An NDN Insight - Ty Acuff

An NDN Insight with Ty Acuff!


Above image cred goes to Chanky Flux

1. How'd you get into blading? Where? When?

I started blading because when i was really young a lot of people gave me the idea that "you are not allowed to be a skateboarder AND a rollerblader at the same time" so when i was about 14 i gave up skateboarding after 5 years because my older brother is my main homeboy and i really looked up to him and all of his friends who were rollerbladers so i asked for a pair of skates for christmas and went from a boarder to blader over night. I'm currently trying to get back on my skateboarding tip though.

2. Sum yourself up in 10 words.

no homo. spliff. nice. down for whatever. chillin. thinker. sinner.

3. Is Taylor (Ty's big brother) the reason you got good so quickly? Elaborate.

It's definitely one of the major reasons. Like i said before he's the one who got me into it, he's the the reason i'm part of it and it part of me. It's cool when you have a brother in the game because there's always someone there who shares the passion and speaks the language. Plus you gotta be able to keep up with the older bro and if that isn't motivation then I don't know what is.

4. When you aren't out skating, what are you doing?

I'm usually snowboarding if i'm not blading due to snow. I've also been attempting to make some music these days. I recently stole my brothers mic and set up a mini studio in my closet so me and whoever can try to get all lyrical and what not. I like to write a lot of rhymes but i have a select group of buddies that can squeeze some freestlyes out of me which is always funner after a few drinks. I'm also tryin to teach myself the acoustic guitar which is goin pretty well.

5. Explain the term "Getting Cuffed" for those who have never been properly Cuffed.

Oh shit son! It's basically when whoever comes to my house before or after a blade, they get to munch out. So i think cuffing people started because i never had a car until this year so i'd always get picked up to go skating and my mom keeps a well stocked fridge for her boys so i'd pay off my drivers with whatever they wanted to eat or drink. Pretty much anyone who is welcomed into the cuff residence never leaves hungry or thirsty.


Photo by Toasted Berry


6. Do you do your part in exposing blading to your non-blader homies? If so, what do you show them/bring them to/tell them? If not, why?

I most definitely try to show people what's up with blading. When all of the previous erik bill videos were coming out i would always spread the word through my school and every time there was a surprisingly larger group of Boise High School students at every premiere. The best is when i see people i know surfing youtube for some real extreme shit so i always show them something like haffeys section in drip drop or a leading the blind section or something of the sort whether its oldschool or a recent be-mag post and everyone is always instantly into it and after that i have their attention so that's when i'm able to drop some blade knowledge on their heads. Every time it's like they're seeing blading for the first time and then they all ask me why we're not rich for busting our asses and why isn't the shit in the x games or on fuel tv and every time i give them the same old answer..."I have no fucking clue". Sometimes people will just get sucked in and let me educate them for hours haha i love it.

7. You were always the little brother of the NDN's...now you're grown up, that sucks. What's your take on it?

Just like everything else in life, it has it's ups and downs. People expect a lot more of you when you're grown but it's not too hard to figure out. I just go with the flow and try to be relaxed and comfortable with everything i do. I still get to be the little kid when i'm with the NDN crew though.

8. What are 5 things you've learned through blading?

How to fall is a major one. How to have more of an appreciation for architecture. Everything you do is only as hard or cool or technical as you make it. Blading is an art. Don't over work youself.

9. What's the basic session for you? Who do you usually skate with? Where at?

It all depends on the mood for me. I'm always down to just chill and session a spot where you can unload your tricks and kick it. I'd skate a p-rail all the time if i had one and a decent park is always a decent session which is usually Rhodes skatepark and Fort Boise skatepark and maybe some caldwell plaza sprinkled in there. Since Boise is a pretty small city i really enjoy venturing anywhere outside of boise to find new unique spots even if it's a little dinky town. My main rollers in crime are usually E Bill, E Bail, Phil Davidson and my brother when he finds the time to blade these days. Sometimes I'll take both the blades and the board and switch off at spots.

10. Any hopes/plans for 2011?

Sooooo many. I might be moving out to northern California for a while here soon and save up some money and take some trips. There's so many scenes in blading all over the world that i wanna meet and skate with. I have some friends out in San Fran that I really want to go visit and i've never really been anywhere east of idaho at all so i definitely want to make some trips out there, maybe visit Geoff Phillip out in Colorado one day or something. I Just really want to get more involved with the rolling world and meet more people that i've always wanted to skate with from watching in edits and things like that. I also wouldn't mind meeting some more bladers my own age.

Ty Acuff - I Was A Cloud from erik bill on Vimeo.