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True East: The Unbreakable Story of Zered Bassett

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Zered Bassett’s tenure as a central figure of East Coast skateboarding spans generations. In many ways, he represents the bridge between the old New York and the new. The fact that he has endured longer than many of the brands that he’s been associated with is a testament to his dedication to his craft, and shows a resiliency that mirrors the streets where he honed it.

Originally from Cape Cod, Zered was a child prodigy who was discovered at an Invisible demo in Massachusetts as a tween. This landed him on Sixteen, and later flow for World Industries. It was during this era that Brian Brown’s brother sent Zered’s tape to Zoo York, where it landed in the hands of Jeff Pang. He was offered a spot on the team, which was accepted after getting some solid advice from Jahmal Williams.

From there, Dr. Z made the move to the Big Apple, where he was molded into the legend that he would ultimately become under the tutelage of Harold Hunter, Danny Supa, Vinny Ponte, and the rest of the O.G. Zoo heads. His progression is well-documented in RB Umali’s E.S.T. video series, and culminated in Vicious Cycle, which is still considered by many to be his magnum opus.

Zered would ultimately spend a decade as a card-carrying member of the Zoo York Institute. During this time, he turned pro, received a signature shoe from DVS, and a sponsorship from Red Bull. In addition to becoming the face of New York’s next generation, he was easily in the top-tier tax bracket for professional skaters. This afforded him luxuries, including an apartment in the city and a Cadillac Escalade. But all that glitters is not gold. And the rapper’s lifestyle is rarely built to last.

By the end of the aughts, Zoo discontinued Zered’s contract; DVS released him from its roster; and Red Bull followed suit a few years later. He was on the verge of packing up, and moving back to Cape Cod. But the New York hustle sustained him via collaborative projects with UXA and Uniqlo before landing spots on the rosters at Expedition and Converse.

Currently, Zered is comfortably chilling as a pro for Alltimers, has a couple of signature Converse shoes under his belt, and is pursing his art and photography in Brooklyn. Lee covers all of the bases of Dr. Z’s legendary story during Episode 21 of Mission Statement.

INTERVIEWS

Kelly Bird Opens Up in Latest The Nine Club Episode

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Nike SB Global Brand Manager Kelly Bird opens up about growing up in Houston, getting into skateboarding, becoming a pro, and eventually transitioning to the industry side of skateboarding.

Before he became the global brand manager of Nike SB, Kelly worked for DC Shoes and Lakai Footwear.

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INTERVIEWS

Catch Up with Mariah Duran in the Latest Nine Club Episode

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Pro skater Mariah Duran has always been into sports as a young kid, she revealed in the latest episode of The Nine Club.

The goofy-footed skater from Albuquerque, New Mexico got introduced to skateboarding when she was around 10. Initially, she would borrow his brother’s board, but her mom eventually bought her a board.

She was also into softball when she was younger and basketball when she was in high school. Later on, she shifted her focus to skateboarding.

Mariah won the USA Skateboarding National Championships Womens Street in 2019, and 2021. She placed 4th in the most recent competition.

She is also a two-time X Games gold medalist for Women’s Street Skateboarding.

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PODCASTS

Unleashed Podcast Features Matt Berger

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Matt Berger opened up about how he got into skateboarding as a young kid in Canada and how he eventually became a pro in this latest podcast episode of Unleashed with Dingo and Danny.

Raised in a small town in British Columbia, Matt Berger asked for his first skateboard at age 5. Supported by his father, who also captured his son’s ahead-of-his-age tricks on camera, the prodigy earned his first flow sponsorship at age 10. Endorsed by skateboard icon Rodney Mullen, he moved on to full-blown sponsored status at eleven – and proceeded to make his mark as one of the most technical (and consistent) riders on the circuit.

Berger won Damn Am Canada in 2009 and made history in 2014 as the first amateur to compete with big-ticket pros on the Street League Skateboarding (SLS) series. Pro since 2015, he’s earned two X Games medals, dropped legendary video parts, and represented Canada in the Tokyo Olympics.

Produced by Monster Energy, Unleashed is hosted by the dynamic duo of Australian action sports personality Luke “The Dingo” Trembath and professional snowboarder Danny Kass, with Brittney Palmer.

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