Phil JacksonBrent frontside rocks at the Autumn Bowl in NYC a few months back at an event held in his honor.

Brent Atchley has got a style all his own and for the past few years he's been showing it off for Element skateboards. He had a breakout part in their 2005 vid, "Elementality Volume 1." He kept it rolling and turned pro for the brand putting out another pro debut video part and then a part in 2007's "This is My Element." Lately, however, Atchley's been keeping a low profile and he and Element have just parted way. Here he gives his side of the story.

You and Element just broke up. What happened?
Basically, I wasn't stoked on skating and life. I was just kind of bummed out and I felt like most of it was coming from that angle.

From Element or from skating in general?
I just wanted to skate. It was from them but I don't want to badmouth them; we had a great run. It was fun. I was just bummed. I quit talking to them a whole bunch for like a year. I just kind of realized the I was super-stoked on skating the less I talked to them; it's kind of messed up. That's pretty much where it was. I called them and spoke my peace and we were going to try and work something out but it was just better to part ways.

Were you burnt on Element or pro skating as a job?
No, not pro skating as a job and I don't want to harsh these dudes but I was just burnt on Element. I just felt stagnant. Element didn't motivate me. It wasn't about a paycheck. It wasn't like they could offer me more money and I would be hyped; that's not the case. I just need to be motivated and stoked on skating and it wasn't there.

What's your next move?
I don't have anything to go public with at the moment. Definitely skating. I just took a trip to San Francisco with some friends filmed and shot a photo. It's just fun and still my job. Just not with them. It was kind of gnarly. Where they were at and where I was at were two completely different places.

I have to guess you were making good coin over there.
People like to think. I was making enough money to pay bills and take my friends out for drinks and maybe buy a few plane tickets but it wasn't anything incredible. At one point I was making good money but it was nothing outrageous to where I'm going to buy a Bentley and a house.

With no deals on the table are you looking for a big money deal? Or would you be happy with a smaller, local brand like say a Tribute skateboards?
I definitely want to be able to pay my bills and keep food on the table. But I'm not necessarily just searching out a job that's just going to pay me well. That doesn't motivate me. A lot of people are driven by money and I know we all need that to survive but I don't have a kid or a family or any other responsibilities so it's not like I'm out to conquer the biggest paycheck. I just want to have fun and be creative and keep skating. Element was a nice stepping-stone and it was fun. It was a fantasy but now its back to what I really want to do.

Marc FalkenstienBrent Atchley (center) helps pour some concrete for a bump spot with Chad Muska and Chad Tim Tim while filming for "This Is My Element," back in 2007.

Are you nervous at all that there might not be another deal out there for you? Skateboarding and the economy aren't in great shape right now.
As long as I can skate, I got money in my savings. I still got sponsors. I'm sitting on a full video part from the past two, three years because I quit the shoe program with Element so my footage wasn't going in that "Sole" video. Then the shoe program didn't do what they expected and that's no longer. I've got a game plan and I got stuff to work with.

When you called and quit, did you take your back foot off midway?
Ha ha ha. It's so funny that people are so caught up on that but people don't understand that I've only done that on purpose messing around a couple of times, on request, and it's kind of fun and I never thought twice about it. It's not like I do that intentionally, it just happens. For me personally, it's just a weird off balance thing. How you gonna be thinking about taking your back foot off mid-trick? Maybe it's just a comfort thing but more than anything I think it's an off balance thing. I'm deaf in my left ear so maybe I'll just lose balance somewhere mid-line. I like that you brought that up.

You're completely deaf in your left ear? So your right ear is up to the phone?
Yup, correct. People think I'm a** and then they learn I'm deaf and they're like, "Oh, man. I thought you were just ignoring me and being a d**k." I've had girls whisper in my left ear and I'm like, "Huh? What?" Who knows what I've missed over the years.

Brian GabermanBrent slips into a backside disaster on a fonud obstacle in the desert a few years back.