June 14th, 2014 - Willard Showdown Skate Comp
I had a great time at the Willard
Showdown skate event today. Great vibes, great
weather, great skating. Thanks to Joe from J2
Skate Ministry and everyone that came out to
enjoy the day with us. It's been a great weekend
of events and travel. Sun burnt and tired but
well worth it. - Doug
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June 13th, 2014 - Learning Garden Summer Camp
I had an amazing day today with the
campers from the Learning Garden. Upon my arrival
they were chanting my name, a very warm energetic
welcome. They were so receptive to my speech and
had a slew of great questions. Dodging the rain
we headed across the field after my speech to the
Valleyview Skatepark so I could give a
demonstration and skate with some of the campers.
Many thanks to Brad Smith, the camp counselors,
campers, and everyone from the Learning Garden.-
Doug
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May 26th 2014 - Memorial Day Service Featured
Speaker
I had a great day being the featured
speaker at Dalton's Memorial Day service. Nothing
felt better than getting sincere hand shakes from
people in the community that enjoyed my words. I
put my heart into my delivery. Special thanks to
the Boy Scouts 922 for inviting me to be the
speaker for today. I was very honored to be
chosen to speak to the citizens and veterans and
to pay homage to America’s finest men and
women who gave their lives in defense of freedom.
I'm living an American dream, and I have them to
thank. Many more updates ahead. I have a new pro
model coming out with Outbreak Boards next month.
Some pretty exciting tour dates to report also,
stay tuned! - Doug
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March 21st 2014 - Schmid Hall Book Signing
What a great signing at Schmid Hall. I'm
thrilled to have the new book out. It was a long
journey in writing it, but it has paid off in a
big way. Lots ahead for the spring and summer of
2014. Many thanks to everyone who came out for
the book signing. My book is now in all major
book stores however if you get it directly from www.beyondtheboard.net it will
be personally signed from me to you. Till next
time, Doug.
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March 2nd 2014 - New Book ON SALE NOW!
Everyone assumes writing your life story
is easy and everyone has it in them. It's much
harder than one thinks, especially to do it
properly. The world stops, it's not a write here
or there kind of thing. Friends and family ask
where you've been. Go to bed 4am, relive the
hardest moments of your life in detail, get in
the zone. Deaths, highs, lows. Talk to ex
girlfriends (the ones willing to talk) about why
things might have gone sour. It's all bleeding
emotionally. To be honest and vulnerable. But,
totally worth it in the end. I've reached many
with my other books and the goal will be the same
this round. To inspire, to connect, to change, to
grow. Stay tuned, the book will in all major book
chains in a couple months but is on sale NOW
exclusively at www.beyondtheboard.net
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January 15th 2014 - Give-away and Athletes for
Hope Twitter Chat
Congratulations to Emmitt Taylor the
winner of the complete skateboard contest I
hosted on Facebook. In conjunction with Acres of
Fun, Danny Badertscher and myself presented
Emmitt with the board tonight. When his father
told him he had won Emmitt thought he was joking,
he assured him he wasn't and the next minute they
packed the family up and met up with me. I made
sure to get them all skates and we made a fun
night out of it. Many thanks to Danny and Acres
of Fun for everything. As an all star member of
Athletes for Hope I will be a guest on their
first Twitter Chat. In honor of MLK Jr. Day, we
will be talking about how and when to engage
young athletes in volunteerism. Event is 1/20/14
at 12-1pm EST. Follow along on Twitter by hashtag
#AFHService or @Ath4Hope. Lots ahead for 2014,
stay tuned! Doug
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Best of 2013
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Novemeber 21st 2013 - Alliance and Updates!
I think I succeeded in bringing the
sunshine to the city of Alliance today, the
audience was great. So many good vibes. The
stories some of the people shared after the
program how my speech reached them, priceless.
Nothing beats the relationship I have with the
audience, I can't explain how good the connection
was. Feeling grateful, thank you Alliance.
Completely stoked to be a pro rider for Triple 8
Helmets which provided helmets for those in need
for the Variety Children's Charity, and Variety
Children's has teamed up with Star Wars... be
sure to check out their new commercial, you will
see Triple 8 Helmets. My new Christmas CD - I've
selected 33 classic songs to perform on classical
guitar with my original arrangements. Hope it
adds to your holidays! Order here Last
weekend was the Holidays for Hunger 2013, it was
a success, so many more events ahead, stay tuned!
Doug
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Novemeber 4th 2013 - 4-H Junior Leaders Club
I had a great evening speaking to the
teen 4-H Junior Leaders Club. Such a great
audience, all the stories that came up. One of
the teachers had been with 4H for many years and
remembered my mother when she was a nurse for the
4H summer camps, was a nice touching story. They
had lots of good questions and were very
assertive to my program. While signing a poster
for a young lady she made sure to tell me that
she was born on April 9th, with a gleam in her
eye, this was the same day my mother passed away.
Was the perfect ending to the evening, life and
death... living for today, living for those who
are no longer with us. Lots of special moments
happened tonight.
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October 24th 2013 - John R. Lea Middle School
I had a great time speaking today at
John R. Lea middle school, they were a great
receptive, warm audience. I speak all the time
but it never gets old. I'm truly lucky to be in
such a position to give back and inspire. Today
was amazing.
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October 14th 2013 - Meriden Boys & Girls Club
& In store signing
Had a great time speaking to the Boys
& Girls Club in Meriden today. So many smiles
and good vibes from the kids and staff. Next it
was onto my signing at the Play it Again Sports
store in Southington. The PIAS crew had a couple
hours to spare between events so they took me up
to the scenic overlook called Castle Craig. The
view was breath taking, very serene and provided
a nice break from the fast pace of the past few
days. The in store signing was a blast, meeting
so many new people and seeing some familiar faces
as well. The in store ended with our traditional
guitar jam with the owner John. After the event
the PIAS crew took us all out for dinner to
celebrate the weeks events. They even provided me
a belated birthday by having the servers at the
restaurant sing me happy birthday. There were so
many special moments on this trip from visiting
the Children's Medical Center to having a Hibachi
dinner my first night in Connecticut. My
skateboard put me in this position but my words,
actions, efforts, people, and my heart and love
for reaching others has kept me here. Past week
and weekend were truly amazing, many thanks to
everyone who came to events and Janet and John
from Play it Again Sports in Southington. I'll
sleep well tonight. Boarding a plane tomorrow
morning. Till next time, Doug
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October 12th 2013 - Connecticut Special Olympics
Fundraiser
I had an amazing day working with the
Waterbury Police Department and their fundraiser
for the CT Special Olympics. I was very happy to
help out today, seeing many smiles, getting to
skate for the kids, awesome. Was great to see
some familiar faces from last year and to meet
many new ones this year. Tomorrow morning I'll be
visiting kids at the children's hospital. It's
hard to put into words about everything I've done
the past few days, it's been unreal... with much
more ahead.
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October 11th 2013 - Bristol Boys & Girls Club
Today was awesome! I was picked up from
my hotel then went straight to the Bristol CT
skate park, it was a great cement park with great
vibes. After signing some autographs it was on to
our next stop. I spoke to the Boys & Girls
club of Bristol. This was a great group, all ages
I definitely felt my efforts reached them, they
were an amazing group, the staff... everyone.
Tomorrow is a huge event with the local police we
are doing a big fundraiser for the Special
Olympics. I'm off to dinner, what a special day.
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October 10th 2013 - Waterbury Boys & Girls
Club in Connecticut
My day started today with a plane ride
from Cleveland to Hartford Connecticut. From
there the Play it Again Sports Southington dove
me direct to the Waterbury Boys & Girls Club
to speak. After my speech a young man looked up
at me and said, "I wanna be just like
you." It does reach my soul to see and hear
that I've impacted someone, it's why I continue
to do what I do. Tomorrow afternoon I'll be
speaking to another Boys & Girls club in
Bristol CT. This is the 6th year the PIAS has
flown me out to do events with them. Back to the
hotel for some sleep.
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October 4th 2013 - Young Elementary in Akron
Today was great! I got to speak to the
students of Young Elementary in Springfield
township. The energy and the excitement of these
kids was contagious. They were very receptive to
my program. After the presentation they invited
me to have lunch with the whole school and have
an autograph session with well over 300 kids. I
made sure everyone left with a smile, an
autograph, and hopefully some inspiration and
hope from my speech, encouraging them to follow
their dreams and believe in themselves. Mission
accomplished today. Next week I'll be boarding a
plane for Connecticut, this will be my 6th year
visiting with the Play it Again Sports chain,
they have me visiting hospitals, schools, Boys
and Girls Clubs, camps, and an in-store signing
in Southington. Till then, Doug
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October 2nd 2013 - Lady Mustangs Win!
Congratulations to the Lady Mustangs for
winning tonight! It was an honor to be along side
coach Felton and his nationally ranked team
during this big game! Coach Felton and the team
have made me their team theme for this season.
They've adopted my 'capture the moment'
philosophy to motivate them during their games.
They have a skateboard for each game that a
player gets to sign chosen by the coach as a VP
team member by 'capturing the moment' during the
game. I can't thank coach Felton and the whole
team enough for making me a part of their season,
it was an honor.
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October 1st 2013 - Meet and Greet at Montage
Wow, where do I begin on tonight? Thank
you everyone who came out to Montage for the meet
and greet. I do a lot of speaking events and this
one stood out, the fans, the energy... It was a
special night for sure. It was just one of those
events where you know you reached your audience
and made a true positive impact on them. Thanks
again. This is a busy busy month, lots more to
come.
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September 28th 2013 - Heartwalk and Woosterfest
What a great productive day, started out
with the Heartwalk with team Aultman. Some of the
stories individuals shared at the beginning of
the event were so sad and touching... today was
for a great cause and I was so happy to partake
in the efforts of the American Heart Association.
Next it was onto Woosterfest to judge the talent
competition. Was great to see so much talent and
everyone enjoying themselves. From there I got
some skateboarding in at the local park then some
quality time with my brother's family and my
father for dinner and of course the Ohio State
Football game.
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September 9th 2013 - Akron 1 Radio
Had a great busy day, Akron 1 radio
interview went well, hanging with the band
Cerebral. Calendar is filling up for the next
couple months, it's been unreal. Thanks everyone
for tuning in today. In October I will be
presenting the best punk group award at the LMAs
in Cleveland with Keepin' It Radio. Stay Tuned!
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September 1st 2013 - Skate Strum & Speak 2013
Had a great time yesterday at Skate
Strum & Speak, many thanks to all the skaters
and Heed the Call for everything! Many smiling
faces, talented skaters and positive vibes.Next
couple months are busy busy. September 9th at 4pm
I will be doing an on air interview with Akron 1
Radio at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting. I'll
be speaking at lots of schools next couple
months. I'm flying to Connecticut in October with
Play it Again Sports, stay tuned!
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August 30th 2013 - Skate Strum & Speak 2013
The photo on the left was taken by my
grandfather in July of 1986 on South Cherry
Street in Mt. Gilead Ohio. The big white house in
the photo is where I used to spend my summers
with my grandparents. My mother grew up in that
house. I started on an old antique scooter that I
found in their basement. Shortly after this photo
I began skateboarding and the rest is history. My
grandparents have now past but every Labor Day
weekend as a tradition I still visit the Morrow
County Fair. This year I made sure to have a
skate down old South Cherry street for my mom and
grandparents. 27 years after that photo was taken
I'm still riding strong. Click here to view
the full photo.
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August 28th, 2013 - Nationally ranked soccer team
uses my books as theme
Today I was invited to speak to a very
special group of athletes. Coach Felton of the
nationally ranked soccer team, the Lady Mustangs
has used my books and philosophies for his team
this year as a theme. "Capture the
moment" is my motto they have been using. I
was so moved that they knew my story and that
I've been inspiring them for weeks without even
knowing this till a few days ago. They were very
receptive to my speech, I felt the reciprocation
of energy and my purpose for being there. There
were two simple chairs placed in a room for me
and the coach, we were surrounded by the team,
this was an intimate unplugged version of my
program. It all felt very "Inside the actors
studio with James Lipton." The intimacy and
the topics tackled became a marriage of my life
on and off the skateboard and their life on and
off the field. Optimism, hope, believing in
yourself and surviving adversity where at the
forefront. In a couple months I will be joining
the team on the bench as a guest for a pivotal
game ahead. I'm beyond thankful and flattered by
the events today. Many thanks to Coach Felton and
the Lady Mustangs.
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August 17th, 2013 - Blueberry Festival and Skate
Competition
Today was awesome. The skate competition
was heated with tons of talent. Was amazing to
see how far some people traveled to go to this
event. It was a full day of great skating and
positive vibes. It was nice to meet so many new
people and families. I'm always trying to give
back and inspire, past couple days mission
accomplished. After the skate comp I enjoyed the
festivities, watched the sun go down as my crew
and I enjoyed the band British Invasion. Popcorn
and fireworks wrapped the night up perfectly.
After the long drive and being sore I'm ready for
a good nights rest. Thanks everyone for coming
out and being a part of the festival and skate
competition, Till next time! Doug
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August 16th, 2013 - Foundations for Living
Today I spoke to the teens at the
Foundations for Living. This booking was a long
time in the making but I was so thankful I was
able to speak to these teens and instill some
positive thoughts and hopefully plant some seeds
of hope and optimism. I know what strings to
pull, I'm not so far removed from these teens and
I remember going through those pivotal years and
the issues they face. Some of these kids have
been in this facility for over a year. I assured
them that going through these adverse times will
make them stronger people in the future. After
the event we headed to Kingwood Center to visit
the gardens then onto my hotel gearing up for the
skate competition in Lexington.
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July 22nd, 2013 - Dog Skate and Updates
Two days ago I had a fun photo shoot for
Outbreak Boards, we did a load of shots and upon
leaving we see this couple, Tracy and Doreen
walking their two dogs. As they are coming
towards us they over hear us chatting how fun it
would be to have the Dalmatian dog pull me...
they were all about it. He was a dog trainer and
she was a pet photographer, the stars were
aligned ha. Skate events ahead in Chicago,
Connecticut, Lexington, Ohio and Toronto Canada's
Muskoka Woods Skate Camp all in August. My
signature shoe will be out this September, I'll
have more to report on that next time! Doug
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July 10th, 2013 - The Learning Garden, turning
40!
Yesterday was amazing. I spoke to the
kids attending the summer camp at the Learning
Garden. Upon my arrival it was nothing but smiles
and great vibes. These kids were so energized and
assertive to my program. A connection was clearly
made, all the questions they had, the comments,
the sea of high-fives, the smiles. After my
program they surprised me with a birthday cake
and a wall of posters they made saying Happy
Birthday with drawings and greetings. They all
sang to me at the top of their little lungs and
the look in their faces, I about shed a tear or
two. The hearts of the kids and staff at the
Learning Garden have made a place in my heart
today. It was an event to remember and the best
way I could spend my last day in my
thirties.Today I turn 40, a happy young 40, but
the big 4-0. Thanks everyone for all the birthday
wishes! Happy to be alive and productive. Live
on, skate on!
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