Fraternal twins, Nic and Tristan Puehse from Folsom, CA began skateboarding when they were just six-years-old. It’s a double act that’s been compelling to watch: just ask the people who’ve viewed their videos more than 13 million times on YouTube. The kids have also starred in an indy film called Nic & Tristan Go Mega Dega, and celebs like Katie Couric, Ellen DeGeneres, and LL Cool J have given them props on national TV. No surprise the phenoms drew big contracts from Nike and Gatorade, and the attention of cool people like Dave Wakeling (lead singer of the English Beat), who provided music for the boys’ videos.
But the twins, now 15, have ditched their boards for rackets–leaving their California cool for a new life at Hilton Head Island, SC, to train at Van Der Meer Tennis Academy. One of the instructors at Van Der Meer, Tommy Shimada, might be especially insightful as the Puehses try to get rolling for the first time without their wheels. Shimada’s resume includes doubles victories over that tennis twins juggernaut, the Bryan brothers.
