A Fakie Inverted 900, complients of Matty boy!
Full Name: Matthew John Joshua Salerno
Nicknames: Gagmil, The Wombat, Piranha, Robot
AGE: 21
D.O.B.: 9/4/78
HEIGHT: 5' 6"
WEIGHT: 140
BORN: Blakehurst, Australia
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Sydney, Australia <
BEGAN COMPETING: 1990
SKATING HIGHLIGHTS: Named Best Overall Skater by the ASA in 1997, 1st Place 1997 Ultimate In-Line Challenge [Vert] 1st Place 1996 Ultimate In-Line Challenge [Vert] 1st Place 1996 Ultimate In-Line Challenge [Street] 1st Place 1995 ESPN X Games [Vert]
MEDALS: X-Games: 1999 vert - Bronze, street - 4th, vert triples (with Cesar Mora and Mike Budnik) - Silver; 1998 vert - Silver, vert triples (with Cesar Mora and Mike Budnik) - Silver; 1995 street - Gold. ASA 1997: vert - 1st, street - 3rd; 1998 Ultimate In-Line Challenge: vert - 1st, street - 1st.
SOME RANDOM FACTS:
Favorite Cereal: Fruit Loops
Favorite Rail: b's Rail, Santa Monica, California
Worst Skating Experience: "Flying 21 hours to get to NewPort, Rhode Island, then the second day in Newport, going to the site for the X-Games, and then doing promotional work for ESPN (an ad on tv), and after my second run, falling and spraining my ankle (one of the worst sprains you can probably do) right before the competition."
Favorite Music: Pennywise, No Fun At all, No use for a Name, 10 Foot Pole, S'N'F'U'
Other Sports he likes: basketball, Surfing, Snowboarding
How many days a week does he skate? every day
Favorite Hero: Chris Edwards
Matt skated during the Closing Ceremonies of the '96 Olympic Games in Atlanta (he was on the vert ramp in the center of the stadium)
- Matt lives near Cesar Mora so they skate at the same skate park
- Matt used to steal Cesar Mora's Tricks but it wasn't until he did his own tricks that he got really successful
- Contrary to Popular belief, Matt doesn't care who wins the competition as long as he is skating with friends and they're doing good and are happy
- Matt doesn't mind being called a 'jock' cuz he trains all the time and got a pro-soccer contract at age 14, Cesar got one too.
- The first time Matt lost in Vert in '98 was at the X-Games and of course it was to best friend Cesar Mora
- When he came onto the scene the other skaters made fun of him cuz he was an 'athlete'. they suggested that he was jogging/training.
Matt DJ's, I think just for fun, he's "never ready" according to Cesar.
Matt and Cesar Mora hated each other for two years, "it was crazy, we wouldn't skate anywhere near each other" said Cesar. Matt copied everyting that Cesar did, then they became best friends. "Matt's the younger brother,gets beat up, dragged along a bit" says Scott Crawford, a fellow country-man of Matt and Cesar. he also "talks about himself allthe time" says Cesar.
According to Cesar, Matt has "wicked" mood swings, Matt denies it saying, "I had one, I seriuosly only had one" ...ahem, right....He skates both street and vert. He won the ASA vert Champs in Fort Meyers, Fla. He has a tattoo on his left shoulder, I don't know what it's supposed to be, but It's black and kinda swirly...he also has an earring..and a tounge ring!! sexY!
HOW IT ALL BEGAN: " I was like 14 and I went to check out this half-pipe exhibition. I said, "that's it, that's what I want to do with my life." To tell the truth, my dad wasn't too thrilled"
WHAT KEEPS IT FRESH: "Trying to achieve a personal best each time you hit a ramp. The feeling I get from having sick airs for a session is incredible."
SKATING GOALS: "I've got no excuse not to skate. As long as my bones can take it, I want to keep skating competitively."
WHEN NOT ACTIVELY COMPETING: "I'm like a machine. I don't stop because I love it so much. But I do like surfing"
