Episode #016 The Scars of Grief with Ali Boulala
In this unforgettable conversation, host Laura Walton sits down with legendary skateboarder Ali Boulala, whose life was forever changed by tragedy, addiction, and the long road of grief.
At the height of his fame, a motorcycle crash left Ali in a coma and took the life of his friend, fellow skater Shane Cross. What followed was not a story of easy redemption, but of reckoning with guilt, with survival, and with the knowledge of the permanence of grief.
Ali shares what it means to live with a loss you can never undo, how sobriety reshaped his understanding of pain, and how his relationship to Shane has only grown closer over time. Together, Laura and Ali explore what happens when grief becomes a lifelong companion, and how, in the ruins, a person changes.
This conversation is an unflinching invitation to witness the way grief reshapes us and how choosing to reflect can bring us right back to where we once were but with a new perspective.
Ali Boulala is a Swedish professional skateboarder and musician whose fearless creativity and rebellious spirit made him one of skateboarding’s most iconic figures. Rising to fame in the late 1990s through legendary video parts with Flip Skateboards and Baker, Boulala became known for his wild personality, technical innovation, and the now-mythic attempt to ollie Lyon’s 25-stair set.
The journey of his life is captured in the award-winning 2021 documentary The Scars of Ali Boulala.
Resources & Support
If you’re looking for more support after listening to Fred’s episode, here are some resources that may help:
Additional organizations and resources:
Option B – resources for navigating grief
My Grief Angels – online community and resources for grieving
samhsa.gov - substance abuse and mental health services administration
