to my life and was waiting for this thing to arrive. One morning, I find it on top of my mail box in the lobby of my apartment without the apartment number on it. This was a miracle by SF standards.

48 Blocks: You had parts in the Seasons videos as well as an ATM video during this period - can you give us a brief recap of which videos you appeared in throughout your career?

Shawn: I had a lot of footage in Thrasher videos that no one saw around this time - Thrasher videos are like old trees falling in the forest. We skated with Schmitty a bunch at Union Square and he was filming for them. We had some good times. The Seasons videos were great. Trevor always wanted me to have footage in them and that was cool. In Seasons 2 I had a full part. Around this time, I still skated for ATM.

48 Blocks: After the tenure with ATM, you decided to leave. If I remember correctly you were flow for Traffic for a bit, but it didn't work out. Can you give us the official story on what happened with Traffic?

Shawn: I was trying to find something that would fit for me. I never felt like I fit the aesthetic of either Think or ATM. I was in a strange limbo. I was skating a lot around this time and felt like I had outgrown ATM. I had like eight of ATM's ads in a year and still didn't get paid. At the same time, I felt like a board on ATM wasn't right for me. I had always kept in contact with Ricky Oyola. We met around ‘98 in Philadelphia through Roger Brown. Ricky is  an awesome person. He got me on Kastel shoes back in the day and I used to live off their photo incentive. I know that he has helped out a lot of people in skateboarding throughout the years, and he is a great source for advice. He was just starting up Traffic and I wanted to be involved. I felt like their idea of good skateboarding was the same as mine. Unfortunately, he just couldn't do it for me. To this day, they still have a tight thing going at Traffic.

48 Blocks: When Traffic didn't work out, you seemed to take a step back from sponsored skating and decided to start the SF Skate Club - a program that teaches kids how to skate. Give us a little bit of info on how the SF Skate Club started.

Shawn: I wouldn't say that I took a step back. I feel like I have never slowed down with my skateboarding. It felt good to not have to fit into a team mold and just be able to do what felt right on my board. I didn't have to skate a park, wear a skull graphic or get towed by a car. It felt fine and even better that I could enjoy skating without needing the recognition.

The SF Skate Club started because my girlfriend, Thuy Nguyen, who was a teacher and mentor, realized the need for a positive skateboarding program for kids. I started taking some of her kids skateboarding and discovered that I really enjoyed working with kids myself. At that point, we started to develop the SF Skate Club. We take kids out of the city to all the great skate parks in the Bay Area that are missing from our own city. We also introduce them to creative professionals in the industry. This program gives me a fresh daily outlook on my own skateboarding since I work with so many kids that are just finding skateboarding for the first time. I think that when you can be constantly reminded of how remarkable skateboarding can be, it keeps it pure and fun.

48 Blocks: Skate Club has been going on for years and seems to have a strong following with kids in SF. Talk about how it's developed over the
years and where it's at now.

Shawn: We are doing our third summer camp this year, and we also do a Fall and Spring Saturday program. We plan to expand what we do in the near future to include programs and paid internships for teens. Eventually, we would also like to offer a central location for kids to skate at. I feel very happy and honored to do the SF Skate Club.

48 Blocks: You were definitely skating during this period - dropping footage in Seasons 4 and on 48 Blocks. Was sponsorship on your mind at that point, or were you more just putting out footage just let people know that you were still skating?

Shawn: Skating is something that I will do with or without a sponsor. It is something that I have no control over. It controls me. I am sure that I would still be very motivated to film and shoot photos regardless of any board sponsor.

48 Blocks: Right now you are talking with Circle - A, which has a nice team going with Tucci, Shoemaker, Gershon, and Sammy. How did you start talking with them, and where do things stand right now?

Shawn: The success of the SF Skate Club has really brought me back to the reasons I skate. It has also helped me find my own approach to skateboarding in general and move outside of the box that a pro or sponsored skater gets put into. I also feel that by doing this program with the kids, I need to keep pushing my own skateboarding as well. I have known Gershon for awhile now and always enjoyed anything he has put out. No one can argue with his talent. Circle - A came about first through talking with Gershon, then to Bob Shmelzer, and finally agreeing to move forward together. I feel like Gershon has high standards in skateboarding along with the fact that Circle - A has a long history in skateboarding. I hope that I can contribute to what they have already established.

48 Blocks: So, assuming that things go well with Circle - A are you
looking at getting a pro board? You definitely deserve one.

Shawn: Thanks. I would like to have a pro board with Circle - A. I have lots of ideas for skating, and it would be great to support a company that I respect.

48 Blocks: Talk a bit about the current SF skate scene - it's been a bit fragmented since the demise of spots like Pier 7 and Union Square. Where are you skating these days and who are you skating with?

Shawn: I will be honest, it is tough to find spots. Right now, the library is the best spot. Then, we have 3rd and Army. But just skating down the street in SF is the best feeling. I have been skating with my friend Greg Gardner a bunch lately. Also, about 50 different kids ages 8 - 13 in my program this summer.

48 Blocks: I still see you around getting footage with Mecky in the City - are you sitting on some footage right now, if so when do you plan on putting out a new part?

Shawn: A part is something that I am very motivated to work on right now. Mecky is a very inspiring person to work with. He is always experimenting with different mediums. He also has high standards, so he has me on quality control when it comes to tricks. I do have the start to a part taking shape. It is clear in my head what I want to create; I just hope I can pull it off.

48 Blocks: Being that you've been sponsored, taken a step back, and are now poised to re-enter that world - what's your take on the whole skate industry and what made you decide to pursue skating on the sponsored / professional level again.

Shawn: I feel like you have to do what you love for as long as you can do it. I have a lot more skateboarding to give. During our summer camp this year we have met up with Cairo Foster, Karl Watson, Gershon Mosley, Carlos Young, Matt Field, and Keith Hufnagel. All pros who have had longevity in skateboarding for many years. The one bit of advice that they all had for the kids was to just enjoy every minute of  skateboarding and do it because it is fun. I'll take that advice too.

48 Blocks: Any last words you'd like to say to wrap this up?

Shawn: Thank you Thuy, Bob, Gershon, Venture, FTC, Circle –A, and Leland.