62-year-old El Jebel resident sets new speed record on a motorized skateboard

Pioneer, El Jebel blacksmith, and world-renowned stuntman Vaughn Shafer, who is 62 years old, set a new speed record on Sept. 20 in Grand Junction at the Western Colorado Dragway on a motorized skateboard. Official speed: 82.46 miles per hour.

The entire story will be presented in a documentary, which will focus on areas from Aspen to Grand Junction, by Tall T Productions Team Manager, Founder, and Spokesperson Nicholas Costello and Steet Kingpins Founder and Creative Director Brett Buescher. 

Both said on Wednesday that this has been an inspirational and exciting journey. 

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“We embarked on this journey because we wanted to tell this inspirational story about Shafer,” Costello said. “We have all been through a lot of traumatic events with family, and our goal was to show how age does not matter.”

He said that age is nothing but a number, and that the film that he and Buescher are producing, “The Fountain of Youth,” is about following your dreams, treating people how you want to be treated, and not taking a single day for granted. 

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“This is about inspiring people,” Costello said. “For the record, Shafer got up to 82.46 miles per hour on a skateboard, in a quarter mile, at 62 years of age.”

He said that was the official record, but in other runs, Vaughn was recorded at even higher speeds. 

Shafer grew up in Indiana. Shortly after high school, he went to a school in Arizona that specialized in acting.

“I wanted to go to Hollywood after high school,” he said. “I wanted to be a stuntman and actor.”

He said he met legendary stuntman Ron Nicks, who took him under his wing and taught him everything he needed to know about Hollywood and being a stuntman.

Shafer was still skateboarding during this time and decided to take things to the next level. His first stunt was jumping over five cars on a skateboard. 

“I was pulled by a motorcycle and left the launch ramp at 52 miles per hour,” he said.

That stunt was Shafer’s first world record, and he did not stop there.

“After my world record-breaking stunts, I met Robbie Knievel. He and I became good friends,” he said. “I traveled with Knievel and would pump the crowd up before Knievel would perform. I would do the Superman face-grinder stunt.”

The Superman face-grinder is a stunt where Shafer does a handstand on his skateboard and, while wearing a special helmet, lowers himself to place his head on the street. While still on his hands, he creates sparks with a special attachment on his helmet.

“I would jump more cars, of course, too,” he said.

After Knievel passed away, Shafer started to put motors on his skateboards. His first-generation motorized skateboard set the track record in Grand Junction in 1999, going 74 miles per hour. 

His second-generation motorized skateboard did not do as well. But he had always dreamed of setting a new speed record on a new version of his customized skateboards. 

Two years ago, he connected with Costello and Buescher after the two asked Shafer if he would be interested in working on a new motorized skateboard and setting another world record. Shafer, of course, said yes. 

“In the last 16 months, we have finally fulfilled my dream,” he said. “Now that I have set the new speed record, I would like to be able to hit 100 miles per hour moving forward, along with starting a program where people can drag race one another on motorized skateboards.”

Costello said the whole point of setting this record is to get other people excited about this new sport and to raise money for a cause close to his heart.

“The reason behind this is to inspire people. We started collecting donations to put out the ‘Fountain of Youth’ documentary and to build a school (Junior Dragsters) where people can learn to build their very own motorized drag-racing skateboards,” he said. “We will teach all the new junior dragsters to come out of their shells and to do something new. Shafer will be promoted at the school and will focus on safety and inspiration.” 

Costello said they held a fundraiser at Redlands Mesa Golf Course in Grand Junction to raise money for the documentary and Junior Dragsters.

A large percentage of the donations they collect from this and all future fundraisers will go to Anschutz Children’s Cancer Research, Saint Jude’s, or HopeWest Kids, which provides counseling for children who have lost family members, siblings, or other influential people in their lives. Costello said a large percentage of the donations will be going to one or more of the programs for children.

“That is really the motivation behind all of this,” he said. “The reason we are doing this is to inspire people to do more. We want people to get out of their shells and understand that they have one life — a life that can be taken from them at any time. Cherish it, and do not take it for granted. Do not be a jerk to others, and be inspired by people like Shafer.”

Shafer said he wants to pass this sport down to the next generation. He is well-known as the grandfather and pioneer of motorized skateboarding.

“At some point, as I get older, I will be moving on and retiring,” he said. “I want to be able to leave a footprint that children can look up to.”