Every day I go skating with Tom I’m amazed. Even if I try to prepare myself, he still amazes me. I skate with him every day and he does tricks I didn’t even know he learned. I must have been on my cell phone while he learned that one, I guess. Every day, it’s something new, just adding more and more into his bag of tricks. I’m sitting there re-learning tricks while he's just doing all new ones. From the beginning of the sesh to the end of it, he's skating, no matter what it is.  I don’t think he even takes breaks. I don’t know if anyone can keep up with him, you can't even enjoy an Arizona tall can before he learns something new. You know that kid you see and you watch him and he just "has it", that’s Tom. Tom "has it.” -Pat D’Onfro

Interview by Kevin R. Susienka

Kevin: Where are you from originally?

Tom: Leominster, MA

Kevin: Where do you live now?

Tom: Leominster, MA

Kevin: When did you start skating?

Tom: 2000.  The new millenium.

Kevin: How did you get into skating?

Tom: My next door neighbor Ian moved out from California and ended up putting this wedge ramp in his driveway.  So, one day, I ended up going over and introducing myself and the next thing I knew I was on the board, went off the kicker, and busted the shit out of my elbow. It seemed so new and fun and definitely was cooler than any sport I was playing at that time so I stuck with it. It's still as fun, so I'd say I'm not trading it in for anything else.

Kevin: What does your family think about skateboarding?

Tom: They're just psyched that I'm doing something I love day in and day out. They understood everything when I told them I wasn't going to college. As long as I was working it was cool because they didn't want me waking up at 12 everyday when they're both at work by 8. That shit's just not fair and I understand that to the fullest.

Kevin: What sports were you into before you started skating? Are you still into them?

Tom: Baseball, basketball, hockey and golf. I'm not into them unless someone's winning. Like I'm psyched when the Red Sox are in the World Series and I was watching every game when the Celtics were in the Finals. I kinda wanna get back into hockey cause skating’s so fun.  Golf’s so sick.  So relaxing.Always a good time.

Kevin: What has kept you skating over the past 8 years?

Tom: Progress, friends and comfortability. Everyday's a brand new day once I step on that board.

Kevin: What are you into outside of skateboarding (music, books, hobbies etc.)?

Tom: Playing pool and trying to come up on some extra money, and music for sure. I’m trying to learn how to play the piano right now. It’s so sick cause it’s stressful, but relaxing at the same time.  Music is what gets me going no matter what.  I need something to just hype me up and then I'm psyched.  One day it's rap, another day it's all rock. Just depends what mood I'm in. I'm into everything really. You'll rarely ever hear the words "shut that off" or "turn that down" come outta my mouth if there's music playing somewhere. All I need to get hyped is a good song.  

Kevin: Tell me more about being a pool shark.

Tom: Ha ha. I wish I could say I was a real pool shark cause that would mean I could win money a little more often. I just go every other Tuesday night to this pool hall in Ayer, MA and play some nine ball. It's only 6 bucks to enter the tournament and then if you get out you can play for the rest of the night for the same 6 bucks. It's good cause you only get better by playing better people.

Kevin: What was your first skateboard?

Tom: Blind (the one with the noose around his neck), Sparkle Red Thunders, and 58mm Budget Wheels.

Kevin: Do you still have that Blind setup?

Tom: All I have is the deck and it's completely ruined. It got focused one night like 7 years ago when me and my friend Ian thought it would be cool to break a bunch of old boards we had lying around. It was probably the first time we saw someone break one in a video when we did this because I had never done anything like that before, didn't even think of it. Somehow I still have it even though all those boards got thrown away. Then I spraypainted it metallic blue for some random reason.  The only thing that still reminds me of the day I got it is the Blind griptape cutout that it came with. It was like a 3 inch square piece of grip with the logo on it that you used for a tail line. Seems like yesterday.

Kevin: Is there anything skatable in Leominster?

Tom: Hell yeah. There's a few spots to skate. Nothing really great by any means but it was good to grow up in a town that actually had some stuff to skate.

Kevin: Any spots in Leominster that you've filmed at? Anything from the Thanks Camera videos?

Tom: Umm, that loading dock type thing that goes flat, up, and then flat again and everyone skates off the side of it, that's in Leominster. Hogan gets the credit for that one cause I never skated it like that growing up and one day I brought him around Leominster and he pointed it out.  I always thought of it but it was so grimy to clean up that landing, it didn't seem possible. But it worked out and I think that's a pretty tight spot now.

Kevin: Who do you skate for?

Tom: Alien Workshop (flow), DVS (flow), Matix (flow), and Eastern Boarder
  
Kevin: Who are your favorite skaters and why?

Tom: Jose Melendez. I’ve been skating with him since the day I started and no one impresses me more than when I watch him skate. He has the most chill, laid-back style and learns something new every time we go out.  He just loves it and it’s definitely an inspiration.

Kevin: Where can people see footage/photos of you?

Tom: I guess where everyone else sees footage at this point. Youtube. Ha ha.  But besides that, I had a part in Thanks Camera 3 and the SHAPE video. As far as photos go, I got lucky enough to get one photo in SLAP a while back.  Didn't even know it was going in and got surprised at work one day when the mags came through. Hopefully I can get some stuff published real soon.  I'd be psyched.

Kevin: What goes in to you filming a video part? Any sort of formula?

Tom: Not really. Like sometimes I'll write down some things that I want to try so they won't get lost outta my head cause I'm really forgetful about some stuff.  Besides that, I find myself getting the most stuff done when I show up to a new spot that I've never skated before and my mind just starts going, like any other skater's would.  Eventually something works out or it doesn't.  That's the best kind of filming I think.

Kevin: What's your take on skating a new spot?

Tom: Either mess around with it for a little bit or just charge it.  It depends.  I'm likely to somehow get hurt either way cause I have some shitty luck but yeah, that's usually how it goes.  If it's a ledge, normally something just clicks in my head and it works out, but if it's a set of stairs or something, I usually just go for the trick cause I don't have enough extra lives left in my heels for bailed ollies anymore.

Kevin: What is a typical day of skating like for you?

Tom: Wake up. Shower. Play some piano.  Then call up whomever and just try to go out and have some fun.  Some days I need to just go skate a park or something and cruise around.  Other days I’ll try to get some footage.

Kevin: What are your thoughts on the current state of skateboarding?

Tom: I just think a lot of people are getting paranoid.  Like always asking themselves "Should I do this?"  or "What will people think?". If the opportunity’s out there…go for it.  It just needs to go back to skating everyday like it was when you were growing up.  Like getting so psyched to learn a new trick or skate a new spot.  It's such a good feeling.

Kevin: What do you think makes people paranoid in the current state of skateboarding?

Tom: Just people talking shit  So lame.  All you can do is be yourself and that's it.  If anyone is hating, they've got nothing better to do.

Kevin: Any travel plans for you in the near future?

Tom: Umm, Florida again this winter for sure.  Maybe California too. Overseas would be a good experience, but I don’t have that kinda money ha ha.

Kevin: Where do you go down in Florida during the winter?

Tom: Jupiter.  It's like a half hour north of Ft. Lauderdale

Kevin: If you were going overseas to skate, where would you go?

Tom: Barcelona for sure.  It's lost the same effect that it had a few years ago when people were calling it the "new California" but all I hear is amazing things about that place and I wanna experience it someday.  China too, since it stole Barcelona's "title" recently.

Kevin: Anyone that you’d like to thank?

Tom: I'd like to thank...Kelly Edwardsen, her family, and mine for always supporting me no matter what, Mac, Pang, Hogan, Laybold and Andy Licardi for filming everything, Nate Legsdin for the photos, Chad Bowers, Mike Tallone and everyone else at Workshop for always hooking it up so good, Rob Pontes at DVS and Matix, Tabor and the Eastern Boarder family, Jose, Brent, D'Onfro, Spada, MikeyT, Milner, Bachinsky, Manny, Nicky, Fenell, The Clems, Desimas, Cromer, all the Lowell, Florida, and Cincinnati homies, and of course Kevin Susienka for making this all possible. Twenty one in April...I'll owe you one for sure!