FA World Entertainment's professional skateboarder Gino Iannucci has always been known for his smooth mongo push on the board.
But behind the scenes, his teenage years in the skate world weren’t as perfect as they seemed.
In an honest chat on Living Proof New York, Gino opened up about his struggles with substance abuse and how, for a long time, he blamed skateboarding for all his issues.
Over the years, he’s come to grips with his past and has fully owned up to his actions.
Looking back, Gino admits that he didn’t always understand the weight of his behavior. "You know my first thought about substance abuse and drinking and all that stuff. I used to blame skateboarding," he says.
RELATED: Andrew Brophy Opens Up About His Struggle w/ Alcohol & Negative Impact on His Mental Health
At that point, skateboarding was everything to him, his career, his identity, and his circle of friends. He began to think that the chaos around his skate life was the reason for all the trouble he was in.
His early years in skating were full of excitement and a fast-paced lifestyle, but with that came some serious challenges.
He found himself stuck in habits that didn’t serve him well. "That was my first blame, you know? Oh, it’s skateboarding, it f*cked me up. It’s like, did this," he recalls. At the time, he thought the lifestyle was to blame, instead of looking at his own choices and behaviors.
As time went on, though, he started to realize that the story wasn’t that simple. "But you start, you know, it takes a long time. It took a long time for me, I had to f*cking start looking at myself and take responsibility for myself," he reflects.
Now 51, Gino knows that blaming skateboarding or anything else outside of him wasn’t going to help him heal or grow.
It wasn’t the skate culture causing the problems - it was how he navigated through it and the decisions he made along the way.
"It’s not skateboarding. It’s f*cking, you know. I’m still trying to figure out what it is," he admits. He’s no longer pointing fingers or blaming the world. Instead, he’s looking inward for the answers.
It’s been a long road for him, but taking responsibility and confronting the hard truths has been a major part of his recovery.
By opening up about his past, Gino isn’t just sharing his own struggles - he’s showing others that they’re not alone.
People in and outside of skateboarding face similar challenges, and his story proves that it’s possible to heal and grow, no matter where you’ve been.
These days, Gino is in a much better place, both physically and mentally. His experience overcoming substance abuse and alcohol is a powerful reminder to the skate community that it’s okay to face your past and take control of your future.
Gino has shown that true strength comes from within. Skateboarding is still a huge part of his life, but now, it’s no longer a scapegoat for his struggles.