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SKATIN' TWINS GOT MOVES |
Corner ollies, kick flips, acid
drops -- these are all good things in the world of skateboarding.
And Nic and Tristan Pueshe have mastered them. They're also pretty darn good
at backside airs, inverts, and anything else that looks sick (translation:
good) on the steepside walls at skateboard parks.
"Every trick is my favorite," explained Nic, who by the way is the twin with
the straight golden hair. Tristan, on the other hand, sports curly blonde
hair. Both are the epitome of cool as they defy gravity and their age.
The 9-year-olds started skateboarding when they were 6 and immediately fell
in love with the sport.
"It's fun going fast and getting big air," said Nic. "We're a mile away from
the pros, but we're pretty good," added Tristan.
Their skills have taken them to China, landed them on "The Ellen DeGeneres
Show" and scored them interview requests from CNN, ESPN and the New York
Times. They have numerous sponsors, including Gatorade, Nike and Sony. With
more than 2.6 million views, their video is the most popular skateboarding
video on YouTube.
Despite their rising fame, the boys are remarkably grounded.
"We tell them on a regular basis, probably daily basis, to just, you know,
always be good skateboarders, but be great people," said the twins' father
Mike. "In sports, you see a lot of arrogance and a lot of self-entitlement
and I don't think it serves anybody well when people adopt those kind of
attitudes."
Mike, who is admittedly bad at skateboarding, is a great cheerleader for his
sons. Armed with a video camera, he has also become a one-man marketing
machine. The boys have their own Web site at www.skateboardingtwins.com and
get fan e-mails from around the world.
Mike began sending videotapes of the boys to potential sponsors three years
ago.
As the boys learn tougher and tougher moves and attempt bigger and bigger
air, their mom Caryn is trying to let go of her fears.
"They know how to fall correctly," said Caryn. "And fortunately, they
haven't broken any bones."
Even though Nic and Tristan's 6-year-old sister Natasha is also learning
some moves from her brothers, she's more content to nibble on cheesy
Goldfish crackers and watch the boys perform.
The twins said they'd like to go pro and compete in the ESPN's X Games.
Meantime, they both describe their life as "pretty cool."