Dylan Rieder, Keep it Going

Dylan stepped on a skateboard for the first time when he was nine years old. He was born in Westminster California and made a presence skating in amateur comps. He won Damn Am when he was 13 years old making an impression on Stefan Janoski with his skills on rails and in the street. It all started similar to other skate beginnings we’ve heard. As a kid, Dylan always wanted to be a pro surfer or skateboarder.

Though Dylan’s parents, Joe Rieder and Dana Ortiz put him into swimming at four leading to organized sports. He played water polo from age nine to twelve, saying he was good, but he didn’t like waking up in the morning and being on a schedule. Dylan picked up skateboarding and with the freedom it brought, he kicked the schedule stuff to the curb.

Modeling

Dylan’s modeling also started young as a boy model for Quicksilver’s youth campaign. He entered Damn Am under them. His roots in the industries started early while killing it as a young skater. As Dylan grew up around older more experienced skaters he would take cues from them.

And started to develop his transition skills breaking away from being known as the kid who skates rails, establishing his style which he took with him seamlessly on and off the board. Wearing his sleek slip on’s that gave him comfort and style everywhere he went. His rolled up pants buttoned up shirt with a necklace. Dylan did his style and art through and through, nice clothes didn’t hold him back, he owned it. Skateboarding is all about doing your thing, being your own person.

Going Pro

Dylan went pro when he was 18 in 2006 with, A Time To Shine for Transworld. He became the years best am the highest honor awarded to amateur skateboarders. And then joining Alien Workshop in 2009 after he skated with Anti Hero entertaining the chance to join them. He shot Mind Field with Alien at this time.

Rolling Stone called, A Time To Shine, Mind Field, Gravis, and Cherry defining moments in his career. It is said that Dylan made the Gravis shoe part because he wasn’t satisfied with the Mind field video. He was accomplishing a lot with his skateboarding and other endeavors, just watch him skate or listen to him talk and he’ll leave you with something to take away from it.

To Dylan skateboarding was visually inspiring, he says “there are certain people you watch skate and it just looks good, it’s right, it’s like alright that dude is supposed to be on a skateboard”. And you see it all the time, in my community I watch the skaters at my home park and see exactly what Dylan is talking about, it’s beautiful.

He always wanted to emulate the people that inspired him and do it how they did it. I think all us skateboarders experience this as we find our way on our boards. Again I do the same watching the skaters in my community.

Darker Times

As Dylan’s career progressed he hit a roadblock. If you are not aware while living the independent skate life you could lose it all before you know it’s gone, lose your balance and way. He encountered a loss of motivation getting distracted by drugs, namely pills. Which compounded the pressures of opinions and expectations from other skaters. Dylan was ready to quit.

People who supported him started pulling back, he needed to get off the pills and no one thought he could do it. Taking six days to turn it around he took back what meant most to him keeping his passion alive, surprising those who thought he wouldn’t get anywhere in that amount of time, he did.

Keep It Going

Dylan said, “that’s the cool thing about being a skateboarder, being a musician or being an artist”. “You figure it out your own way, that’s the good part about it”. “You continue on to the next project, keep it going”.

Dylan accomplished a lot in his short 28 years, it’s inspiring. Many people who live a lifetime don’t. Sadly Dylan passed away on Oct 12, 2016, due to complications from Leukemia. I remember being at the skate park when I heard about it. How I relate, I don’t talk about much, because I had Leukemia when I was a child. It’s still difficult even though I have been clear of it for many years, and why I haven’t written much about it here. Dylan was surrounded by over 50 family members and friends.

Delevingne posted at the time, “you will be so missed by so many people”. “Ride and rest in peace”.

By Andrea Biggs.

Sources; Wikipedia for known facts, YouTube videos for interviews and quotes, Thrasher, Transworld and independent videos. My own experiences in skateboarding.

A Time To Shine