Jackson Chen

Jackson has been skateboarding for more years of his life than not, all thanks to the copy of Tony Hawk’s video game, Underground, he picked up when he was just a teenager. Growing up in Brooklyn, he had the chance to experience crusty East Coast skate spots all throughout high school. When he eventually went off to earn his bachelor’s degree in journalism from SUNY Purchase, he made sure to also take full advantage of the barebones DIY skatepark found inside the college’s Student Center.

Now, having worked as a journalist for more than a decade, he still always carves out time for skating, whether that’s at his local skatepark in his new home of Connecticut or finding an excuse to bring along his board when he travels abroad. If he’s not busy trying to learn a new trick or how to skate transition better, he can usually be found at the climbing gym, projecting a route somewhere outside in New Hampshire, or taking photos while dangling off the side of a rock. In recent years, he’s also picked up snowboarding to take advantage of the fleeting Northeast winters when he can’t skate as much. He’s now on a personal mission to master the three big board sports while his body still lets him.