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ROB DYER

Of Skate 4 Cancer

Considering the great amount of support you have gained for S4C over the past couple of years in one specific 'scene', what plans do you have to make the cause known further?
- I'm not really sure. There was never really a plan of making it known in a certain scene, you know what I mean? It was just kind of a scene that I was involved in and our supporters were involved in. So, it kind of just went that way. It wasn't a plan or idea to go after a certain market, it just so happened that we relate really well to kids and the bands who were helping out.

Did working on the Warped Tour help gain awareness more or less than you expected it would?
- Totally more! I didn't expect nearly the response we were given for Warped Tour by the bands and by the kids. It was just so overwhelming to see such young kids getting so involved in it. It's just amazing, and every kid seems to have a cause and that's so incredible. Not everyone believes in the same things and it's so amazing to see that kids have a certain cause that they do believe in and a certain cause that they're working towards. I think that's what's going to help this world a lot in getting to where it needs to be.

Other than the whole "cool skater" thing you've got going on, how else do you spread your message and get the younger crowd involved in your quest?
- Well, we do a lot of high school tours where go into schools and talk to kids about cancer prevention. So I hope that is something that draws kids towards the cause. I also don't think it's so much the skate boarding or so much the music, but that most everybody has been affected by cancer. We all have a tool or a capability, like you with your writing by writing the article. We all have a talent or something we're good at that we're able to contribute to the cause or many causes, and it just so happens that cancer is gaining death in North America so obviously there are a lot of people in these two countries that are affected by cancer and want to get involved to help fix this problem.

Do you plan on doing any more high school tours in the future?
- Yeah! We are actually planning to do one down in the states around November/December.

While a lot of people may be aware of Skate 4 Cancer, not so many know about Hair 4 Cancer. Do you have plans to make that more known? What are your personal goals for Hair 4 Cancer?
- With Skate 4 Cancer, we have this program called The Cure Is Knowledge and what we do with that is different campaigns that we work on. Hair 4 Cancer is just one of the campaigns. We do a breast cancer campaign, a testicular cancer campaign… and Hair 4 Cancer is just one that is really close me because I've had a lot of people in my life that went through chemotherapy and lost their hair during that process. It's a big confidence thing for them having to lose their hair and having to realize what they're going through. I think building that confidence back up and giving them some hair and giving them some confidence to look in the mirror and feel good about them helps a lot. It gives them more energy for the fight against cancer. Hair 4 Cancer means a lot and I would love to make it well known and there are such great organizations, like Locks of Love, out there that do such great things people for people, especially kids, who are going through these treatments and have to sit in class with no hair and everyone looks at them and they just want to be normal.

When you were in Nova Scotia, it was said to you that 'every generation needs a hero'! Do you consider yourself to be a hero and how does it feel to know that others think of you as such?
- I don't at all really. I think that's a big challenge sometimes because for me, the heroes involved in cancer are the people going through it. People I've lost to cancer have given their life for us to realize what we need to do to fight the disease. They're definitely the true heroes. It's hard to hear that, for people to say what you're doing is incredible. It's just something that means a lot to you and you just do it and you don't kind of think about those things. I don't know. It's just weird.

How do you handle the pressure of being a role model 'per se', or do you even feel any pressure?
- I don't feel any pressure. I just enjoy doing what I'm doing and I know a lot of people understand the same situation that I was put in my life and I think the reason why is because they can relate a lot. They can relate to a person who skateboards and they can relate to a person who, like, I wasn't so good in school or anything like that… I just used what I had to help out the fight.

Besides skating and friends and family, what is the most important thing in your life?
- Oh wow, besides Skate 4 Cancer, friends & family… that's tough!
It could be anything.
- Hmm. Anything?? I don't know. That kind of wraps it up for me! It's hard to see outside of that. I really enjoy nature a lot. That's really important for me. I find it brings you back to what everything is about. But, I don't know! Friends & family & Skate 4 Cancer are definitely the most important things in my life.

What advice could you give to young people who have ideas like you have? How would they get their ideas off the ground? They definitely have these ideas to change the world but no tools to do such.
- It's a slow process. You have to stick with anything you believe in like a cause, or like basketball… anything like that. It's one of those things that you just have to live and really believe in. If you stick with anything long enough and you believe in enough, it's going to happen. A lot of times the craziest ideas that people come up with are the ones that are used the most. Thinking way outside the box and thinking challenging things that you might not actually agree with or believe in is a really important thing, because that's what makes change. Like people not thinking on the same level, people thinking on different levels and that's how we find cures for these diseases.

How do you do your skate tours? Does a crew follow you in a van or do you do everything solo?
- The skate tours I really enjoy because obviously I enjoy skateboarding, it's not that straining because I love doing it. We have a van that will follow behind and there are about 5 people in the van and each person has a different job. We have a video guy, we have 2 photo people, and we have a driver, and someone that takes care of food and nutrition. They kind of just follow along and anything that they feel needs to be done, they do, and it's pretty amazing to have such great friends volunteering their time to really believe in the cause also. It's really important to have friends by your side in situations like that where if you're having a bad day, you can just open up & talk to them and get through it. Those people are the most important part of the skate because without them it wouldn't be possible at all.

What's the hardest part of doing the skating tours? Were there any times that you just wanted to give up?
- I wouldn't say give up. The hardest parts… it's mostly mental capability, just being able to stay focused on what you're doing, and you're alone for like 8 hours a day and your mind wanders and stuff. You kind of just have to focus on why you're out there and that definitely gets you through it and staying focused on the people that are battling cancer everyday and giving their lives for us to figure out this disease. That right there is enough motivation to keep anyone going.

What are some must haves for you on the road when you skate 'cross Canada?
- I'm a big music fan so I always have my ipod. I do have a stuffed animal that a friend gave me a long time ago and I always have to have that on me. Just a lot of little things like that.

When you aren't touring - or even when you are - do you still skate for fun?
- Yeah! I live in Toronto and so whenever I go, I go out with friends or at night and it just helps to get some exercise. I really enjoy doing it so much. It's funny, we'll do a skate tour and the next day people are like "Oh, I'm sure you're going to take a break for awhile" but I'll end up going skateboarding the next day after a long tour. It's kind of funny. It's just something I really love to do and I wouldn't know what to do without it.

What is a typical day like for you?
- A typical day when we're doing a skate tour is getting up really early (around 7 or 8), and then skateboarding for like 8 hours, taking a break in-between for lunch and then skateboarding the rest of the day until sunset. It's not a very exciting day. Normally when I'm at home, I work at a restaurant in Toronto. I'll wake up early, most of the time, to go work there. Then I will skateboard home from work and get some Skate 4 Cancer work done. Then I'll skateboard for a bit with friends and maybe go out and watch a movie with friends. Then I'll go home and just catch up on e-mails, myspace & facebook.

Out of all of your tattoos, which one means the most to you & why?
- I would have to say, the one that means the most to me is the Skate 4 Cancer one that I got on the side of my neck. It's big for me because it's there everyday. I see it in the mirror everyday. It's kind of like a commitment thing for me. It really helps me stay focused on what I love doing & really means the world to me.

If you were a piñata, what shape would you be & what would you be filled with?
- This is such a good question! I would be in the shape of a circle. I would be filled with… you know those… bottomless coke candies?
Yes, the gummy ones?
- Yeah. I like those. This sounds weird, and this is never going to be in a piñata anywhere you're ever going to see, but I'm a big vegetable fan. I think it would be radical if vegetables fell on you when you got it open.
Any specific kind of vegetable?
- I'm a big celery fan.
Anything on the celery?
- Well, it would get messy. But I would say, put some ranch on it.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself that most people might not know.
- I enjoy a lot of quiet time. I guess people will assume that I'm always very energetic. I think because I have my quiet time a lot, I have a lot of energy when I'm not quiet. A lot of people always bring that one up, because a lot of people that will go on tours with us… normally in the van I'm really, really quiet. I don't really say much. I think that one is always surprising for people who get to know me… that I'm normally very quiet!

If you were stuck on a deserted island with only one cd/album for the rest of your life [assuming you have a cd player & unlimited batteries…] what would it be?
- I would have to say, Jimmy Eat World. But I don't know if I can choose a cd. Can I make a mix? A Jimmy Eat World mix?
Definitely! So, Jimmy Eat World for the rest of your life?
- Yes!

So what does the rest of 2008 hold for Skate 4 Cancer?
- Well, we're doing the skate this summer from Vancouver to Halifax. After that, we're going to venture outside of Canada on a few Cure Is Knowledge tours, and hopefully we'll be heading down towards the states for that. We're really trying to focus on our new website that's going to be very education-driven and interactive for kids to get kids involved and we really want to focus on the education part of fighting this cure.

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