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You have likely heard his name, or maybe you remember him from the video game or have seen him on television at one point or another during his 30-year professional career, a career defined by firsts. “I was the first skateboarder to skate in the White House,” said professional skateboarder Andy Macdonald, speaking with KSBW’s Paul Dudley. “I was the first skater on the Tonight Show. I did an interview with Jay Leno and skated across his stage.” And now another record. At 50 years old, Macdonald is looking to become the oldest skateboarder to compete in the Olympics. “This Olympic thing is just a new fun thing to try out,” Macdonald said. “And here I am at 50 and still traveling the world doing what I love to do.” The Southern California skater, whose dad is from Britain, recently made the Great Britain National Team. Now, he is hoping to qualify for the games in Paris. The task has its physical challenges. Macdonald says he has surprised even himself.“It hurts,” Macdonald said as he laughed. “I could show you interviews of me when I was 30 years old, getting asked, ‘How long can you do this?’ I don’t know. Maybe I can milk it until I am 32.” Macdonald is quick to point out this isn’t a comeback tour but rather another chance to do what he has been doing beneath the summer sun for decades. He already has eight X-Games gold medals under his belt. “It is not like this is some big comeback,” Macdonald said. “What I tell most people, like people my age, who are like, ‘Ah, you are such an inspiration you are still skating with the kids,’ and I am like yeah, I never stopped.”He really is skating with the kids. Tommy Calvert, 13; George O’Neill, 14; and on the women’s side, one of the best in the world, Sky Brown, 15, inspired Macdonald to go for gold.“My teammate Sky Brown is a shoo-in for the gold medal on the women’s side park skateboarding, and it is super inspirational,” Macdonald said. “It is surreal sometimes, and I feel lucky that I get to do what I do.”Macdonald will be competing in the park competition, which is different from Vert, those big ramps Macdonald is known for. Macdonald admits learning this new discipline has been a big challenge, but he says he is ready for it. For Macdonald to qualify for the Olympics, he needs to finish in the top 20 following the next qualifying event coming up in Budapest starting on June 20.
You have likely heard his name, or maybe you remember him from the video game or have seen him on television at one point or another during his 30-year professional career, a career defined by firsts.
“I was the first skateboarder to skate in the White House,” said professional skateboarder Andy Macdonald, speaking with KSBW’s Paul Dudley. “I was the first skater on the Tonight Show. I did an interview with Jay Leno and skated across his stage.”
And now another record. At 50 years old, Macdonald is looking to become the oldest skateboarder to compete in the Olympics.
“This Olympic thing is just a new fun thing to try out,” Macdonald said. “And here I am at 50 and still traveling the world doing what I love to do.”
The Southern California skater, whose dad is from Britain, recently made the Great Britain National Team. Now, he is hoping to qualify for the games in Paris. The task has its physical challenges. Macdonald says he has surprised even himself.
“It hurts,” Macdonald said as he laughed. “I could show you interviews of me when I was 30 years old, getting asked, ‘How long can you do this?’ I don’t know. Maybe I can milk it until I am 32.”
Macdonald is quick to point out this isn’t a comeback tour but rather another chance to do what he has been doing beneath the summer sun for decades. He already has eight X-Games gold medals under his belt.
“It is not like this is some big comeback,” Macdonald said. “What I tell most people, like people my age, who are like, ‘Ah, you are such an inspiration you are still skating with the kids,’ and I am like yeah, I never stopped.”
He really is skating with the kids. Tommy Calvert, 13; George O’Neill, 14; and on the women’s side, one of the best in the world, Sky Brown, 15, inspired Macdonald to go for gold.
“My teammate Sky Brown is a shoo-in for the gold medal on the women’s side park skateboarding, and it is super inspirational,” Macdonald said. “It is surreal sometimes, and I feel lucky that I get to do what I do.”
Macdonald will be competing in the park competition, which is different from Vert, those big ramps Macdonald is known for. Macdonald admits learning this new discipline has been a big challenge, but he says he is ready for it.
For Macdonald to qualify for the Olympics, he needs to finish in the top 20 following the next qualifying event coming up in Budapest starting on June 20.
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