Ethan Fowler: "It was purely for the kick" - Heads_Fowler - skateboarder - Interview

Thrasher Magazine, May, 2002 by Michael Burnett

I remember an interview where you said when you were a kid you would take speed and then film for sponsor-me videos.

It wasn't for the videos. It was just purely for the kick.

So you were like 14?

Yeah, 13 or 14.

What was it like?

It was just like skating better than you could normally, all of a sudden, for some weird reason.

Would you try stuff you wouldn't try regularly?

No, but sometimes it would just work out that way.

When I was 13, I don't think I knew what speed was.

What was the environment where you had ready access to speed and were going for it?

The wrong friends. I always hung out with older guys. They weren't the wrong friends, they were great. They were just older and having fun too. And I was along. It wasn't destructive. I obviously don't have a flicking habit, now. And I didn't have a habit then, so, I don't know. It was good.

What about you messing your arms up by your brother making you lift weights when you were young?

Yeah. That probably had something to do with it. I wouldn't attribute it all to being his fault. I remember being at the doctor and him telling me, "Well, that's a bad, idea."

When did you guys lift weights together?

Out in the garage. I'd come home from school all beat up 'cause I was one of the only skinny little blond white kids running around in a Bart Simpson T-shirt and skate shoes, which was the wrong thing to do in the San Fernando Valley. Because all the kids from LA would get shipped out to the Valley because they were too troublesome and they didn't have enough room. So they'd ship them out to the Valley so they could beat up on all the little white kids.

What kind of music would you listen to when you guys were pumping iron?

I can't remember, but the mainstay around the house was everything from The Beatles and Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath and shit like that.

What music from your youth do you enjoy to this day?

Since I was five years old I've been listening to fuckin' Zeppelin and Sabbath, all of that good stuff. The Yngwie didn't stick. The Def Leppard, the Megadeth, the teen angst didn't stick. That was a phase. My parents told me it wouldn't last, but I didn't believe them. I was always bummed because my mom was so hip. She had fucking Jane's Addiction records before I did.

Did you envy your friends with more mom-style moms?

Of course. Any kid would. But looking back, it was the best. Luckily I moved out when I was 16 and had time to realize it and make amends.

Was it a good idea for you to leave home at such a young age?

Yeah. It probably could have been more well thought out, but yeah, it was the best thing.

The new kids probably don't know this, but you left home at 16, turned pro, and won the world championships a few months later and were instantly big time.

Right. That was 'cause I was the only young guy among all the older guys.

Did you blow out like a lot of kids who have success early on?

It was working out great, but I didn't have any peers at the time. In skateboarding, people are excited about you for about 15 minutes and then it's back to, "C'mon, get it done." And I lived in San Francisco and no one's going to out-and-out be nice to you for no reason up there. You've got to really do something to deserve it.

How long did your free ride last?

About two months. Nobody gave a shit about contests in '94. Only jocks entered contests. Everybody was all about chillin'.

When has skateboarding felt most like a chore?

When I won that contest. Because then people expect more out of you. "So you're capable of that? Let's see more! We must have more!" I just wanted to do what I was doing. I thought what I was doing was good enough, and it never was. That was a big reason why I moved to Portland.

To get them off your back?

Yeah. To get away from skateboarding. And maybe a cool job would fall in my lap, but it didn't.

It seems like there's a history of that in skateboarding, where people find it difficult to out-do their early successes.

Yeah. And then for whatever reason, I started drinking a lot. So that affected my interest in doing any better for myself.

Describe your ideal relationship with a skate fan.

Showered with money and roses.

Leaving you alone?

No. I don't really mind it. The most annoying thing is the off-center questions.

Like what?

Like, "Where'd you get those pants?" Just the most random stupid thing that doesn't do them any good.

They're just trying to make a connection.

Yeah, but if it isn't something directly on your mind, don't bother.

Did you have beef with Jerry Fowler?

Oh yeah, I hated his guts. It's haunted me. It's still a thing. "Is he your brother?" People just think, "Oh, same last name, must be brothers."

What trait do you most dislike in women?

...Wait, 'cause I've thought about this a lot.

Apathy? Low self-esteem?

Are those yours?

Yeah. 'Cause most girls have no interests.

See, I don't mind that, 'cause then you can teach 'em. I like a moldable piece of clay.

Who is you favorite vert skater?

I thought Chris Miller was really cool-looking. Jason Jessee. Neil Blender was always awesome. Yeah. That's it.