From D3s and Santa Cruz planks to Accels and a SK8MAFIA pro model, you could say TJ Rogers style and preferences have certainly changed a bit through the years, but when you really look close, he’s stayed true to his roots all the same.
In the latest installment of Then/Now, TJ rewinds the tape and takes us back to the early days when he was just a hungry up-and-comer living in Canada to the past 10 years being a pro skateboarder. His talent speaks for itself, so it’s pretty humbling seeing all these old clips of a young TJ—still G’d up from the feet up—and where his career has taken him ever since. One of the best. Take a look:
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This series is perfect for a skateboarder like TJ. The dude has been around forever and has always been extremely talented, but he’s been sort of overlooked at the same time, you know? He’s put in so much work over the past decade-plus, always showing up and always getting the job done.
Riding for SK8MAFIA and securing a proper spot on the éS roster have been great moves. Personally, I love seeing him get the shine he deserves. TJ rips. No debate.
Related: TJ Rogers and Alexis Ramirez Go Off in Bronson’s New ‘Rollin’ Deep’ Edit
It’s always fun to learn where it all started for our favorite pros. We all have those stories, growing up skating our local park and spots, debatable wardrobe and music choices, wild shoes and wacky setups—but that’s the stuff that ultimately leads us to where we are today.
And it’s clear that TJ’s inspirations stem from all over the place, which is super rad. If you haven’t pressed play yet, get there. Or you just might miss TJ admit that one of the musical groups from his past that get him stoked are the Spice Girls. On and off the board, the dude is as real as it gets. Yeah, TJ!