Interview Scotty Bentley

 

Hi whats your name how long you skate and how old you are and where are you from?

My name is Scott Bentley and I'm from Tampa Florida

Tell me something about your begginins on skateboard 

I got my first skateboard in 1981 at the age of six. It was a blue plastic banana board and I already knew carving gutters, imitating surfer magazine, that I love skateboarding.throughout the early 80s into the 90s, it was constant launch ramps and mini ramps and learning how to skate vert. We were always building something. At one point before fingerboards were invented we used to cut out the Skateboard pictures in thrasher magazine glue them to cardboard, put matchbox wheels on the bottom of them using erasers for the trucks and we put toothpicks for rails and toothpicks inside the cardboard and crack a nose and tail put grip tape on them and boom instant fingerboards we would sell them at school.I remember the first ramp I put together was a sheet of plywood on top of two barstools with a cooler underneath the support it. We would skate that thing at the end of my driveway forever.. I was 10 years old at that time.

Tell us something about your local scene then and now ? 

The scene in Tampa has always been a big Skateboard scene. Once the skate park of Tampa opened in 1993 it pushed it to a whole other level. We've always had a really good DIY scene going on it used to be plywood and abandoned warehouses and to date we have the SHMF crew ( That stands for our neighborhood Seminole Heights, motherfucker or skate hard, motherfucker) that is constantly doing in concrete DIY.Tampa has the,Infamous Bro Bowl which was one of the first concrete skate parks in Florida in the 70s. As every other city in the 80s and 90s, the cops used to hate you or they would take your board and break it and give it back or they would give you a trespassing ticket. We grew up fighting the Jocks and every other asshole that hated skateboarders, which felt like everybody. It's cool to see nowadays. A cop will roll up on you and give you one last try and then everyone just goes their way. All in all the scene in Tampa has a ton of skate parks, a decent amount of DIY concrete on rotation. And never ending stream of rippers. My backyard has the Bagel Bowl. It has helped create a really cool backyard local scene. Two rules be cool and don't be a kook other than that everyone's invited.

Your favourite skate spots.. i like your spot from your ig page videos its in your garden?

My favorite spot used to be a DIY barrier spot that we built called the North Boulevard barriers. They were super gnarly and we put pool Coping on top of the barriers with no tilt. They would humble even the best Skater.and yes, as I stated above, that's my backyard. The Bagel Bowl. As of right now, I don't really have a favorite spot, but a buddy of mine has a place called the dream driveway one street over and that's super sick.

Did you have sponsors? Which brands supporting you?

 I ride for Z East Skateboards And locally the Tampa Rejects. 

Whats your fav tricks which you must to do on every sesh?

One of my favorite tricks is the Bonedrecht. I also love a good judo air. 

Your best music to skate? 

Metal of all sorts! This is Tampa, the home of death metal! 

Your top 5 skate artist and graphics

That one is too hard for me to answer because there are so many good graphics out there and so many good artist.Eric Dressen Has one of my favorite styles though. Naturally, I love everything coming off of Z-East and last I would say anything creature puts out is almost always rad. 

Whats your inspiration in skateboarding and life? 

At 49 years old, my inspiration is to keep skateboarding. I just want to  keep progressing And trying to have fun with it. It definitely gets harder as the years go on. I'm a hairdresser by trade and a skater by Lifestyle.

Your words feel free to write what you want … greetins etc

 I feel honored to have skated through so many different decades. It's been amazing watching people grow up and see their progression. It's been crazy going through all the different board and wheel changes and trucks, etc. But I can say I'm proud as hell to be a skater through and through. It doesn't matter how good you are it matters your attitude if you have a good attitude you fucking rip so I hope everyone gets out there and gets after it. Thanks for this opportunity. I appreciate it. 

Scott Bentley

IG Scottyb813shmfhttps://www.instagram.com/scottyb813shmf?igsh=YjkwYjU5dGJ3cGlk.