AUGUSTA -- Toebee Parkhurst figures he was 8 or 9 years-old when he first picked up a skateboard and rode it, on his butt, down his grandparents' driveway.

The 1997 Maranacook Community High School graduate, who spent most of his childhood in Fairfield, has pretty much been on a skateboard ever since.

Growing up in the 1980s, he recalls the skateboarding scene in the Michael J. Fox movie "Back to the Future" also influenced he and his brother, Glen, to get into skateboarding.

"I think we got skateboards for Christmas," said Parkhurst. "As a kid, we had a big driveway with piles of junk all over the place we used to jump over. I'm sure the neighbors hated it."

Parkhurst, in a time when skateboarding was far less popular than it is today, scored his first sponsorship at the age of 16, from a skate shop in Portsmouth, N.H.

The 29-year-old recently moved into a downtown Augusta building he bought with his wife, Crystal, after living in California, and on the road as a professional skateboarder, for the last several years. He moved to California after graduating from the University of Hartford.

As a pro boarder, he traveled around the country to competitions, exhibitions and skate park events. He's also appeared in skating videos.

For several years, that's how he made his living. Skateboarding was his job.

He said he's scaled back his skating a bit recently.

He's an owner of a clothing company, Constance Clothing, which makes shirts and other clothing available online and at skate shops.

He recently took a job in his parent's family business as special projects coordinator for Oakes and Parkhurst glass.

"I scaled back a bit, I don't want to be on the road nine months out of the year," Parkhurst said. He added, later, "there is no 401(K) plan for pro boarders."

But he's still active in skateboarding.

His current sponsors include skateboard maker Hoodlum, which carries two "Toebee Parkhurst," skateboards.

One of those two editions pays tribute to Parkhurst's move to Maine.

It features, on the board deck, a giant lobster attacking a lobster boat.

Keith Edwards -- 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com