Ohio Skateboard Connection

Tim Cernanec

Tim Cernanec is one of the leaders of Ohio's downhill skateboarding scene. Better known under the Instagram handle shoreline_boarder, Tim comes on to talk about his history with the sport, traveling the world to compete, gnarly crashes, top speeds, and much more. He also discusses some of the misconceptions of downhill and slalom, and how it interacts with the broader skateboarding scene. He provides detailed information on the upcoming Sweaty Palms event in Cincinnati on May 2, and other happenings in the regional scene. Please reach out to Tim if you have any questions on how to get started or how to come check out an event. These guys and gals have serious balls, and have earned the respect of the four wheeled community. Join us for a deep dive on a fascinating and under discussed subculture within a subculture.

Dave Shaheen- Davis Skate Club

Toledo native Dave Shaheen is the founder of Davis Skate Club. Operating out of the heart of downtown Cleveland, the organization is committed to exposing the precious gift of skateboarding to high school students at Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School, where Dave happens to teach. Lessons, workshops, field trips, and exposure to the art and culture of skateboarding are all part of the programming. With help from other organizations (like previous guest Advocate SkateWorks, Dave is getting primo boards and gear into the hands of underserved communities. Lots of positive momentum is building right now in the Cleveland scene. This upcoming Friday March 13th, Dave will be hosting the annual Art Show auction/fundraiser at Lakewood's Westside Skates. Please show up and support his mission and go home with a quality piece from one of Ohio’s finest. Join us for a wide ranging interview including Woodville Skatepark, Athens, teaching high school social studies, Westside Skates, and the future of the Cleveland scene. Dave currently lives in Lakewood, Ohio with his wife and kids.   Time Stamps:   1:30- Background info 5:10- Discovering skating  8:25- The Toledo scene 35:35- Davis Skate Club 52:17- The Kids 1:08:10- Difference in skate culture today  1:12:06- Key contributors 1:20:40- Art Show (March 13th 2026) 1:26:25- The Future/Cleveland Scene 1:32:02- Most influential Ohio Skater  1:35:18- Closing thoughts

Gary Collins

Our latest guest was born in Covington, KY and has lived in Cincinnati for most of his life.  A staple and leader of the Tri-state scene, he was a part of several influential local videos as a rider for Anonymous Skateshop, and later had a lengthy run skating for Consolidated. Later he became  the owner of Instrument Skateboards and Galaxie Skateshop. He was also one the biggest contributors to building and maintaining the Newport DIY skatepark, aka “The Bridge.” He currently lives on the West Side of Cincinnati and works as a successful concrete contractor, hoping to help build future skateparks in the area. Amazing stories in this one, including hill bombing in Cincinnati, Barcelona with the AWS crew, fallout with Adidas in the retail world, and much more. Join us as we discuss Gary’s life in skateboarding and the travels that were the result. Thank you to Gary for all he has done shepherding the Cincinnati scene.    Timestamps 1:17- Background Info 6:55- Early years of Cincinnati scene 14:20- Quitting high school 17:55 - The art of hill bombing  27:35- Anonymous 33:10- National coverage/sponsors 48:30- Barcelona memories 57:05- Working on Community Relations video 1:03:05- Instrument Skateboards 1:15:00- Galaxie Skateshop 1:27:09- The Bridge 1:47:08- Upcoming skateparks in Cincinnati 1:51:48-Contemporary skateboarding  1:56:30- Cincinnati Favorites

Chad Knight

Chad Knight was the first professional skateboarder to come out of the Columbus area. Born and raised in Westerville, Chad was a significant player in the Sunsports indoor scene, cutting his teeth on their fabled ramp where he would craft one of the most elite mini-ramp skill sets of his generation. Originally sponsored by H-Street during their legendary early 90’s run, Chad went on to move to California in 1995 in a classic go-for-broke tale of following a childhood dream. He would go on to ride for Evol, Gullwing, Pig, Dukes, Maple, Osiris, and 1031. Perhaps most famously, he was part of the iconic 1999 Osiris video The Storm. What people may not realize about Chad is that he’s gone on to an equally impressive phase 2 of his career in 3D design and fine art, along with working in the footwear design space for major brands such as Vans, DC, Nike, and Under Armour. Chad was one of the most requested guests since launching the podcast, and was incredibly gracious and open to all of my often esoteric questions regarding the Ohio skate scene of yore. Hopefully we can do a part 2 sometime in 2026 as there is so much we didn’t have time to cover. Lot of familiar names and characters mentioned in this wide-ranging conversation. Thank you dearly to all the listeners and support for this project. 2026 is going to be exciting. The merriest of Christmases and Happiest of New Years to all of you.  Thanks- CS   Timestamps 2:00- Background info 14:25- Sunsports 25:28- H-Street 46:40-Westerville Locs 55:00- Workshop 57:30- skating vert 1:02:15- Maple 1:11:30- Moving to San Diego 1:24:15- Sports Arena Switch Backside Flip 1:30:00- Working with big name photographers  1:33:37- Josh Kasper 1:40:00- Prominent San Diego skaters  1:44:15- The Storm 1:51:00- Alcoholism/sobriety 1:58:22- Pro shoe 2:05:20- footwear/Muska 2:15:30- 3D design 2:17:55- Finding success as an artist  2:40:30- part 2 interview 2:43:30- San Diego vs LA 2:51:15- Australia 2:53:38-Reflecting on Columbus

Luke McKaye

Originally hailing from the Wheeling, WV area, my latest guest has established himself as a talented go-to photographer throughout the Midwest and beyond. After some early success in the industry in LA, Luke stepped away from skating for nearly a decade to pursue a career that was ultimately unfulfilling, before jumping back in harder than ever about a year ago. Currently residing in Colerain, Ohio, Luke has been published in numerous magazines, including Thrasher, Transworld, Lowcard, Skate Jawn, CCS, Bliss, Focus, Slam, Stepdad, Downward, Skate Boner, and Rare Breed.  Luke’s tireless work ethic has seen him become a rising star in a facet of skating we desperately need to support and keep alive. Throughout his world travels, Luke points to cities like Columbus and Dayton as particularly engaging and inviting scenes. This is a fun one where we discuss the future of photography, Dave Coyne, Dan Charlton, finding skaters to shoot, learning equipment, sobriety, and much more. Thanks Luke for your efforts documenting our regional scene and keeping the spirit of print photography alive and well.  Timestamps 1:31- Chit chat 3:40- Background info 8:46- Wheeling skate scene  15:13- Discovering Photography 24:49- getting serious  28:31- Finding skaters  42:00- Magazines  52:41- Moving to LA 1:10:00- Quitting lucrative career  1:18:13- Favorite skate trips 1:23:23- Equipment/techniques 1:37:48- Dan Charlton 1:44:35- Sobriety 1:51:55- Upcoming projects 1:55:20- Shout outs