CULTURE COMMUNITY

Interview with LeNeal Toney, Sponsored DaVille Team Rider

@ltyadigg

So LeNeal, what brought you to FAYNC? Well, I moved here by chance kind of. I’m from PA originally. My family and I were on the way to FL and stopped here to visit family and kind of never left.

What made you want to pick up a skateboard? I actually picked it up because I didn’t know too much about it really. I mean I played THPS (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater) but there wasn’t a large presence of skating in my hometown/area at all. I then was hooked instantly though, before I knew it I was quitting all the other sports left and right.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE SKATEBOARD CULTURE HERE IN FAYNC ?

The culture to me, is that of an eclectic melting pot. Skating is already so rooted in street culture and diversity but due to FT BRAGG there are people from LITERALLY all over the country and even world here. So with them they bring their own styles and swaggers.

— LENEAL TONEY

There is so many skaters to choose from but you only can choose one. Who’s your biggest skateboarding inspiration?

Be a liar if I didn’t say a pro by the name of Ishod Wair. When I decided that I wanted to be a “skater”, if you will, Ishod was the person who stuck out to me the most and who I took influence from like stylistically and what not.

There is definitely levels to this! How did you get to the level of skateboarding you are now?

Psht, easy! WORK! I’ve skated night and day, day and night constantly pushing myself and learning new things and new perspectives within skating for the last 18 years. Well, minus recovery times from injuries, there hasn’t been a time that I took off of skating since the year 2005.

What’s it like being a sponsored DaVille Team Rider?

It’s pretty cool man, honestly. Terry has been a part of the growing industry since the 90s and had kind of held down this area almost single handedly and that is respectful. I’ve been a lot of places and it surprises me sometimes how known Daville is.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years in your skateboarding career?

I’m still out here working hard man. I’m gonna be going just as hard as I am now. Lately I have been working on some business ventures with my crew, DWAS or Dudes Who Always Skate, though. Working on merchandising and just growing. Hopefully I’ll be up and running fully by then. (

What would you tell someone who wants to get more into skateboarding?

I’d tell them to enjoy themselves NO MATTER WHAT. Whether you just roll around, casually learn tricks, want to compete and be sponsored; just have fun and enjoy as much of it as possible. OH and get health insurance haha!