Curb Cowboy.

Just like any typical day, I was out running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I was trying to accomplish as much as I possibly could while Sandler and his sister were enjoying the pig races at the fair. Those few moments of freedom came to a screeching halt when I was informed that something very big and special was about to go down at the skatepark. Naturally, Sandler’s presence was required immediately.

As I Mario Andrettie’d my way through the pig racing traffic, I gathered Sandler, put him in the car, and told him something very excited was about to happen. In all honestly, I had no idea exactly what it was. Within minutes we got to the park and everything seemed status quo. Then out of the corner of my eye, I noticed several of the Curb Cowboys (an incredible group of accomplished skateboarders who Sandler absolutely idolizes) standing around the bowl. They signaled for him to come over and I observed the phones coming out to film. I sensed the escalated enthusiasm as he got closer.

Then from behind one of Curb Cowboy’s backs appeared a deck. Not only was it a custom Curb Cowboy skateboard deck with original artwork and grip tape, but it was a one-of-a kind pro model inscribed with—Sandler’s Pro Model. What?! The crowd went wild and the “yeewww’s,” the banging of the boards, and the applauding could be heard for miles. As the guys cheered him on and celebrated his new status as their newest pro rider, Sandler could not help but admire the board from one end to the other and immediately asked if he could ride it.

Not able to contain my enthusiasm, I began cheering and crying; missing the opportunity to take pictures and capture the moment. However, all those witnessing the official ceremony documented the events and got his board set up so he could quickly make his first run around the park as an official Pro Curb Cowboy. The victory lap did not end there. In fact, it had just begun. The guys wanted to make it as special as possible. They took him to skate a private bowl—shredded by the likes of some of the world’s biggest pro skateboarders—a few miles away.

The initiation alone is a day that will never be forgotten. To Say Sandler was elated would be the understatement of the year. It was one of the most outstanding moments he has ever experienced, and one of the most magnificent events, as him mom, that I will remember. To watch such an outstanding team of close-knit skateboarders take this little aspiring, passionate guy under their wing; not only welcome him as part of their crew, but also give him the confidence that he is talented enough to represent their group as one of their pros is just one more reason skateboarding has forever changed Sandlers life.

- Nikki