Positive Instincts May 2013 Issue

skateboarding. art. music. counter culture.

MAY 2013

ISSUE 1 VOLUME 1

+ A ROADSIDE CHAT WITH MALCOM WATSON + GUILHERME DEBIZE + TAMPA PRO 2013

+ MANNY SANTIAGO + DAN MANDELL

Cover photo: Anthony Carpenter_Nosegrind WHAT’S INSIDE Letter from the editor A Roadside Chat with Malcolm Watson Skatepark of Tampa’s 20th Anniversary and Tampa Pro Catching up with Manny Santiago Artist Profile: Guilherme Debize Photographer: Dan Mandell Positive Hype

Welcome to the first issue of Positive Instincts. What you will find on the following pages is the direct result of fueling an idea with passion and persistence. Originally, I had the idea for Positive Instincts to be just a non-profit that organizes events and gives back to skateboarding. Over the course of a year my ideas evolved and emerged into the digital zine you are reading. I thought it was the best way to promote the good things going on around us in skateboarding, art, music, culture...hell whatever I find interesting and think others would enjoy as well.

It has been a lot of fun putting together this first issue and I look forward to putting together future issues each month. The experiences that have come about because of this are some of my favorite in my life. I have encountered many wonderful people and look to continue in travelling and making new experiences.

Thank you for checking out Positive Instincts and sharing in the things I love most in life. For any content submissions please email me through the following address: positiveinstincts@yahoo.com Sincerely,

I have to admit that I’ve been a Malcolm Watson fan for a long time. Not only does his skating look effortless, he’s always in a good mood. I remember the first time I saw him skate in Tampa, if he missed a trick he would just clap a few times to himself. Just like a mental pat on the back saying okay, no big deal. Get it on this next try.

That positivity embodies where this magazine is coming from, so when I saw him skating back to his hotel across the street I stopped him to ask a few questions.

He was generous enough to chat with me and that turned into the interview you are reading now.

Right there under the overpass across from the Howard Johnson hotel, I got the opportunity to talk skateboarding with someone I grew up trying to emulate.

Definitely one of the great things about Tampa Pro weekend. Thank you, Malcolm Watson, for all the years of skateboarding inspiration, and being cool enough to grant me this interview.

So Malcolm man…2013.

What have you been up to?

Work, work, work, sleep, change diapers, work, skate, work. Working too much. But I’m trying to do my own thing board brand-wise but I need to quit working and just focus 100% on it. I’m trying to make the board company happen because its not gonna happen putting 10% into it. It’s the same with skating; if you skate 1 hour every other week, you aren’t going to be able to compete with people who skate everyday and have indoor warehouses.

Right, the indoor training facilities and everything…

Has it been crazy to watch skating change since you started compared to now, where instead of a sponsor me video, it’s and email with a link?

Nowadays, it’s just like music where you’re in the digital age. Before in order to be famous in the music world you had to get a record deal. Have an A&R and someone to develop you and market you a certain type of way. Now with youtube and all the other sites you have Justin Beiber’s and Soldierboy’s, and Chief Kefes. Guys that are posting up a video and getting 4 million views in two nights. That’s without a record deal or any artist development and they are getting their own following.

Skateboarding’s kinda taken

on that same approach but it’s a gift and a curse.

There are so many kids out there, so many people that its hard to keep up. So, a lot of people don’t make it through the cracks.

Yeah I mean, I think it’s gotten bigger but at the same time on a small level, it still works. I had a board company for a while; a buddy of mine has his own brand going with Citified Skateboards down in Florida. Smaller companies are sprouting up and selling locally. Do you have a name for your board company yet?

Yeah, yeah, I’m doing 100% skateboards.

That’s cool. I know you have a lot of notoriety, people know Malcolm Watson, you’ve been killing it for years and with your positive attitude I think good

things will happen. I’ve always liked that you seem to stay in a positive mood.

What’s behind the good mood, how do you stay so positive?

You gotta smile to keep from crying, but…[laughs].

The age-old story… I mean, for me, it’s one of those deals like if you come into a contest where you know if you have a job, and you have a guaranteed paycheck back home, its no stress. The same as the guy that shows up here and has everything paid for, it’s a no stress weekend.

But then you have the guy who has 15 stickers on his board and if he doesn’t win he may lose two of those stickers on that board. You know what I mean? So, its that all around pressure. But for me, I got nothing to lose.

If I win: great. I break even, whatever. If I don’t: I had a great time.

So you came to Tampa on your own dime this year?

Yeah. That’s how it’s always been, even when I had sponsors. It was the same deal where they wouldn’t really approve, and you’d pay for it on your own anyway. And so, most of my trips even when I was riding for World, a lot of trips I would go on by myself. I would pay for it on my own, and if I was lucky I could get them to pay per diem for something like that.

Wow, that’s crazy I don’t think anyone really knows that. I know I assumed that your sponsors would pay for you to go on trips and skate.

If you’re lucky enough. But even nowadays with today’s economy a lot of companies look at it like: what are we going to get out? Where they are like okay, we’re going to pay $1000 bucks for you to fly out there, hotel, rental car, and food. You get 47th place. What is that going to do for us on the company end as far as the kickback moneywise, you know? Because, a kid isn’t going to go out and buy your board because you got 65th place in the contest.

So unless you are that 1st place 2nd place guy, a lot of companies don’t feel the need to invest. How many years have you been coming to Tampa?

Since, 2000.

I’m sure you’ve seen the difference crowd-wise.

Back in the day you would come to Tampa and it would be full, wall-to-wall, skaters from every single company.

I remember one year, I felt like it was Black Label’s best year, when they had Ragdoll, Patrick Melcher, and it looked like Alva and the whole squad was out there. Rakestraw, Adam Alfaro, and Jim Gagne were there. Right after that year…

I mean you saw it, it was that energy where it was like: wow, this will never happen again. Then literally right after the contest they kicked off half those guys, and it wasn’t the same.

Then once again you would see Black Label at the contest and they had two riders. But yeah, it’s a weird situation.

It is man. When I saw éS go I was really bummed. What do you think about New Balance and Nike being in skateboarding, do you trust it?

Well, with Nike it’s great because they are giving back. Like in LA, there are at least three different Nike plazas that they didn’t have to do. I mean, they could have just said hey P-rod we’ll build you your own indoor park for you to train for contests, and that’s it.

Because, I mean at the same time, with the exception of sole tech, how many shoe companies have open to the public skate plazas

that they built, ever?

Yeah, I mean House of Vans in NY is kinda that way.

And you might need a secret password or the right text numbers just to even go in and skate that situation based on politics.

But in LA you have the Nike park where it’s open to the public. You show up and it’s built right by people that know what they are doing in terms of building skateboard parks. I mean, you’ve been to plenty of parks where you’re like “Why did they put an ankle high rail here? Why is there an eight stair going right into a wall?”

It’s a million dollar city-made park that’s made wrong.

Yeah, the ones I skated on military bases were pretty bad. They had the pyramid going into the back of the mini ramp. No roll away what so ever.

Right, there ya go. You guys can skate this right, it’s a fish bowl? Don’t go skate over there in the streets, ride the ramps. But for Nike and other situations, I don’t know it seems like a positive deal. And they’re actually paying guys a decent wage where they don’t have to work full-time and then skate part-time. Even Adidas, they have a squad.

They go on road trips all over the place and the guys are making real money.

It definitely helps the progression.

Yeah. But I guess it’s a gift and a curse. At least the companies are giving back.

Like even Nike sponsoring Tampa Pro. It definitely helps the purse.

Exactly. Because, even Tampa I guess the first contest, first place was $1000.

Now last place, best trick is $1000. So the money level has changed.

Yeah, definitely, I hope all positive things, you know.

So, when will I be able to get my hands on a 100% board? You looking to get into stores this year or next year?

I was hoping to do it yesterday. [laughs] Good answer.

In terms of being in stores, there’s so many politics. I understand it. You know, from a skate shop level you want to fill your wall with stuff that is going to sell. It’s hard to get a brand in there that doesn’t have a lot of magazine coverage. It’s still possible, I just have to quit the full time job and focus on 100% and I think I’ll see some positive things.

Good, good, man. Who else is supporting Malcolm Watson these days?

Jim Debo flow.

Well I hope you succeed.

I love watching you skate because you can see the

positivity. It’s inspiring.

Thank you.

Before I stop recording did you want to give any shout outs or thank you’s?

Thanks, skateboarding.

A Tampa pro weekend. It’s been photographed, filmed, and written about for two decades now but it is still just one of those things in life that you need to experience for yourself. Growing up, my friends and I would pack up the car and drive the four hours to Tampa for a weekend that we would always remember. Skating, partying, meeting pros and ams we had up until that point only seen in videos and magazines...it was a dream come true for one weekend a year.

This year, I almost didn’t even go. Times have changed. Some friends have quit skating, some have too many responsibilites in their lives to make it out, and sadly, some have had their lives cut short. On a whim, two days before the Friday Qualifiers started I bought a plane ticket and committed to going solo. It turned out to be one of the best weekends there yet. I ran into friends who I haven’t seen in years who decided as I did: Fuck it, why not?

Let’s go.

With that notion in mind I packed my bag and left the cold. rainy weather New York was having at the time and headed to Tampa for the warm, rainy weather Friday night had brought upon that area of Florida. Didn’t matter to me though, this was the first year I had a hotel room all to myself. It’s a luxury I don’t take lightly as a veteran of Howard Johnson stays. There were many rough nights including one where we ended up dragging the pool furniture into the hotel room to suit all of the bodies strung about. You see, Tampa ends up being a near week-

long party that promises to both please and punish. In the aftermath that was Saturday morning I arose with a major hangover and painfully pulled myself together so I could head to the park. Thankfully, from years of experience I know the right hangover cures and in an hour I was feeling pretty good, watching the qualifiers by myself.

Then the unexpected happened. Between snapping photos and watching everyone’s runs I caught a familiar persona and I did a double take. After confirming it with using the zoom on my lens I crossed the park to meet up with my old friend Chris Yonkers. For those of you that don’t know, Yonkers is a south Florida legend. He was the generation ahead of me and was the first person to hook me up through a shop. He helped me out of the poser zone, making sure to make fun of me enough to keep me in check. I was definitely happy to run into friends because immediately after saying hello a Natty Light was pulled from a backpack cooler and handed to me. I knew right there the rest of the weekend was going to be a total shit show.

That night we decided to get some more nightlife and headed to the Big Boi concert where they played a film about the 20 years of SPOT history. Went back to the hotel afterward and thought we were going to sleep when Josh “Duck” Hardin came through at 6am and restarted the party. Welcome to Sunday.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to stay for the finals because my flight was at 6pm. I killed the last hour in Tampa at the famous Cigar City brewery getting a nice pre-flight buzz. The perfect end to the weekend.

Words can’t really do justice to the experience, so on the next pages is basically a photo dump of the blur that was Tampa Pro 2013. For anyone who hasn’t been to one of these contests I highly reccommend going at least once in your life.

Words, photos, and illustrations by Chris Miller

I first met Manny in West Palm Beach, Florida a little bit after PJ Ladd’s Wonderful, Horrible, Life came out... so around 2003. Dave Bachinsky and Manny had come down to skate with some of the other kids that rode for Shred Shed, the local skate shop (Shout out to King Joe!), around that time. You could tell he was going to be a huge talent in skateboarding already, but what really stood out about Manny was his amazing personality.

Always smiling, Manny would be hyped on whatever was going down, happy to be out skating with friends and enjoying life.

Flash foward to 2013 and he is pretty much doing the same thing he was years ago. Sure, he has blown up in the skate world, but he remains humble, happy, and the same great person I first met. I got the chance to meet up with Manny at the pro contest in Tampa this year so I sat down with him and recorded this interview to check in on how life has been treating him. What follows is the interview we did sitting on top of the bank ramp in that famous warehouse in Tampa.

Alright man, so what have you been up to?

Just skating a lot, traveling. I have a son now, so being a dad and working on Salt & Pepper. Dave Bachinsky and I are putting out a new video part so just been trying to focus on all of that and contests coming up.

I heard about the Salt & Pepper video, how long have you been working on that?

We started a couple months ago and it’s supposed to come out around summer time through the Berrics, but uh right now I only have 2 clips and he has like 20 so I have a lot of work to do.

Cool, cool. You have any trips coming up, going to a lot of new places?

Coming up I’m going to Brazil for the Xgames street league. I just got back from Astonia and before that I was in Tahiti so I’ve been travelling a bunch.

So, what’s it been like going from Lowell, Massachusetts and Florida skating back in the day to turning pro?

It’s been crazy, I mean, it’s no different for me because I’m still skating with the homies but it has definitely been motivating. I have big shoes to fill and I got a lot of work to do. It’s definitely motivating.

Is it hard to balance that with being a father?

You know it is at first, you know, I didn’t think it would be but I can see it taking a toll on me and it definitely is hard. You have to learn how to balance the two because besides being a pro skater you’re a father first you know, so I’m starting to learn how to do that now.

Yeah I can understand that. So what’s up with the tooth, is that your trademark now, you just going to keep rocking it as is?

Uh, you know, I went through so much pain when I lost it that I don’t want to go through any kind of pain like that again so I’m going to leave it as long as I can.

I know you like skating in South Florida quite a bit, do you still keep in touch with the Shred Shed heads?

Yeah I see Brad Cromer from time to time, Pang will text me here and there, and same with David Hamzik. You know, we can go like 2 years without talking but as soon as we talk again its like we never left off.

That’s always a good feeling. So what about being part of the 20th anniversary of SPOT, how is that for you?

Pretty crazy I’m pretty sure it’s my 9th year in a row coming here so I’m really excited to be a part of something so big in skateboarding. It’s something that means a lot to skateboarders so I am very blessed and happy to be here and be a part of this contest and a part of this family.

True that man. Well I wish you all the best, and thank you for sitting down with me and answering a couple of questions.

Yeah, thank you. Good to see ya.

Guilherme Debize 26 From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, residing in Miami, FL What initially got me into art was the fun involved in being creative, the freedom and the unexpected results.

(Above) Blocks - Acrylic on canvas - 48” x 36”, (Next page) Homo Insensatus - Roof Sealant on cardboard - 24” x 36”

Warped - Acrylic on canvas - 72” x 52”

Ultimum - Acrylic on drywall - 11’ x 8’

My name is Dan Mandell. i studied photography and design at SVA. worked for 6 years at columbia records. which was arright i guess. been skating since 1986. first real skateboard board was a vision jinx mini. first board though. was a variflex, followed by a roller derby ( total shit.) then came the vision board. tracker ultra lights w the plastic baseplates. slime balls. 92 durometer. i enjoy a good conspiracy theory. and long walks on the beach with friends. ___________ also. if you want the riders in the pics it goes in order: Tommy Saint Germain Tommy Saint Germain Damien Brockett Jason Thurtle holla mang!

POSITIVE HYPE A great skate video from one of the homies in South Florida.

Christopher James filmed and edited this independent effort featuring some of the best up and coming skaters out of the area. Featured online over at SLAP magazine a few weeks ago make sure you get over to www.qualityoverquantity. bigcartel.com and get youself a copy for only $10.

Featuring: Zac Gracie Travis Ehrlund Jonathan (Toga) Ettman James Coleman Jimmy Mastrocolo Derek Mclean Troy Betances

Killing The Breeze is a podcast out of Bushwick in Brooklyn, NY. From the mind of Kwaisi France, the show covers a diverse subject matter that is just as entertaining as it is informative. The music that plays in the background gives this podcast an old school radio type feel that keeps you listening.

Facebook.com/kiilingthebreeze Soundcloud.com/killing-the-breeze-1

No good reason why I’ve been on the Schoolboy Q kick lately but I’ve been skating with a steady stream of his music coming from my earbuds for the past few weeks. I was having a bad day where it just seemed like nothing was going right and then I put on Schoolboy Q and everything fell into place. He’s been playing in my earbuds ever since. Check him out, lyrically he is very gifted and the beats are perfect to skate to.