Favorite Things: Sirnico Williams and his skateboard

Sirnico Williams, 19, discovered skateboarding after a fateful find in his front yard, a busted up skateboard that had been abandoned by its former owner. The sport is his passion, and it’s a no-brainer that his favorite thing is his skateboard. 

The current board I have is actually broken. I picked it up less than a month ago at Brush Alley Skateshop, one of my favorite shops in all of Michigan. The people that run that place are super cool. I ride REAL brand skateboards specifically, but this one is different from the majority of REALs I’ve ridden. It’s a twin-tail and it’s also 8 inches wide. I love the color and the graphic is sick. I ride Thunder brand trucks, I want to switch to Independent but I’ve ridden Thunders all my life. 

I got my first board when I was 11. It was left in our front yard when I lived in Detroit. It was an old red board of some sort from Target or Meijer. It was Scooby-Doo brand, I remember that specifically. My grandpa, who lived in Lansing while I still lived in Detroit, would pick me up and take me to the skate park in Lansing. I took to the locals pretty well. I’d skate around and make friends. The majority of my time learning was spent trying to pop ollies and watching skate videos and mimicking what they did. 

After I found that board, I wasn’t immediately consistent. I didn’t consider myself a skater right after finding it. Eventually, I wanted to advance my skills and I tried dropping into a bowl. The wheels from the little Scooby-Doo board completely shattered. I compared them to other people’s wheels. Theirs were solid polyurethane, while mine were hollow, which is why they cracked so badly. That’s why I wanted to get my first actual board from a real shop that could be ridden hard. Two years later, I begged my mom to get me an actual board — those things aren’t cheap. It was from Modern Skate & Surf when they were still located by Ranney Skate Park. 

I started getting serious when I spent the majority of my time watching skate videos and skating at the park with my friends. Even up until now, I’m not 100 percent serious but it is something I do love with a passion. The moment I found out it was serious was during high school, when I turned down multiple organized sports teams. 

I ran my current board over with my like an idiot. Now, I’ll always remember to secure my board in the car before I take off. Usually they break from actually skateboarding. I ordered a new board already.  

The culture of skateboarding is hella diverse. You can be from any walk of life and skateboard. That’s why it’s so easy to make friends, whether it’s in the park or the streets, skateboarding can happen anywhere. 

Interview edited and condensed by Skyler Ashley. If you have a suggestion for Favorite Things, please email Skyler@Lansingcitypulse.com