HEADS CHRIS SWANSON
A
RE YOU MEXICAN
or what?
Mexican American.
So, like 50-50?
Yeah. My dad's Mexican and my
mom's white.
What's your dad's name?
Carlos.
Is it hard being a hessian in dope-
ass LA?
Hell yeah. I'm trying to get the gangster
look going, but it's not working. You've got to
be a gangbanger.
Is it just you and Eric Dressen heading
up the hessian constituency?
I don't know. There are more than us, I
know that. Don't forget my friends Chicken
"SHIT OR GET OFF THE POT"
of you deal with that?
It's all good. Navarrette's Mexican.
I thought he was Italian.
Nah, he's Mexican.
As an amateur you were getting wild on
the big rails; what's it going to be like
now that you're pro?
I don't know, man. Sometimes it's hard.
You want to relax, but I know that I need.
to get in there and get broke some more. I
need to completely break my heels until I
can't walk.
What direction is skateboarding heading
for you?
Transitions, man. I don't want to push. I
just want to go fast and shit.
Is it true you should never watch
That one is extra-gnarly because it
sends you into traffic.
Yeah. You have to look both ways.
Who's your favorite tech skater?
I'd have to say Arto is pretty sick.
He seems like more of big,
gnarly skater.
Whatever. He's technically big.
Who is your favorite vert skater?
Tom Penny.
What was your initial reaction
upon finding out you were going to
be a daddy?
At first I was bummed. Then I was
tripping out up until she popped out.
Now I'm stoked, but at first I was kind.
of tripped out.
HY
Left to right:
Chris will rock your hips. Frontside
air. Poor man's sombrero. Rail ollie
to eye-bleeding-speed dismount on
flesh-ripping cement.
and Fat Boy. Anyway, we're not hessian,
we're punk. No, we're not punk. Jim Greco
is punk.
Have you ever been a victim of inner-
city violence?
Yeah, when I was 12 years old I was in
Santa Monica and this car of gangsters rolled
up, pulled out a gun, and took my and my lit-
tle buddy's boards.
At gunpoint?
Yeah, at gunpoint. I had a Santa Monica
Airlines Natas. It was pretty sick, 'cause that
was my board. He was my hero growing up-
him and Dressen.
Do you do any type of grooming to get
the dirtstache?
I shave every once in a while. It comes in.
pretty naturally.
It seems like 151 is all punk rock white
dudes; how does the 50% Mexican part
a welder?
Yeah. I'm a welder. Never watch a welder.
You'll get flash burns. It's as bright as the sun.
You have to wear these really dark goggles or
it'll burn out your retinas.
Have you seen any gnarly
welding accidents?
No, but the guy I learned from got his fin-
ger chopped off.
Will you weld after your skate career?
Yeah, I'll weld. I'll be a welding loser.
Do you have any favorite welding tricks?
Yeah, I've been welding pipe-jams lately.
You can just jam right up 'em.
Philly bars?
Yeah, I guess. Philly bars. I don't know the
proper terminology.
What's the biggest rail you've
ever done?
That one I did for my Firing Line. Sixteen stairs.
Do you change diapers?
Yeah. They stink. That's about it. It's no bi
deal. We have a Diaper Genie. You change
the diaper and then you stick it in there and
won't stink. It comes out all linked together
like a hot dog.
Does your baby do any tricks yet?
Yeah, she sits and rolls over. And spits.
You live in a trailer. Why do you think
tornadoes always know where the
trailer parks are?
I don't know, but they sure seem to.
Maybe the aluminum attracts them. There
was a sketchy storm the other night, but i
didn't get us. It hit a trailer park nearby.
We were fine.
Is there any advice you've ever gotten
that you'd like to pass along?
Yeah, shit or get off the pot. My grandpa
told me that. It's pretty good, huh?
-Michael Burnet