How This One Mistake Actually Turned Erik Ellington’s Life Around (Video)

The story is as inspiring as it is heavy. But instead of letting it destroy him, Ellington now looks back at that moment as the turning point that set him on the path to sobriety—a topic he's touched on a lot in recent years.

He's happy to admit that without facing such potentially gnarly consequences, he may have never made the changes that led to him becoming the person he is today—a loyal friend, a dedicated husband, a proud father, a successful business owner. Pretty wild, huh?

Ellington has always been one of my favorite skateboarders. Like many kids who grew up skating in the late 90s into the 2000s, he was one of the top dogs—no debate. But also like many kids who grew up skating in that era, it's been pretty rad to see the culture of skateboarding sort of mature over the past decade or so, if that makes sense.

We were influenced by their skating, sure, but we were influenced by the wild lifestyle that was shoved in our face all the same. And the same can be said today. The early Baker days are a classic IYKYK era. But seeing guys like Ellington, Reynolds, Neen—the list goes on—getting sober and changing their lifestyles for the better has been super inspiring.

What could've been the worst situation ever for Erik ironically turned into the best. It’s a reminder that even the sketchiest situations can light the path forward... as long as you choose to face them head-on. Cheers to Erik on making such heavy changes. If you haven't tuned in yet, get there.