NORTH SKATEBOARD MAGAZINE
ISSUE 18
SIMPLY DOES IT | CHAD TIM TIM
WWW.CARHARTT-WIP.COM DENIS LYNN – ROLL IN • PHOTO: SAMU KARVONEN
Cover: Lewi Johnson - 360 Flip Photographer: Graham Tait
Lewi Johnson
Film Gallery
Mark Suciu
5B ART DEPT. PHOTO: MIKE HEIKKEILA PAINTING: MONICA KIM GRAZA UPLOAD: NARDELLI
NEIL HERRICK, BK BACK T.
Lewi Johnson
Photography by Graham Tait
You were getting pretty stressed the last time we went out, is that
That was the best decision I ever made, because of that I can
normal for you?
do the tricks I can do these days and that shit stokes me out! I didn’t take it lightly financially but skating and chasing the
Ah, no way dude, that wasn’t me at all, I’m not one to stress,
dream was more important to me than money. To be a
like ever. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself sometimes,
professional skater one day you would maybe have to skate
I tend to over think things a lot and when I do it really gets to
all day every day to get that control and consistency over
me, I’d probably consider myself 100% emotionally attached
your board, well that’s what I’d expect at least. And then to
to my skateboard. I recently started a new job so I’ve been
film it and put it out there, that takes loads of time and I don’t
working heavy hours which has led to less skating and less
have anywhere near that amount of time now, I’m back stuck
control over my board. So when I’ve been going out
in the system. What makes it even worse is that work is
feeling sketchy it’s been getting to me lately, especially on
enforcing new shift patterns which has to be the worst thing
days when you’ve spent your time and money to come all
I’ve ever heard! 11am ‘til 8pm. Man what are you meant to do
the way from Edinburgh to shoot photos and I’m feeling like
with that skating wise? It’s fucked! So that could be
shit, legs feeling burst, barely even getting into tricks. The
another potential step back, or at least that’s how it feels at
pressure totally blows my head off. I kind of just sit down
the minute. Haha! I do realise that you have to work in life to
for a minute, maybe squeeze a few tears if it’s getting too
make a living though and I’m all for it, I do work as hard as I
much, close my eyes and think about what Jamie Thomas
can. Ya get nowt for nowt in this world. You gotta work for it.
would say. Haha! Big up Chief! That guy keeps me chill in my
But aye, I’m still trying to get as much skating done as
thoughts. Haha! But aye, I’m always stoked!
possible and to keep improving and of course I skate because I love it, I’m the happiest when I’m on my board,
How has it been going from skating every day to working full time?
it brings out the best in me and it distracts me from how messed up the world is. So apart from feeling a little ropey
It’s really sucked to be totally honest mate. Going from having
lately I’m sticking by everything I stand for and that is to never
the freedom to go skating anywhere any time to being stuck
give up!
in a warehouse from eight ‘til five most days really got to my head, purely because I heard a saying, “A real job can kill real dreams”, which totally got to me. I couldn’t stop thinking this. I worked nine to five in a garage from leaving school for five years but I hated it so much, I knew I had to be spending that time skating, I hate cars as well, I’m not interested one bit. I hate driving as well but that’s when I decided fuck it, I want to skate all of the time. If I don’t do this now I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. I couldn’t bear the thought of wondering ‘what if’ so I quit and decided to give it everything on my board.
Is your end goal to be a professional skater? Hell yeah dude!! For sure. To be a professional one day would just be a full dream come true! I’d love to be pro. I’ve watched the big skate videos all these years and when you see them flying down massive gaps and grinding big ass handrails and Hubbas; it looks wicked! Like that shit is real danger and it inspires me to go out there and try that kinda stuff. I’d love to have the chance to see all the iconic spots that I’ve been watching from being a kid and just have the opportunity to put something down them. The Hollywood High rail, man I’ve gotta get summit on that before my life ends! I’d love to get a back Smithy on that shit! Haha! But yeah man I’d love to be riding with the big dawgs one day! I’d really love to meet the Zero guys more than anything. Who knows dude, just gotta keep pushing and loving and hopefully something mad will happen!
FS Bluntslide
You jump down some big stuff for sure. How did your body cope with that when you were skating everyday? Haha! Yeah man, I try my best to skate big shit, it just seems like one of the funnest things to do. It’s actually a strange one because I feel like the more you skate the more your body gets used to the pain. I was still hurting a lot though. It was mostly on a night after I got home and settled down. Even more when I get into bed feeling like my whole body’s vibrating, some nights it was actually hard getting to sleep because I was hurting that much from the slams, I’ve had some rough nights sleep kicking and turning, not being able to stay comfortable for more than like five minutes having to change position so much. Placing pillows under my legs to hold them in certain positions where it doesn’t hurt as bad. I remember one day I did a full ten hours at Five Bridges hammering it as hard as I could then I woke up in the middle of the night screaming with mad cramp in my legs and it lasted a good half an hour, muscles in full spazz. It was literally some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. I remember my mam coming into my room cause I’d woke her up from the screaming. I think she thought I was being attacked by someone or summit. Haha! She had to rub my legs cause I was just stuck rolling about my bedroom floor not being able to do nothing to get rid off it. That was intense. I also suffer crazy back pain, my back’s just crunching more and more and when that sets off there’s nothing you can do to get rid of the pain. I tend to moan a lot about my back. I think I do people’s heads in sometimes cause of how many times I’ve got to tell them my backs hurting. Haha! The day or two after skating stairs is always hard as well, some days I wake up and can barely get out of bed and when I do I’m walking around like an old man, taking proper baby steps half the size of normal ones ‘cause the legs just won’t stretch. So aye dude the pain is serious. Haha!
Kickflip
Haha! Damn that is intense. So you still live at home? Yeah mate I still live at home. There’s me, my younger bro, my mam and my step dad. They have horses so they’re always at the farm riding and looking after them. My big bro just recently moved out with his girlfriend, he only lives five minutes up the road which is cool. He rips the guitar to shreds, he can play any Pink Floyd song and make it sound exactly the same which totally blows my mind! Big ups Daz! My nana is actually gonna be moving in with us real soon as well as we want her to be here safe with us so we can take care of her. Bless her she’s amazing, really can’t wait to be able to see her everyday. They’re all amazing and really supportive of me, always provided me with the resources I need to skate. Sorted me out with money to go to the skatepark, got me fresh shoes to skate when they were burst, bought me boards when they broke, trucks, bearings if they went shite, even if they could barely afford it they never wanted to see me without a board so I always appreciate that. I’m a real family man, I really cherish the time I have with the fam, they’re all really proud.
Ollie Next page: BS Noseblunt Slide
Your little brother skates doesn’t he? Hell yeah he smashes it dude! He’s three years younger than me coming up 20 this year yet he’s nearly bigger than me! We skated together from the beginning. At first we were just bombing down the street on our asses and then I stood up and bombed the hill and loved it. Took a canny few face plants like but the bro didn’t really fully get into it ‘til maybe like a year or so after. Then we were always skating Lidl car park just down the road, there was a manny pad with a little curb that went up to a big curb, we hung about there eating shit tons of waffles and biscuits. Then silky skatepark was built and it just took off from there, I remember having to sneak through Newcastle to skate the streets when I was like 12 cause my mam weren’t keen on letting me go that far by myself. Haha! She used to give me like three quid a day in the six weeks holidays and the metro was only a quid for an all day ticket, so we went and discovered loads of spots and just skated daft little two sets and four sets, the funnest days of my life! That’s basically how it all started. It’s always wicked when we skate together ‘cause there’s this real connection and energy between us which is well cool, I think everbody sees that and it stokes them out. The lads always seem to be smiling and stoked as hell on us. The hype is beyond! Where does your nickname come from? Haha! I was waiting for that one! I actually have hardly any idea to be honest, I just know that I did a hardflip down the Civic eight when I was 14 and a guy called Mellon gave me the name the Cougar and it just stuck. It’s on YouTube like, check out ‘DVDeekies introduction The Cougar’, that might give you a bit more understanding. Haha! But I really like it ‘cause it’s different, there’s only one Cougar and it’s me! Everyone who knows me calls me Cougar or Cougz, even all my mates who don’t skate! People seem to dig it so I do love it like. It kind of inspires me to be different and I want to keep living up to the name so I’m always pushing myself!
You mentioned your mum and step dad have horses, do you ever
We were absolutely devastated like, especially my mam. But
ride them?
we got his ashes in a really nice box with his mane and some photos, alongside the little bro’s in the big cabinet. They look
Haha! Nah dude, I did when I was a kid like, it’s scary mate.
lovely. Always in our thoughts and hearts!
I remember when my mam was first looking to buy a horse and we went up this farm to check it out to see if the horse
You’ve been filming a lot recently, what are you planning to do with
was cool. My mam had a ride of the horse just chilling around
the footage?
the field, next thing ya know the horse suddenly started galloping from one end of the field to the other full speed and
Yeah mate I’ve got a part coming out real soon, I’ve just gotta
kicked her off over its head flipping her into the fence! She
get the last few tricks and then I’ll be sweet to put it out. I
literally smashed through this wooden fence upside down
know exactly what they are so all I need to do is just go land
and that was one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to
them, so aye, that will be here real soon! I have no idea what
watch. I freaked the hell out, crying, screaming thinking she
it’s gonna look like but just have a deeks when I let it out
was dead, she got hurt a canny bit so nah, hell to that. I’ll
guys, I would much appreciate it!
stick to riding the jet ski thanks!
I’d just like say a big thanks to everyone who supports me! My family, my friends! My enemies if there’s any. Haha! Cheers
I remember going on a horse when I was a kid and wasn’t keen.
to Bish for filming me over the years! Always appreciate that
I’m always a bit apprehensive with big animals! What’s the horse’s
dude! Thank you Ravenous skateboards, Sex skateboards
name? Does it have a nickname like everyone down your way?
and the Gs in Sheffield for the hook ups and the inspiration! I’ll never forget that! A massive cheers to Form Distribution
Aye dude they’re beautiful animals but if they don’t know you
and Zero Skateboards and Jamie Thomas for the flow of
they can be pretty unpredictable. Hell no would I want to get
boards they’re sorting me with! That blows my mind
in to a kerfuffle with one, they’re beasts. I like to stroke their
everyday! Hope I get to ride with you guys one day! Cheers
heads and feed them carrots and that. I went up before and
for the inspiration Chief! Always thinking of you! Thank you
he was cool enough to give me a cuddle, that felt pretty chill,
Graham for presenting me with the opportunity to talk to you
the connection between man and beast is real. My mam’s
and for the big efforts you’ve made coming down to shoot
horse is called Cass—Cassandra—and Tony, my step dad,
me! Really appreciate it dude! We’re going for a Five Guys
his is called Connor - Spirit. Connor being named after my
next time I’m up, and I’m paying! And of course last but not
little bro who sadly passed away at birth. Big ups little bro!
least, thank you Jackie!! Thank you Native skate store for all
Hope you’re smashing them handrails up there! Love you
your hook ups over the years! For the inspiration from being
forever! But yeah Cass is Spirit’s mam so that’s really cool,
a kid! You saw me as a kid and now you see me as an adult.
really stands by him against the other horses and that. It’s
I will take it to the grave! Thank you skateboarding! Every one
amazing man, I can totally see the love the horse has for my
of you inspire me to be my best every day. I hope I can do the
mam. She had a horse called Bungle since he was a kid but
same! Be happy guys! Stay real! Love all and roll ‘til death!
he sadly passed away, he was stunning, really lovely horse.
Heelflip
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Film Gallery
Graham Tait / Korahn Gayle / Switch Heelflip
Graham Tait / Sam Murgatroyd / BS Lipslide
Graham Tait / Dom Henry / Switch Flip
Benjamin Deberdt / Gunez Ozgodan / Switch Pop Shove
Terry Worona / Bob Spanbauer / Ollie Charlie Pravel / FS Wallride
Fabien Ponsero / David Bachl / BS Nosepick
Fabien Ponsero / Uryann Raudet / Gap to FS Lipslide
Ramon Zuliani / Ale Cesario / Ollie
Kyle Thompson / Jason Wallace / Gap To Crook
Jan Vollmann / Naheul Kirchhoff / FS Nosegrind
Todd Taylor / Justin Higgins / FS Bluntslide
Phillip Santosuosso / BS Smith
Jersey Dave / Erik Martinez / Ollie
Daniel Beck / Itamar Kessler / BS Lipslide
Windbreakers coming soon.
Gavin Morgan / Loucas Polydorou / BS Noseblunt Slide
Tom Bailey / Sam Beckett / FS Air
Evan Hutchings / Brad Hendrickson / BS Flip
Andy Enos / John Gardner / Boneless
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Mark Suciu Photography by Zander Taketomo
Interview by Neil Macdonald @scienceversuslife
Was your move from the West Coast to Philadelphia related to your
In Brooklyn and Harlem, and I totally get what you mean about it
studies?
having all these different moving parts working together. Now you said you moved there specifically for school, but you’re a
I’d already been going to Philly, for around three months a
professional skateboarder. There must have been an element of
year, before I moved. Every year I’d go out for two or three
being closer to the industry in New York than in Lyon that informed
months, and then it came to the time where I decided I
that decision.
wanted to go to college, so I decided that Philly was a good place to go. For one, I knew the city really well and I wanted to
I really don’t think I was letting myself be influenced by that
skate there. I was thinking about where I could go to school
thought at the time. It’s like I was casting a veil over my own
and be productive as a skater at the same time, and I also
thinking. Basically I was trying to shut down one avenue of
wanted somewhere that was far enough away from home
my life and the avenue of my decision making because I felt
because I wanted to leave the Bay Area. I didn’t really want
like it had had such a hold over me for so long that I didn’t
to go to San Francisco for college, even though that was
want it to get in the way any more. I was really burnt out on
what I’d been telling everyone. Or to LA, for that matter. I was
skating... Or it wasn’t entirely that I was burnt out, just that I
expressly going there for school, but it was because I had
saw so much potential in other things, and was like, “Wow,
such close ties with the city and had a lot of friends there, but
maybe skateboarding—as amazing and as eye-opening as
I did say to myself that I wasn’t going there just for school.
it’s been to me—is one of the things I’m going to regret as
Temple University is a state school that’s close to town, a lot
I’m older, that I let it have such a hold over me”. I ended up
of the skaters go there and there’s that famous flatground
deciding not to go to Lyon because I felt like maybe I’d get
spot where everybody used to meet, called Cecil B. Moore. I
lonely. The industry being in New York and not in Lyon is
thought that if I did find myself thinking that school is a good
like another way of saying that I don’t have many friends out
decision, then after two years I’ll transfer to a better school,
there. I guess it’s a little different, but that was, ultimately, why
just to go to school and not do this balancing thing again. Or
I decided not to go. There was also influence from my older
maybe I’d think that school wasn’t so promising, so I’d just
brother, who asked which would open more doors for me,
stay there. But I did really enjoy going to school, and felt like
and give me more opportunity. Academically I would have to
I needed to keep doing it, so I applied to different schools
go a year back, and it would be completely in French, and
and was accepted here in New York and in France. I was
at the time I thought I wanted to get a Masters in French, so
really on the fence between living in Lyon and living in New
that would have been really good, but it was a year back and
York City, but I ended up choosing New York, and so after
I was already a little bit older than my peers.
two years in Philly I moved here specifically for school, at The New School. New York is a really good city for skating, but I didn’t think of it as such. I was really into Philly because it’s so centred, and it’s a little bit more static, I suppose? New York has so many moving pieces. There are a lot of different crews in different areas, but the skateparks draw people together, and the spots like Flushing out in Queens, and all the spots in Brooklyn, and on the Upper West Side, and definitely in Williamsburg. Have you spent time in New York?
Nollie BS Flip
It’s Literature you studied, right?
So now it’s different. From an outsider’s perspective I’m not just an innocent kid, it’s all, “Oh, he’s a pro skater, he’s just
Yeah. For my first two years of school, when I was at Temple,
using our spot”.
I studied French—which means you study French literature basically. Then I realised I wasn’t really trying to do French, I
I actually asked Mike Blabac about this, but I want to know your
was trying to do Literature, but just not in a closed-minded,
take on it. There was some shit-talking on Slap about your adidas
nationalistic sense. Not nationalistic, but more that I didn’t
ad at Love, and how supposedly Kalis had an issue with you
want to just learn anglophone Literature, and I ended up
skating the same obstacle, the barrier off the ledge, in a shoe ad
doing Creative Writing and Literature, where I did my thesis
as he did for a DC ad.
on a French writer, Alain Robbe-Grillet. So it all came full circle, and everything I’d studied was a part of my
So he [Kalis] posted a photo on Instagram when he saw
culminating piece of work, so it worked out well.
it, with a laughing emoji, saying, “C’mon guys”. I was really bummed, I was worried I’d insulted him so I laid low for a
You mentioned going out to Philly to stay before you moved there.
second, read some comments and he said he had no beef
It’s not necessarily known as the most welcoming of cities for
with me and he’s down for me. And he’s helped me out a
out-of-town skateboarders, so do you think easing yourself in like
lot. He just thought adidas was making a bad call by doing
that helped you get accepted?
a shoe campaign which included the orange barrier off that ledge at that specific part of Love Park. One of his DC pro
From the start I had a good person to talk to, a filmer my
shoes had that gap to noseblunt slide in the ad, which was
age, Ant Travis, who loved to film and loved meeting new
so similar. It was also my choice, so I feel he let me off easy
people, so that was a good friend to have, and my
on that. I wasn’t even thinking about that trick, and I’m really
enthusiasm for all things East Coast put me in a good
sensitive to ABDs and things of that category. I definitely felt
position with the older guys. Like, “Look at this kid from Cali,
bad but I didn’t think of it at the moment. It just never
he only watches East Coast footage! We’ll bring him to the
occurred to me and I felt that he should have been criticising
spots because he’ll appreciate it. Let’s bring him over to that
me and not the company, so he let me off easy for that one.
spot in West Philly, that little bank to ledge that nobody but Jimmy McDonald has skated”, and I would just look at it and
Were you still in Philly when Love got shut down for the last time?
go, “Oh my God. Jimmy McDonald is the best”, and we’d leave. The people I was going around with got a kick out of
I wasn’t, I was doing a semester abroad, in France. I had
that, out of somebody deferential, respectful, who was also
been pretty recently before I left. It shut down in February
trying to do his own thing. These days I do come up against
2016, and I had taken a flight to Paris on the 17th of January
a bit of resistance when I have things planned. I’m not going
for my semester starting on the 25th, so there was really no
to name any names but when I go to a city with a filmer, say
way I could get back, even for a weekend. Which is pretty
Chris Mulhern, and maybe somebody else I’m skating with,
lame.
when we go to a spot and skate and even if we’re super nice to the locals, and even if we know people there who we skate with, it’s happened twice now that later on I’ve heard that people were bummed that we came through, or they’re saying that their spot’s getting too hot now.
BS Tailslide Flip
Was it though? Were you sitting in France wishing you could have
I can’t remember when it was that I started skating again, but
one last skate there?
I know I was cruising around, just trying to do little ollies here and there. That was in the December, just before Christmas,
It wasn’t a visceral feeling like that, it was maybe more
then I went on my first skate trip over Spring Break, so
symbolic that it was a bummer I wasn’t there to see it off. I
probably late March, to Spain, and I got a good trick there, so
wasn’t feeling deep feelings. I saw it coming and I had
it must have been pretty soon. Two or three months recovery.
already moved away, so for me in my life, it was almost like it had already passed. You turned pro just as you started college. That’s pretty rad of What’s your favourite place that you’ve visited, for skateboarding
Habitat to do that, and to have the faith in you that you’re still
or otherwise?
going to produce for them alongside a full-time education. Was there ever any doubt around that?
I love going to France. Maybe it’s more of a mental thing because I love speaking the language and interacting with
No, definitely not. They have a very laid back view of things
the culture, and I don’t necessarily love Paris all that much,
at Habitat. There’s Brennan Conroy and Joe Castrucci, and
although there’s so much history there and walking around
I think Brennan looked at it like, “You’ve earned it, you’ve
the city is very fun. I just like being in France. Recently I went
skated a lot and really hard, so here’s your pro board. Do
to Montpellier with my friend Jazz. We went to Paris and took
what you want with it”. I don’t know if they really thought
the train down to the South of France, down to Montpellier,
it was a risky decision, that I might not follow up with them
and then back to Paris because he had an art installation job
because I was going to school, but on the other hand, it’s a
there, so I followed him. That experience of seeing a bit of
pretty wonderful thing for adidas to have hung around.
Paris, being on the train and seeing the countryside and then
They who are so much more in the commercial world, where
discovering a new city... That’s my favourite thing. I find Paris
the guys have to explain things to the higher-ups who don’t
pretty difficult for skating.
skate. Jascha Muller always had my back and he’s always been so supportive, saying, “Do things how they make sense to you”, during those big conversations when I was
You’ve definitely been affected by injury and illness. Did you need
explaining how I was feeling about skateboarding and about
to learn to skate from scratch after your appendix problems?
skateboarding taking a lot out of my life, kind of. He’d say, “Live life in the way that you know and in the way that you’re
I wouldn’t say I had to learn to skate from scratch, but there
curious and excited about it, and do what you love, but don’t
were times when I couldn’t skate at all. I didn’t have any
forget about skating!” He was always pushing me to come
muscles. I just watched footage of me 50-50ing a curb. Two
back to skating. And also Skin Phillips, who was just being
tries. And after two tries, I’m just floored, just sent to the
put on as a team manager then. I remember we were
ground by nothing. I get into the 50, and it doesn’t quite grind
walking to the Transworld awards where I would win
enough, and I take a step off the board but my leg can’t hold
Readers’ Choice, and Year’s Best Rookie, I think, and he was
me up and I immediately fall to the ground. It’s a pretty gentle
saying to me, intensely, “Don’t blow it kid. I know you’re
fall but it’s almost like there’s some CGI and they’ve
going to school, but I’ve seen so many people have what you
green-screened out somebody pushing me off my board.
have and just blow it!” I found that a little intense and was all, “Oh come on, just let me do my thing!”
How did you first get on adidas? Did you know anybody other than
How did it go from adidas giving you shoes to getting a pro shoe?
Silas at the time? I got on in 2012, and they were giving me shoes so Jascha I think Silas put in a good word for me. I don’t think I knew
and I would always talk about the shoes, and about how
anybody else who was on at the time... Dennis, Mark
much I like them. I was skating a ton, putting out a lot of
Gonzales, Lem... Lem I met after I got on. Nestor I didn’t
footage and winning some awards and when I turned pro
know so well. So yeah, I think it was just Silas. I was with
Jascha said there was talk of maybe one day me having a
Habitat footwear and I think I wanted to leave. I can’t
shoe. He presented the idea to me, and I was excited, but at
remember if there was a fork in the road, if they were saying
the same time I wanted to quit skating. Haha! There was a
they wanted me to turn pro for Habitat shoes. Maybe that’s
moment where I looked at having a pro shoe as this devilishly
right, now that I say it... No. I turned am for Habitat because
tantalising reason to not leave skateboarding. Which shows
of that. They said they’d put me on the team, but they were
the extent to which I was over it... We have to at some point
really pushing their shoes at the time, so in order to go am I
come to the present where I’m excited to skate and I love
had to ride for the shoes as well. I left Habitat shoes a year
skating again! Haha! But back then, that was how I felt. At
and a half before turning pro.
the time I just really wanted stark lines in my life, and clear transitions in my life to try to make the story of my life make
So Joe was cool about putting your name on a board even if you’re
sense. “Skateboarded ‘til this point. Stopped skateboarding.
not wearing their shoes?
Went to school from this point. Got a job as a professor or an academic of some sort at this point...” I think that’s just
Yeah. I had told Joe I was going to ride for adidas so long
a useful way of looking at life. You would prefer things to be
before, and he understood. It was understood that they
less complicated and vague and nebulous than they are, but
would have to give me some good persuasive arguments to
that’s how things come about. One thing leads to another,
ride for the shoes; it wasn’t of my own accord. I wasn’t like,
and you’re doing this and doing that and you don’t quite
“Please, I’ve always loved it!” He was a little bit bummed but
know what you’re doing and it all ends up in disarray
he understood, and still kept me on the team. It wasn’t like
because you’ve been unconsciously pushing towards this
quitting the shoes meant I had to quit the whole thing. I feel
thing that you love. That’s how it’s been. Now I’ve graduated
like I wanted so badly to have legitimate, separate sponsors,
from school and I’m skating all the time but I continue to do
because I would consider having two different sponsors for
school things and keep in contact with all those people. My
your boards and your shoes a legitimate thing. I wouldn’t be
life has many threads right now...
surprised if I quit Habitat shoes before I was getting any adidas. That’s what I did when I quit Powell, they wanted to turn me am when I was 16 and I said, “You know, I don’t think I want to do it, I think I just want to look for another sponsor, but thanks so much”, and we left on good terms. For six weeks I just skated random boards, and then Josh Kalis got me a box of Alien boards. And from there I got on Habitat. Switch BS Tailslide
Right on. You’re in a pretty good position right now where you can
That big soft rubbery blue thing really does feel nice. The slim
actually choose what great thing you want to do. It’s not like you’re
versions are out now too, but if the first one was the perfect shoe
some burnt out dude looking for a job washing dishes when all
that you could think up, was it weird doing it again and changing it?
he’s ever done is skate, and it shows how much you actually enjoy putting out footage and getting coverage when you could easily be
Those changes were all mine and Scott Johnson’s. Scott
doing some other amazing thing instead.
Johnson definitely led the way in those discussions, but he was articulating things that I was feeling. All throughout the
True. Awesome. That’s a good way of looking at it. Thank
designing of the first shoe, and the conversations for the
you.
second, I felt, “Man, I wish this was ten years ago and my 14 year-old self, who was such a shoe nerd, could come to the
To what extent do you, a skateboarder, actually design a shoe?
fore and tell them exactly what to do with it”, because now I’ve let these things slip away and they’re not so important to
adidas sent out two members of the design team to
me any more. After wearing the first shoe for a while, I was
Philadelphia, and we had lunch, and spoke about all my
thinking it was a little bit floppy. After you break it in, on the
favourite shoes, and spoke about my influences. Then we
toe it would form waves, and that was because there were
went around downtown Philly to all the different shoe stores
three separate panels on the toe. Now it’s hard to figure out
and talked about all the different elements and aspects of
which idea was mine and which was Scott’s, but I’m pretty
shoes. I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted: open
sure that from the beginning we knew we had to make it one
toecap, distinctive lines, a distinctive architecture that wasn’t
panel, and keep those lines but make them just decorative.
functional but just gave it a decorative aspect without being
Stitches, that even if they blow out, are not going to affect the
overly tech, and I wanted it to be cupsole. From there, the
panel itself. So now, as the shoe gets older it still keeps its
designers opened up different conversations and things fell
shape, which is, you know... Beautiful. There was this thing at
into place and influenced the rest of the parts to follow. I had
the back of the shoe, where if you wore it for a long time the
so much say in it, even down to the texture on the sole, and
inner heel would kinda disintegrate and it would look like you
the way that there is no padding on the sole, in the shoe
were walking with a weird limp, like your ankle would go in at
structure itself, it’s all in the insole, which is a huge thick thing.
the back. Walking around New York I’d see people wearing
I feel like that was a contemporary thing that we were able
my shoe and it had just been worn into the ground, and the
to do because the insole technology now is so much better
inner heel is demolished. So they’re just walking with
than it was ten years ago.
sideways feet, and I’m thinking, “No way. This can’t be my shoe”. “I’m responsible for this, I need to do something.” Exactly. So I told Scott about this, and he said that it might be because there’s not enough structure. The first shoe has mesh in quite a bit of the inner upper, it goes from suede to mesh, and the new shoe has only suede.
The new shoe has mesh on the outside, and the first one didn’t.
There are people out there that produce fucking amazing parts, so I’m not saying I’m doing anything completely
Yeah. We switched those two things around to keep the
original but it’s just that some people are thrown around on
breathability, but we wanted the mesh out of the heel so that
trips, like on adidas trips, and their footage comes out here,
it would have better structure and stand up more. We also
and maybe a homie video comes out there, and there are
narrowed it down; we narrowed down the u-throat, the lace
differences of textures... A lot of people are influenced by LA
things, which gives a new structure to the shoe. Those were
skating as well... I don’t know. I’m too flattered by the
the main things I wanted to address, and I felt that the heel
question to think of how to answer!
was slipping a bit, so I told Scott and he said that maybe we had to raise the padding a bit so it catches your heel more. But I think the new slimness of the shoe fixes that problem.
Do you follow the new Workshop?
Scott suggested moving the main stitch, the separation between panels, moving that back from the ollie box to get it
Oh yeah. Two of my best friends ride for Alien Workshop,
out of the way. From there we just spruced it up, and those
Brandon Nguyen and Joey Guevara, and Miguel Valle who
decisions were all Scott’s. The sprucing. There’s a little detail,
is also one of my best friends films for them. I think he might
the place where the stripes go towards the laces, there’s a bit
be getting a guest board soon because he’s such a talented
of a raised patch of suede and as you follow that raised patch
skater. In the beginning of me skateboarding, Alien Workshop
down it all of a sudden goes flush into the shoe, in this cool
grew to be my favourite company. I was all, “I’m not going
mixture of flushedness and raisedness. Haha!
to ride for Powell any more, I’m going to do everything I can to ride for Alien Workshop!” And to be honest I was really
Alright, I’m glad I was able to find this again... It’s a comment from
bummed when Brennon Conroy hit me up and asked if I
a thread about you on Slap that I want you to comment on. Some
wanted to ride for Habitat instead. Definitely a better career
dude says, “Each part he puts out is different, which is really
choice for me, but I always wanted to ride for Alien. I was so
impressive. Most dudes just do the same tricks, just different spots
depressed when they went out of business and Mind Field
in every part. He almost seems bored with skating. He can do it all”.
is the best video I’ve ever seen. When they came back, that was a weird thing to do. It played with my emotions a lot. But
Ha... That’s cool. That’s a wonderful comment. I feel like
it makes sense because Mike Hill is doing it, still, and he’s
that’s definitely something I am very concious of. For every
been there from the beginning, so it’s still got this authenticity
part, I don’t want to repeat a trick, and then I don’t want to
to it, but with a new crew of guys I think it confused
repeat the mood in the next part. But it’s easy for me to do
everyone, and I was definitely party to that confusion. But
that because I have so many different options; I skate in a lot
then that passed, and my best friends ride for it, and I back
of different places. Maybe I just think more about video parts
it one hundred percent. Frankie Spears rides for them too,
than your average team rider.
and we were out skating yesterday, and I was critiquing his graphic.
FS Nollie Switch 5.0
What’s his graphic?
What was the first skateboard magazine you saw that really stood out?
It’s a kind of little kid graphic. I said that the reason that Alien is such a cool and unique company is also the reason I don’t
I think I was ready for skating the second I got my first
like it, in that it appeals to 12 year-old first time skaters who
magazine. I was so into it before then, and then my cousin,
see an alien on a board and just decide they want that one,
who had already taught me how to ollie on grass, sent me
and it also appeals to grown dudes who’ve seen
a Transworld from, I think 2002, with Paul Rodriguez on the
Photosynthesis and know the history of the company.
cover.
Sometimes you see a graphic, that, on the surface, only looks like it could be appealing to a toddler. And that was
Do you mind how your coverage appears? Photographers can be
long before Frankie was riding for them, but I love the
bummed that what would have been a cover in the past needs to
graphics the majority of the time.
get uploaded to Insta straight away now; does it matter to you?
It’s a quandary, man. I love Alien Workshop buy I just couldn’t wear
I definitely get bummed about that. It’s not so much of a
a shirt with the Alien head logo on it, or any of that ‘Believe’ stuff or
concious thing, but I feel like I used to have things run so
whatever... It’s not horrible, it’s not Darkstar, but I wish there was
much more, and now it’s like if I get an adidas photo on the
less of that stuff. We get it.
shoot, somehow it goes to an intermural campaign used to show what the shoe is doing and then the photo is never
Exactly.
used so I post it on Instagram. Just yesterday I was shooting a sequence with Zander, and I was thinking to
Do you think skateboarding looks back too much? With rebooted
myself, “Is this worth it? Nobody uses sequences”. Maybe
companies, so many reissued boards and companies like
there are just fewer opportunities these days. Or maybe I just
Welcome with shaped boards?
need to have more print projects in the works.
I think it’s always going to be a valid commercial endeavour,
What’s your favourite trick in Eastern Exposure 3?
because you’ve already got the audience, the demographic, who—if you do it right—will buy your boards. I think that’s
That’s a hard one. I haven’t seen it in a while. It’d have to be
par for the course in modern capitalism. Walking around New
something from Ricky’s part, that’s kinda standard. Maybe
York, it’s exactly the same. You go into a ‘50s diner and they
his frontside salad at Love. That’s a fun one to imitate. He
play ‘50s music and wear ‘50s outfits. You just time travel
starts in a 5.0 with his tail down, then he points his nose
all over the city so it makes sense that you can walk into a
towards the camera into a salad.
skate shop and buy a Welcome board and time-travel back to the ‘80s.
What’s the best thing you’ve seen go down at Love?
I just don’t know if it’s going to fully pan out. It’s difficult to put out so many parts and to believe in them without marking
I wasn’t there for any of the really crazy tricks down the gap.
them with some song that you’ve really felt, “This is it, this is
When somebody goes to the gap, there’s all this gravity...
what I have to skate to”, you know? That’s how I’ve always
“Oh, he’s gonna do a trick down the gap!” And he starts
thought about video parts, ever since I was ten and dreaming
trying it, and it’s almost like I fuckin’ hope he doesn’t land it,
about having my own part when Shorty’s sent me a box of
for some reason. It feels put on or something. Even when I
boards. All, “I’m gonna have a part in the video! What song
was doing the varial heel, it was just this thing that I had to
am I going to skate to?!”
do; it was out of character for me, and I felt it. I’d never skated anything that big, it wasn’t my thing and it was just that I had to do a trick down the gap. To watch Dylan Sourbeer at Love, to watch him come up, was the coolest thing for me. He was an unsung hero at the time. Even seeing him do a proper trick was this great joy. Like, “What the fuck?! How does no one know about this guy?!” Even if he does a long backside nosegrind, pop out, which has been done a million times, but when you see him do it you feel privy to some kind of secret. When he nearly back three’d the bump-to-can, the way he was doing it and everything, and how he came so close... That was pretty amazing to watch. That’s my favourite thing. Dylan Sourbeer. What have you got lined up for the rest of the year? For the rest of the year? Just a lot of skate trips, some contests... I’m trying to put out, maybe, an independent video part. I’ve been kind of annoyed with song rights on my part and on the part of others too. Man, YouTube’s lame these days. YouTube and Thrasher, and adidas can’t have my video parts on the site longer than two years, so these parts are just gone, or they’re going. They have to find some solution, but I’m not sure if that’s their number one priority. For instance, my intro to adidas part is not on the internet, which is so lame. So I’m trying to do an independent part so we can bypass the rights to the song. It’d be hard to do, with not being supported by adidas, but I’ve spoken to some people and they’ve been excited. FS Shove 50-50 FS 180
I think every ten year-old knows what their graphic is going to be
Anything’s better than the shit on Thrasher videos.
and what song they’re going to skate to! Did you get to pick your song in Away Days?
Yeah. And then Instagram. I feel a sort of responsibility now with my song choices, because the majority of skate edits on
No. That was a bummer because I was supposed to skate
Instagram are set to contemporary rap music. Not that I have
to this song that I thought would have made a lot of sense
anything against that, I’m just against all forms of hegemony.
at the time. It was a Peter Bjorn and John song that said,
Haha! I want to show the range of music you can skate to.
“And the question is, was I more alive then than I am now? I
Rap is the default choice at the moment, so much so that it
happily have to disagree, I laugh more often now, I cry more
seems people don’t realise it is a choice and that it signifies
often now, I am more me”. The song worked first of all, and
something other than, “I know what’s cool right now”. A song
then listening to the lyrics you’re like, “Oh shit, hell yeah!” But
adds a huge layer of meaning to a skate part. I have a sphere
that was a really difficult video part for me to film because
of influence, however small, and I want to use that to show
half the time I wasn’t stoked at all on skating, I just wanted
that you can fuckin’ listen to different music if you want! Since
to go to school. That was filmed through the first two years
North is out of Scotland I feel like we should somehow get
of school, which was my most intense period of school. So I
a shout out to Belle & Sebastian. They’re my favourite band;
was supposed to skate to that song, and it seemed like, up
hopefully one day I’ll skate to a song by them.
until the premiere, that it was going to happen and then at the premiere I’m sitting there and there’s another song on. I knew the song, it’s Beach House and I love Beach House, but I’d already skated to them and I felt that this song was not as triumphant, it was mellow, and I was so bummed. Especially because I was watching it in LA with 500 people or something. I felt like they should have told me something before going into the premiere, but maybe they had so many other things going on that they forgot, or maybe they thought it’d be better if I just saw it. It was my buddy Justin Albert that selected the song, and he knew how much I liked Beach House, so he was really bummed that I didn’t like it. But I had to be honest. He put out my most recent part, for the second shoe, and that song worked out perfectly for us because we were discussing songs and then he suggested that one [Montana by Youth Lagoon], which is one of my favourite songs of the last few years but I didn’t think it’d work for skating at all so I didn’t suggest it. That was wonderful. We’re working forward now, post the Away Days bummer-session!
BS Feeble Grind
Thanks
Editor & Photographer Graham Tait
Mike @ Keen Dist Josh @ Theories A&M Imaging
Layout & Design Graham Tait
Zander Takemoto Mark Suciu Lewi Johnson
Feature Interviews Neil Macdonald [@scienceversuslife]
All the contributing photographers. 5BORO adidas Skateboarding
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