In the mid-2000s, skateboarding was all about the biggest stair sets and longest handrails. If you weren’t trying to watch some dude from Southern California jump down a 14 stair, then you were pretty much out of luck. That was unless you were watching Brent Atchley’s parts in Elementality or This Is My Element. He was able to flow effortlessly around Burnside and make it look as if he was casually surfing the colossal transition.
Just as quickly as Brent popped up in the industry, he went incognito and suddenly disappeared from Element releases. Around the office, we always pitched a “Where are they now” type of interview with him, but it never came to fruition. That was until recently, when he dropped a part for Satori Wheels with the exact same flowy style we used to be mesmerized by.
It turns out that when he’s not at Burnside, Brent now has a full-time job as a peer support specialist and works with Push Movement. To figure out what that job actually entails, and why he dipped under the global radar, we hitched it to Portland and tried to track him down. Luckily we didn’t have to look for long, and he was open and willing to share his story with us.
The Shop
Related Posts
-
COOKING COCONUT CURRY WITH YAJE POPSON
Get motivated to cook something healthy tonight or just close the browser and grab a Big Mac. We won't judge you.
-
THE EVOLUTION OF… THE WEST LOS ANGELES COURTHOUSE
We couldn't do this series without acknowledging the LA proving ground of the last 30 years.
-
MEET THE ENJOI AMS: RYAN
Take a mini roadtrip with Louie Barletta to to meet the last of enjoi's newest recruits.
-
THE SEARCH FOR SKATEBOARDING’S MOST FAMOUS CAR
We tried to find the crashed car at the end of the iconic skate video, "Video Days" released in 1991 by Blind Skateboards.
-
NOT SURE WHAT TO DO ALL WINTER? SNOWSKATING MIGHT BE THE ANSWER
"Believe it or not, it's come a long way from taking the trucks off your beater board and face planting down an icy hill."
-
SWIM SKATEBOARDS PROVES THEY’RE HERE TO STAY IN “GRINDING THE TAPE”
A strong visual aesthetic, discerning eye for tricks & underrated riders - Swim got the formula right.
-
“PARTS” WITH ARIN
Since Arin is a new face in the larger skate world, we wanted to pick her brain to see what parts she's watching.
-
SHOP TALK AT TENANT SKATE SHOP’S THIRD ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Enjoy some thoughtful responses from our neighbors in Brooklyn.
Comments
Popular
-
FROM PRO SKATER TO POSTAL WORKER: LIFE AFTER SKATEBOARDING
We met up with Joey Brezinski to see how the second chapter of his career is coming along.
-
HANGING OUT WITH ANDREW HUBERMAN, SKATEBOARDER TURNED NEUROSCIENTIST
Curious what it would be like to hang with this guy outside of a stuffy podcast studio? Us too.
-
KEITH HUFNAGEL ON THE FUTURE OF HUF
We heard a rumor that HUF was going out of business, so we talked with boss man himself to find out.
-
50 THINGS TO DO IN SKATEBOARDING BEFORE YOU QUIT
From dropping in on vert to packing 12 deep in a minivan and going on a road trip, this list covers the essentials.
-
PRESERVING SKATEBOARDING’S OUTSIDER ERA
Crusty ramps scrawled with punk rock graffiti, derelict characters, awkward 80's portraits, and more from The Past Participle.
October 18, 2022 1:27 pm
Great job on this , as a Portlander and someone who has known Brent for a long time this made my day.
October 18, 2022 1:39 pm
Hell yah! Good for him
(Mikey Chin is the best, baby!)
October 18, 2022 4:21 pm
Amazing content, kudos!
October 18, 2022 5:27 pm
This Dude is my Favorite skateboarder