Gabe Spotts has become the next and newest Am to rise up from the Provo area. Like his friends and heroes Matt Fisher and Brodie Penrod, Spotts is hoping to garner enough attention to eventually get him out of the suburbs and into the big city. With the help of his sponsors, which include local companies Fortica Skateboards, Discrete Headwear, Skullcandy and Board of Provo, Spotts has been keeping the Utah scene relevant through traveling and competing on the amateur circuit.
Gabe Spotts: Pushing through the Ranks
Skate
When Spotts isn’t out on the road, he’s kicking it in Provo, cruising the parks. “I like skating the park just because everything’s perfect, and I don’t have to worry about a cop lurking over my shoulder,” he says. Spotts also attributes the convenience of the public parks to the growth of the talent down South. He says, “We all skate together and push each other: Alex Washington, Aaron Lopez, Chandler, Logan Summer, Fisher and Penrod.” After warming up at the park, Spotts likes to try to get photos at some of his favorite spots. “I shoot photos with Gage Thompson and Weston Colton. I try to film with Dustin Hill, but he’s a family man and sometimes has to bring the kids with him,” he says. Spotts also mentioned that he and Fisher were also working on an edit. They’ve been busy filming Ledgie Land and Lakeview benches, a few close street spots that he says are his favorites, and the U, of course. What I immediately noticed about Gabe’s skating is the way he translates park skills to the streets—everything looks pretty effortless. Spotts says his style is yet to be determined, and it’s the biggest part of his game that he’s working on. “I would say I’m still trying to figure it [out] myself, but a lot of people have influenced me, especially Brodie and Matt. As far as Ams go, Trevor Colden and Dashawn Jordan kill it and are the next dudes in line. Cody McEntire and Shane O’Neill are so sick!”
Spotts isn’t just about skating all the time, though. He likes to hike and generally stay active when he’s not pushing wood. “I actually tried skiing last year. It was more fun than snowboarding,” he says. Seeing as Julian Carr, professional skier and CEO of Discrete is flowing him product now, that’s a smart statement (not that I agree with it). Spotts and Fisher are the only two skaters currently on Discrete’s roster, and have been brought aboard to help expand the brand’s exposure in skateboarding. “[Carr] basically came to me and said he wanted to branch out and have me be a part of the team. I had talked to Ingersoll about it as well. I was stoked,” says Spotts. Having secured so many local and national sponsors will ensure that he gets everything necessary to compete and hopefully fulfill his dream as a skater.
“I have one more year of high school to go—then I’m not really sure,” Spotts says when talking about his future plans. He has a lot he wants to accomplish in the next year, including the Dam Am contest series and competing in his first Summer of Death. “If I can’t make it as a skater, I’d love to be a part of [the industry] somehow—maybe graphic design,” he says. At just 17 years young, Spotts admits that he doesn’t really know that much, but he does know that skateboarding “just feels right.” With his commitment and his support crew, I’m starting to think that maybe, just maybe, Spotts won’t have to pursue a graphic design job. At least, not until he’s in his 40s.
Follow Spotts on Twitter @GabeSpotts and find him on Vimeo. Look for Spotts’ name as he competes and climbs the ranks in the Am series, and be sure to support him at this year’s SLUG SOD skate series, starting with the first one on July 20.
Photos:
