Scott Cranmer: If he was going
to do something, he goes all out. Garrett Reynold...:
That progression changed everything because it was further
than what anyone else had done. Scotty Cranmer: What I really loved
was the constant challenge to be my best. Dennis Enarson: He was the first big name
established pro to do the YouTube thing. Scotty Cranmer: I love this. This is the kind of stuff I live for. Trying to outdo myself from the day before. It was really hard. I got it here, I just
can't get it to translate. Like my worst nightmare
coming true, it really was. I actually had the worst crash in my life. Donna Cranmer: We knew he was
going to progress because he's Scotty. Scotty Cranmer: I'm just
excited about the future, I really am. I just decided to keep pushing. How was that? Audience: Scotty! Scotty Cranmer: My name is Scotty
Cranmer and I'm from Jackson, New Jersey. I'm really excited
to actually be doing this because it's really awesome
to take a trip down memory lane. As a kid, I was definitely
scared and nervous and shy. Donna Cranmer: He was like one of the
most quiet children that I had out of four. So soft-spoken, so kind. Scott Cranmer: He liked to play. He was a normal kid. He wasn't very competitive at the time. Scotty Cranmer: I was someone who lacked
a lot of confidence until I got into BMX. And that was kind of where I found myself. Scott Cranmer: You know, we thought
it was just because his friends were doing it. It was something that
he was going to try and do. And he just took off. Scotty Cranmer: See right here, I know it's in the shadow, but it's my name. There's Scotty. When they paved this, it had
to have been, jeez, '97 or '98. So the first race I had
right here on this track, about right there, I had my first fall. I fell and my handlebars
pulled down my sweatpants. And I was out there in my
like Spider-Man underwear. And I was stuck in the bike
and I had to get somebody to come help me and pull my pants up. So I did just run with the
shame and I kept on racing. Racing was great. I had a blast doing it,
but I just wanted to jump. That's exactly what
I came to this track for. I just wanted to go faster
and I wanted to be able to jump further. I just had all these goals
that just came flying at me and being so overwhelmed
but so excited at the same time. At that point, I was hooked, I just
wanted to just ride my bike no matter what, I just knew that was it for me. What I really loved about BMX
was the constant challenge. And it was me challenging
myself to be better, to be my best. Scott Cranmer: I had owned
a heating cooling company at the time. And I guess I had a little
more of a business sense. Let's put Scotty's passion
into a business venture and see if we can make this work. Donna Cranmer: He looked at
this building one day and he said, "Donna, come on down here. We're going to open up
a skate park!" Before you know it, it ended up being The Incline Club. Scotty Cranmer: We're currently
standing in the parking lot of where my parent's skate
park, The Incline Club, used to be. All the moments that happened in that
building are always going to be with me, even though I'm seeing it like this. And I know that our
skate park's not in there, I'm okay with it. And my dad installed every one
of those pieces of ceiling up there. That's how he got the
money to build the skate park. I don't know how he pulled it all off, but apparently he didn't
do a great job either, but that's not what he did professionally. I rode there constantly every single day. Donna Cranmer: I would
watch him even at the skate park and he wanted to learn something. He would just do it. He had that drive like I've never
seen with anyone else with something. Scotty Cranmer: I knew I was getting good, but I didn't think I was at a pro level, but my parents and my
friends, they all saw it. Scott Cranmer: I was like,
"Scotty, let's go to this contest. It's a pro contest
and let's enter it as a pro." And he was like, "Dad, I'm 15 years old. What are you talking about? There's
no such thing as a 15 year old pro." And they're calling off
the order on who made the finals and are getting all
the way down into the top three. I was like, "Oh, that's all
right, man. We had a great time. You know, you didn't make
finals but we had a great time. This was a great experience." And the number one qualifier,
Scotty Cranmer, you kidding me? Scotty Cranmer: And then
I went from my first pro contest to another event called UGP Roots Jam. Jerry Badders: At a contest called Roots. Dakota Roche: I think
it was called the Roots Jam. Garrett Reynold...: UGP Roots Jam. Gary Young: UGP Roots Contest. Jerry Badders: I knew
he was going to be something. Gary Young: He was something different. Dakota Roche: Who on Earth is this dude? Scotty Cranmer: I actually won that event, which was unreal. All the sponsors started calling. Becoming a paid athlete at that point, it didn't even feel real. It really didn't. I was a kid at the time. I wished somebody would
have actually gave me advice. I couldn't relate to anyone. I was just learning as I went, I mean, I was writing
the book for a 16 year old being a professional at that point. Jerry Badders: Him being so young, he was the first young kid to show
these older guys the new ropes. Garrett Reynold...: I think that
progression changed everything because it was further than
what anyone else had done. Now you have all the big name pros
kind of trying to play catch up with him. Scotty Cranmer: I was just constantly
pushing myself to get better because I still had that drive inside me
to be the best that I could be. I would just try to do the craziest tricks that I could think of
that I was capable of. I just wanted to be the best I could, but risking myself for that long and
trying to outdo myself from the day before, trying to live up to
expectations, it was really hard. Dennis Enarson: You had the big sponsors. You had a lot of pressure behind him, but it was real pressure. The cameras were always on him. He was always kind of the star of the show. Dakota Roche: He just puts his
heart and soul into what he's doing. And when people do that, there is a chance
you're going to disappoint yourself or you're not going
to meet your own expectations. If you're beating on yourself constantly, you can only do that for so long
before you start having some issues. Scotty Cranmer: Nothing's on my side. I got it here, I just
can't get it to translate. It was really hard to show up at skate
parks and knowing that people are going to expect to see the Scotty Cranmer
that they see in videos and magazines and knowing that I was going to have to
show up and do my biggest and best tricks. Garrett Reynold...: Hard to
say what his pressure was like. He never really wore that. Jerry Badders: The pressure came. He didn't really show it too much. He always was standing, he
always knew what he needed to do. Interviewer: All right Scott, how
does it feel to get that big old check? [crosstalk] Garrett Reynold...: He
knows what he wants to do, and he's going to see it through. Scotty Cranmer: I think we lost Matty. I think he's gone. I can't believe it, man. It's crazy to think how important this
was to me at the time and how it was just sitting in the back of a storage
container all the way back there. 2011 champion. Commentator 1: That means now, if you want to win this event, you got to throw down a 91.14, and that's what faces Scotty Cranmer. Scotty Cranmer: This was a
huge one for me, really big deal. I worked my butt off to get this one, and to be honest with you, I wrote myself off at the time. So it was a big mental battle. Commentator 1: Cranmer
needs the 91.14 to take the Dew Cup lead from Dennis Enarson. Scotty Cranmer: I didn't
have faith in myself at the time. When I first started that year, I didn't think I was going
to be able to do this. So the fact that I was able
to put the effort in and accomplish something and prove to myself that
I am good enough and I am capable. That's what the main thing is. It's not about just this trophy. Commentator 2: Another big hit, Cranmer! Double tail whip, back flip. Commentator 1: Three seconds. And he's pulled it! Commentator 2: Stuck it! Commentator 1: What! Commentator 2: If you're
going to bet on black, Scotty Cranmer's your man! Scotty Cranmer: So in 2015, I was a professional rider that
was mainly focusing on contest. Pulled off second place! At that point, I really only had
X Games as my one big event. I needed to come up with something else to be able to continue this
life of being professional rider. And I decided to start
my own YouTube channel. Right away I just was so intrigued. I got so obsessed with the process. He's going to drive away
and I'm just going to tail up out of it. Scott Cranmer: He was like, "Yeah, I'm going to buy a $2,000 camera. I'm going to buy a $3,000 computer. I'm getting it all." Scotty doesn't do anything
little, he goes full on. Scotty Cranmer: Heck
yeah let's trick it again. I went from doing one video
a week to seven videos a week. It was mayhem, but it was so
much fun to be able to be busy, and to be able to ride my bike nonstop, and be able to be with
my friends, telling stories. We've done it. It completely changed my life. We're just enjoying this whole entire trip. It's been amazing so far,
just having a good time. Everything that we're
doing every single day. Dennis Enarson: He was the first big name established pro to do the YouTube thing. Scotty Cranmer: We're going
to bring you guys along for the ride. We're going to show
you guys all the top runs. Gary Young: He was able to become
this new version of himself that was super open and super positive
to all these other generations of BMXers. Scotty Cranmer: Now we have the opportunity to bring the trick to
the world for you guys. Dakota Roche: Something that I think
was needed for a lot of those kids, feeling like they're
connecting with somebody. Scotty Cranmer: Until next time, guys, remember to subscribe to the
channel and thanks for watching. Peace! So today we here at Long Brand skate park. I've got my camera out.
I've got the boys here. Just going to have some fun. Check this out. It's like the same. Speaker 13: About the same, yeah. Scotty Cranmer: Yeah! That was perfect dude. I can't believe you just did that. Speaker 13: That could've been me! Dennis Enarson: It takes a hardworking, determined person to
have a YouTube channel. Gary Young: He'd go film
all day and ride the contest. And then after the contest, he'd be
editing for hours and hours on end. Scotty Cranmer: This video's
going to come out tomorrow. I got to go home and edit this video. The pressure's just unreal. So my YouTube channel started taking off and I started getting
all these subscribers. It was mind-blowing and I was so
happy to be in the position I was. And I was going to just keep the pedal to the floor and that's exactly what I did. This is insane. There's a roll-in all the way up there, you come ripping down this pathway, you hit a seven foot lift, and you jump into the lake. Show you guys what I'm jumping off of, we're on a highway right now. Yes, dude! Up until the one day in Las Vegas, when I was there for an event and we
were trying to film the YouTube video, and I did the last trick for the video. And I rode away from it. And then everything went black after that. Scott Cranmer: We're still at the hospital
in Las Vegas at the trauma center. Luckily he's at a fantastic hospital. When I got that phone call I wanted to go drive to
Las Vegas to see Scotty. And his dad told me, "You don't want to see
my son in this condition." And when I heard the
father tell me that I was like, oh shit, it's got to be bad. Scott Cranmer: He still
has a lot ahead of him. He has a problem with his spinal cord, which we're going to address tomorrow. Now that his brain
injury has been stabilized. Scotty Cranmer: Hello everyone. I'm sorry it's been so long. I actually had the worst crash in my life. I did a double peg on the retaining wall, hopped double tire, rode
across it, did the downside whip. And I almost pulled it, but I slid out. I went back up and I tried it again. And this time I pulled
it, but as I pulled it, I went off to the side and I jumped
over to this grass pile. And my front wheel went into a hole
that I had no idea it was there. So I immediately got shot right to my face. I ended up breaking my neck. I ended up also having three brain bleeds. I fractured my skull. Scott Cranmer: What
do you think of that video? The doctor told that Scotty is
now classified as a quadriplegic. Scotty Cranmer: [inaudible] It was like my worst nightmare
coming true, it really was. Donna Cranmer: Do you think
Tammy will help you good? I think it's just baby steps the whole way. We knew he was going
to progress because he's Scotty. Speaker 14: Do you perform
better for an audience? Scotty Cranmer: I do
perform better for an audience. There were times where it was
really hard and it was really dark. And I kind of thought that I had no chance of being able to have a normal life again. Taking that challenge head on and
trying to do the impossible once again, I just decided to keep pushing, even though it was something
that seemed so far out of reach. I had a long road after that. I started to slowly get
things back where I started to move my toe a little bit and I started
to be able to move my wrist. I got my head up, starting to
move my fingers a little bit too. So we're making some progress, man. You know what? I'm sick of this place. I'm out of here. Hello everybody, Scotty Cranmer here. I'm in the rehabilitation center, I've been here for about
four weeks right now, and things have been
going really, really well. Finally going to get my forehead back. I'll take the scar because
this is part of the process. It's part of the journey. It's not bad for six months. Cameraman: That was awesome. Scotty Cranmer: It is not going to be easy, but I got to do this. This is part of getting better. It's pushing myself. Gary Young: You saw the progress
and you saw every time he met the goal, he would push it further
and he'd meet that goal, okay, I'm going to go further. Scotty Cranmer: So for today's video, I am actually meeting with an old friend. So, time to get the old friend out. Yes! My feet are on the pedals! I want to be able to ride down the ramp. That's my goal. If I put my head in the
right place, all these steps, every single day can be
something that I can enjoy. All right, let's keep on going,
let's see how far we can go. So now the goal is to be able to
stand up and be able to hold myself. All right, this is good. This is really good. So today I'm going to go to the skate park. I'm going to get my bike and I'm going to ride down my ramp for the
first time since my accident. I should get my own
bike up there, right? How are we going to do this? Cameraman: I don't know dude, grab on the rail and grab on here. Scotty Cranmer:
The goal is to get up there. Scott Cranmer: It just didn't
seem to me that that's the first thing you want to do is get right back
on your bike and ride a ramp. But that's what made him happy. That was his goal. Cameraman: Come on Scott you got this dude. All you, Scott, come on dude! Scott Cranmer: And then he did it. Cameraman: Yes Scott! Go Scott, go! Come on Scott, you got this. Yes Scott! Yes! Scotty Cranmer: Oh my God,
I swear to you that felt awesome. There was nothing that's
ever going to compare to that. And that's always going to go down
as one of the best moments of my life. And I just want you guys to know
that everything is going to be okay. I am back on the bike and
I'm just excited about the future. I really am. Dakota Roche: Seeing him back on a bike
and still pushing further and further... Almost brought tears to my eyes. Scotty Cranmer:
I even did like a [crosstalk] Donna Cranmer: Scotty doesn't give up. He makes things work all the time. He's that kind of a person. Scott Cranmer: He set his mind that if he was going to do
something, he goes all out. There's no little bit. There's just all out. Matty Cranmer: He looks
at things a different way. He flips it upside down, twists it around and then makes it his own. He does not stop at anything. Scotty Cranmer is Superman. Scotty Cranmer: Every
single day I'm out there trying to better myself
and trying to enjoy this life. The drive to be the best
that I can be is still there, and the fact that people are finding
inspiration in my story, it's a blessing. I still want to go out there and make
people remember the name Scotty Cranmer. If I have to achieve that through
my YouTube channel of setting a great example for the riders that are
coming up and showing them the way, then that's what it's going to be. That felt great. Or if I set these goals for
myself that make people go, "Man, did you see that
guy that's a quadriplegic that rode 100 miles on his BMX bike?" That's what I want to do. Dennis Enarson: Scotty's future
holds whatever he wants it to. I think he's proven that at this point that if he wants to do
something, he can do it. Dakota Roche: I think if you talk
to Scotty and find out his goals, that will be what he's
going to be doing next. Dan: Scotty it's a big honor
having you here with us. Scotty Cranmer: Dan, I wish you could
just introduce me to everybody I meet... I want to do good things in life. I want to do positive things in
life and I want to just have fun and just keep on making a name for myself. Scotty Cranmer. Speaker 20: Come on Scotty, that's yours. Speaker 21: Wow! Scotty Cranmer: Just like the
old days! Just like the old days.
I can't remember who said it, but there's a quote about skater kids, and this absolutely proves it.
If you see a kid who can do a trick on a skateboard or a BMX, you know they're going to be alright in life. Because if they can stick that trick, you know they've failed countless times and got back up. They've been hit in the shins, or the knee, or smashed their face, and they've gone back and tried again, and again, and again. Skater kids don't give up, and they're the sort of people we want in our future.