Name: Craig Parsons
Hometown: Medina, Ohio
Years Blading: 13 years
Strongest Inspiration: Skateparks I haven’t been to. In the beginning it was guys like Arlo Eisenberg and Randy Spizer for their style and tricks.
Favorite Tricks: Top Acids and Unitys
Best Blade Memory: I remember the first time I ever saw Arlo, it was in an elevator in Las Vegas—for the championships. He asked me if I had change for a five dollar bill. I was just star-struck from that moment on.
Most Prized Piece of Blade Memorabilia: All the ASA medals I won, which are now really good coasters for the table.
Craig Parsons is the dude you see at the skatepark who is twice the age of most of the bladers cruisin’ around, who probably shreds harder than a good number of them as well. After getting a bone infection when he was 22, he was told by a doctor that he would never walk again. Now at age 36, he’s showing no signs of slowing his roll. When I was a young kid, first getting into blading, Craig was one of the local legends. He would pick us all up in his Lexus (now a BMW) and we’d go street skating, or meet up at Chenga skatepark where watching him would make us all want to skate harder. He spends his days with his wife and working as a Chemical Material Handler, where he pretty much looks like an astronaut all day long. Despite living a “grown up life,” homeboy still finds time to skate at least every other day.
Rollerblading needs skaters like Craig Parsons. Hell, for the most part, rollerblading IS skaters like Craig, at least in the sense that they aren’t at the age where mommy and daddy are still shellin’ out the dough for a new pair of skates every month. Craig is a real OG, not just in the Northeast Ohio scene, but his talents are definitely recognized all over the place. He skates for Remz, Bakerized Skate Shop and Chenga Skatepark. Kids, listen up, next time your parents are gripin’ that all skaters a lowlife trash, jouvenile deliquents—show em’ this Stay Gold column, they might look at blading a little differently. — Ben Karris
13 years? I think you need to check a calendar Craig b/c I saw you doing forward 720’s on some rec blades at the make shift park they going on at the Parma hockey rink in like 94-95. I was def a freshman in high school.
Well, I guess you’re just a couple years off.
^Rollerworld?! Craig is probably the most legit dude in the Ohio scene hands down.
Yeah Craig! I miss those spots. Come to the west coast and shred!
And yeah i would say your a couple years off of 13..
I remember being scared to drop in on the mini at rollerworld in my K2 backyard bobs hahaha..Rollerworld was the shit!
My old homie Jay Croft was the skateboarder who fell from the top of the vert ramp and crushed half his skull. I’m sure you RW fans heart the stories…