Dimetrus Collins says his time at Tum Yeto has come to an end, and according to a post he shared on Instagram, he was fired without being given an explanation.
Collins looked back on his time with the company in an emotional post, talking about how much working at Tum Yeto meant to him and how the job had been a dream since he was a kid.
Collins was 25 years old at the time and had already been deeply connected to the skate scene for years.
He explained that one of his biggest childhood dreams was to ride Toy Machine boards.
He also recalled going to Foundation Skateboards' That's Life video premiere and sitting directly behind Corey Duffel during Duffel's iconic Jack Skelington top hat era.
Collins also talked about his longtime connection to Pig Wheels, saying he had never ridden any other wheels since the beginning because of their San Diego roots.
Working at Tum Yeto was about much more than having a job in the skate industry.
It gave him the chance to work with skaters who had inspired him for years, build friendships with people he looked up to, and be himself while doing something he genuinely cared about.
He described the job as his own version of being a professional skater.
Collins said he stuck with Tum Yeto through some difficult periods for the skate industry, including the COVID era and tariff issues.
Despite those challenges, he said being there every day was fulfilling and that he felt like he was living his dream.
That makes the way his time with the company ended especially difficult for him.
Collins said he was "absolutely heartbroken" that everything ended so suddenly and without an explanation.
At the same time, he said he believes the situation could open the door to bigger and better opportunities for him.
A large part of Collins' post was also dedicated to thanking the people he worked with and the skate shops that supported him throughout his time at Tum Yeto.
He gave a special thank you to the hundreds of skate shops he dealt with, saying he will miss the daily phone calls and the people he got to know through the job.
Collins also thanked Ed Templeton, Mike Sinclair and the team riders for trusting him over the years. He mentioned the people who helped him both professionally and personally, including TJ Lwinter, Nini Muggins, General Cornball Wallace, Jessica Nutty and Yerdone.
His message was not simply about losing his job. It was also a look back at a period of his life that clearly meant a lot to him.
Collins spoke about growing from his 20s into his 30s while working at Tum Yeto and developing relationships with people throughout the skate industry.
At this point, Collins has not publicly shared any further details about why he was let go, and Tum Yeto has not provided a public explanation for his departure.
For someone who described working at Tum Yeto as his dream job, you can tell that this was not the way Collins expected his time with the company to end.
Hence, his post shows plenty of appreciation for the people he met along the way and leaves him looking toward whatever comes next.