Book excerpt: As a baby he flipped himself upside down in his jolly jumper. As a kid he rode his Big Wheel into traffic. When he discovered skateboarding, his life was changed forever. So how did Andy Macdonald go from death-defying stunts in his jolly jumper to world champion skateboarder? In his own words, Andy shares all the ups and downs and the spills and thrills, from driving to California in a broken-down car and dressing up as Shamu at Sea World to setting world records and giving a speech at the White House. He's traveled the world over with his skateboard under his arm. Andy's made the road to sweet, sweet success look easy. But this behind-the-scenes look takes you onto the platform of the vert ramp -- to the competitions, the long hours of practice, and more. It reveals a bumpy road to the top that, as Andy will tell you, could be reached only with the guts that skateboarding gave him.