Skateboarding journalist Robert Brink is back to reporting after taking time away from the scene.
Following his September 18 announcement that he was stepping away after coming dangerously close to taking his own life, Brink took time to reconsider his place in skateboarding media amid the criticism he had been receiving from different parts of the community.
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Now, he has returned with more reporting, this time addressing allegations involving artist NeckFace and how his concerns were handled by Tony Vitello, president and publisher of High Speed Productions, Inc., the company behind Thrasher Magazine.
According to Brink, he first contacted Vitello about the matter on February 24, 2025, while the two were exchanging emails about privacy concerns surrounding Slap moderators revealing the identities of anonymous users.
During that conversation, Brink mentioned that he was independently working on a piece about his experiences with Slap and wanted to interview Vitello.
He also raised allegations from a woman who claimed NeckFace had contacted her while she was underage.
According to Brink's writing, NeckFace allegedly offered to fly the woman to California and help her obtain a fake identification card.
She lived in another country at the time, meaning the alleged offer would have involved international travel while she was still a minor.
Brink also stated that the same woman had allegedly been contacted by pro skateboarder Dane Burman when she was underage.
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Given their history as industry peers, Brink said he expected Vitello to take the allegations seriously. He wanted to discuss the matter directly and provide the details himself.
However, according to Brink, their subsequent conversations focused on Slap, with Vitello never asking about the claims involving NeckFace.
The two exchanged text messages over several days, spoke by phone for approximately 30 minutes, and continued texting afterward.
Brink said the allegations were never addressed during any of those exchanges.
At the time, NeckFace continued to appear in Thrasher's masthead as its art ambassador and a contributing editor.
Brink said Vitello did not contact him to discuss the allegations until January 2026, following the publication of his report on Dane Burman.
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Brink had publicly described his earlier attempts to raise concerns with Vitello, bringing renewed attention to the publisher's response.
According to Brink, Vitello told him that he believed the alleged victims and Brink himself. He reportedly said he did not need to review the evidence Brink had offered to provide and would handle the situation.
Brink also said Vitello promised to remove NeckFace's artwork and his role as emcee at the Bust or Bail event held at a triple set in Santa Monica on February 13, 2026.
Although Brink did not attend, he saw footage showing pro skateboarder Geoff Rowley on the microphone, leading him to believe Vitello had followed through on that commitment.
Brink expected NeckFace's position at Thrasher to be affected as well.
However, in July 2026, while watching footage from the Thrasher and Supreme event at Milano Centrale, he noticed that NeckFace had created the trophies presented to the winners.
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According to Brink, NeckFace remained listed as art ambassador in every 2026 issue of Thrasher published up to the time of his post.
He also continued contributing artwork and articles and appeared in the magazine's quotes section.
Brink criticized the publication for continuing to feature NeckFace despite the allegations he had reported and Vitello's reported assurances.
He also raised broader concerns about Thrasher's treatment of people facing accusations of serious misconduct, including its editorial coverage and commercial activities.
The central issue raised by Brink is not simply the allegations against NeckFace, but how a prominent skateboarding media company responded after its publisher was reportedly informed of them.
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The claims described in Brink's account have not been established as proven findings in the material provided here, and NeckFace's response is not included in the supplied text.
Brink has indicated that he intends to continue reporting on Thrasher and Vitello, suggesting that he considers the matter unresolved.
ShreddER Editorial Team on Reporting:
This article reports on allegations shared by skateboarding journalist Robert Brink concerning NeckFace. The allegations have not been proven in court, and no conviction has been established in connection with the claims discussed. The article reports allegations, not findings of guilt. NeckFace has not been convicted of a crime in connection with these allegations, and the claims should not be treated as proven facts.