This sponsored skater (Pistol Skate Shop) worked at Safeway before realizing he could help people better by following his heart into the Cannabiz. And look at him now, a Spokane native whose star is on the rise! Follow him on Instagram (@nate_akers).
You’re so into skateboarding that you also design maps for video games. How does that work?
Yeah, I’ve made a couple of maps with my friend for a video game, and it has had over 10 thousand downloads. Lots of people play them, but I do it for me. I’m basically creating the old downtown skate park, modeling it in a program, and then dragging it into the video game’s folder as a playable map. So when I’m playing the game, I just go to maps and it’ll say Spokane … I’ll click on it and I’m thrown into what I’ve created as Downtown Spokane and get to skate around cool spots. It’s called SkaterXL.
That’s cool AF.
Yeah, the programs I use to make the maps are all free. The game was free on PC, and then the mods and the map I’m making are free to download. You just download and install it and play it.
Sick. What’s the name of the website?
The website is called MODS.IO. You go to the game SkaterXL and type in Nate Akers. What will pop up is Wheels Skate Park and Joe Albi Skate Park, which are already done. Right now, I’m making the Old Downtown Skate Park UTF and the surrounding area like the Riverfront Park, U-Haul and old Costco – and it goes pretty far.
Did you first use Cannabis at the skate park?
Absolutely, good call. I was introduced to Cannabis by friends, and then I integrated it into skating, as well as using it in everyday life. For a while there, I was affiliated with Fairwinds Cannabis by sponsorship. It helped out using their wellness products for relief. It was amazing for recovery when it comes to abusing the body skateboarding. It was advantageous to go really hard one day knowing I wouldn’t be hurting all weekend; I could use some topicals that would diminish the recovery time. It helps extend your flexibility and ability to extend your skating weekend.
If you could burn with anybody in the world, who would it be?
Cheech and Chong.
