Back in the golden days of core skateboarding was Steve Rocco's domination at the World Industries skateboarding camp, where all the gnarly riders and top talents were in the team pushing skating to the next level.
All the skateboarders back then wanted to ride for World Industries, except for Filipino pro skateboarder Willy Santos.
The Pinoy legend decided to turn down an offer from Rocco in favor of Tony Hawk's burgeoning Birdhouse brand.
The revelation came to light during Santos' appearance on the Nine Club podcast, where he shared insights into the intriguing choice that set the course of his career.
Santos recounted a dinner meeting with Rocco, the man who souled the world and a prominent skateboard company in the '90s.
At the time, Rocco's camp expressed interest in having Santos ride for them.
What makes Santos' decision particularly intriguing is that, during this period, Tony Hawk was still in the early stages of building his own brand, Birdhouse.
Contrary to the popular perception of Hawk as a millionaire skateboard icon, Santos revealed that, at that time, Hawk was far from reaching that status.
However, despite the financial differences, Santos chose Birdhouse over World Industries.
Santos said his decision to ride for Birdhouse wasn't solely based on financial considerations.
While World Industries offered a more lucrative deal, including a tempting proposal from Rocco, Santos was drawn to the spirit and potential he saw in Hawk's Birdhouse project.
According to Santos, Hawk's vision for the brand and the camaraderie within the team played a noteworthy role in his decision-making process.
Santos disclosed that Rocco sweetened the deal by offering him a car.
However, Santos ultimately chose Birdhouse, accepting a lower salary than World Industries had proposed with a Lexus.