We recently connected with Natalie Pluto and have shared our conversation below.
Natalie, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
Being kind to everyone and anyone has always been a natural priority to me as I navigate through life. My generosity comes from my family, and how I was raised. I’m forever grateful for it, and for growing up in such a warm and supportive setting. It has really shaped me into who I am today, and has helped me overcome a lot of tough obstacles. I only wish to share this warmth with the rest of the world.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Experiencing growth in something I’m passionate about is not only exciting, but extremely rewarding. I’m part of the longboard freestyle community, which is a unique sport that consists of flat ground skateboard tricks combined into lines and combinations. I make content surrounding this lifestyle for social media and various trending brands. Along with content creating, I skate as a sponsored rider and ambassador for admirable companies in the community. I designed my own performance board under my sponsor, Prism Skate Co. It’s a lightweight freestyle deck I created for both beginner and advanced riders. I’m grateful for the experience, and for the endless wave of support I’ve received from my audience ever since the launch. Longboarding is so special because it brings people together. It makes me really happy, and I get to express myself alongside so many other talented and creative individuals. Moving forward, I can’t wait to make more connections with riders and creators, and pursue future opportunities with the sport. It’s an adventure I hope to be a part of for as long as I can.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Having a community of people who share the same passion as you is very impactful. Being able to relate to others, inspire, share knowledge, and grow with one another is a beautiful thing. I always recommend beginners to find a skate buddy to go out and learn new tricks with. Having a friend to progress with in any field can make a big difference. I always enjoy having someone with me during my sessions so that we could film one another and capture our progression together. Having an expensive camera and a bunch of fancy equipment is not necessary in order to create or get started. Use what you have access to and get creative! The original reason why I began learning tricks on longboards was because I didn’t have access to a skateboard when I was younger. But I was still able to have fun and focus on what I had right in front of me, instead of what I didn’t have. My brother gave me his first longboard before he left for school, and it turned out to be the gift that changed my life forever.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I’m originally from Northern Virginia, but growing up I always dreamed of living in Los Angeles. After graduating high school in 2018, I made the terrifying decision to move out to the West coast where I lived my life for the next five years. It was the most uncomfortable, yet best decision of my life. I love Los Angeles because of the weather, the beaches, the community, the endless places to explore, and so much more. However, I recently moved back to my hometown for the time being to be with my family. It’s a decision I don’t regret. However, moving back home has made content creation and skating a lot more challenging. A lot of factors that played an important part in my vision and career out in Los Angeles are things I don’t have in my hometown. The weather, the scenery, and a community are all examples. I went from skating every day, to skating once every two weeks. This time in my journey is valuable because I’m realizing the importance of trying new things and discovering what works and what doesn’t work. I’m more motivated than ever to travel to places I’ve never been, and to discover new skating locations and places to film. The lesson in my situation is to make the most of the moment I’m in right now, and to find positivity given uncontrollable circumstances.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fullcircledistribution.com/collections/prism-longboards/products/prism-natalie-pluto-pro-model
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliepluto/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7HHuMpPZRXoFVutrhzJqFQ
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nataliepluto
Image Credits
Andrew Russell @andrewrossrussell (Personal) Tom Flinchbaugh @toms_wurld (Img_1, PlutoPro Info Sheet) Turner Williams @boarding_media (Img_2, Img_6) Skyler Wagoner @skylerwagoner (Img_3) Megan Edgemond @meganedgemond (Img_5) Johnny Flickz @johnnyflickz (Img_7)
