I'm Awesome: One Man's Triumphant Quest to Become the Sweetest Dude Ever - Hardcover

Jason Ellis is the new voice of action sports. He is the host of "The Jason Ellis Show", one of SiriusXM's most listened-to programs. Before he owned the radio waves, he ruled the skate ramps, competing for twenty years alongside actions sports legends (and friends) like Tony Hawk. Before drugs got in the way of his ultimate success in the sport, Jason was known for going bigger and harder than anyone else - without fear. But before all that, Jason Ellis was a kid in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. His mother, an alcoholic, was 16 when he was born, and split from his dad soon thereafter. He was raised among drugs and drinking. Before his sixth birthday, he was sexually abused and offered hard drugs. After moving in with his father at age six, he was given his first dirt bike and skateboard. His father's tough-as-nails attitude shaped the person and the competitor Jason would become, but his father's temper and violence would also leave an indelible mark. Skateboarding became the outlet for Jason's emotion, and his ticket out of Australia. Ellis moved to the U.S. when he was 17 to pursue pro skateboarding, and continued to live in extremes. He fell in love with a Penthouse Pet, and, when their years-long relationship fell apart, revenge-married her best friend, a stripper. Nearing the end of the line as a pro skater, and off the deep end with drugs and alcohol, Jason became a victim of domestic violence at the hands of his first wife, before their marriage disintegrated. Soon thereafter, he finally met the right girl, with whom he had daughter, Devin. But then tragedy strucktwice. His father died of a heart attack, and, a year later, Jason's younger half-bother died in an accident near the family's vacation home, hot-wiring a steamroller which tragically rolled off a cliff. It was through tragedy that Ellis realized he had had enough. He quit booze and drugs. He got straight, married his wife, Andrea, and channeled his boundless energy into being a father, a fighter, and a successful entertainer. Having thrown away his chance as a skater, Jason is making the most of his second chance, and is well on his way to being one of the country's most listened-to radio hosts. His success is now, in part, a tribute to his father and his brother, their legacy.