Name
some people who
have influenced you in life
and in skateboarding.
When I was younger, my
influences were Frankie Hill,
Matt Hensley, Rick Howard,
Mike Vallely...I don't know, I
liked everybody.
How do you think you fit in to
the pro skateboarding scene?
I don't really talk too much, so
maybe people think I'm an ass-
hole. When I go to a contest, I end
up standing around by myself the
whole time; I don't have a big
at a gas station.
What's the closest you've
come to quitting skating?
When I was 18 or 19 I tried to
ollie a bunch of stairs but I
kicked my board away. I guess I
landed wrong or something,
because I crushed a vertebrae in
my back. I couldn't work for a
couple months and couldn't
skate for about six months. I
thought I wouldn't be able to
skate anymore.
Why do kids quit?
Some kids quit because skate-
What's one thing you're good
at besides skating?
I don't know.
Do you ever cry at movies?
Yes. Marvin's Room and A
Perfect World.
What's your relationship with
your grandparents like?
I love them; I have a good rela-
tionship with my grandparents on
my mom's side, but I don't really
have much of a relationship with
my dad's side.
What sucks about skating?
The rain.
What direction do you see
skating going, West?
Things are getting better. For a
while you had to be a certain
type of skater or you were a
loser. Now people are realizing it
doesn't matter what other people
Describe your relationship
with the Lord.
I'm an atheist. But I'm not sure
what that means, so I guess you
could say I don't have a relation-
ship with the lord.
Skateboarding
has been
described as selling kids to
other kids. Respond.
I never thought of it that way,
but I guess it makes sense.
Describe the greatest day
skating you've ever had.
Probably the day I did my first
backside lipslide on the CIBC
rails. I laid in bed every night for
like six months thinking about it,
but I was so scared. It felt so
good when I finally got up the
guts to try it.
Cops: friend or foe?
Foe.
"At night the bird would
sleep on my pillow
with its beak in my ear."
Above: Raw plywood tailslide.
Opposite: Long snap over the steps to lipslide.
group of friends I hang out with. I boarding looks easy, and then
hate contests.
What's some of your
favorite music?
I listen to all kinds of music
except rap and country. I like the
Velvet Underground, Nirvana, the
Cure, David Bowie. Those are
some of my favorites.
Where would you be without
skateboarding?
I like filming and editing, so
maybe working with movies or
something. I'd also like to be a
veterinarian. Probably working
they realize it's not, so they just
give up. Or maybe it's because it's
not cool.
Describe your high school
experience.
High school was OK. My friends
Mike, Galen, Curtis and I all had
lockers in the basement by the
metal shop, so we stayed down
there away from everybody else.
We went to a stuck up school; all the
guys played rugby and all the girls
played field hockey. They were way
too cool, so we kept to ourselves.
do, and all types of skating are
being accepted and respected.
What is the cause of the
"sporty" fashion trend per-
meating skating?
Maybe Chad Muska? I know
that he came to our skatepark,
and the next day about ten kids
who used to wear Dickies and a
t-shirt were wearing track pants
and a jersey.
What are Americans' com-
mon misconceptions about
the Canadian people?
I don't know what yer talking
aboot, eh? Thank you.
If you could have any job in
the world, what would it be?
I already answered that ques-
tion when you asked where I
would be without skateboarding.
If you could change anything
in your life, what would it be?
Nothing. Actually I would like to
be less stressed out.
What do you see yourself
doing in 20 years?
Being married, with two or three
kids. Lots of dogs.
Describe a fight you've been in.
I've only been in one real fight. I
was 11 and this 13-year-old kid
pushed me off my bike and beat
me up. It wasn't very bad.
Are women and booze truly
man's ruin?
Yes, definitely. I've seen so many
people get wrecked.
Talk about The Board Kennel
and your sponsors.
The Board Kennel is great. I'm
half owner, sort of. I don't spend a
lot of time there. It's kind of a lit-
tle Tum Yeto; we've tried to sell
other stuff, but it doesn't sell. No
track suits, no DCs, mostly Sole
Technology, no rollerblades or
anything. We have a good team;
we've all been good friends for
years, so it's good. I also ride for
Foundation, Pig wheels, Emerica
and Venture trucks.
For a funny-looking guy,
Beagle seems to have a way
with the ladies. Respond.
He's a good talker. Girls think of
him as a big teddy bear; he's
always smiling. I don't know.
Will you ever be in the X
Games?
No.
Hawk or Macdonald? Why?
Hawk. He's been around for-
ever, and he's always been
ahead of the game.
Muska or Koston? Why?
Koston. They are both great
skateboarders; it's just my
personal preference.
Describe a truly frightening
experience.
Last night at 2 AM I walked to
the beach by myself-it only
takes 20 minutes to walk
there but on the way back I
took a shortcut up this trail
86 THRASHER
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