Brian Lotti helped lay the groundwork for modern street skating. From bigspins to frontside bluntslide kickflip out, tricks that Lotti innovated are now staples of most pros’ repertoires. Aside from his technical prowess, he’s also remembered for his impeccable style. In many ways, Lotti was the prototype for the modern pro nearly 30 years ago. Given his giant contribution to the culture, you would think that he would remain in skateboarding forever. This is not the case. Lotti currently works as a fine artist in Brooklyn, and has little to no involvement in the industry. Lee Smith sits down for an in-depth conversation with one of skateboarding’s most respected figures to get the full story on how his creativity took him from street skating pioneer to accomplished painter in Episode 10 of Mission Statement.