92 THRASHER
DAYNE BRUMMET
Interview and Photos By Michael Burnett
T
here's no way that this interview could completely capture what
Digne Brummet is all about. I've known Dayne since he first started
Iskating, and I've skated many session with him. He is, by far, the
Most dedicated skateboarder I've ever come across. And there's no doubt in
My Mind that he's one of the most skilled as well. This combination in one
person means only good things for his future. He will never shy away in fear. He will never let himself
falter because it simply wouldn't make any sense to him. He refuses, and that's the end of it. I can
truly say that I have nothing but respect for what Dayne has accomplished in his short life, and Iguar-
antee that everyone who skates with Dayne is better than they thought they could be. Still, Like I said,
this interview can only give you a glimpse of the real person. Every day I come home to hear of a
new adventure. He is the guy who makes things happen, so watch out for him. There's only one Dayne
Brummet out there, and he's not going anywhere for long time. -Matt Snow
You might notice the odd heights of the steps, the length of the rail,
and the way it's five feet tall at the end-looks like the work of the
devil, kids. El feeblero diablo en Tijuana. iDios mio!
Did you have a lot of chores to do when you
were a kid?
No.
Were you parents strict with you?
I just skateboarded. I made my mom call me in
sick at least once or twice a week in junior high so
I could go skateboarding.
Have you ever heard the term "Protestant
work ethic"? Do you know what that is?
No.
See, kids from the Midwest are a lot differ-
ent from kids in California. A lot of them
grew up with chores and had a good work
ethic, and they get things done. That's why
I'm asking, because you seem to be able to
get some things done on your own.
All my friends had chores, but I just wouldn't
stand for it.
Then how come we got so much stuff for
this interview?
Because I wanted to get it done.
Why do you go so crazy and make your-
self do all this nutty stuff? When you
were up on the roof and you had to drop
in to grind that rail, you just went up
there and went, "One, two, three," and
just did it. No dickin' around.
It's just a mentality. You have to make yourself
do it; you can't be held back by your fears. I fig-
ure out if I can do something, and if I can, I make
myself do it.
How do you make yourself do it?
I won't sleep if I don't. I'll feel like I was a wuss
and I can't accept that.
Do
you have any tricks that you have to talk
yourself into doing?
Sometimes I think I can do more than I can, and
that's my only downfall.
When does that happen?
Especially with rails. Because with rails,
whenever you land the shit, it's so easy, and
then I'll look at it and think I can do some-
thing else. I'll be like, "Well, I lipslid it, so I
can do a kickflip lipslide." I treat it like it's a
flatbar or
or something, but then I try to do it
and I get hurt.
That's what you were saying, that if you
can do it on a flatbar, you can do it on a rail.
Is that true?
It's all completely the same thing.
Did you hear that, kids? Go get your flatbar.
What about round compared to square?
Round's easier in every way, once you've
skated it. Everybody thinks square is easier, but
it's all about round.
Why?
Because you can dance with it a little bit more.
You can be on the side of it and still be locked in
the same way as if you were standing straight up.
You can't do that with a square bar. On a round
r you have a better center of balance.
When you get onto a big rail like that,
what's the lock-in process?
bar
It's all heels. You can lock to your toes and
sometimes you live, but you want to get your
heels, always. That's the secret to round bars and
handrails. But I'm not just handrail guy. I don't
want to get that stereotype.
When you were growing up, your mom
would call you in sick to school so you
could skate?
As long as I was doing well in school,
they'd call me in sick like once or twice a
week. She would never tell my dad; we'd
have to sneak it. And when I wasn't doing
well
in school,, my dad would be like, "All
right, you can't skate until you get your
school up again." And my mom would sneak
around and drive me somewhere to go skate
during the day, top secret.