In Hollywood there are two types of child actors: Those that hone their craft early and go on to great careers, like Leonardo DiCaprio, and then those that enjoy the easy access to an excessive lifestyle a little too much, like Macaulay Culkin or Gary Coleman.

The unforgiving skateboard industry often mirrors its Hollywood cousin and can sometimes burn out its hottest prospects before they're even legal drinking age.

It's good to know that 15 year-old Matt  Berger is not only one of the most ridiculous young talents to come out of Canada in the last few years, but that he also has a great head on his shoulders - not to mention a solid foundation of family members and skateboard veterans pushing him in the right direction. If you were a gambler, it would be wise to put your money on Matt becoming the next big Hollywood leading man and not a broke-ass "don't you know who I am" straight-to-DVD actor.

After traveling on his own for the first time to compete in the Maloof Money Cup, Matt gave PUSH.ca the low-down on "kid style", why he isn't like Sheckler, and why the helmet with flames on the sides is no longer sitting on his head. Say hello to Canada's future, say hello to Matt Berger:

In the not so distant past you seem to have magically changed from a ripping grom to a grown-up skateboarder with amazing style. How does it feel watching your video part from when you were 8 compared to watching footage of yourself now?
Damn... it's rad. It reminds me of the days when I didn't give a shit, you know? Everything was just eat, sleep, skate.

What about when you were 13?
13 was a bit of a transformation. I started to grow like crazy, it was a bit of an adjustment skating.

When you were smaller did you ever worry about having "kid style?"
Nah, not one bit... I was always just down to skate; I don't even think I understood what style was back then. I felt no pressure; it was just skating, man.

Did you have to make an effort to get rid of "kid style" or does it just come naturally with growth?
No, not at all, it was just skating everyday as you grow, I guess. You can't really try to change your style; it's just a natural thing that comes with the progression of your skateboarding.

Big spin flip to back tail to fakie. Odam sequence.

When and why did you stop skating in a helmet?
I stopped wearing my helmet when I was around 12. I told my parents that everyone else in the skateboard world wasn't wearing a helmet. My parents also knew there was going to be a time when I wasn't going to be wearing a helmet anymore. I made that choice when I felt I had skated long enough to know how to fall.

Are your favorite skaters still Ryan Sheckler, Mike V, and Daewon? If not who are they now?
[laughs] They are all rippers, but I'd say Daewon [Song] and Heath Kirchart are the kings in my world.

You and Sheckler were both skate prodigies. What are some differences between you and him?
Well first off, I'm nothing close to a skate prodigy. Sheckler rips, but I don't necessarily agree with the choices he's made in his career.

Looks like you grew up with a little backyard set-up. Have your parents always been supportive of skating?
Yeah, that's where I originally started skating. When I was 5 years-old my parents noticed that I really enjoy skateboarding. They built some rails and ramps for my backyard. They've always been super supportive... My dad used to sit and watch me skate for hours at the skatepark.

Did you ever feel like they pressured you into anything like hockey parents? Or have you always wanted this?
Actually, when I was five I played hockey. I wasn't really into it, so I quit and started skating. My parents have been supportive in whatever I enjoyed doing. Never have they forced me into a sport, as far as I can remember.

What skaters did you look up to while growing up in Kamloops?
I always looked up to Daewon and [Rodney] Mullen growing up. I would always watch the Daewon versus Mullen videos and go skate for hours on end in my backyard. I also looked up to the local rippers, and I still do to this day.

What are your local skate spots?
Kamloops has a lot of skate spots for how small it really is; its a golden nugget in the BC Interior. There used to be a warehouse with ledges we would skate, but it burned down.

What was it like competing as an am in the Maloof Money Cup against some of the world's best?
It was rad. It felt great skating with everyone. I previously met at other contests a lot of the skaters in the contest. I've become good friends with a lot of them, so it's just like a reunion.

Backside 180 fakie 5-0. Caissie sequence.

You just started traveling alone. How has that been? Where have you gone?
It's been stressful, but really fun. The traveling to the destination is the only stressful part. This summer I started traveling alone when I went down to California for Maloof Money Cup. I ended up going to San Diego and staying down there for a couple weeks filming. I then flew from San Diego to New York. With a solid 20 hours of flying and delays, I got there and jumped in the van. We went all over the East Coast down to Virginia. [It was] definitely one of the best trips I've been on.

What are your plans over the winter? Any spots you've always wanted to hit?
I'm actually back in school now. I have been doing home schooling since grade eight. I'm definitely going to get some snowboarding done, and I'm going to make some trips down to Vancouver. My next big trip is Tampa... super psyched to go.

Last words?
I want to thank my sponsors: Almost Skateboards, B and B Boardshop, Tensor Trucks, Bones Wheels, Es Footwear, Timebomb and Nomis Clothing; Denise and Rich Odam for always giving me a place to stay on the coast. Brian Cassie and Rich Odam for taking the time to shoot me! My parents for making it all happen. And all the Kamloops homies!

Endnote: These three YouTube videos show the evolution of Matt Berger from 8 year-old super grom, to 13 year-old "damn this kid is getting scary good", to a smooth 15 year-old with a mature style that has skaters in their 20's enrolling back into school and looking for full-time jobs.

------------------------
Related:
Matt Berger Bones Video
Billabong Damn Am 2009
Billabong Damn Am Day 2 Video