Robert Brink - Writer

Bucky Lasek

July 12, 2005 | Skip To The Comments (1)

Bucky Lasek
By Rob Brink
ESPN Magazine May 2003

This is how my Bucky Lasek piece ran in ESPN magazine. For the full unedited interview and photos that ran on EXPN.com, click here .

Bucky Lasek, 30, is a skate legend, with wins in every major comp over his 13 years as a pro. But he's also Mr. Mom, with plenty of experience refereeing wrestling matches between daughters Paris, 2, and Devin, 5. He wants to skate! He's got chores to do! We checked in with the always loquacious Lasek to see how he's prepping for this month's Global Championship. What we got was classic Bucky.

So you're getting ready, right?
When I'm home, I'm so busy playing maid that I don't have time to think about skating.

C'mon, no duck-outs to the park?
Yeah. After a stressful day around the house, I go to the ramp to sit and watch and unwind.

Okay. So your girls must be great skaters?
I would love for my girls to skate. I take them to the park sometimes, but they don't really get into it. They're at an age where they scare easy. I don't know what to do about that.

Nor us. Hey, what sport would you have been good at if skating hadn't gotten in the way?
Racing cars. I've been to driving schools. My 2003 M3 is my favorite, but my dream car is a white Ferrari. The Enzo is insane. I played baseball and football in junior high. I was good at baseball. I played every position. Now I play golf and basketball.

Is golf stressful or a release?
If I keep score? Stressful.

Any other jocks in the skate world?
A lot of guys would be good if they were into other sports as much as skating. People would be asking, "Mark McGwire who?"

Who's the most jocklike?
Danny Way. And that's no dis.

How about Hawk?
Tony's more of a computer guy.

You're teamed with Andy Macdonald in skate vert for the U.S. at Global. Who's gonna win?
Bob Burnquist and Sandro Dias from Brazil.

Just like that?
Yeah. Sandro's on fire and Bob's incredible.

As a skating old-timer, how do you feel about skating becoming mainstream?
I see kids who look more like a skater than I do. We used to get made fun of for our clothes. Now everybody rocks baggy stuff. Trips me out.

How much longer will you compete, Bucky?
People ask what I'm going to do when I stop. But when I started, people were like, "Are you going to skate all your life?" When it comes time to stop, I'll worry about it.