Welcome back to Garage Heroes. We’re diving into the action sports hall of fame and hand picking our favourite athletes and all round legends that have turned their sport on it’s head, the athletes pushing the envelope, with a life more accomplished than the usual, and pulling their highlights from the best featured films in the Garage library. Today, we call on the 2x Thrasher Mag skater of the year and an excellent addition to Garage Heroes, Danny Way. 
If you’ve seen the documentary ‘Waiting For Lightning’ (Danny’s biography), you’ll know a little about the man himself and his life struggles, then achievements at the top. Brought up in a broken home, Danny’s Father Dennis, died before his first birthday. He took his own life 9 days into a prison sentence, followed by his mother Mary falling victim to drug abuse. Mary then dated a number of abusive men who harmed her, Danny, and brother Damon. She remarried, to Tim O’Dea, who introduced Danny and Damon to skateboarding and surfing. Who would later died following a surfing session. Danny lost another adult in his life when his childhood mentor Mike Ternasky died in a car accident. 
On top of life’s struggles and a heavy up bringing, Danny Way took Skateboarding as a means to overcome his childhood. He become one of the top 10 most influential skaters of all time for his raft of achievements on the deck, and off. Danny co-founded the skate brand ‘Plan B’ & was involved in the launch of ‘DC Shoes’ with his brother Damon (co-founder) and Ken Block—which made Danny a driving force since emerging as a ‘Powell-Peralta’ am in the 80s. 
He pushed the limits on the deck with feats no skater would ever attempt, like, jumping The Great Wall of China on his skateboard, the first to ever jump out of a Helicopter into a quarter pipe and of course taking on the infamous mega ramp, to name just a few (see all of Danny’s achievements below) Check out this highlights reel of some of Danny Way’s craziest moments:
Danny Way is a true inspiration to the sport of skateboarding and an easy choice for Garage Heroes. To see more of this legend check out ‘Waiting For Lightning’, at the 2013 TILT Film Festival an awe inspiring documentary about his life.
Danny Way’s impressive list of awards and achievements: 1986: Winner of the first contest he entered at eleven years of age 1989: Winner of the first vert contest he entered in Michigan, U.S. 1991: Thrasher magazine ‘Skater Of The Year’ 1997: World record for ‘Biggest Air’ – 12 feet (3.7 m) kickflip 1997: First skateboarder to drop into a ramp from a helicopter 2002: World record for ‘Long Distance Jump’ – 65 feet (20 m) 2002: World record for ‘Biggest Air’ – 18 feet (5.5 m) 3 inches (7.6 cm) above the top of a ramp (this record was subsequently broken) 2003: Second world record for ‘Long Distance Jump’ on June 19 at the Point X Camp mega ramp – surpassed his own previous record with a distance of 75 feet (23 m) 2003: Second world record for ‘Biggest Air’ – surpassed his own previous record with a distance of 23.5 feet (7.2 m) above the top of a ramp 2004: Gold medal at X Games 2004: Third world record for ‘Long Distance Jump’ on June 19 at X Games – surpassed his own previous record with a distance of 79 feet (24 m) 2004: Second Thrasher ‘Skater Of The Year’ award 2005: First skateboarder to jump over the Great Wall Of China on a skateboard (Way performed this jump with a broken foot after failing a practice jump the day before.) 2005: ‘Big Air’ Gold medal at X Games XI 2006: ‘Big Air’ Gold medal at X Games XII 2006: First skateboarder to perform the ‘El Camino’ (‘rocket grab’ backflip) skateboard trick on a mega ramp – Mexico City, Mexico 2006: First skateboarder to drop into a ramp from the top of the guitar sculpture at the Hard Rock Cafe & Casino in Las Vegas, U.S. – a height of 82 feet (25 m) 2009: World record for land speed on a skateboard – assisted by professional skateboarder and entrepreneur Rob Dyrdek 2009: Winner of the inaugural ‘Big Air Rail Jam’ event at X Games XV – Staples Center, Los Angeles, U.S.
