dropped out but decided to go back and get my
diploma. By the time this comes out, I should have
my diploma.
What about college?
Yeah, I want to go there too. I haven't really
decided what for yet, though.
Have you thought about the future?
No, not really. I pretty much live day by day,
but I know when it's time to get a real job, I know
I'll always be out there skating after work.
Any other interests besides skating?
Yeah, excitebike, and I like to play guitar and
bass a lot.
Who are you influenced by in a musical way?
Geddy Lee, Nanda Zipp and Eddie Nemeth.
Let's talk about Eddie
for a minute.
All I have to say is
he is definitely crazy.
This one time we were
all drunk and skating
inside 636, and lason
cut him off, so he
slammed his head
through a wall into the
other side. We all
stood around him,
then he popped his
head out and started
laughing and went
back to skating. I can't
really describe Eddie.
You have to experi-
ence him firsthand.
What about Simen?
All I have to say is
that they broke the
mold when they made
that guy. He is defi-
nitely an amazing
influence when I go
skating with him. He
thinks of the craziest
lines. He has a pretty
open mind about things.
except when I tell him his
car smells like gas.
What's that all about?
This one time we were
in his car, and I kept
telling him it smelled like
gasoline, and he was
like, "It's just you, Mike,"
so we went through the
Jack In The Box drive-
thru, then all of the sud-
den smoke started to bil-
low out from underneath
Incorporating two of the most popular tricks in skateboarding today, Mike takes advantage of a knee-high slant with a wallie 5-0.
What's that like?
the hood, and I was like, "I told you," so
he peeled out from the drive-thru, parked
the car, and started filming the flaming
Civic. We called the fire department, and
they put out the fire. When it was all over,
he started shaking all the firemen's hands
and then took a group photo. It was funny
seeing the Civic with flames painted on it
on fire.
Does everything about your life revolve
around skating?
I try not to let it, but it pretty much rules
me. I try to relax for a day and not skate,
but I can't. It's kind of like an addiction. I
even skate when it rains.
It's no different except it ruins your board. It's totally fun. I
think everybody should try it.
What are your favorite spots?
Jai's curb and Gunderson. I also like to go to Santa Rosa and
skate with all those guys.
So, who do you want to thank?
Gavin, Corey, Simon, Brent, Brigee, Branch, Jai, the kid, Ed,
Beans, Lisa, my family, Slap-E, Kenj, Bod, Salman, Shawn,
Edward, Alex, Adrianne and Brian at NC, Pouch, SBC, Geddy
Lee and everyone else except for Tom Kouretas.
What would be a few words to sum up your life?
Skating, hot coffee, good friends and music.
Foxworthy
Avenue
San Jose is famous for its handrails. Check the technique as ol' Mike smittys a white one in the black of night.
Above Left: Kickflip over the
rail at Santa Rosa's most
played out spot.
Above: Skaters and their
bars; if they don't make it,
they see stars.
Right: A bit of reflective pain
on Foxworthy Avenue.
52 THRASHER
53