Issue 129 / 2014 / free
ALEXIS
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ALEXIS
P
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words tyler holm
photos nathan éthier-myette
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eople are so obsessed with social media, their iPhones and technology in general these days. But there are a few out there, like Montreal’s Alexis Lacroix, who don’t even have a phone. He also doesn’t have a car or a care in the world. He is truly going with the flow, and letting life take him where it pleases. Some people probably couldn’t live in such a way—without structure. The majority of structure in Alexis’ life happens when four wheels are beneath his feet. The Emerica, RVCA (through Timebomb Trading), Krooked, Thunder and Spitfire (through Supra Distribution) rider has been traveling from city to city with a bag on his back and the wind in his long, greasy hair. Considering his overall lack of responsibility, there’s something about Alexis that makes you confident that he’ll do just fine. I know people with full-time jobs that I’m more concerned about in life then Alexis. He goes after what he wants, and what he wants is simple. Right now it’s skateboarding, playing music in his band and taking advantage of the adventure that comes with being young and free. Alexis doesn’t need material things to make him happy. All it takes is good company and some dry concrete to help him push along to the next destination.
[o] jay delaney
How do you pronounce your first name and what does your last name mean? Al-ex-ie. Lacroix translated to English would be “the cross.” Is it true that you recently hitchhiked all the way to Vancouver from Montreal? Not exactly, I got a lift from a truck-driving girl. Like a semi, is that how you call it? She was a nice, rough girl. She definitely had a good story to tell. How did you meet her? My cousin, she was a truck-driving girl. And when you’re a girl driving a truck you meet other truck-driving girls because there isn’t a lot of them. So my cousin looked through her contacts and this girl was down to hook me up with a ride. I got to learn about how their career works and how they got to be committed to the road. Would she take any drugs to stay awake? No, not at all. Just tall coffees. They have a schedule to respect so they have to sleep. She had a bed inside the semi, so I got to sleep in there while she was driving. It was pretty comfortable. What was she transporting? Meat. Frozen meat. That’s pretty boring Yeah, it is [laughs]. But it was a good experience. Now I know I don’t want to do this job. She dropped me off in Winnipeg and I skated a bit there. Then I had to bus from there to the valley of the Okanagan in B.C., where I stayed for about two weeks to meet up with my girlfriend. She was picking apples. I just got to chill there and experience the picker’s lifestyle. 68
Frontside feeble pop-out
Switch barley grind 180 out
Frontside feeble [o] Brian Caissie
What’s it like living the picker’s lifestyle? They live right in the orchard, pick stuff all day, then they party and camp every night. It’s a pretty cool scene. Nice landscapes and shit.
opened a beer and the cops just came at the same time. We ended up chatting and telling jokes, so it wasn’t too bad. I’m supposed to go to court to talk this ticket out. I’ve got some good arguments about it.
What’s the name the band you play harmonica and trumpet in? And how are your bandmates holding up with you being away for so long? It’s called Jam Boulevard [jamboulevard.bandcamp.com]—a French lyrics band that’s been doing real good. I kind of left it for three months and they did a couple shows without me.
How was it staying in Vancouver? Fun. I was living at a downtown Vancouver hostel, right off Hastings Street. Cool place, pretty cheap. Dirty, but nice people and good parties. Living off Hastings and seeing all those crackheads and zombies kind of got to me so I had to get out of there. I traveled a bit around Whistler and Victoria, then to Salt Spring Island—that was really good for the soul. Too much concrete, or too much dirt and crazy people can affect your mental health. I had to get out and see some green stuff. You guys have the most beautiful place in the world probably. B.C. is amazing.
So they don’t need you? Yeah, they missed me [laughs]. They do need me. We played some shows over the summer and I have to go back to Montreal by March to record our first album. I can’t wait to do that and be a part of it. Have you ever been arrested? For skateboarding mostly. I was arrested once for driving a car and drinking, but that was not the case actually. I was parked when I finally
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Is the homeless scene that much different in Vancouver compared to Montreal? It seems like the homeless scene is only on one street in Vancouver. In Montreal it’s kind of all over the place, so you don’t see it as hard as it is on Hastings. I’m pretty sure it’s probably worse in Vancouver.
“Too much concrete, or too much dirt and crazy people can affect your mental health.”
Smith grind
You were in Vancouver a lot longer then you expected, eh? Yeah I got caught in the vortex. Me and my girlfriend are just trying to go down south and chase the sun. So you two plan on hitching rides down south? Hitchhiking is a fun way to do it. Most of the time you meet locals and if they pick you up they tell you to go to this place, or go to camp there, or go to this bar. They give you tips. It’s cool to be on the road, and it’s different all the time. Good stories. do you plan on making it as far as Mexico? I’m thinking about going all the way down through Washington, to Oregon, to Cali, and then maybe Guatemala. I’ve heard it’s friendly there for tourists and young people. I heard Mexico is kind of crazy, but I’d love to check it out for sure. I’d love to learn Spanish. I’ve heard that for people speaking French it’s easier because there’s a lot of similarities between the languages. The best way is to just go there.
Nollie shuv nose manny nollie heelflip
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“I try to skate with everyone. Some people skate with their crew the whole time, but I try and jump from one to the other and be more like a lone wolf .�
Lipslide
[o] Brian Caissie
What’s the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home? I guess it would be San Diego. It was a while a go, probably four years. I was there skating and checked out L.A. too. I’ve gone to San Francisco twice. I love that city. During your time in Vancouver I noticed you’re the most frugal guy. Can you elaborate on your spending habits? You might think I am, but I’m not that frugal. When you’re staying at someone’s place it’s easier to be frugal because you’re just skating all day and not spending money. You’re more on a mission so it’s easy. But when I stayed at the hostel it was easier to go to the dark side—party and drink beer. Who were you skating with on the coast? Oh, I’ve skated with so many good people. Filming with you, Dakota Allison, Jake Kuzyk and Alex Doyle. Skating with Skylar Kehr, Arte Lew, Mike Campbell, Tyler Warren, Clayton Uhlig, Desmond Hoostie, Conlan Killeen and Dustin Henry. I’ve skated with so many people, man.
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How about when you’re in Montreal? I try to skate with everyone. Some people skate with their crew the whole time, but I try and jump from one to the other and be more like a lone wolf. I skate with the Dime dudes: Antoine Asselin, Charles Rivard, Hugo Balek, Kyle MacDonald and Josh Clark. I’m stoked on everybody. I skate with the P45 crew, too. That DIY is bringing a really good vibe to Montreal, which is kind of what we need because we don’t have so many crazy parks like in Vancouver. But there’s a lot of good spots in Montreal; I’ll be stoked to go back there for street skating. Do people bring up the ski-jump you did down that San francisco double-set? Yeah, I get it pretty often. I feel like if people know who I am as a skater they’ll probably talk to me about it because that’s the trick that stands out the most. And it’s funny because I knew it was going to be something hard that was going to feel good, but I never thought it would be that big of a deal; people thinking it’s the best trick I’ve ever done or something. I don’t think you can really claim one trick as the best trick. But it was definitely one of the best feelings I’ve had on a skateboard.
“I love to see tricks that amaze me and make me laugh at the same time.”
Ollie
Any other plans for that double? I have this crazy idea about trying a coffin down it. I’ve even dreamt about it and made it in my dream. That’s a good sign, for sure [laughs]. I thought about wearing a big leather coat, having a few beers, and then trying it. I’ve got to get this coffin thing on point and try a few hill bombs. It’s more like a circus trick. I love to do those kinds of tricks because I love to see tricks that amaze me and make me laugh at the same time. You have a very different way of looking at spots. What’s going through your head when you skate? I feel like when I’m watching skate videos, I’ll see some really good tricks that impress me, but when I see something I’ve never seen before it’s mind blowing. It may not be hard or crazy, but I dig it. Then again, you can do the same trick as every one else, but with a different style, and it’s going to be real amazing.
5-0 frontside grab
[o] jay delaney
Have you ever invented a trick? I guess I’ve invented one or two tricks. But you can’t really claim that because with all the skateboarders world-wide, you never know. There might be a guy in Japan who did your trick, filmed it with his iPhone, and then lost his phone [laughs]. What’s one of the tricks you think you may have come up with? I’ve never seen a boneless lip shuv before. I’ve also never seen a ski jump wallie. I was told that you were picking mushrooms in Vancouver. What’s the story behind that? I was hanging out around a community center getting some cheap food, and I met this mushroom guide there. He presented himself as “F”. I’d see him sometimes in the streets and he would always be saying some spiritual prophecy. He showed us around UBC and Wreck Beach where special 76
mushrooms grow. You have to know the right mushrooms to pick, but they can be real tasty for your mind. If you pick the wrong one, or if you don’t dry it right, it can be deadly. did you quit your day job to live the dream? Yeah I had this amazing job at my father’s coffee roasting company, Lenoir & Lacroix [lenoirlacroix.ca], as a sales rep. Just mainly being on the road, selling coffee and spreading the good word. Now I want to focus on skateboarding, music, and traveling around, because later might be too late. So I’m just trying to live off music and skateboarding for a while. Was it upsetting to leave your father’s business? Yeah, because it was a real nice job and I was stoked to be able to help the family business. I felt like I was good at this job, but I’m better at skateboarding, I’m better at playing music. So I figure I’ll concentrate on what I do best, and what I love best. The company is doing fine without me.
“I want to focus on skateboarding, music and traveling around, because later might be too late.�