GILBERT CROCKETT — A WIRY, BOW-LEGGED BOY FROM VIRGINIA — IS QUITE AN ENIGMATIC FELLOW, THE LIKES OF WHICH WE’VE NEVER SEEN ON A SKATEBOARD BEFORE.

Gilby is stone cold sober and yet looks like a drunken cowboy when he skates. He and his homies from Richmond have a fun and light-hearted approach to skating and filming, which stands in stark contrast to Gilbert’s meticulous and steadfast view on quality control. When he gets interested in something — be it skating, shoe design or tattoos — he dissects it to its core to fully understand its inner workings. When Offthewall.tv visited him a few years ago at his mom’s house in Virginia, he was making a pair of shoes by hand — just because he was curious about how they were made. It was a no-brainer to offer Gil his own signature shoe. He’s an amazing and deserving skater whose part in the Vans video will be mind-blowing, and his attention to detail lends itself to making a great shoe. What’s really surprising is that considering Gil’s OCD personality, he didn’t want to make every pair by hand himself.

WHAT’S THE BEST TRIP YOU’VE EVER BEEN ON?

New Zealand, because I could drop out of the world and live there.

FAVORITE VANS RIDER?

AVE, because it’s all real.

WHAT TRICK CAN’T YOU DO THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD?

Air like Grant [Taylor].

LAST GOOD BOOK YOU READ?

The Four Agreements. It’s basically a book that teaches you ways to be the best you can be.

WHAT ARE SOME INTERESTS/HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF SKATING?

Fishing, living, eating, cobbling, camping.