Clockwise from above: After a
childhood of chink-chink mini-ramp
lip dancing, Barley's skills reached
saturation point with a frontside
5-0 to frontside crooks. Doubles with
Sid "The Package" Abruzzi. See ya.
What did people in Australia say when
they met you?
They thought I was so much taller. They
were like, "You're Barley? Ah, didn't know you
were such a short little cunt." I'm like, "Short
cunt? Don't call me that!" But that's just the
way they talk. They thought I was some huge
muscle-bound dude. I'm only five-foot-seven
and I weigh like 160.
What
it like living with the legend
was
Eric Dressen?
That's another thing, man. You'd be sitting in
the other room and see him in the kitchen cook-
ing eggs and be like, "Fuck, that's Eric Dressen."
The '87-'88 world champion. Skating with him
is
s unbelievable. He's got style coming out of his
pores the most stylish skater out there.
What do you want to accomplish before
you end your professional reign of terror?
I want to get good at vert to the point where
I could throw a contest run together that could
put me in the finals. I want to do a 540 before
I quit skating. It's a part of skating that's just
incredible, man. I mean, I can do
this and that on street, but upside
down on a vert ramp? The feel-
ing's got to be incredible.
Where do you want to be
when you're done skating?
We have this skatepark,
Skater Island, and we have so
many good little kids out there.
I've pretty much met them all
by now, so I'd like to be around
to help shape the new guys. I
Emeric
want things to be good for
them, so maybe somewhere.
down the road I'd like to do a
little clinic with them. Show
them that slash grinds are fun,
and that you've got to do
frontside rocks and stuff. Just
be all-around.
So skateboarding isn't a spring-
board for your movie career?
Sure, I'll be in some movies.
Why not? I don't know where
I'll end up, but I hope it'll be
worth skating. I've gotten to
travel so much and meet so
many people. I feel like I have
lots of opportunities.
What are you good
besides skating?
at
Sleeping. I like snowboarding a
lot, but it's not like I'm really good
or anything. I used to be sick at
soccer. I played soccer before I
could even walk. I played up until
high school and was even the captain before I-quit. I
just noticed I was losing interest in soccer and I start-
ed having more fun with skating because wasn't
such a team sport. To go skating. I'd call Jason and
Brian and Judd, and if they weren't around I could
just go by myself. I didn't have to have a whole team
and I didn't have to run laps.
Did your parents want you to stick with soccer?
Skating's just kind of new, and they were looking out
for me to have the best opportunity. They would
never say I couldn't skate, but they weren't sure that I
could make a living at it and they didn't want to see
me get my heart broken.
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Yeah, I have a sister. Kristin. She's 27 and she just
had my niece, Cameron, who's just over a year old.
Do you have a girlfriend?
Yes; her name is Karen. We've been hanging out for
over a year now.
Does she mostly just hang out and wait for
you to call?
Yeah, right. No, she surfs, snowboards, and skates,
and
I she writes graffiti sometimes. She likes to do art
and she's probably the best cook in the world.
What
makes a good girlfriend?
Her. I guess being an understanding person and
having her own life. If a girl has her own life it defi-
nitely makes your life easier. She does her stuff and
you do yours, and then when you get together it's
extra good.
Who are your sponsors?
Element, Destructo, TSA, Emerica, Speed Metal,
Landspeed, and that's about it.
No sunglasses?
Not yet.
Watches?
I got a G-Shock.
What else do you want to talk about?
in
I want to talk about the scene we have going
New England in the Rhode
Island/Massachusetts area. We have the park,
Skater Island, in Middletown, Rhode Island,
right next to Newport. The number. is
401.848.8078. Everyone should come check it
out. There are good people to skate with and
the park is sick. Also, everyone should come
out east because the street skating is sick and
it's not too much of a bust.
BARLEY
"I can do this and ThaT ON Street,
but upside down on a vert ramp?
The feeling's got to be incredible"
Who are your favorite skaters?
I pretty much have liked something about every
good skater. But lately it's been Brian Anderson.
He's been skating great. Also, Ronnie Creager and
Koston. They're ridiculous. Salman Agah is high
on the list. I'm psyched on Matt Mumford; he's
rad. Vallely, Dressen, Danny Way, and Colin
McKay. All the good guys.
Is there anything wrong with pro skating?
It seems to be on the up. It's a little bit depressing
that people are getting involved who don't have a
background in it. I don't think people should take
from skating if they haven't put anything in. Luckily,
all the companies I deal with are pretty much run by
skaters, and the people I talk with were pro skaters
at one time, so they know what it's like to be in my
meet
at
shoes. I'm lucky. I get to have a job that I love. If
everyone were doing what they love for a job, the
world would definitely be a better place. I chose skat-
ing and skating rocks, so I'm happy. I also want to tell
the kids I meet on tour that skaters are human.
Sometimes you'll meet us and we're grumps or don't
feel like talking. Everywhere I go kids seem to be
making quick judgements about skaters they
demos, like, "Oh, so-and-so sucks because he didn't
throw out a board, or this guy sucked because he did-
n't talk my ear off." I never want to disappoint kids,
but sometimes little kids can be really harsh critics. I
can't please everybody. I can't give every kid my
board. It's hard some days. It would be cool if kids
could understand that and be a little more courteous
and not have such a ruleless, ruthless attitude.
68 THRASHER
E