Andrew is without doubt one of the founding fathers of the U.S. scooter scene. Without him, riders wouldn't have been able to link up through S.R. forums and the scooter riding wouldn't be where it's at today. I remember when I first visited Andrew he was working out of a small garage sized space just welding forks and bars on his own. It's crazy to look back and see how far he's come. Andrew is the epitome of rider owned companies. It's dudes like him that give me hope that the sport is heading in the right direction.
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| "Never Stop Creating" |
- Alright brohem, being one of the first rider owned companies in the industry, what drove you to start Proto? Give me the basics.My name is Andrew David Broussard. I was born on December 25, 1985 in San Diego, California where I still call home and I love riding scooters. 10 years ago, as a high school senior (January 2003), I launched a website called The Scooter Resource with the “if you build it they will come” force driving the project forward in a time in the sports history when riders were so few and far between that most people’s only interactions with other riders were through digital pictures and videos on the internet. It was my field of dreams, people came and nearly everything I have done in this industry/life over the last decade since has stemmed from “SR” and its success as one of the largest information resources for our sport. After the first few years riders became united and a strong community had formed around SR; a community that shared their desire for quality parts that were designed for the demands of freestyle riding as well as their hopes and dreams of a sport and an industry that did not exist. I had what I thought were great ideas and designs based on peoples requests and my own riding experiences but with very little manufacturing knowledge and no money it was an impossible task to see my visions realized. In the Summer of 2005 I got fired from my job, moved from San Diego, California to New Iberia, Louisiana and proceeded to work 84 hours a week on an oil drilling rig just outside the Gulf of Mexico for 6 months with the help of my family in Louisiana. I basically had nothing going for me except a dream that required money that no one in their right mind was going to give me to invest in an industry that didn’t technically exist. I moved back to San Diego at the end of 2005 with all the money I made in the oil field in the bank and began working a series of manufacturing jobs which taught me most of what I needed to know at the time to begin prototyping my designs. I started with forks because they were one of the weakest components and were one of the easiest parts to manufacture from a technical standpoint. I developed the first threadless fork and compression system now known as Inverted Compression System (ICS) under the brand “SR Parts” and sold them through the “SR Store”. Next were “BUFF” Bars using a BMX like stem and an interchangeable crossbar. As time progressed more companies came into the industry who I wanted to have equal opportunity through The Scooter Resource but having everything branded under the “SR” umbrella caused some conflicts so SR Parts were renamed PROTO scooters in 2008 and the SR Store became Freestyle Depot in 2010 effectively creating 3 totally separate operations; wholesale, retail and community.Holy shit, soo deep.Duh, what'd you think you were getting into.Well moving on then, when you started Proto, who were the original dudes on the team? how do you go about choosing who rides for Proto now?The first PROTO lineup from 2008 was actually a rebranded/merged combination of the SR "Pro" Team which consisted of Anthony "Twan" Bustos, Brandon Kilbury and Brian Murphy and the SR "Am" Team which consisted of Dylan Kasson, Elmer Ferreiras and Alex Steadman. In that order. My general rule of thumb is not to sponsor anyone until I know them personally. I try to associate with people who have the same vision and passion for our industry which is something impossible to know until you really get to know a rider. When people talk about their teams being a "family" that sounds all fine and dandy to the kids reading it but the truth about PROTO is that these guys really are some of my closest friends beyond the business. They have all shown a level of dedication and passion for this sport and life that is hard to match. Though some of them have taken different paths away from PROTO for their own reasons, they were closer to me than most will ever be and I wish them well.So you guys are a completely USA made company, how do you feel about that and what are your thoughts on companies who get their parts done in china?I am very proud to say that PROTO components are 100% made in the USA but not because I think America is somehow superior, I am just against big business and globalization. I like to support my local industries because at the end of the day I can literally see the fruits of their labor as well as my own which makes it easy to sleep at night knowing I'm not supporting a society revolving around monetary slavery on the other side of the planet. I really can't stomach the thought of people making pennies on the dollar building something that they will never in their lifetime have the opportunity to ride and enjoy like we do. Don't get me wrong, places like China are completely capable of making high quality products but that is not why companies go there. They go to save money; money that I would have to spend on prescription medications to ease my conscience if I ever did such a thing. Unfortunately with the state of global affairs it is literally impossible for some people to support local brands that cannot exist where they are from but if you can you should because they very well could be employing your friends or family which directly effects the very community you live in on a daily basis.How do you view the sport being involved as a both a rider/owner? Has running Proto cut out your time to ride? What keeps the fire burning?Sometimes I wish I could walk away from the business and ride just for the sake of riding but I am from an older generation of riders who never had that opportunity or luxury. My goal, since the day I committed to it, has always been to ride the best parts possible for as long as possible and the only way to really do that is to be the boss designing everything so that’s what I did. What I didn’t know when I signed up was the amount of stress and responsibility that go along with the territory. Business has definitely taken its toll on my riding. I haven’t progressed much technically in years because I don’t have the time or energy to keep up with all the new “tricks” kids are doing these days but I was always part of the “go big” mindset anyways. When I do find time to ride I try to push my own limits by going faster, higher and farther. Before I attempt anything gnarlier than the last I get the most pure clear headed terrifyingly addictive sense of euphoria which is what keeps me coming back for more!You lot are the only team to release two full length videos on DVD, Is there a specific reason why you guys don't just do web edits? Why do you guys prefer DVD's??All full length films are made to tell a story or to document events and translate the feelings and emotions of them to the viewer. When I make a movie I try to document not only the individual riders’ personality, style and dedication but also the way we actually interact as a team. I do my best to tell a visual story about all these things in the hopes of conveying to the viewer what it was like to be there and the process it took to get there while giving insight on each rider and the team/company as a whole showing why we operate the way we do in our never ending hunt for the next best spot and the journey we take to find them. None of these things are possible with a web edit. Web edits, at best, are good for getting recognized by a potential sponsor or a good promotional outlet for dumping B footy. Web edits, in general, are quick and easy to make and are just as quick and easy to forget. When a company actually takes the time to plan, prepare and execute a full length movie it really speaks of their level of dedication to the sport and will never be forgotten. I have dedicated my life to enhancing every facet of this industry and I want that to be undeniable by the quality of the films we produce.I remember when we spoke before the release of Armageddon you said you probably wouldn't have your own part, but then you turned out having one of the gnarliest part's in the video. What was going through your head during the backyard set up? How long did it take to nail your hammer?I pretty much work all the time. I’m a slave to a business I created and love but going into it I never realized how much of my time it was going to consume and how much it was going to deprive my ability to ride. After we finished Catalyst and I finished touring with Nitro Circus Live the industry was really starting to blossom and the business required my undivided attention which took me away from riding and filming which was about the time I started wondering if I was ever going to be able to finish another video part. I finally came to my senses and realized that I cannot tout the rider owned flag if I’m not out there doing what I set out to do; ride. That realization came about 9 months before the Armageddon premiere which was a fraction of the amount of time I had to film for Catalyst then to top it off, on Sunday, April 1, 2012, I decided to start filming again and broke my hand warming up. No joke. I lost another 3 months rehabilitating my hand and arm which really made me second guess if a full video part was even possible but with 6 months left to go I figured there was only one way to find out. I went on every filming trip until the video was complete, which is the only time I can focus 100% on riding and filming when I’m away from the business with the exception of my back yard Baby Mega. I started construction on that ramp in the Summer of 2003 after I watched Danny Way’s part in the DC video and it has since undergone many renovations and additions. I had joked about flipping into the rollin for awhile then with about a month until the Armageddon deadline I realized that all the other potential enders I had in mind I just wasn’t physically/mentally ready for so things on the backyard ramp got real serious. I talked Josh Young and Chema Cardenas into putting in a couple late nights with me building another rollin and kicker into the big rollin then with a week to go until the filming deadline we rented a boom lift to get the epic aerial angles and I started throwing myself off the roof. It took me 4 days, a lot of close calls and a purple body to work my way up to sticking that clip. It was easily the hardest I have ever worked for a single clip. I had originally intended to try a lot more on that setup but I literally ran out of time before the video so that is just going to have to wait for my next web edit…So seeing as you're a founding father of this sport with S.R. and whatnot, what do you see in the future of the sport? Where do you see Proto in the coming years?I really think our sport and industry have limitless potential to grow. My only real concern is with the sport growing too quickly without a solid rider driven foundation backing it which is something that we do not currently have. We have grown so quickly in the last few years but not because riders are getting involved with the industry but because business men and investors see a potential gold mine and are dumping small fortunes into it which is great for growth but also has the ability to usher in a total collapse. I would really love to see more riders starting companies and fighting the good fight for the future of our sport because if we ever fall on hard times the big profit companies will pull out and only the core will remain which is where we need our strength. If you have the opportunity to support a rider owned operation just consider the future of your sport and it should be an easy decision to make. As for PROTO I don’t see anything changing. We are going to keep riding, filming, innovating and seeking like minded individuals who fit the PROTO mold. Whatever successes or failures we experience in the future just go with the territory. We are in it for the long haul.In your words, how do you define Proto? if some dude came up to you and asked what are you guys all about, what's the image you'd want to portray?Obviously PROTO started as a scooter company but really it represents a mindset that drives us forward. The name itself is literally short for “prototype” which in essence means it can never be complete because it is forever evolving in a new direction. Whatever we are today, we are not. Whatever you see is merely a stepping stone for the next level of progression and the only way to see it through to completion is with persistence, determination, dedication and passion… even though it is impossible for it to ever be complete because there is always something bigger and better ahead of you.Damn that was beautiful. Thanks man, really appreciate it.- McKeen
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