London calling

Thrasher Magazine, Jan, 2003

So when is the who? video going to be done?

By the time people read this it should be out, so go buy it. Just some finishing touches and it will be out in shops in no time.

What parts are looking good right now?

Casey has a really good part, Jr. too. I don't think people are going to expect what's in it. Arcade has changed a lot in the last year.

How did you first meet Casey?

There was an Arcade demo up in Bellingham, Washington. He rode for this shop called Alliance that showed us around the local city spots. He basically landed about five or six bangers in about two hours, so we had to pick him up. Eventually he moved to San Diego and we started skating together.

Doesn't he live with you now?

Yeah, I remember he lived in Pacific Beach and we would stake all the time. So eventually Jason, Casey, and my other friend Chris all moved out into a house in Linda Vista, San Diego. It pretty much became the party/skate house, so Casey and I decided to move out to the valley to get some filming done.

Are you planning on moving again?

I was thinking about it. It's kind of ghetto outside of my apartment. Casey's car got broken into once. They took some CDs and a Discman. Nothing too drastic, but, it was sort of a warning. I think that's why my insurance rates are so damn high.

So how many times did you get hurt while trying to put this interview together?

Oh shit, a lot. At least 10 or more times. Europe wasn't so bad. I seem to get hurt here in the valley. It's usually because of heel bruises and my knee.

How many boards do you go through in a month?

A lot, usually like 20, but it's different every month. Sometimes I'll go to a spot and break two boards just skating flatground. Then other months I'll skate one board for like three weeks. It just depends on how much I skate.

What about trucks--don't you go through a lot of trucks too?

Yeah, I bend a lot of trucks. But the new Ventures aren't bending as badly. It wouldn't matter, I break everything.

Do you fancy yourself a rail skater or a tech skater?

I like everything really; whatever looks fun to me, I'll skate.

How many times do you have to roll up to something crazy before you huck yourself down it?

It depends. If it's a rail it takes me a while to get myself down it. If, I think I can do it, I'll just try it.

So what things interest you outside of skateboarding?

I like basketball and sometimes I'm down to play a little golf. Other than that, I guess my favorite thing is just traveling and seeing different places.

Basketball? Can you dunk on fools, or would you be like Larry Bird and just hit hoops from the three?

I can dunk on some courts. I use to play a lot, but over time I had no one to play with.

What if all the skate teams got basketball teams together? Who would run shit?

There are some pretty good basketball skaters out there. They have games at tradeshows all the time. I guess I never have time to play I'm always skating, traveling, or I'm hurt.

You consider yourself a road scholar?

I've been around, I would travel even if I didn't skate, you gotta see the world, ya know.