North Skateboard Magazine Issue 21

NORTH SKATEBOARD MAGAZINE

ISSUE 21

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NEW YORK &

PHILADELPHIA

ISSUE

Featuring

Matt Militano

Film Gallery Neil Herrick Making friends across the world is one of my favourite things about skateboarding. I’ve been to New York a bunch of times and it always makes me more productive. It forces me out of my comfort zone and to reach out to new skaters and photographers which is always a good thing. As a result of this I was forced out of my familiar NYC surroundings and thrown into the uncertainty of a new American city. I’ve been involved with skateboarding for over 25 years so I’m aware of the history of skateboarding in Philadelphia, I watched all the videos as they were released in the ‘90s. But nothing really prepares you for the feeling you get when you’re actually there. Unfortunately I was a little to late to enjoy Love Park but I could tell that Philly still had a really tight scene, I’m glad I got to experience it.

Graham Tait Cover: Neil Herrick - Gap Out Noseslide Photographer: Graham Tait Contents Photo: Rafael Gonzalez

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CHAPTER ONE Coming soon

photo: josh stewart insta: @theoriesbrand e-mail: mike@theoriesofatlantis.com

Photography & Interview by Graham Tait

Where are you originally from and why did you move to Philadelphia?

I’m from Douglassville, Pennsylvania. It’s an hour outside of Philly.

I moved here because there’s a good skate scene and it’s close to home.

That’s pretty small town, less than 500 people. That’s quite a difference from Philly. What was it like growing up there?

Yeah, it’s an extremely small town, mostly just woods and cornfields. Some horror movies were filmed in the area. It was a decent place to grow up though. Luckily we had this shitty skatepark where I spent all my time. It’s a big difference from living in Philly, that’s for sure. Philly is an interesting city and I’m glad I moved here.

This was my first time in Philly, my only experience of America up until that point had been New York, where I feel pretty safe. It was obvious to me that Philly has lot of character but I felt a little intimidated to be honest. How long have you been there and do you feel safe for the most part?

I’ve been living here for a little over two years now. Before moving here I lived in LA for about four years. I do feel safe in Philly for the most part, there’s some really nice parts of the city. There are also extremely depressing parts of Philly. Some areas are just consumed with violence, poverty and drugs. My girlfriend actually got robbed at knife point last week. The cops did something for once and found the piece of shit! We do place ourselves in some pretty rough areas to go skate. Sometimes people are interested and let us skate their block but it all depends. Skateboarding can be a hood pass.

Cellar door to BS Lipslide

Whoa that’s crazy, I hope she’s OK. What happened to the guy?

Yeah she’s fine, thankfully. This junkie showed her a knife and said, “Give me all your cash”. Some construction workers watched it from afar and they called the cops. They circled the area for a bit and found the guy. He got arrested and she got most of her money back.

Glad they got him. It was weird when twenty kids turned up for an organised fight at the American street banks spot, it definitely changed the vibe.

Yeah that was insane, I’ve seen that happen there a handful of times. Young kids just beating the shit out of each other for fun, it’s awful. You don’t really want to stop them either. Kids can be the most dangerous.

What was LA like?

LA was cool, I’m actually going out there in two weeks. Hyped to get away from the winter, it’s been pretty rough.

What encouraged you to make the move to LA? I went on a trip out there for two weeks and had a great time.The weather is perfect for skating. Being from the east coast I wanted that. I had a lot of good times out there but after four years I wanted to switch it up. Traffic isn’t as bad in Philly. Haha!

Did you know anyone out there?

I knew a couple people. I originally moved to a place in Long Beach with homies I knew from Florida. It’s pretty easy to make friends out there because there are thousands of skateboarders.

Tree Wallie

You were working as a pizza delivery driver right? I got told that you were

It’s different times for sure. That would’ve been the time when

on a TV prank show, what happened?

Instagram and social media was kicking off. Was it hectic with kids filming each other all over the place?

Haha! Yeah, this always gets brought up. I was working at this place called Hollywood Pies, they make deep dish Chicago style

Yeah Instagram has consumed skating, basically every video is

pizza. Everyone that worked there skated, which was sick.

straight to the internet. You see it on Instagram first, then go watch

Anyway, I knock on the door to deliver a pizza. This girl comes out

it. Sometimes it would be hectic with other crews skating at a spot.

in only a towel and it falls off... I’m like, “Uhhhh...” and then she

J Kwon and spots like that were a total zoo on the weekends. We

invites me in. There are four other girls there basically naked and

tried to avoid those spots and skate something different though.

I’m just like, “What the fuck is happening?” They ask me to have a pillow fight, so I’m down and just start hitting these chicks with

You filmed a couple of parts out there. Who with and for what

pillows. I was still very confused but just went with it. Haha! After

videos?

that, they ask what they can do for the pizza because they don’t have money. Here’s where I knew something was up, this is so

The first one was called ‘In Transit’. My good friend and

bizarre. I knew they wanted me to say something gnarly but I

roommate at the time Darien Brown made the video. We both

didn’t. Eventually it gets awkward and like five dudes jump out of

worked at HUF together and would go filming on weekends. That

closets with cameras. “You’re on a prank show!” They tip me fifteen

was a fun time, there are some really good parts in that video. Billy

bucks and I leave, and I didn’t think anyone would really see it. I

Davenport has last part, it’s really sick. The next one was Cody

was wrong, I’ve been asked about this so many times!

Tompson’s video, ‘Deep Fried’. That video was also really fun to film for. Jeff Carlyle would whip all of us around in his van to go

Haha! Luckily you didn’t do anything too incriminating! I found it on

skate. Everyone worked hard for that video. Half of the people

YouTube, it has over eight million views!

involved ended up moving to San Francisco, including Cody.

Yeah, seriously good thing they didn’t get anybody real creepy, and

How come you didn’t go to SF with them?

I had to sign a waiver. Eight million views and I get paid fifteen bucks that doesn’t seem fair! Haha!

I moved to Philly beforehand. I love SF and would really like to live there someday. It’s my favourite city to skate, it’s just so damn

Haha! Yeah right. Did you have a plan before you went to LA to try to

expensive. There are no hills in Philly which sucks.

‘make it’?

SF is going off right now with those GX1000 dudes, they love hills!

Haha! Nah I don’t think so. I wanted to skate and film, that’s for sure. I worked pretty much my entire time out there. I mean getting

Yeah, a lot of those dudes from ‘Deep Fried’ have really good

paid to do what you love is the dream, right? These days it’s pretty

footage in that new GX vid.

really hard to ‘make it’ though. Kids out there are so fucking good with just a Grizzly grip sponsor, you know?

Let’s talk about Slap’s ‘One In A Million’, you were on the last one of those, how did that come about?

Shit. Haha! That always gets brought up too. Yeah I was, the whole thing was garbage. Met some good homies though!

Did you have to apply? What was the process?

Yeah you just had to send in a minute video of skating. I guess I didn’t put any of my contact info with the video. The dudes said it took a while to track down my number.

It used to be a pretty legitimate way to get yourself out there. What do you think went wrong with that season?

That’s what I thought, the previous years were just skating. Alex Kline was in charge my year, he was a total kook. The dude used to skate but totally lost touch with it. He decided to do eliminations and challenges and all this bullshit. It was like survivor meets skateboarding. Hands down one of the worst ideas ever.

They also didn’t tell us the format until we got to New York.

That really sucks. Had you been to New York much before that?

Yeah, I used to go all of the time. I would be in New York once or twice a month. My friend Cooper Winterson made a video ‘\m/’ so I was always up there filming for that. Colin Read filmed One in a Million so that put me in touch with him, he made ‘Tengu’ and ‘Spirit Quest’. I would go up there often and stay with him before I moved to LA. I’m gonna start making it up to New York more once it’s warm again.

What was it like filming with Colin Read?

It was sick, Colin is a great dude. He let me stay on an air mattress on his kitchen floor for over a month. He was putting these edits out through slap for a bit, before ‘Tengu’ came out. We would just One push BS Smith

go skate and film for those. I’m pretty sure they all got deleted when slap went out.

He definitely thinks outside of the box with his work which is rad. What gets you hyped on skateboarding these days?

The Atlantic Drift edits always get me hyped, those dudes are extremely creative. GX1000 edits are amazing, so is anything to come out of Philly. Chris Mulhern is always putting out good stuff.

There’s a lot of good skating out there. Skating with your friends is what gets me the most hyped though.

Are you still filming something with Mulhern? I think you guys mentioned something about that when I was there.

Yeah, every once in awhile. He is really busy with adidas stuff and it’s freezing here. We have a good amount of footage saved up.

Hyped to get more when the weather is normal. I’ve been trying to finish this part with my friend Zach Sayles. He’s making a video out of Philly.

Who’s going off in Philly right now? There’s a lot of love for the older generation, but who’s killing it these days?

All of the Sabotage dudes are always killing it. Hyped to see their next project. I know Joey O’Brien has some crazy footage with Mulhern. Josh Fiest has been on one, our friend Ricky Gieger just got a board. There’s a lot more, there’s a good skate scene here.

Did you get to skate the original Love Park much?

I skated Love occasionally when it was still there. We would take trips to Philly almost every weekend from Douglassville when I was younger. With Love being gone now, I kind of regret moving to LA. Haha! Municipal is cool but it’s not the same. New Love Park is a joke, it’s a walkway and a parking garage.

BS 180 Fakie Nosegrind

It’s sad when iconic spots are demolished, I could watch Love Park footage all day.

It really is sad. Philly is always destroying iconic spots, City Hall was amazing as well. I think the goal for the city was to make Love and City Hall into flat surfaced areas. To keep the homeless and the skateboarders out. Seeing an entire park from ground level really helps security. I miss seeing new Love footage. I actually think of ideas for lines at love even though it doesn’t exist!

Do you know anything about Mulhern’s documentary about Love?

I was talking to him about that a while ago. He said it’s going to take another two years to make. He’s going through old tapes from Bill Strobeck, Eastern Exposure days, etc. It’s gonna be really sick. Neil (Herrick) actually has a lot of old Philly tapes as well.

I’m stoked to see it, footage and interviews from all of the best of the Love Park era.

That will be epic! You mentioned earlier that you’re working on a part with your friend Zach, will that be out in 2019?

Yes for sure! It will come out right before the summer at the latest.

We have been working hard on it and I’m exited to see the finished product!

Any shout outs?

Extra special shout out all of my friends and family. You Graham, for making this happen. Anyone who I’ve filmed with over the years.

Shout out to anyone that has given me free shit to keep me skating, it means a lot.

BS Noseblunt Slide

MANNY’S 8.0 LOW WITH THE DOWNLOW KINGPIN

BOARDERLINE 15 McCombies Court, Aberdeen, AB10 1AW - (01224) 626 996

www.boarderline.co.uk Photo : Gareth Morgan / Skating : Haydn Morgan

Neil Herrick Photography by Graham Tait Interview by Neil Macdonald @scienceversuslife Portrait by Sam McKenna

You’re just back from a trip, right?

I was going to ask how much the 5Boro guys helped with getting you to New York, but if you moved in with Danny Falla, that kinda answers that.

Yeah, I just went to South Carolina for a couple of days with some homies. My buddy Pete and his friends showed us around. It was

Pretty much. I looked around and talked to a couple of people

pretty cool, there are some good spots. We were in Columbia,

about getting a place, but luckily for me, Jimmy McDonald was

which is a small city, but they’ve got some good shit to skate. You

moving out of Danny’s spot. He’d been there for a few years and

know where Cyrus [Bennett] had that Transworld cover, going off

was about to move in with his girlfriend, so a spot opened up and it

the roof into the bank? We saw that in person, very gnarly.

worked out. I couldn’t have done it without those guys.

So you’ve been on 5Boro for a while now, but you only recently moved

5Boro has always seemed really tight. I imagine you guys all hang out

to New York City... How come you didn’t move sooner? I mean I know it’s

together anyway.

expensive, but...

Yeah, if you’re gonna be on 5Boro you’ve got to be down with the That’s a good question. I was 5Boro flow for a couple of years,

crew, and the crew has to be down with you. People come and

taking the bus to New York to skate, and going to school for a

go and the team has gone through a lot of changes over the years

two-year degree. I wanted to finish that first, but since I was

but there’s a great legacy of people who have ridden for 5boro and

skating all the time and working, it took over three years to

who still do today.

complete. During that time I moved to Philly, living off money I had saved up. I skated as much as I could. Unfortunately our living

Are you having to work a day job for now?

situation ended so I moved home and got a job delivering pizza with the idea of saving up to move to New York. I was doing that for

I work at Whole Foods. I was able to move here because I

a while, and I met my girlfriend Merrilee and we started

had that job and if you work for that company and you want

dating in 2016. We both ended up graduating in 2017. She took

to move somewhere you can transfer. So I have a job and a

a year off while I was finishing the video I was working on for the

spot to live, I couldn’t be happier!

local skate shop. Once that was over it was 2018.I was thinking, “If I don’t move to New York now, I don’t know if it’s ever going to happen...” The pizza place I worked at closed so got another job, which turned out great because now I was making way more money. Luckily I was able to move in with Danny Falla, so big shout out to him. It worked out well I’m stoked to be here.

Ollie Brooklyn

Whole Foods is kinda new over here, but it’s super expensive. It’s high-end.

Oh, I didn’t know it was international. It’s pretty expensive, yeah. I guess you could say it’s high-end; it’s definitely more expensive than your average store but they take a lot of pride in what they carry. Folks who want to eat healthier, gluten-free, or organic shop there.

There’s more of those people now than ever.

Yeah, It seems like there’s more people now who shop there, especially since Amazon bought it. I’m glad I have a job that allows me to afford New York. And if I ever wanted to live somewhere else, I could keep my job. Or if I wanted to work in a different store in the city I could do that too.

So where in New York City do you and Danny live?

In Brooklyn. Not far over the Williamsburg bridge, which is great being so close to Manhattan. We usually hit up Blue Park which is skating distance. Borough Hall downtown and Chauncey ledges in Bushwick isn’t far. Couldn’t have found a better spot between the city and work.

FS Nollie Heelflip North East Philly

Is it hard for you to keep tricks for video parts rather than just post them

I think anybody can see that in 5Boro’s videos, that it’s a real group of

straight away?

people doing things, rather than just a bunch of dudes on their own. What videos were you watching when you were a kid?

Like a lot of other people, I grew up skating before social media, waiting for full length videos to come out. Most of the time if I’m

When I was a kid I loved Emerica and Baker. And Toy Machine too,

filming with somebody, I’ll hold onto those clips until a project is

but I skated a lot of Baker boards and I loved Baker 3 and This Is

ready to come out. Sometimes that takes a really long time! My

Skateboarding. I would still say that was my favourite video that I

friend Zach Sayles is about to put a video out we’ve been filming

grew up watching all the time; I just really love how it was put

for about four years. If I post something VX or HD, it’s usually from a

together by Jon Miner, it’s fucking sick. Everybody in that video had

video part, or it’s leftover footage that will never be used for a video

sick parts, but Spanky was a really big influence on me, if I had to

part. But I’ll post a cellphone clip or a photo too, you know? I post

pick one person that I looked up to when I was younger. I thought

footage and photos I take of people I skate with too. If somebody

that whole crew were so cool because that kind of skating that was

I’m filming with is working on a video, they should keep the clips or

big in the early 2000s.

maybe put them toward somebody else’s project. I put a lot of time and effort into filming so putting a new clip directly onto Instagram

Did you pay much attention to what was happening on the East Coast

seems to me like some value is lost. Although Instagram is great for

around that time?

people to see what your skating is all about, I like being a part of a video because it’s a big part of the experience we get from

Oh, definitely, but when I was stoked on the Baker and Emerica

skating. The good—and bad—times we have travelling are

stuff, I was kind of too young to appreciate the East Coast shit as

important. They make the clips you get that much better. Most of

much as I do now. These days that’s my main source of inspiration.

my footage comes out in videos that people can own a copy of

Back then, when you’re younger, you want to watch people jump

or watch online. It’s not the same these days with how big social

down shit because you don’t really understand how important style

media has become in skateboarding, but most of the time, video

is, you know? “Oh that dude did a nosegrind, cool. But this guy’s

projects have more character and impact than an Instagram clip.

doing a kickflip front board down Hollywood High!” In your mind, when you’re young, that’s ‘better’. You don’t think about it style-wise as much. As you get older you understand why something’s cool, why somebody looks good on a skateboard rather than some dude just doing a crazy trick. I’d rather watch somebody like Ricky Geiger who just has a sick style. But when you’re younger you just want to see the big stuff!

Boardslide Harlem

What about now? Whose videos do you rate now?

I like the big videos that come out on Thrasher, but if I had to name a couple of things I’d say the Bust Crew videos...Gilbert Crockett and the Venue skateshop crew. They put out good shit, they skate all the time and they’re all really fun dudes to be around. In Philly, Sabotage has done so much over the past ten years or so putting out four full length videos based around LOVE park [Sabotage 2-5].

Out of New York, LurkNYC stuff is cool, Bronze 56k... I try to watch everything and there’s just so much shit! What about a couple of people in New York whose skating I really enjoy? James Sayres is is killing it. Over at Theories dudes like John Baragwanath and Brian Powderly are fun to watch.

So do you keep up with everything? The Nine Club, Jenkem, Slap, all the other stuff?

Yeah, I look at all that stuff and listen to most the podcasts like the Bunt and Nine Club. Jenkem is usually refreshing. I never got into Slap message boards but I had a few mags when I was younger, haha! The amount of coverage these days is overwhelming but I still make the effort to stay up on it.

I was away for three days last week and I still haven’t caught up yet.

It’s so hard to keep up with. We all try to stay on top of it but I think I pay most attention to the people I know in person, the people I skate with, or other people I’ve met on trips who’re doing cool shit. Like the out in San Francisco, the dudes in the the ‘Deep Fried’ videos, a lot of those guys are now in the GX1000 videos.

My homie Jeff Carlyle always has really good footage come out in those. Everyone watches GX1000, but the Deep Fried crew is guys you don’t see as much. It’s cool to see more footage from people you don’t see all the time in those big videos. Like Atlantic Drift too, the ‘series videos’ that are coming out these days rather than...

FS Nosegrind Lower East Side

...the full-length board company video. It’s filmer videos now.

Kerry Getz in Jump Off A Building?

Yeah, exactly. Filmer videos. I used to film a lot growing up and I still

Yeah! They rode for Fairman’s. It’s local history. They had a really

do, so I have a lot of respect for that. For the people who are just

good spot in skateboarding when they were coming up and it’s

doing their thing and holding it down with the people they skate

cool that West Chester, Pennsylvania, got to be a part of that. Bam,

with. I think that’s about as cool as it gets.

Mike and Kerry. That shit’s dope. Hanging out with Maldonado, and skating with him after being such a fan… He’s definitely the

It’s as close to real skateboarding as documented skateboarding can be.

people’s champ. Remember Jimmy Chung? He’s been skating a

The amount of videos now means companies have to work harder to be

lot again recently and I’ve got to know him over the past few years.

identifiable. The big small companies kind push that. Like Bronze.

Jimmy had a trick in one of your parts.

Yeah, Bronze is sick. They always put out good shit. They’ve got a stacked team, those dudes are killing it, and it’s hard to not be

Yeah, he filmed a clip and that went into a VX part for 5Boro. He

a fan.

still learns tricks so that’s pretty amazing to see. Pretty much all of those dudes still skate, and that inspires me a lot. Jimmy and Mike

What’s your favourite East Coast video part?

both had clips in that 5B part, and I was able to film Mike which felt pretty cool. But it’s really cool that they all still skate and that I’ve

Jon Rowe, Politic x Venue. I still watch that all the time. Willy Akers

gotten to know Mike and Jimmy pretty well. It’s inspiration to keep

part in Join or Die always gets me juiced to go skate. Any Ishod

it moving and pushing the East Coast shit.

Wair part filmed VX never fails. Any Jimmy McDonald part.

Damn. I was expecting Ricky or somebody like that...

If we’re talking classic era, the Toy Machine videos, Welcome To Hell and Jump Off A Building. I grew up where Bam and Mike Maldonado are from, looking up to those dudes’ legacy. I’d just watch their old parts all the time because they were like local guys for me. Mike Maldonado in Welcome To Hell, definitely.

FS 180 Fakie Nosegrind Upper West Side

What do you think about the physical format? For magazines or videos?

I pick up Skate Jawn and all the mags whenever I can. I like Thrasher, although most of the stuff I see from Thrasher is online, I still read the magazine when it’s there. I still enjoy having that copy, it’s just cooler, you can revisit it. Same goes for videos, especially if it’s something made by somebody I know, or if my friends are in it I’ll buy the video. We say how much easier it used to be when everybody was on the same page and a couple of videos would come out each year. While one side is good because the progression is amazing that you see something new every day, it’s harder to remember the cool shit that comes out. When you have a video and you’ve watched it a couple of times, that’ll stick more than something on Instagram. I think it’s still really important that people buy copies of videos because you can remember it.

Single tricks don’t really tell much of the story. It’s like you were saying about being a kid just wanting to see the biggest shit... Now we want to see what else the dude does, how he pushes, all that.

Pretty much. When I started skating, it was big handrails. I started at a pretty young age but it wasn’t until after a couple of years that I started paying attention to videos and magazines. The first couple of years when you start skating, you’re not plugged into the industry or anything, you’re just trying to figure it all out. Everyone was skating handrails and stairs, so that’s what I started trying to do. That was just what was going on at the time, but then when that levelled off I tried to move away from that kinda stuff, even though I was good at skating rails. When you get older you can’t really do that as much as when you’re younger so you want to pay attention to aspects of skateboarding that you can still do without killing yourself as you get older, without jumping down these giant gaps! I pick my battles when it comes to skating rails and stuff like that.

As well as filming videos, you shoot film photos. What’s the appeal of film photography to somebody who didn’t grow up in the film era?

I had a VX and after filming people for so many years, I thought about how I’d never shot a lot of photos and had little insight into that whole process. I wanted to shoot photos that weren’t just on my phone. I think it’s more skilful when you can actually take a photograph, you know? Ha! Even if it’s nothing fancy I’d want to take pictures of stuff that’s going on while we’re out skating, and that turned into me shooting photos of people doing tricks. It’s all pretty basic stuff, I don’t have a crazy camera set up. I have a very simple point-and-shoot camera. I actually just bought a new one last week, I got a Canon AS35M. So basically an auto-focus, 35mm Canon. If someone’s doing a trick I’ll shoot that, but if people are just chilling I’ll shoot that too. I just like documenting stuff, on video or photo. It’s just something I’ve always been interested in. Everybody in skateboarding does that anyway. It’s natural to get into. I have so many pictures of people and things that I haven’t done anything with but I’m so glad I took those photos, because I’ll actually remember it rather than it just being on Instagram.

Are you a nightmare to shoot and film? Are you directing the person with the camera?

Oh, no. I’m pretty easy going. I mean if someone’s right in the way, I’ll ask them to move because I don’t want to hit them, but otherwise I want to just let people do what they do. I’ve gotten to know a lot of people through filming and shooting photos. I met Graham [Tait], and now I’ve met you, and it’s just cool to meet people who are into it. When it all comes together, that’s the best part about it. Like a video premiere, where everybody comes out, and all the people that were out there with you are now watching it finished together. I think that still needs to happen a lot. It’s still happening, but I don’t know if the kids are on the same page!

FS Hurricane Harlem

Have you ever played in a band? You sound like you play an instrument.

I wish! I’m a pretty big music fan. I feel like that’s what I would’ve done if I hadn’t been skating. I would have tried to play an instrument. I have friends who play in bands, some I grew up skating with, and it’s a lot like skateboarding. Lots of travelling, and making an album is like making a video part. I feel I could have easily ended up doing that if I didn’t stick with skating. I’ve always been into music and going to shows.

What was the last show you saw?

The last big one I saw was Peter Hook’s band performing in Philly. they played the Substance album so it was basically a New Order show! Before that, my friend Tim has a band called Lester and they played in Queens. He plays drums and I’d always go to his shows growing up, and he’d always come to skate events. He’s as into music as I’m into skating. It’s cool having friends who aren’t skateboarders but live pretty much the same way we do.

Do you follow UK skateboarding?

My mom is from Ireland, originally. She was born and raised there.

The scene there is really small, so the skating coming out of the UK that I pay attention to is usually from England. Like when Chris Mulhern made This Time Tomorrow, a lot of dudes from England are in that video… Lucien Clarke, Steph Morgan, Rory Milanes, those English skateboarders really stuck out to me. I thought it was really cool and it made me want to go to England and skate these spots because it looks like a grittier Philly or New York.

FS Heelflip North Philly

I’m pretty sure that’s why so many UK people grew up paying such close attention to East Coast stuff. It was harder to relate to some dude on a perfect surface in the sun; we wanted to see somebody pushing over a wet manhole cover in traffic on a rough street because that’s what we had to do. Stuff here’s hundreds of years old, and out in LA everything’s new.

I’d still rather see anything R.B. Umali filmed at 2am than any Ty Evans 4K drone footage.

Yeah. And Dan Wolfe, who made the Eastern Exposures and Sub Zero video, he’s from West Chester too! It’s pretty crazy. I mean Dan pretty much pioneered the East Coast video.

Everybody talks about EE3, which is one of the greatest videos ever, but that Sub Zero video was really good.

I’m a huge fan of Matt Reason, and Sergei [Trudnowski]. Even the lesser-known Sub Zero dudes that you don’t hear so much about, like Eric Ruwadi or A.J. Mazzu. Sergei is from Pennsylvania, he’s from Reading, a small city not too far from where I grew up, Then there’s Ricky O, obviously... But yeah, Dan Wolfe being from West Chester and moving to Philly really sparked it off. I also got to give a major shout out to Joe Hiddleson, who filmed a lot great stuff from Jump Off A Building and some of Maldonado’s epic clips in Welcome To Hell. He did a lot that people don’t hear about because it’s usually associated with Dan Wolfe or Jamie Thomas.

But Joe filmed a lot of legendary stuff and he never really gets the shine for it! People like to chalk it up to a few people, but there were so many others involved. I like hearing about all these people, who either left skateboarding, or they just weren’t really around past the ‘90s. I try to know the history.

FS 180 Switch Crook South Philly

It’s cool when you get to speak to one of those dudes nowadays.

For real, like Jimmy Chung left skating in ‘96, and he started up again a few years ago. He was away from it for almost twenty years, and now that he’s back people want to support his skating.

That’s a real-life example of someone who’s been gone for a long time, came back and is now, arguably, skating better than he ever did, which is pretty cool to witness first hand. Me and him got tight when he came back to skating. He takes care of his family and his house, so he has a normal life but he still makes a lot of time to skate these days.

What are you doing today? And for the next while?

There’s snow on the ground so not really doing much here. I’m going to Puerto Rico next month for ten days. As far as the rest of the year... We’re working on a 5Boro video, so that will come out at some point. I’m just gonna be skating New York a lot, skating the East Coast, and taking trips. I love taking trips when I have the time and I’m not working. I want to visit Graham in Scotland! I have European citizenship.

That’s cool. Obligatory shout-outs?

I want to give a shout out to Mark Nardelli at 5Boro for holding the company down and doing everything he can for me, as well as Tombo Colabraro for everything over the years while I was coming up to the city. 5B crew far and wide. James and everybody at Labor skate shop. At Dial Tone my homie Jovi Bathemess has been helping me out with wheels. Keith Denley at Nike has been helping me out too. Vern Laird at Bones, Just all my friends in New York, Philly, and West Chester who are down for skating. There are too many people to name!

FS 50-50 Harlem

Thanks

Editor & Photographer Graham Tait

Mike @ Keen Dist Josh @ Theories A&M Imaging

Layout & Design Graham Tait

Daniel Zvereff Matt Militano Neil Herrick

Feature Interviews Neil Macdonald [@scienceversuslife]

Lucie McIlroy Miller All the contributing photographers.

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