Local Athlete Skateboards His Way onto New Extreme Sports Show

BY NICOLE KLIEST

High-profile Malibu personae come in all sizes and shapes, as well as representative of a vast array of skills and talents.
Nine-year-old Malibu youth, Tom Schaar is in the upcoming Disney XD show called “Next X.” The show is a reality series for young people that features five up-and-coming BMX and skateboarding athletes. The show premieres June 8 at 7:05 p.m.
Disney XD in association with ESPN developed the show. It is the second Disney XD project developed with ESPN, following “SportsCenter High 5.” Each of the eight short form episodes is two minutes long. The show concludes with a half-hour special Aug. 10. “Next X” presents five amateur athletes paired with five professional athletes.
Schaar said this was the biggest surprise of the show for him. He was paired with professional skateboarder Chris Cole. “I didn’t know there were going to be pros there,” Schaar said. “So when I first saw they were there, I was so excited to work with a pro.”
Thrasher Magazine and Transworld Skateboarding named Chris Cole Skater of the Year in 2005. He also competed at X Games earning gold in 2006 and 2007. Cole is known for his ability to skate a variety of surfaces, including quarterpipes, ledges, banks, and trails.
The other professional athletes are BMX freestyle rider Scotty Cranmer, BMX street rider Van Homan, skateboarder Billy Marks, and skateboarder Lincoln Ueda.
The series was filmed at Camp Woodward West in Tehachapi, California. The other four athletes include 12-year-old Ian Bradley from New Hampshire, 12-year-old Mitchie Brusco from Washington, 11-year-old Matty Cranmer from New Jersey, and 11-year-old Micah Wu from Kentucky.
“We got to skate together and have fun,” Schaar said about the other amateurs. “I had a good time and a good experience.”
Schaar lives on Pt. Dume and has been skateboarding for over four years. He recently competed in the California AM contest. He does other sports such as snowboarding, baseball, and soccer, but he says skateboarding is his favorite.
Skateboard cognoscenti say the young skater is known for his incredible acrobatics. The native Californian is also a “big-air trani” skateboarder who does bowl and vert at the advanced level.
His skills include a mute backside 360 over the 25-foot gap on the mini-mega ramp. He also can land a frontside 540/rodeo flip and a backflip.
Schaar started skating at five and entered his first competition at six. “My brother [John] started skating, and I really wanted to try it, and I stuck with it,” Schaar said. “[My goal] before I turn 10 is to do the mega-ramp. It is 70 feet tall, and it’s really big.”
If Schaar accomplishes this goal, he will be the youngest to do so. Schaar also became the youngest person to compete in the expert division at King of the Groms for two consecutive years (2008-2009). In February, he was awarded All Out Athlete by Fuel TV. He is the youngest person to receive this honor.
Professional skateboarders Bucky Lasek, Bob Burnquist and Steve Badillo are among those mentoring Schaar and encouraging him to try new tricks and develop a signature style, while never losing sight of the fact that skateboarding should be fun.
When he’s not breaking records, competing, or working on a new trick, Schaar leads the life of a traditional nine-year-old with a full schedule of school and family activities. He also enjoys playing with his two dogs, Rosie and Ollie.