Talking Going Pro with Brandon Buchko
"I just love to see people doing their thing, it could be bedazzling rocks, as long as they're passionate about it I'm hype," says Brandon Buchko, age 25. We linked up in Philadelphia to play a game of pool and discuss his bright future with skateboarding.
At first glance I saw a man with pink hair, a sporty mustache and lots of tattoos. After speaking with him I quickly realized he is a very humble, down-to-earth guy with a lot of passion and a big heart.
The young skater from Wisconsin moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to pursue a career in his lifelong dream, skateboarding. Riding for over 14 years, Buchko has always wanted to chase the thrill. He saw the X-Games on television for the first time around age six and he said that was a moment that changed his life. "Medals, money, being a nut! Why get drafted? Just do a double backflip." By age 8 he got his first dirt bike. But soon his mother told him to pick something else because she didn't think riding motocross was a good idea. Around age ten he started skateboarding and building ramps in his backyard.
As a youth Buchko had an interest in becoming a garbage man, stating, "I was so jealous homie got to hang off the back of the truck, it just looked like such a blast. I was never that kid to stay up late trying to catch Santa Clause. No, I was up at 6 am waiting for the garbage man." I think that says a lot about his nature, Buchko always just wanted to do something rad. Whether it be bedazzling rocks or hanging off the back of a garbage truck Buchko just wants people to pursue their dreams.
And chasing his dream is exactly what Buchko is doing. Receiving his first pro deck from Technê Skateboards just days before flying out to Philly to meet with the Ethik team. Buchko said in the days leading up to the reveal he had a strange feeling that people were ducking him and acting funny towards him. Part of him suspected something was up and but he kept telling himself, who do you think you are? Why would that happen to me?
Everything finally culminated one day when his boss had him come into the coffee shop. He was with his dad. When asked to get something out of the bathroom he opened the door and many of his closest friends came spilling out. "It was exactly like a clown car, more and more of them just kept coming out."
Buchko's deck is a part of Technê's "Dead King Rising" series. He was very stocked and remarked, "It's like the kings of old. Which is sick because when you go to war the general is behind the lines, but in the old days a king at war would armor up."
The boards sold out in under an hour. A huge accomplishment for Buchko. When asked where he saw himself in a year however, Buchko said he'd like to travel more and work more but that he would probably still be at the coffee shop.
When we got to talking about the gear he said he was most excited for the Everyday Crew Sweats and Hoodie. Buchko usually goes for a baggier look but would wear these true to size because he loves the fit of the pants. I asked how he would style the fit, "Warning," he said "I have the perfect pair of suede dress shoes in mind."
Buchko said he was very hype to see what Ethik does next, stating, "Design. Drops. Progress. Once you think you have it figured out, you don't. All I know is Ethik isn't going down."
To shop the Cherubz Knitted Sweater click HERE.