There’s a few things to be seen before you die: the birth of a child, Northern lights, the whole Monty Python filmography and Jimmy Wilkins skate. Don’t expect me to die anytime soon, though, I still need to see those Northern lights, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be the same feeling as seeing Jimmy fly over a coping in real life.
„I’M A BIT SHY SO I NEVER KNOW WHAT TO SAY“
How do you like that side of the job, doing interviews?
It’s not my favorite. It’s fun to talk to people but I’m a bit shy so I never know what to say, I guess…
How old are you?
I’m 29.
How long do you live off skateboarding?
Probably about 10 years, now. Since I was 19. I started competing and started making a little bit of money, and I could stop working.
What was your job?
I was working at a YMCA in California, teaching skateboarding.
How long did it take until you decided to quit your job and go for it? Did it feel risky for you?
Definitely risky! But it was a pretty simple job, it didn’t have like a career already to live, and I got invited to a contest and won. I made a little bit of money, got invited to another one, and it just kind of happened by accident! I started getting sponsors and I could quit my job, basically.
Was it your goal?
No, I had kind of given up on being a pro skater when I was 18…
Really? Ha ha ha! What’s the thing that made you decide « OK now I can quit my job »?
I think my first paying sponsor was Rockstar, the energy drink, and I still ride for ‘em. That was my first good check that I could kinda not work {anymore}. I thought it would maybe last a couple years, but here we are!
I’m not gonna ask you how long you think this is gonna last!
Ha ha ha! I always think it’s tomorrow, so…
When’s last time you skated street?
Oh, I was just on a Lakai trip and we hit some spots there. I think I only skated like one spot but it was fun. I like going on these trips and if I can jump in it’s fun, if not it’s fun to just watch the guys rip.
What made you stick to Vert?
I don’t know… I didn’t grow up skating {Vert} at loads, but I always enjoyed watching it. It was something I’d always to try to do and then, one time I was able to go to one {Vert ramp} it was just so much fun. Skating other stuff is fun too but it’s not the same feeling for me…
The Vert scene has never been so small…
The Vert scene is incredibly small, especially where I lived before I moved to California. The was no Vert scene, there was no Vert ramps!
How did you even find one?
You had to drive pretty far, skate by yourself once a week or once a month… In California was a decent scene, but still pretty small.
Where do you come from?
I come from Ohio but I live in California now.
„YOU MIGHT FEEL SCARED OR… YOU MIGHT FEEL GOOD!“
Do you sometimes wish you were from another era?
Yeah… but… I like this era, I think skating is in a good place right now. But I love the nineties for sure! There was a lot of good Vert skating that happened. Same with early 2000’s but it was a bit too big, I don’t think I would have survived in it. I’m too shy…
Where do you skate, nowadays?
I mostly skate Tony {Hawk}’s ramp, it’s pretty close by.
What about skating bowls?
I can skate them, but if I’m gonna go skate on a normal day, I’ll just go to a vert ramp because that’s what I like!
That next question might sound a bit stupid but I always wondered during all that air time, do you have time to think?
Yeah! Sometimes you have too much time to think, sometimes you don’t have enough but ideally, you’re not thinking much. I don’t know if it’s full thoughts, it’s more just like a feeling, you might feel scared or… you might feel good!
You were mentioning last night front blunts were not your thing. You don’t have a good feeling for those?
I don’t know, I just never learned them. I was never really into blunt to fakies, I guess that’s kind of a base trick but I never rally liked that trick so I never learned it!
Are there any other tricks you’re not feeling?
I’m not great at nosegrinds. I can do them but I’m not great at them.
You’re more of an air guy than a lip trick guy.
I try to do both but, you know… Everyone has their strengths…
Have you tried the Mega Ramp?
Yeah, I’ve skated it before but it’s not really my thing.
How do you like Europe?
It’s amazing! Europe is the best, people are nice, the food is good…
Do you notice the cultural differences between the Swiss, the Germans, the French or the English that are here for example?
Maybe a bit, not anything crazy… I think I mostly hang out with skaters, and they’re all the same everywhere, ha ha ha!
Interview and photos done on April 15th in Laax, Switzerland during the Team Trouble contest (full article coming soon)