#309 - Rodney Smith

The Nine Club With Chris Roberts

Rodney Smith discusses skating in the 80’s, meeting Tom Groholski, starting Shut Skateboards with Bruno Musso, going to the Cow Skates contest in Ohio with Mike Vallely, creating new shapes for skateboards out of necessity & hand making boards when Shut first started, starting Zoo York with Eli Gesner & Adam Schatz, selling Zoo York in 2001, the opportunity to work with Dave Chappelle but instead having to work with Ashton Kutcher, finally saying goodbye to Zoo York and much more!

Timestamps

00:00:00 Rodney Smith

00:01:52 Where Rodney grew up

00:10:43 Finding skateboarding

00:16:35 Our Supporter: AG1

00:18:13 Meeting another skater in his town - David Sadler

00:27:36 Meeting more skaters

00:35:57 Skating in the 80's

00:36:35 Meeting Tom Groholski

00:52:01 Starting Shut Skateboards with Bruno Musso

00:56:19 Going to his first trade show in California

01:00:19 Going to the Oceanside street contest

01:05:25 Living in California

01:12:11 Missing the East Coast and moving back

01:14:41 Doing Shut Skateboards out of necessity

01:15:59 Going to the Cow Skates contest in Ohio with Mike Vallely

01:20:25 Rodney vs. Rob Dyrdek "skate-off"

01:24:05 Creating new shapes for skateboards

01:33:21 Hand making boards when Shut first started

01:35:15 Billy Waldman stepping to Bruno & Rodney at the Brooklyn Banks

01:44:16 Shut partnering up with Cow Skates

01:50:02 Getting a call & an offer from Brad Dorfman

01:58:01 Jimmy George from Cow Skates tries to sue Shut Skateboards

02:01:58 The downfall of Shut Skateboards

02:04:08 Quickly bringing Shut Skateboards back in 1992

02:08:17 Putting Shut back to bed

02:09:33 Doing something new with Eli Gesner

02:13:22 Naming his new brand Zoo York

02:25:08 The origins of the Zoo York name

02:29:16 Selling Zoo York in 2001

02:38:22 Linking up with Ecko

02:49:20 Internal sabotage at Zoo York

02:52:52 The mass exodus from Zoo York

03:00:14 The opportunity to work with Dave Chappelle, instead working with Ashton Kutcher

03:03:05 Finally saying goodbye to Zoo York

03:10:14 The Zoo York mixtape video

03:14:03 Advice for the bedroom brands

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