Jimmy Ness

Kicking off 2022 with former world champion and Australian skate legend Renton Millar.

"I was pro for like 10 or 15 years. At that time, there were great opportunities for vert skaters. I made some good money and had amazing experiences. I travelled the world non-stop for 12 years. I did about 40 back to back summers from 1998 to about 2012. I got to witness potentially one of the best times in skating when I started."

Now 46, Millar relishes every time his wheels hit the halfpipe. When not chatting under Prahan's monolithic ramp, he’s often silhouetted in the sky above. Renton barely pauses for breath while vividly eulogizing the sport that has taken him from Rome to Rio.

"That's the other thing with the time I've had in skating. When I first started, we didn't know how long you could go. All the pros were like 18, we thought they were going to be done at 24. So every year from age 22, we thought was going to be our last. Now I've been doing it long enough, I'm just gonna keep going," he reflects.

Rubbing my compressed vertebrae as an adult, it's hard to fully comprehend his longevity. I tell him about a magazine I bought at age 12 with him on the cover.
Millar extolls the virtues of eating well and keeping healthy. His passion leaves no room for complacency. Last year, he filmed 45 tricks to celebrate four decades on the earth. He helped judge this year's Olympics and rode the cemented contours every morning at 6.30 am.

Read more about Renton on my website.