(Featured: Sidewalk Magazine, July 20th 2015.)
How’s everything with Flip right now, are you guys working on a new video? I know Geoff’s got some footage that we haven’t seen yet.
I mean right now we’re not working on any videos. We probably will be next year because we’re making a Volcom video and a lot of the riders from Flip ride for Volcom so we’re really focusing on that. I was actually on a trip before this that was a week in Paris; it was cool, definitely fun. Me, Dustin, Harry from over here, Axel and a few others. Hopefully next year we’ll make a video because that’s what me and Geoff always talk about – ‘let’s make another Sorry video.’
Geoff’s from Liverpool and Flip started out as an British company, what do you think to it here?
I spent a lot of time here when I was younger, like fifteen/sixteen I came here and we went to Liverpool with Geoff. It’s fucking sick, I love being here man, I love the music; a lot of good music comes from here… Tom Penny and Rowley, so it’s like it’s a classic spot to come – London and Liverpool too.
You’re pretty into Motorhead aren’t you?
Oh yeah, I love metal, I love rock and roll. The AC/DC singer is from England. It’s just a lot of history; Led Zepplin, Motorhead, The Beatles and stuff. It’s just sick, I like it.
Have you been to a Motorhead gig with Geoff?
Hell yeah, a couple of times.
Top five metal bands then?
Dude I got to be honest Iron Maiden is my favourite one. But Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Slayer… Lost Society, this band from Finland, is pretty sick.
Most of those are English.
Yeah most of the music I listen to is from here. That’s how it is – heavy metal grew up here… Thrash metal and everything came from America but real metal and rock music is here and I love it.
Going way back, how did you go from riding for Monkey Stix to Flip?
I think Monkey Stix made a little promo video of me and the Flip dudes saw it and were like, ‘we want that kid.’ They started sponsoring me when I was twelve.
Weren’t you on a pretty shit deal with Monkey Stix?
Yeah it was a fifty dollar contract for five years but I had no clue what was going on, I was a little kid who was getting free gear, free boards and that’s all I really cared about. I didn’t really care about the money and then Flip shows up and they were like, ‘you’ve got the ability to actually make money, not just free stuff.’ I was like ‘alright let’s do it.’
Flip were on King Of The Road this year with Louie, Curren, Nordberg and Alec Majerus. One of the challenges for Element was a lookalike challenge based around you. Did you see that and what did you think?
I thought it was hilarious. I know who did it, Ewan Bowman and Mike Burnett; they put the joke in because they were with Element. But it’s fun to see that, it’s how it goes, it’s Thrasher.
This has been the first stop of the tour and it seems like the first Globe trip in a while.
Yeah, we haven’t done a tour in a while so I’m pretty stoked the whole team is here: it’s a long trip. Sucks I can’t be on the whole trip because I have Street League but it’s sick. It’s rad with the European and American riders, there’s going to be a good video out of this.
Kicklip 5050.
How do you think the skaters in the States over here and in Europe are different to back in States?
I think it’s a lot different to be honest, not so much transition, not so fast – maybe. In America there’s more tranny, more vert skaters, more pool skaters. Here there’s more street, more banks and ledges. Different styles but I think the European’s level is fucking gnarly now, they can compete with anybody now.
Favourite Flip rider of all time?
Fuck dude that’s a tough one. I don’t know, I always say Geoff so I kind of want to say someone different (laughs). Obviously Geoff is like the Flip dude, he’s always been but another Flip rider that I think is really fucking sick is Tom Penny. You know – Tom is Tom; everybody’s hero.
You’re visiting SS20 in Oxford today; did you know Tom Penny is from there?
Oh really? I didn’t know, I knew he was from here but I didn’t know he was from Oxford. That’s rad so let’s fucking do this! (Laughs)
So you’ve got to leave this tour early to skate in Street League. You’ve also had parts on the Berrics; how important do you think those newer formats of coverage are to a pro’s career?
It’s really important I think, because everybody is on their phone now, everybody is on the internet. Everybody kind of wants to see an everyday thing… you know wake up, what’s on the Berrics, what’s on Thrasher… So you put like a little Bangin’ on the Berrics or a Battle Commander, the whole world is going to get to see it in one day and that helps the rider a lot.
At the same time; do you still enjoy working on regular video parts?
Yeah, yeah, yeah of course. That’s what we do, that’s what I like to do; basically street skate, film… I just like to get gnarly and shit. If I’m not getting gnarly I don’t really want to skate, you know what I mean? Otherwise I’d rather just skate for fun. But if I want to get gnarly, I want to get gnarly. I think the day you stop having fun and start losing those feelings that you used to feel when you were young, I think your career’s done. The day you don’t feel that, you’re not going to do it the same way.
F.G. 