An interview with Daryl Dominguez

Photo Kelly Van Vugt

So you’ve grown up skating in London, do you feel the place and people have molded your skating?
Yeah, naturally its going to I think. The London scene is massive and always has been since I started skating. More so now than ever probably. I'm quite fortunate in that sense because there's never a shortage of people to go skating with and new faces to meet. London has definitely made me appreciate good weather when it comes around and in terms of skating I would say it has as well. Nick Jensen and Tom Knox are the most creative utilisers of London architecture and have definitely opened my eyes to what is possible on these grey London streets.

Couldn't agree more. Conversely, you're quite well traveled could you see yourself living anywhere other than London?
Definitely, I'm sort of in a position where I'm trying to figure that one out. I've been based here basically my whole life. I'm actually going away in 2 weeks for about 5-6 months so maybe somewhere along the way will reach out to me. I like constantly being on the move but I haven't really been able to live that kind of lifestyle until recently. I love it, each day is simply just more vibrant. I don't earn a wedge so I don't see myself living in London, the housing scheme in London is the worst its ever been and you have to literally work your nut off just to get by. I've always liked Bristol though, amazing house parties, good, tight knit scene both musically and skating. People in general give you much more time of day and its also miles cheaper.

You recently graduated from university did you struggle to maintain a balance between travelling ( both for personal and skating reasons) and studying?
Haha yeah I honestly think I did! I really enjoyed the course that I studied which was actually surprising cause at the start I really didn't think I would. But I got really into it. What I've come to realise now is that you can appreciate skating a hell of a lot more when you have other priorities, every time I went skating I was loving it because I wasn't sitting in a library. I could surrender to it much easily. I studied drama and loads of times I would bullshit my tutors so I could go on trips, I remember one time there was a 9 day trip to Gran Canaria with Almost and I told my tutors that I discovered my biological father and I had to go and seek him out. It worked too! I was even reading and writing essays in hotel rooms on trips and stuff.

Aha yeah I can definitely relate to that those library sessions are just as good as watching a skate video because you just get hyped and sidetracked and want to just go skate! Was staying on to go to university a personal choice? It’s pretty common for skaters to drop out of education if there’s a chance of pursuing skateboarding as a career.
Ultimately it was my choice, yes. But kind of did it for the wrong reasons really: All my friends did, it would give me 3 years of financial security, I wanted to keep the parents happy etc so I just applied for drama cause that is what I got the highest grades in college. I deferred for a year and that's when I started travelling and skating all the time and things started picking up. I wasn't in a position where I could live off it though so when the time came I decided to go anyway.

Fs Lipslide. Photo CJ

But now you're graduated that must be a great relief. You’ve been a part of Vans for numerous years it must be pretty rad to see a company willing to back you and involve you in projects, especially in a time where sponsor changes are so popular.
Of course and I'm stoked! Even though I'm not physically using the degree per say, I've learnt and grown so much in those years and that's much more important than material things. Vans have given me a lot of love over the years and Powley has backed everything that I've done 100% and I'm super grateful. I feel as though the past year has been really quiet in terms of team/video projects the past year or so - hopefully that picks back up...

 You’ve had quite a few notable parts, full lengths and solo (Excursions, Albion etc), does your filming method change depending on who you’re filming with or what it’s for?
Yeah depending on the type of project it will work differently, but fundamentally I try and keep it the same. A good balance of just simply going out skating and getting specifics. Each filmer works differently as well. I'm working on two things at the moment and their both very different things

Can you shed any light on these new projects aha? Do you develop any OCD’s or rituals when you’re out filming?
Yeah, I've got a part in Will Miles' 'Tallboy' - that's all the homies in London. We've gone on trips to Lisbon, Athens and Paris for it too. Me and Austin Bristow are working on a little something too but I'm gonna keep that one at that for now. No OCD's as far I'm aware, just got to go with the moment. I'm known for having battles and a lot goes through my mind during that. As the years go on I've come to enjoy that situation.

Fs 5050. Photo CJ

Would you say you have a preference between say going on tour, demos, comps or filming for a part?

Honestly I just try and see them as all the same thing. Its easier to enjoy them that way. Tours are my favourite though, I've been on some amazing tours this year. I went to Vietnam via Redbull and that was the best trip I've ever been on cause it was more than just skating, you know?

Yeah I get that, I'm guessing you were able to actually take the city in on and off your board. That kind of leads onto the next question of whether you're satisfied with where you are with skating at the moment, do you have set goals you would like to achieve? Or like you rightly said to just enjoy it as it comes your way.
I just wanna be mindful of the present so I just wanna enjoy it as it comes my way. With skating I just wanna push my own mental and physical boundaries, working on projects are good for that. Then theres a whole other side of just enjoying it, having a laugh with good company...that should always be at the forefront of everything else otherwise you'll turn something you love into something insufferable. The goals for me will always be the same man - sure I'd love to make more money and reach a point where I can really just do this for a living but I'd rather get there naturally than make it the object of my obsession.

Sounds like a good place to leave it cheers Daryl any last words?
Thank you to everyone for the support - Nic Powley and everyone at Vans, Scott Howes at Dwindle, Daz at Rollersnakes and all my friends and family. Everyone whose crossed my path even if briefly! Shout out to Chrissie Gomez and Sunny Evans for truly blessing ones existence.

The Nic Powley Interview

Nic Powley. Photo Mark Heaton

Hey Nic just to get a little background you’re the Vans UK TM and proud owner of Skate Pharmacy how is it juggling the two?

Ummm it’s not too bad, I’d say juggling home and family life with a new business that requires a lot of my time probably causes me more stress. I pretty much work 7 days a week so some days I’ll be doing whatever Vans stuff I have to deal with the rest of the time it’s Skate Pharmacy business. It kind of blends into one most of the time, I just have a long list of jobs and I work through it. 5 days a week in my office and 2 days in the actual shop. I much prefer my shop days because that feels more ‘real’ to me.

So Skate Pharmacy is relatively new, was opening a shop a long term goal of yours?

No absolutely not, I never even wanted to work in skateboarding at all. For me skateboarding was always about having a laugh with my mates, it was a hobby.  A lot changes when it becomes your job and you can never go back, I guess I knew it would be a bit like that so I avoided it for as long as I could but eventually I fell into it at around 30 after skating for 15 years at that point.

Saying that I’ve worked in skating now for about 13 years or so, on the whole it’s been a pretty amazing time, I’ve had a lot of opportunities and I’ve done a lot more with my life than I would have predicted. Most of the people I deal with I’ve know for 15-20 years so it’s kind of easy to get stuff done on a semi formal basis like if I’m doing something with Sidewalk it’s just a call to Ben, CJ or Horse to talk some shit and it’s all sorted. You don’t really have to deal with the dickheads in the real world that much which is pretty nice.

I was 42 when I opened the shop so I’d left it pretty late but it was a natural progression and I felt like I was ready for it, to do something for myself.

Running a shop is definitely one of skateboardings hardest ventures, what do you think the secret to a successful skate shop is?

I wouldn’t be the guy to ask that, we haven’t been round long enough to be classed as successful yet! Maybe come back to me in 5-10 years time if the doors are still open and I’ll be qualified to answer. If you want a guess I’d say it’s just down to being passionate and committed balanced with knowing your stuff and not being afraid to work hard, really hard. I try not to pay attention to what anyone else is doing, just do things how I feel they should be done, hopefully that’s an approach that will come to fruition at some point, or not.

Traditionally shop teams are quite local based however your riders are quite spread, how did you go about picking the roster?

I knew I wanted to set the standard to get on the team quite high, so it actually meant something to ride for the shop. Obviously I’ve been running events and doing the Vans stuff for years so I know people all over the place, I just wanted people that I got on with and were cool guys and mostly that were down for what we’re doing. I’ve known Ross McGouran for close to 15 years I think, we were just talking and I mentioned the shop and he was down to ride for us before we even opened. I think next on was Cates, he said he liked the hoodie I was wearing and I said he could have it if he rode for the shop so he said yeah because there’s no way he’s paying for anything ever, plus he just moved here too so it makes sense. Carl ‘Potter’ Wilson rides for us too and he’s looking for a house down this way too, so in a way we’ve imported our team! I didn’t know Charlie Munro too well at all but I was a fan of his skating so I just messaged him on FB and he was keen. I remember Kris Vile got in touch and asked to ride for the shop, obviously he’s one of the best guys around so I was really stoked on that one, it made sense too as we’d spent a lot of time together through Vans anyway. After that the other guys got asked or expressed an interest, there was no master plan to it, we ended up with a better team than anyone could hope for. 

So yeah getting back to the question the team just came together really but despite the fact everyone’s all over the place they’re all down here a lot filming for our first video, filming in the Surgery, events etc plus I see them out and about all the time so it’s not like they’re disconnected from the shop by not living round here. It’s worked out well, we have a good crew, we all get on well and they are all really supportive of the shop and proud to be a part of it. We support a handful of local guys too on the flow team and nothing would make me happier than to add some homegrown talent to the full team and for them to end up getting properly hooked up and turning pro one day.

James Bush, Back Heel (in the surgery). Photo Ben Wilks

So we’ve recently seen little snippets of ‘The Surgery’ can you tell us a bit more about what it is?

Our landlord sort of came up with the idea in a way, he had a space behind our unit that was hard to access because of the way the rest of the building is divided so he offered us a good price to use it for a ‘skatepark’.  It wasn’t big enough for that anyway and that wasn’t something I really need to be getting into, there’s already a perfectly good local indoor park. But it got me thinking it could be really useful and a fun thing to have, I spoke to Alexis at Vans and he was down to help us out with it, they’ve been really cool about the whole thing. So the idea is just to build bits as we go along, skate them, film, change them, build new stuff. We’re going to use it for film premieres and we used it for Go Skateboarding day so all the locals got to skate. It’s just a space to use for whatever comes along really, we’ve got no fixed plans. We’d like to get some teams/brands in to build their own bits and make their own edits etc too. If anyone’s got an idea for something they want to do in there they’re more than welcome to get in touch, it’s there to be used. I guess you’ll see it as it develops, we have a few clips backed up already.

Being in the skate industry for so long you’ve developed a good relationship with both Sidewalk and Kingpin magazine did it come as a surprise when they announced that they were becoming an online outlet?

Yes and no. I posted what I had to say about that on Facebook really, I felt sad, it seemed as though Sidewalk was a form of ‘quality control’ on UK skateboarding rather than kids watching any old shit on YouTube and thinking it was the business. Do you know what I mean?  Like if  someone had a cover of Sidewalk you know they’re a ripper. I don’t know, I’m just old, I realise times change and things move on but I don’t think the death of print mags will do anything hugely positive for skateboarding. I’m stoked that all the Sidewalk guys kept their jobs and that Will and Sam went straight out and started Free, I wish them the best of luck. So yeah hopefully it’s not all bad but a sad day nonetheless.

In the credits of Vans propeller a few Vans UK names were mentioned, it would have been insane to have seen them with a clip or two in the video. Do you think the gap between the US and British scene will ever shorten?

If your talking about on an ability level I think it’s already really short. When I was young we were learning tricks off imported VHS tapes that were probably already 6 months old, now you can see what Daewon did on Insta the day he learned it, stuff like that’s done a lot to change the whole face of skateboarding and also push the standards really high worldwide. I think British skateboarders are highly regarded, maybe more so than ever before. I mean we’ve really done a pretty good job with exports in the past but it does seem to be that more UK guys are getting recognised by the US now. I don’t think the talent level is significantly higher in the States these days, just the industry is there, guys can earn a living and get better support out there, obviously the weather is better in a lot of places but mainly its just down to numbers, there’s more people skating so obviously there’s going to be more amazing skaters coming out of that particular country. I think head for head we more than hold our own. It’s traditional for British people to knock themselves, it’s part of our culture but really we have the sickest skate scene, plus we know how to take the piss out of each other way better than any other country.

Specifically going back to Propeller, it seemed like there was an effort to keep it ‘tight’, it was the US pro team and a few clips from the legends guys and that was it. If you’d put in clips of UK guys you would have had to put in clips from guys from every country and it would have got so diluted. Yeah it would have been good to see some UK guys in there (other than just Rowley of course) but it made perfect sense for them not to be in from Vans point of view. I was expecting it to maybe have some ‘skits’ and stuff like that, I think it’s rad they just put out a pure skate video, they could have tried to do something way more commercial and it probably would have sucked!

Kris Vile ollieing up and over. Photo Ben Wilks

What are you most excited about in skateboarding right now?

I think skateboarding is in an amazing place in terms of how diverse it is these days, like literally anything goes trick wise and terrain wise. Having skated through the 90’s when you had to dress and skate a certain way or you weren’t cool or whatever it’s been good to see personality and quirkiness come back into it (and I don’t just mean doing a no-comply and wearing some jazzy socks!). I like that skateboarding is more creative again rather than just kickflipping down the biggest stairs you can find, I wasn’t really into that phase of skateboarding, it got boring really quickly. Also I’m stoked on the rise of girls skateboarding, they have a rad scene and the standard is getting ridiculous.

Going back to Insta me and Ben Powell were talking the other day about how rad it is that kids can converse with their favourite pros so easily via Insta or Twitter etc these days, that’s pretty insane, especially the guys that a super active on there. How stoked kids are when some pro likes their pic or comments on their clip will keep them hyped on skating for days or weeks. It’s so sick when you think about it from a kids point of view, makes the world such a smaller place and all these guys so much more accessible and real.

But by far the best thing about skateboarding for me today is the same as when I started - no one gives a fuck. I think that the best thing we have is that skaters on the whole don’t care about race, age, religion, sexual orientation etc, basically if you skate we’re already friends before we even meet, everywhere I’ve been lucky enough to go through skateboarding this has been the case.  That is pretty unique really and something I’m proud to be a part of, it’s an open welcoming worldwide family and I hope that it never gets so big and corporate that that dies. Excuse me while I wipe this sentimental tear from my cheek after such an emotional outburst!

Cheers Nic, seems like a good place to leave, any last words?

No infinite wisdom springs to mind really, just thanks to everyone that’s supported Skate Pharmacy in some shape or form, it means a lot. Thanks to Vans for their help with the Surgery of course.

To everyone reading this thanks for your time and I hope skateboarding is as kind to you as it has been to me.

The Man Behind Descent Skateboards

Chris Pulman. Photo Gorm

Hey Chris so Descent Skateboards has been going for around 2 years now, what has been some of the challenges of starting a board company?
Yep, I guess by the time people read this it’ll be heading towards 2 years. I think I launched in Jan ’14 but it was all starting to happen way before that in my head. It’s been something I’ve wanted to do even while I was still riding for Heroin and that was ten years ago now. Challenges? Well, every day brings a small challenge but that’s half the fun. I find easy things quite boring to be honest.

You’ve had various roles within the skate industry ranging from rider to manager, are there any experiences from those past roles that can be applied to running a company?
Well, I guess I’ve done a bit of everything, yeah. Jack of all trades maybe? Haha! I have learned a ton of stuff but I think the most important thing is not to follow what everyone else is doing too much. Pay attention to it and appreciate it of course but have the strength to do your own thing and be yourself. I mean, if you’re constantly following what everyone else is doing, even if you’re an expert at it, you’re always gonna be behind, right? As far as skills go, the mechanics of the skate industry are not that complicated or mysterious. If you want to make something rad, you just have to figure out how to do the background stuff. Very often passion is far better than skill for getting things done.

You’ve been involved in skateboarding for a while now, have you noticed a change in the role of deck companies?
You know what, outside of the financial aspect of skating, the board companies are still the single most important factor in what makes skateboarding rad. Through artwork, videos, finding new up-and-comers and generally keeping the reigns on outside factors, they have the biggest impact. They make the most honest videos, ads and events because they have the least to lose. There’s way less at stake and they almost always feel more personal than a clothing or footwear company to me. I don’t think their role has changed a great deal except that now they’re a stepping-stone to a paid career in skateboarding; one that can come from later deals with footwear companies or other, less wholesome endorsements.

You’ve got a pretty solid team are there any trips in the works to possibly contribute to a promo or full-length?
I think so. They’re just genuine skaters with their own angle on things. They all remind me of me a little in one way or another (well, except that they’re actually good at skateboarding…). Descent is just here to support these guys so that they can be themselves and make the most of their talents and passions… We’ve been filming a little bit independently from each other and we’re just starting to travel around a little and get on some trips together. Yep, I’d love to get a video out when the company is mature enough for one. I’m down for solo parts or whatever the team want to do to represent their skating. I’m not cracking the whip just yet…

Fs Smith. Photo Gorm

The current skate climate seems to favour those (companies & skaters) who are willing to put out footage on instagram on a daily basis. Is this something you find you need to adhere to?
That makes sense, Media needs to be easily digestible in the current climate. I believe the term is ‘snackable’ in media circles. I’ve often wondered which would have the greatest effect: one video part that took two years to film or two years worth of instagram clips released weekly. I don’t think anybody really knows what works right now from a marketing point of view but somebody will hit a winning formula at some point. Personally, I’m a fan of Daewon or Puig’s instagram feeds they’re worth checking every day. I really believe that genuinely good footage and content will win in the end; format is secondary if the content is rad.

Accepting that you can’t possibly appeal to everyone and just looking after your fans and the people that look up to you and appreciate what you have to show or say is way more important than trying to appeal to the mainstream; unless of course, you want to make a lot of money. But there are way easier ways to make a lot of money if that’s all you’re interested in.

The leather wristbands and wallets are quite a unique product for a board company to make but to me embody Descents ethos, was it something you always wanted to do?
It’s a point of difference I guess, a genuine one born out of something I like to do in my spare time that might appeal to skateboarders that like something genuine and not mass produced. Something made with skill and care. People seem to like the bits that I make and want to show their support by wearing a wristband or have a nice phone case or wallet or whatever. They’re not just another product in the catalogue though, there to fill a product category. They’re in there for a good reason. I was worried that people would think I was trying to take the company down the whole ‘artisan’ route but it’s not really about that. I hope I inspire people to look at the quality of the things that they spend their hard-earned cash on. Better still; to maybe make something of their own… It’s not that hard if you’re prepared to find out how.

leathery goodness. Photo Gorm

Running a company and being a family man is pretty time consuming are you still able to find time roll around? 
Yeah man. Skateboarding has been my biggest passion for a good chunk of my life. I skate 4-5 days a week if the weather is on my side. A good chunk of it is at skateparks though. That’s the only concession I’ve had to make due to having limited time to skate. You can get a hell of a lot more done in two hours at a park than you can in two hours of street skating. I miss the texture of the street and the pavement and the tarmac and the cracks though, so when I do street skate once a week or so, it feels amazing. I guess skaters deal with parenthood in different ways. I’d be the first to admit that I’m a little selfish with my time and maybe I skate a bit too much. Generally though, it makes me a better person to be around. You have to be able to express yourself to stay sane and interesting. My kid is rad. He comes skating sometimes and he’s getting a kick out of learning stuff. Of course, secretly, I’d love him to skate; but I’m not going to push him. It’s the best thing any kid could do, to travel the world, meet interesting varied people and not be part of the general populace. Being a skateboarder gives you an edge and helps you to be an individual. I’d like my kid to be interesting, appreciative of his surroundings and have a healthy distrust of society and consumerism.

Descent seems to be in a pretty good place right now, is there anything in the works that we can expect?
It feels like that to me too. It grew way quicker than I planned and was noticed by more people than I imagined. That kind of took me by surprise. We just came under the wing of Keen Distribution so now it’s surrounded by other rad brands that home a lot of my favourite skaters.

I’m just trying to make something that would appeal to me when I was younger; something for nerds basically… haha! It’s been really encouraging to find out that there are way more interesting, questioning and individual skaters out there than I first feared. As skateboarding gets more and more mainstream, pushed in that direction purely by financial goals, I think it’s good to have ‘safe ports in a storm’ for skaters to go where they’re treated as skateboarders first and consumers second rather than the other way around. I’m glad Descent can be one of them.

Cheers Chris, any final words?
Well, if you got this far, thanks for actually reading and not just looking for the pictures and insta clips. Thanks to each and every one of you that has supported Descent so far. Thanks to the Descendants, our own mailing list of like-minded skaters. Thanks to the people inspired and brave enough to ask questions and speak up.

I can never thank skateboarding enough. To quote a great skater “skateboarding is about you, your board and what you do with it’. Remember that first and foremost.

Cheers,

Chris

Catching up with James Bush

It seems every city/town has a spot which its locals find hard to leave, would you say Bussy is yours?

Haha yeh man more than anything, I can only really leave if I go filming with Callun because I get a horrendous amount of abuse until we do! Haha it's all good though!

You made it out of MK to film a part it Get Lesta’s G3T, was this your first time having a part in a full length?

Yeh man! Other than that I've only filmed for a few minutes worth or two welcome jobbies, so was stoked to get one under my belt!

Did you know you were going to have first part, did Callun use it to get you to jump down bigger stuff aha?

Nah man I didn't! Had no idea, it's pretty rad he keeps it all real secretive! Haha nah I'm too much of a pussy to get that gnarly! I leave all that stuff to Charlie haha.

One of the worse things about filming a part is accepting that certain tricks just aren’t going to happen. Most notable are the hardflip in Sheffield and the Switch 360 flip. Do you have much incentive to go back and get those tricks?

Yeh agreed on that one! Maybe the hardflip but the hospital trip and 3 months off the board slightly put me off going back for the switch tre haha!

Yeah that's pretty understandable seeing as you've ended up in A&E a fair bit however, it does seem like you deal with injuries quite well what’s your secret?

Haha yeh more than my share let's put it that way! Erm well my secret tends to be not-so-secret, spending a fair bit on physio equipment. I've had free physio on the NHS and spent a few hundred on physio stuff so I can self treat whilst I'm injured basically! And I'm sure my diet of beer, steak and Mcdonald's has something to do with it haha. 

Fs smith grind. Photo Jamie Harold

You recently got back from Barcelona, what it like being out there with basically every skater from the Midlands?

Haha insane! So crazy! We kinda started to split a bit after a few boys almost got arrested at Macba, but we still met up for nights out and they were crazy! Going drinking with Timmy is the best thing that could ever happen haha.

Yeah I bet, it's a pretty common question but do you think you'd ever move out there or anywhere else for that matter?

I love Barca, love it so much but I've got a bit of agoraphobia and some issues with being in control of my life which would make it so gnarly for me to move there. If I was to move anywhere it would probably be somewhere up in the  North of England to be honest. I love England especially the North.

Did you head up North much for the filming of the Fabric promo? It must be pretty exciting getting to watch and be apart of a new(ish) company.

Yeh man went up to Newcastle a few times! Was great man, so good on a night out too! Yeh really stoked to be a part of it, they've got time for everyone involved.

With the backing of Fabric Skateboards, DC and Skate Pharmacy, do you think you'll try and pursue a 'skateboarding career' or is it something you'd like to just see how it plays out?

Haha, alright this a complicated one, I love skateboarding more than anything in the world, but that side of skateboarding is so pressure filled and shit, I don't think I'm down. Where I am right now is sick, all the fun bits without too much stress and as much as I'd love to skate and do nothing else I feel I'd lose the love for it! Might be wrong though!

Sounds like a good place to leave it. Cheers Bushy! Any last words?

Just a big thanks to everyone that hooks me up, all my mates and anyone who's helped me out over the years!

Peace!

Korahn Gayle Interview

Photo Nathan Rutherford

So you ride for newly formed Skateboard Cafe, how did this come about?
I was riding for Crayon before 'Cafe which was all good but I wasn't mega hyped on it. There was no real reason, I just wasn't like "yes this is amazing!" I think you need to be stoked on something to be able to rep it well. I was going skating with the Cafe crew a lot and seeing their board graphics and I just loved it. I wanted to ride a Cafe board so much! I ran out of Crayon boards so I skated a Cafe board and that was it, I was hooked! It eventually got to the point where I was so into Skateboard Cafe that I just had to make the move. I didn't want to because Dykie is the man and the Crayon team were/are really cool so I felt bad but it had to be done. Now I'm stoked!

Do you have a say in the direction of the company or do you like to leave that to Rich (Smith)?
Rich and Andrew Makepeace have the most say in the direction because they design the graphics, place orders and choose everything they put out but I think the team definitely has a big influence on the brand as a whole. With the video its been like a team effort in a way! Rich will edit and show us parts and ask what we think, we'll say "take this out' or "use a different tune", he'll listen and change it if he agrees. Mike has a huge influence on the direction of the video because he has a really good vision on how a video can look and what songs go with somebodies skating, that kind of thing. He chose the song for my part ha! His Ex GF showed it to him so my part will always have meaning to him now haha!

Skateboardcafe have just released their first full length ‘Alfresco,’ how was it filming for the video?
Its been really fun but also a lot of hard work especially these last few months. We've all lost our minds a bit! It's only because we want it to be a video we can be super happy with so we're getting mega picky and putting ourselves through a lot of torture ha! Its pretty much all of our biggest video parts to date. So all the blood, sweat and shinners are worth it!

Ollie. Photo Nathan Rutherford

You've filmed numerous and notable video parts over the years, have you noticed a change in how you go about filming over the years?
I used to skate a lot more stairs, stairs, stairs but now my skating has changed and I skate different things and its not about stair counting anymore haha! I think you'll see that in the video although the last few months have felt like all I do is jump! I'm not a skater at the mo I'm a really shit stunt man ha! Recently I've heard a lot of "you need an ender, man" "that's cool but maybe try it down something bigger instead," "is that worth it?"... Lines have been few and far between, put it that way! Sometimes I'm cool with it and understand that I need to try go HAM for this part but other times it pisses me off and I'll be a rebel, like "fuck it, if it ain't good enough I don't give a shit" or "I don't care about a stupid ender I just wanna skate Lloyds" haha! Its pushed my sanity to its limits on a couple of occasions! I tried a trick over 1000 times in 2 sessions and its not being used in my part coz I did it stinking haha! But in the end I am glad that we've been so picky because its pushed me to do the best I can. Now I can be a skateboarder again! haha!

You currently reside in Bristol, it’s pretty well documented how strong the scene is. What do you think this comes down to?
I think Fifty Fifty, Danny, Flynn, Ainley, all those heads made it a great scene in the first place, videos like 'Format' and 'Jus Foolin' were amazing and showcased Bristol talent in an amazing way. Also just the fact that Bristol is an awesome city in general so people move here and join the fun!

The Lloyds 3 block is a popular Bristol hotspot, is there a trick you haven’t done down it aha?
Haha! Plenty more tricks to try! I love that place!!!

Do you think you’ll always be based in Bristol? Could you see yourself moving to the obvious skating hotspots (Barcelona/London)?
My Family and Girlfriend (Wife, by the time this comes out! mental!) live in Bristol and it is one of my favourite places in the world but I think if wifey wanted to move to London I'd be down! Not Barca, though. I can't put my finger on why, but I can only do a week at a time before I am kind of over it there!

Through Nike and Redbull you’ve had the opportunity to travel globally, what have been some of the more memorable trips?
I have been on so many amazing trips because of Red Bull in the last couple of years! Panama, New York, Israel, China, Korea and the Maldives. The list goes on! I can't believe how lucky I am! Also Nike help with travel a lot! I am a lucky Mofo!!!

Now that ‘Alfresco’ is finished up do you have any new projects/parts you’re working on?
First, I'm gonna get married and chill in Mexico for 2 weeks, I'm sure I'll be desperate to get away from the Wife and go skate again by then ha! I'll start filming my little Thunder part for Shiner Distribution when I'm back and then hopefully loads more trips and projects will come up!

Cheers Korahn any last words?
Word!!! And shout out to Rich for filming and editing the video, you're a Tank! a Fish Tank!

Peace!

An Interview with Altar Skate Shop's Chris Chambers

So let’s start from the beginning how and when did Altar start?

Altar started as I was fed up of traveling to get boards etc so thought why not get some stuff and sell at the park and I thought if I do that at least I'll always have a spare deck haha. So yer started selling out the back of a car and then got a really bad website and from there here it is!

So you've been operating from your house but recently moved into a shop, how did this change come about?
The shop was always something I wanted to do but I was waiting for my girlfriend and in the orchards the local shopping mall and was leaning against a small unit that was to let. I looked at it and was like wow that's the size of my room I could fill this shop up with all my stock. Then a week later I kept thinking about it and decided to go see what it cost and if I could give it a go. Also the council helped me and the mayor is backing it to!

Unfortunately where I’m from there was never a local shop, how important do you think a local shop is to a skate scene?
I grew up in the sticks but was always in Brighton in a shop called RE-Al, always loved going into a shop to pick up the stuff and see if I liked the shapes and get stoked on new stuff plus lurk and watch the videos. So I think it's really important for kids to have a place to see whats new, try things on, meet up and watch videos. I've only been open like 4 days but the kids are hyped to see it happen and always asking a million questions. It's weird to think that I'm the guy behind the counter and not the kid hyping out on the stuff. Even though getting a delivery is like Christmas still. So yer it's super important as it's a place to hang out get what you need, set stuff up, bug the owner then go shred.

Shop Necessities!!

I've always admired your zero tolerance of scooters haha, is there a reason for the disgust?
Ahh man I fucking hate them! They are so lame they are not meant for skate parks, always hated them! Never had one as a kid and never gave a shit about them! My hatred is simple. They get in the way and the kids who ride em are always rude little pricks (under 12 years old and its not bad over 16 kill yourself). Also a few years ago I was skating a rail and kid put his scooter on the rail as I started grinding it and I tried to save him from me crushing him and messed up my ankle real bad, at the beginning of summer too. NOT STOKED.

There have been quite a few new companies popping up in both the UK and oversees, would you say you’re quite perceptive to what will and won’t sell?
Man that's something I don't think about really. I just try support brands and companies that have my back specially English dudes like Heroin, Death and Milk! As for knowing what will sell or won't I just keep my eye on the net for who's got parts out and what's advertising and make sure I listen to mates and kids for what they are after. Put a triangle on it and it will sell.

Max Roton, Boneless, Photo: Rich West

How important do you think it is to have a strong social media presence? It seems these days it hard for companies/shops etc to stay afloat without one.
Ahh man I hate social media on a personal level but fucking love it for Altar! I love showing people what my riders are up to, what I sell and even clips of me trying to skate so people know I'm not bullshitting them being skater owned! I think it's the future for companies and skaters as kids are always on their phones and it's instant and that's what they want. The bad thing is that skate videos may be less hyped and even not made as much, but adapt or die.

Do you have any aims for the shop? Building a TF round the back or a team video aha?
I would love to do a video in the future for sure! No TF anytime soon insurance is bad enough just on the shop haha. I just want to keep slowly growing and make sure people support the right brands and support skater owned as I write this it's Altars 5th birthday! I just wanna keep it going until I can't skate then the next guy can take my place and keep the next scene going! Skateboarding is the best and someone has to get kids hyped and welcome them to the scenes and parks! Fuck being clicky we are all skaters!

Cheers Chris any last words?
This is for anyone who skates.
Stay true
Enjoy it
Welcome all
Skate skate skate
and
Convert scooter kids! They are just skaters in denial haha.
Pop in to Altar anytime! Or support your local!

Thanks Tim


Visit Altar at   www.altarskateshop.co.uk

New Lakai Video and More! Sebo Walker Interview

photo : Hendrik Herzman

Hey Sebo, what have you been up to lately?
I have honestly just been traveling non-stop. It's been a little crazy lately. Jumping from trip to trip, with sometimes less than 12 hours to settle down and repack, but I love it. I am really busy filming, getting photos, and working on all sorts of projects in skateboarding, and also with my art, and photography.

Busy is good.

You recently dropped a part for GraciasLA was it pre-planned or had you just been skating and travelling, storing footage on the way?
That part was just a bunch of footage I had filmed with Ben Fordham, and some other friends. I'm happy it ended up being a full part, but I was working on so many other things at the time, that my part consists of mostly throwaway footage in my opinion. But I'm happy about how it turned out, and I hope that people enjoy it.

Barcelona is a skateboarders paradise, what personally attracts you to travel there?
I love Barcelona because I absolutely can't get enough of the Spanish culture. To explain it in one sentence, I love the way that they live. It is also such a paradise, like you said, for skateboarders. Great skateboarding community, spots, lifestyle, etc. I hope to get back there asap.

Skateboarding has definitely increased in popularity in recent times, as a sponsored skater do you feel obliged to always act accordingly?
No matter how popular it gets, I am just going to continue to act as I always have, having fun, staying productive, and promoting skateboarding as a positive outlet and good exercise to kids.

If Lakai were to make another full length video do you feel that there would be huge expectations following the continued success of Fully Flared?
We are making a new Lakai video, which is very exciting. I imagine that there will be solid expectations for the new video, and I believe that we will work so hard to live up to all of them.

Keep your eyes posted.. Lakai video in the works.

What’s your view on all the current sponsorship changes in skating at the moment it seems loyalty is kind of taking a back seat?
I understand that now there is a lot more money in skateboarding, so big corporate companies throw large amounts of money at guys to bring them on board. I think it's unfortunate for sure, because now it just seems to be taking a completely different route than what it was originated on. Instead of all of us being a part of a small company built by skateboarders, consisting of close friends that all do it for the love, it's training for SL or big contests, being a full on advertisement for your corporate sponsor, promoting energy drinks (which we all know aren't good for you) etc. I don't mean to bash any of those things by saying that, but it just seems a little too much like all the other sports now. The reason I started skating was because nobody would tell me what to do, it was my creative freedom. To me, staying loyal to your sponsors is huge, so I do my best to stick with the companies I have been riding for, no matter what.

You do a lot of griptape art, is the artwork inspired from anything or anyone?
I was inspired by artists like M.C. Escher, Picasso & and some other big artists I learned about in school. I took a lot of classes in high school, and kept it up when I got out. I discovered paint pens and just started getting creative on my grip. A couple years ago, I started @seboart on Instagram, and linked an email in my bio so kids can email me for specific grip. It's been really fun, and kept me so busy. It also has expanded my skills, painting all sorts of different stuff. Kids seem to be happy when they get their grip as well, so it's gratifying and fun.

It’s pretty natural to think about whether you might turn pro one day, is it something you’re working towards or..?
It's absolutely something I'm working towards, and have been since I got on. I am doing my best to be as productive as I can, filming for video parts and getting coverage in magazines. Being on Krooked is already a dream come true, and the thought of turning pro would be the accomplishment of a lifetime.

Any last mentions?
Thanks to all my family, friends, and sponsors.

Travelling, Video Parts And The Future Of Charles Deschamps

Ollie. Photo Dan Mathieu

Canadian skaters always appear to be extremely humble and Charles Deschamps is no exception. In a time where skateboarding may not be considered unique, Charles’ tricks and attitude are both welcomed and refreshing. It’s always good to talk to someone that is just stoked on any opportunities given to them through skateboarding and it’s because of this Charles Deschamps’ is definitely one to watch!

What’s a regular day for you at home in Montreal, Quebec?
These days have been really slow, its still pretty cold outside. The streets are all fucked up from the weather and there is salt everywhere in the streets. So there isn't much to do other than go to the indoor parks and chill with the homies. We are all waiting for the snow to melt and for the spring to come. Hopefully, it should be good in a month.

As good as Le Taz skatepark is do you usually try and escape Montreal during the winter?Yes, Taz is pretty sick, we just rebuilt a big section last summer. Definitely a good place to skate during winter. The only thing is that it is full of scooters and bmx's and they have helmet police who make sure you are safe. There is also the new Spin Skatepark that just opened on the South shore of Montreal, which gives us a couple options during the brutal 6 month winter. Skating indoor parks is fun but its not the best, I usually try to get the fuck out of here for a good amount of time. Or at least try to skip the worst part of winter.

Could you ever see yourself leaving the city? Barcelona and LA are always top of the list for skaters.
I'm pretty satisfied with Montreal, but I would like to see more. I just got back from SF and I really loved it. Even though its pretty expensive, I think it's a really good place to skate. Good weather, unique spots, good people, and the vibe of the whole city is just amazing. LA is a fun place, the city has a lot to offer, really good spots and a lot to explore. But I'm not the biggest fan of all the driving and stuff. The spots are usually far and most of them are only skatable on week days, which make its hard, but I really enjoy it, every once in a while. Barcelona, Spain and Europe ((in general) are really good places to travel to. Amazing spots and it is really refreshing to get out there, but I don't think  I would like to live there. I would like to visit NY, Philly and more of America's East coast but I haven't been there enough to tell you if I would like to live there. I'm still looking around for a good place to live, but in the end I'm always stoked to come back home. If I get a good opportunity to move out to one of those cities with some homies, I think I would.

Backside Noseblunt. Photo Alex Hart

It seems fitting that you’re from a Montreal and also ride for Cliche, how did that sponsor come about?
Yeah it is definitely a good fit, I'm stoked on Cliche, they make really good boards. I was riding for Skate Mental through a distribution in Canada and they ended up losing the brand. I wanted something stable and reliable and one of my friends were working for Dwindle in QC and hit me up. I wasn't really interested in any of the Dwindle brands other than Cliché. I thought it would be a perfect fit you know? I told him that I wanted to try it out with Cliché, so he put me in contact with the right people and it all worked out. I'm still really stoked to be part of Cliché. We'll see how it goes.

Back in January you featured in an advert for the DC Trase with Cyril Jackson that must have been fun to film?
Haha, Yes it was pretty fun to shoot, it was a lot of work and preparation. I think it took them a full week to get all the shots that they needed to do the video. We were only there for 2 days, it was a long process to get a good shot, like 20-30 min per try and maybe 2-3 hours between different colors. They poured paint and a bunch of stuff on our grip and wanted us to do some flip tricks. We pretty much had to do it first try or they would have to clean everything and start over. It was a fun to work with those guys and to see the whole process and behind the scenes. Definitely a good experience.

The ad had some awesome visuals, do you feel that skateboard video’s should put just as much emphasis on its aesthetic nature just as much as the tricks?
I think the goal was to get a good visual montage more than to show the tricks of the skaters. It was definitely shot to make the shoes look good but as a skater I would prefer to see some raw street skating for a commercial. But they have different clienteles to aim for and I think for this shoe it was appropriate to do those crazy visual effect.

Wallie Crook. Photo Alex Hart

We’re treated to new video parts on a weekly basis, do you think that full length videos are becoming a thing of the past?
I honestly don't know anymore. Skateboarding is evolving so fast these days, like 3 minute montages can be as good as a 30 minute video. It all depends on the company, the skaters and how everything is put together. And what do people want to see? I don't lurk online as much anymore so sometimes I'm stoked to see a really good montage and sometimes I like to sit down and watch a long video. There is so much skateboard content online these days and a lot of it is really gnarly and a lot of it is garbage, you just have to filter it. Since a lot of it is online and free I think maybe eventually it will become something of the past, but you never know; bleach hair and rails are back. If dvd's are going be a thing of the past I wouldn't be surprised to see it come back to life eventually. One thing is for sure VX1 will never be a thing of the past.

Are you currently working on any new parts?
Yeah, I'm working on a bunch of stuff at the same time, working on a full VX part for a video called 'Duluth' and I'm trying to get a couple clips in the next Dime video. I'm also working on an HD part, but I don't have any plans for it right now, just trying to skate and see what happens.

What are your plans for the future?

I study Architecture and I'm currently working on a couple of skatepark designs so I would be really happy to stay in this field. I've always been a fan of skateboarding and I would love to keep my work related to skateboarding. I would like to get involved in some future skatepark projects, maybe one day Montreal is going to build one of those mega skateparks and I'll get involved. I'll keep travelling and skating all around the world, and hopefully, I'll get some opportunities to grow in the skateboard and skatepark industry. Things are going well right now so I just have to keep the ball rolling and everything is going to be just fine.

Thanks Charles!

Catching Up With Jelena Vasiljevic

I always suggest to people to study or live abroad as the experience is unparalleled. Meeting Jelena was definitely a highlight of my time in Milan and not because she could speak Italian and therefore be my translator. It was her all round positivity that led to so many good times. So in true European style grab yourself a drink, kick back as I attempt to delve into the mind of Jelena Vasiljevic.

Let’s start with where you are from, Novi Pazar right? 
Yeah I love it, it is where I grew up. It's full of culture and therefore I learnt a lot from being in Novi Pazar.

I got to know you whilst we were living in Milan, what made you want to study there?
It’s complicated haha. I met my boyfriend (from Milan) three years before going to Milan in Montenegro, so he was one of the reasons I applied to study abroad. I only applied to Milan and they accepted me haha.

So you didn't have a backup plan haha?
I applied for Milano, Bologna and Roma.

But it had to be Milan?
Yeah haha.

There were quite a few culture shocks for myself, was it easy for you to adapt to the Milanese way of life? 
I found it quite expensive, especially if you compare it to Serbia. But for Milanese people it is standard.

Do you miss living in Milan, would you go back? 
Yeah haha I miss the people, Italians and Serbs have something in common, the same temperaments and characteristics. Milan has wonderful food so I would live there. Not for the rest of my life but I would like to spend some time there.





There were some memorable experiences in Milan, any that stick out in your mind? E.g. the unlimited wine party.
Haha yeah the unlimited wine was one of the craziest moments thanks to Tamara.

Do you even remember what happened?
I remember everything haha. I remember your face when I came to you in hospital and you were crying. I thought one of you was dying haha.

Haha I don’t know if I was crying but we’ll blame it on the alcohol.
Haha yeah if you want to hear the whole story, Tamara should tell it.

Any other good experiences?
There was an interesting one where we had a massive fight with pillows. I don’t think you were there though. It was in Castello (Sforza Castle). It went on for about three hours, you couldn't see anything there were so many people just fighting with pillows haha. It was good haha.

Obviously you speak Serbian (native tongue), but you also speak English and Italian, did you learn these languages at school or was it more self taught?
I Began to learn English at elementary and then high school but it was taught horridly. But my parents enrolled me in folklore (traditional Serbian Dance) which meant I was travelling a lot and for that I needed English. So I started to take private classes so I could become more involved. With Italian, that started when I met my boyfriend but now I’m speaking better Italian than I am English haha.

Speaking of Education what are you currently studying at University?
I am studying Pharmacy and am currently in my fourth year. When I finish my fifth year I will have a Masters as well as a Bachelors degree.

Do you enjoy the course?
Yeah, after finishing medical high school I knew I wanted to go into medicine but I realised there were more jobs in Pharmacy and you don’t have to come into close contact with patients. I saw so many things whilst I was doing practicals in hospitals and I was just tired of it.

Do you have any plans for life after University? 
The first thing I want to do is go abroad. I want to go to America and Japan but we will see. Also I’d like to be employed by an established pharmaceutical company. My course is suited to me being a manager of a product but again we will see haha.





It seems like you are travelling all the time....
Haha that is not true.

What’s the best place you've been to? 
For me the best place is Italy. The best place for me is where the best food is. Hong Kong was a good experience because I've never seen such huge cities, full of skyscrapers. But I don’t like it you can't see any trees.

Yeah it is a bit like that in some parts of London.
Yeah I don’t like it.

Are there any places you’d like to go? 
America

Cough* London?
America and London haha. I want to visit England but it is very expensive.

Last Year parts of Serbia and Bosnia were quite badly flooded, it seemed a massive shock to country emotionally and physically.
I was very sad because I wasn't in my country, I was in Milan. But when I saw ESN Milano were donating and helping I was so happy. It was a good way for me to contribute.

How is it now? 
One city was flooded really badly but the whole of Serbia has given money to fix the houses of the families that live there. It’s been really good thanks to the donations from all over Europe. Some families have moved back so it’s getting better.

I think that’s a good place to leave it but I think we all want to know, do you always drink excessively?
Haha to be honest I don’t like to drink that much alcohol. If you remember I get drunk very quickly, it became a bit of a habit in Italy to drink everyday. But coming back home has meant I've lost that habit.

Anyone you would like to thank?
I want to thank Tim haha nah I want to thank everyone that I met in Milan, making it a great time.Especially Tim.
Haha...