Interview with Wade Sokol

SSL.com: What disciplines do you compete in?
WS: Streetluge

SSL.com: What's your favorite hill?
WS: Glendora Mountain Road

SSL.com: How'd you get into the sport?
WS: Tom Mason and Mike colabella took me out for my first run at 11:00 at night
   with a truck following us so we could see where we were going, dont try this at
   home kids we are professionals!
 

SSL.com: How long have you been involved with the sport?
WS: six years

SSL.com: If you have retired, why?  If not, how long do you plan to participate in the sport?
WS: I retired after the shortly after the 2001 Gravity Games. I required surgery
   to repair a biceps tendon in my right forarm around the same time as September
   11th. Sponsorship was not forthcoming and exspenses became to high.
 

SSL.com: Do you remember your first race? Describe it.
WS: My first race was at Frank G. Bonelli park with 46 riders in the amature
   class. I practiced for four weeks and raced my ass off, payed my entry fee and
   came in 45th.
 

SSL.com: What's your favorite memory?
WS: Raceing Lee Dansie in the 2000 X-Games one of the best damn races of my
   career, hands down!

SSL.com: Who is your favorite rider?
WS: toss up Lee Dansie, Sean Mallard there both fluid on a board poetry to watch.

SSL.com: Who's the most underrated rider?
WS: Andy Lally

SSL.com: What's your favorite board, truck, wheel, and bearings?
WS: UFO or Bob Perarya boards are all I've ever ridden-and there all I ever
   will ride-simply the best built.

SSL.com: What changes have you seen in the sport? Any that you don't like?
WS: With any sport you are always going to have changes some good some bad just
   depends on who you talk to. I think in streetluge the biggest thorn in our side
   are the riders. Sometimes we need to just go out and do our jobs and keep our
   mouths shut and be athletes. You really can say to much or do yourself and your
   sport harm with actions and words.
 

SSL.com: What does the sport need to do to hit the big time?
WS: the sport hit the big time 1997-2000. For that to happen again attitudes
   with the riders, organization bodies and sponsors need to change. I dont see a
   hey day for streetluge in the near future again anytime soon. I could be wrong,
   I would love to be wrong, and if I am I might even ride again. I just need to
   find a way to fund it.
 

SSL.com: Any special contributions to the sport that you have made?
WS: I would like to think that my big contribution to the sport was that I maid
   it fun. I was a clean racer I was fair and if you and I ever got tangled up yu
   knew it wasent on purpose. I enjoyed myself and all my brothers I raced with. I
   stoped racing when it wasent fun anymore. To much crap involved.
 

SSL.com: If you could do it all again, would you?
WS: HELL YES I WOULD DO IT AGAIN, BUT ONLY IF I COULD DO IT WITH SAME BEAT UP,
   GRUNGY, TATOOED, SMELLY, GREAT BUNCH OF GUYS I DID IT WITH THE FIRST TIME!
 

SSL.com: Anything you want to add? Get on your soab box and go off! Any other questions you wished i had asked?
WS: FINAL THOUGHTS: When your traveling at 60mph elbow to elbow with someone
   you trust that you call friend. Someone that you know wont hurt or kill you in
   the next turn, because he didnt in the last. You can hear his laughter even
   over the road noise and through your helmet. You know you have found a sport of
   pure joy, excitement and straight adreanaline. The day you loose all that fun
   that pure enjoyment of riding-you need to stop riding or you will get hurt or
   hurt someone else.Ride to ride for the simple pleasure of riding a streetluge,
   not medals or hipe or to be a hero.

   Thanks for the soap box sean take care and let me know what you think-your bro
   and friend wade sokol

Thank you Wade Sokol for your time.  Is there a rider you would like to see interviewed by SidestreetLuge.com? Email us at Sidestreetluge@yahoo.com and Let us know!!