NORTH SKATEBOARD MAGAZINE
ISSUE 25
©2020 Vans, Inc.
Charlie Munro, Backside Tailslide
MICKAËL GERMOND, OLLIE Charlie Munro, Backside Tailslide
STRONG MADE STRONGER STRONG
STRONG MADE MADE STRONGER STRONGER
AVAILABLE AT SKATESHOPS WORLDWIDE @LEVISSKATEBOARDING
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PICTURE BY HENRY KINGSFORD
WWW.CARHARTT-WIP.COM
Jonas Skrøder
Cover: Neil Kellas - Ollie to FS Wallride Photographer: Graham Tait
Welcome to the 25th issue of North. It still feels relatively new, but in actual fact this is our 8th year of printing! The aim of North remains the same as it was in the beginning; To curate and present work from film photographers past and present, and to showcase the best of the UK, especially the often overlooked Scottish scene. With the continued support of skate shops around the country, and all our advertisers, I feel like we’ve done a good job so far. Shout out to Keen Distribution for shipping the mag over the UK these last 8 years, and to Theories of Atlantis and Sprouters Distribution for spreading the love throughout Europe and across the US. Here’s to the next 25! - Graham Tait
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FILM GALLERY
“This spot used to have a bar connecting the handrail to the wall at the bottom just like the top, until some bandits liberated the bank and allowed Mikey to take the high road into it. Adam Robo and his ladder angle really ties the scene together.�
Mikey Carpenter Ollie Photographer - Tal Roberts Camera - Hasselblad Xpan Film - Kodak Tri-x Location - Milwaukie, Oregon, USA
Justin Poutney Nosegrind Pop Out Photographer - Brendan Frost Camera - Nikon F100 Film - Kodak Ektachrome 100 Location - Newcastle, Australia
Noah Fuzi Invert Photographer - Brendan Frost Camera - Nikon F90x Film - Kodak Tri-x Location - Sydney, Australia
Portrait Camera - Bronica ETRS Film - Fuji Provia 100F Expired
“Fun fact, Noah learnt these there and then so we could get this photo.�
Tom O’driscoll FS Wallride Photographer - Callum Painter Camera - Mamiya RZ67 Film - Kodak Ektar 100 Location - Norwich, UK Portrait Camera - Contax G2 Film - Kodak Gold 200
Jamie Foxton BS Smith Photographer - Alex Caruso Camera - Olympus OM-1 Film - Illford HP5 Location - Austin, Texas, USA
Chris Teta Ollie Photographer - Sam Shuman Camera - Nikon FM2 Film - Fuju Provia 100F (+1 Stop) Location - The Bronx, New York, USA
“Pretty good depiction of our few days in NYC. Never a clear shot (which isn’t a bad thing) but always an interesting time. Bump to ollie we came across while looking at some other spots up in The Bronx.”
Austin Thongvivong BS 50-50 Photographer - Matt Pendry Camera - Canon EOS 1N Film - Kodak T-max 3200 Location - Atlanta, GA, USA “Austin will always be one of my favorites to skate with, it’s hammers and full smiles the whole time!”
Ben Gore Kickflip Photographer - Terry Worona Camera - Leica M6 Film - Portra 800 Location - Oakland, CA, USA
Bob Spanbauer One Foot Tailgrab Photographer - Terry Worona Camera - Hasselblad 2000fcw Film - Ilford Delta 3200 Location - San Francisco, CA, USA
John Kosch Ollie Photographer - Todd Taylor Camera - Canon EOS 1 Film - Ilford Delta 3200 Location - New Orleans, USA
Korahn Gayle SW Wallie FS Crook Photographer - Graham Tait Camera - Canon EOS 3 Film - Ilford HP5 (+ 2 stops) Location - Glasgow, Scotland Portrait - Roady Camera - Nikon L35af2 Location - London
“Anyone who’s been to this spot knows how mental it is to do anything on it. When Korahn started messing around with this I didn’t think it was possible. Sorry I underestimated you.”
Alex Hallford FS Air Photographer - George Booth-Cole Camera - Nikon F-601 Film - Ilford HP5 Location - Kasarna, Fazana, Croatia “This was shot during one of the first nights of the 2019 Vladimir Film festival at the infamous Kasarna bar and Mini ramp. That night Alex alongside Daryl, Delion, and Thackeray to name a few, were smashing it on the mini until the early hours with a full party raging around them. Those who know Kasarna, know the miniramp aint easy to skate but these boys flowed it with ease, Tibor’s homemade rakija probably helped with that...”
Anthony Marcus Kickflip Photographer - Evan Hutchings Camera - Nikon F100 Film - Kodak Portra 400 Location - Detroit, Michigan, USA “Located next to a trap house where the owner said it was cool we were bringing attention away from his spot, as well as another lurker in the street telling us we could order a hit on someone for $300. This is a new hot spot around Detroit. It’s at an abandoned church that caught fire and doesn’t seem like its going to be rebuilt anytime soon. We had an epic session this day, but out of all the tricks done I liked the way the kickflip looked best.”
clanskates.co.uk
MICHAEL BURNETT Interview by Neil Macdonald @scienceversuslife Portrait by Arto Saari
What was it like picking SOTY in a post-Phelps world? Well, Jake has left a psychic hole in the operation, that is
He’s 100% involved day to day; he’s a rad skater and a smart guy.
irreplaceable. I’ve been involved with picking the SOTY for fifteen
He grew up with Thrasher and he knew Jake his entire life, he’s a
years or so, and always 100% inspired by the lessons Jake has
great skater and a great boss, and he’s got the mag’s best interests
taught me, and all the things he’s said that have helped shape
at heart. Since he’s been there, the last ten years of the mag have
my view of skateboarding, and Thrasher, for sure, and I feel like I
been really positive. His mom, Gwen, Fausto’s wife, is in the office
maybe rubbed off on him a lot as well. But it sucks! Picking SOTY is
every day too, she runs Juxtapose, the art magazine.
not fun; it’s never a good time and somebody’s always mad about it. I like celebrating epic skating, but that particular part is not my
Oh wow. So is Juxtapoz...
favourite thing. Yeah, Juxtapoz is out of High Speed too. And then Sally, Tony’s I don’t think anybody could be bummed that Milton got it, but
sister, has been in and out the magazine but she’s in school
this year seemed like for a while it could have gone to anybody.
full-time doing a Master’s. As far as the magazine’s editorial voice
Not just Mark, but somebody like Dan Mancina. 2019 seemed
goes, I think that voice has stayed consistent in the attitude. There
like a really epic year for all different types of skateboarding.
are some departments that have been around since the beginning, and there are some new ones too. So the magazine of my
It feels like that every year, it just gets crazier and better. Like you
childhood is not the same as the magazine when it was just Jake,
mentioned it’s people skating differently, and different sorts of
and that’s not the same as me and Jake, you know? There have
people skating, and I love it. All the new exciting shit that’s
been different iterations and one regime informs another regime,
happening, and the people that are getting into it with a slightly
things rub off on you and you learn lessons from the past and make
different approach, you know? Dan Mancina - Jesus Christ! Just
improvements, and follow your interests and the things that you’re
people showing what it’s possible to do on a skateboard is
excited about. It’s an on-going thing.
incredible. Whether that affects the SOTY race? I mean, sort of, I
Everybody has issues of the magazine that are so precious to
guess, but we’ve got a certain ‘type’.
them, and for me, I have the late ‘80s and early ‘90s magazines memorised! In the summer of 2018 Jake and I went to London
For sure. So, are the Vitellos still involved with Thrasher, day to
and I did this twenty-year photo show at House of Vans, and I got
day? Ultimately, in terms of the content and the editorial voice,
to speak to people who’d seen my photos of Andrew Reynolds or
Thrasher hasn’t changed in almost 40 years.
Geoff Rowley and you could tell that those issues meant as much to them as the issues of my youth did to me. I think there’s a sweet
Yes. Tony Vitello, Fausto’s son, came on board maybe almost ten years ago. He came on board as a publisher so he’s in the office every day and I talk to him every day, and he’s a huge, huge part of everything we do.
spot where things feel that much more important and precious to
What was your first contribution to Thrasher?
So for instance, the common one I get now, is that when there’s some photo that everybody’s looking at on Instagram, the
In the November ‘94 issue I had a Colorado article. I was going to
comments tagging me are all saying, “This should be the cover!”.
university in Colorado and I made a skate ‘zine, so I cold-called
And that’s fuckin’ stupid because it’s already on Instagram!
Jake since this was before email and everything, and I asked if I
People will say things like, “Dude, you should do a Gino Iannucci
could do a Colorado article and he just said, “Yep”. And so I sent it
cover!”, and it’s like, “Well, that sounds like a really cool idea. Is he
in and they ran it! That was my first thing in the magazine. My whole
skating? Did he hit us up? Did he get the trick? How did the trick
thing was that I liked to make ‘projects’, rather than just, “Here’s
look? Was it shot vertical? Will he fit in the logo?” It happens with
one photo, can you run this one photo?” It’s always been more of a
horizontal photos, like, “That should have been the cover!”, but
package deal, and that’s what has consistently interested me more
have you seen the fuckin’ shape of the magazine? There’s a lot of
than just a stellar image. Although stellar images are cool for sure
factors that go into picking the cover. Number one, vertical is the
too! So after that I had a couple other little things run, then I
shape of our magazine. Number two, being in focus! Number three
graduated and Jake said they’d put me on a photo retainer if I
is that it has to work well with our quite-odd shaped logo.
moved to Southern California because they hadn’t had anybody
There’s a litany of reasons behind deciding what makes a good
shooting in Southern California since Ortiz quit.
cover. So that’s the thing. I have no memory of sitting looking at a Grosso image and saying, “You know, that would be a perfect
Do you know when Chris quit?
cover, but fuck that guy”. I haven’t had that image! I’ve been on trips with Grosso and I’ve never looked at the photo and thought,
I don’t know when the exact end of it was... Maybe 1996? I got the
“Oh my god, I can’t believe it, Grosso’s really doin’ it! And look at
job in ‘98. Not that I could replace Ortiz, but there was an opening.
the light!” Could I really do that, especially with a vert handplanter,
Not a straight swap, of course! But that was what allowed me to
could I say, “My goal is to get a Grosso cover, and I’m not gonna
give it a shot.
stop until I get it”? Especially with a dude on a vert ramp doing handplants? One hundred percent I could do that, but that hasn’t
What was your first cover?
been where the action is, that hasn’t been a thing we’ve pursued, you know?
It was Willy Santos doing a front feeble down the Long Beach
I mean I would have loved to have shot a John Cardiel cover. That
Library rail. It was in The End, the Birdhouse video. That was my
would have been amazing, and looking back at the photos that I
first cover and I was over the moon, because I was not involved in
have of him and thinking how it could have been a cover... We can’t
that decision-making process at that time!
grant covers, and then sometimes the voodoo is too much. We flew to France twice, with a knee surgery in between, for Jaws to
So who should have had a cover but never did, because of
get his cover. Another one might be, “Holy shit, this random photo
injury or politics or whatever? People always talk about how
popped up and I love it! Get it in there!”. Everybody’s yelling that
Grosso never had the cover.
we should give a particular person the cover, but a lot of people are in echo chambers of what they think is all around them, whereas I
Well here’s the thing. There’s this weird idea that floats around,
could one hundred percent be in a van filled with professional
amongst people who don’t work at the magazine, that we just
skaters—today’s professional skaters—and they do not know who
‘grant’ covers. “I grant thee a cover!”.
Jeff Grosso is.
And that’s absurd to you and I, but that’s the thing. Who’s bringing it? Who’s trying to work on projects with us? Who’s really going for it? Milton Martinez was really going for it. He had five different photos in that interview that could have been the cover. It’s like,
...Chicago sea wall! That’s a great issue. The video was
“Shit, this guy is really showing some effort! This guy is fucking
amazing too.
bananas!” But who deserves a cover? They all deserve a cover! It’s about
Yeah. That was the first ‘takeover’ issue, too. Like, could we make
what’s going to align, what’s happening, you know? The only guys
an issue that’s all about one thing? They hadn’t really done that
we have to get a cover of is the Skater of the Year. After they’ve
before. So I guess there’s a few of those ‘historical’ issues, like the
already won Skater of the Year, and we go on the trip, we have to
tenth anniversary, the twentieth anniversary, those were
get the cover. And before I worked at the mag, sometimes they
thematic but they were all look-back issues. Old shit. So it was
skipped it! Chris Senn did not get a Skater of the Year cover! Ron
pretty ambitious to do a current issue that way. I like the pictures in
Whaley got his cover, going over a car off a hidden jump ramp.
that one too, there was Drehobl in the eggshell, Crankers at Skatopia... There’s some really cool stuff in there, they did a lot and
I like Ron Whaley but that was a weird looking cover.
that was a really good issue. I like the Milton issue we just did; that one, I think, is really good because I feel like it had the right
Well, that was Chris Senn’s Skater of the Year cover. I like to think
balance of stuff in it that I enjoy. So that one has Jerry Hsu’s
we’ve stepped up, in modern times, in regards to that kind of stuff.
‘People I Have Known’ article which is really funny. Jason Jessee did one of those in the ‘90s, and then Corey Duffel did one recently,
Have you got a favourite issue, historically? Before you worked
but I think we’re going to pick that back up and do it more regularly,
there.
that was really fun. That issue just seemed like the right balance of really insane
When I was a kid I got the Danzig cover [June 1986] and the Jesse
skating, cool photos, art—because we had the Mark Gonzales
Martinez judo air cover [July 1986] at the same time, from a punk
Supreme San Francisco opening in there—and then little fun
rock record store. I’m trying to think... I really like that one where it’s
nuggets to read. We had Jerry’s thing, then Evan Smith had a thing
the contest in Eugene, Oregon—the Willamette, Damn It
about his fuckin’ catheter, skating with a catheter bag which was
article—where Gonz boardslides the fin of the car in the rain. That’s
pretty gross and funny. But I dunno, there’s lots of good ones, but
a good issue, I like that one a lot. I found that issue the other day
I don’t ‘know’ them like that any more. It’s not the same as when
and there’s a lot of gems in it, a lot of images that resonate. That
you’re a kid. There’s too many now! I like a bunch of Zero, Toy
one’s cool but there’s a lot of good ones from back then.
Machine and Baker articles that I’ve done over the years and I feel like those worked out pretty well. There are some Skate Rock
Do you have a favourite issue that you’ve worked on? Can you
articles that I’m pretty stoked on, some Flip things that I feel had
even think like that?
some weight to ‘em... There’s too many and there’s not a ton of time for reflection with a monthly print deadline. It’s just an ongoing
I don’t know.... I was really stoked when we did the first King of the Road because it was so fantastic and we didn’t know what would happen. I think that issue turned out pretty good. That’s the one with Tony Trujillo rolling in on the...
deal, pretty much. Haha!
Is there a photo you wish you’d got? Something you missed because you blew it, or because the film got stuck or whatever. What have you shot that you were particularly pleased with? I’m trying to think... I never really blew a crucial one, there was never the case where Andrew Reynolds did his big trick and I totally
I don’t know. I think when you’re on the program that I’m on, the
botched it. There are moments when things are so wild before your
next good one will be my favourite. I’ve had times to pause and
eyes that you’re kind of stunned and you don’t necessarily capture
reflect and look back on stuff, and there’s stuff that I like, but I don’t
them. You know what? I wish I’d shot some of the early Wallenberg
know. I’m kind of just always wanting to shoot my next favourite
events better. Looking back, those events were really epic and I
photo. I’m still ambitious, and want to do more; I want to get
wish I had better photos of them. I was shooting fisheye with this
better at photography and get better images. There are some
shitty early digital camera, so I have the photo of Mark Gonzales
Cardiel photos I love.
ollieng it with the 215s but it’s pretty bad, so I wish I’d thought harder about how to shoot stuff. I think maybe that’s more of it. I
The photo of Div and Stu at Livi, was that your first trip there?
wish that in the very early days I’d shot way more photos. I caught the very end of an era, I did a trip with Lavar McBride so I have
No. I went there with P-Stone, in I think the summer of ‘99.
some Lavar McBride photos and they’re OK, but it was definitely
P-Stone already knew people so we went there and skated with
past when he was the shit, but I could have done a better job. Stuff
the locals. We did an article and I think I shot Mark Burrows wallride
like that. Just not appreciating the opportunities that were there or
the back wall, the bank-to-wall thing, and P-Stone had a backside
being so absorbed in trying to shoot the skating.
blunt in the big bowl. It was a big Europe trip and we did a bunch
I did a Shorty’s tour with Muska, when he was wearing the full
of shit, but we did a special Livi section. We met Ben Leyden there
outfit, and I have some photos but I wish I’d taken the time to get
too. So that photo was the second trip, that we went on with John
more portraits, and just hang around more. It was very different for
Rattray, where we went to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow too.
me because there’s a lot of downtime with that crew. I don’t think I
I wanted to get an epic photo of those two guys. You’ll know that
appreciated just being able to hang around. Things don’t seem as
the air that Stu’s doing is not that gnarly, but all I was thinking was,
precious in the moment, and then later you look back like, “Holy
“How can I do this so it looks the coolest?”, you know? I really like
shit!”. Things take on different meanings, different weights, over
that photo, and it was almost a cover too. I can’t remember why it
time. Same with Cardiel, I did a bunch of trips with John Cardiel
wasn’t. We tried it out for sure.
and I really like the photos that I have, but now, given the way that history has gone, I wish I had more. But as far as actually botching the photo, I can’t think of any really good ones.
It made the Epic Spots book.
They love to have that kind of attention and interaction all the time.
Yeah. It seemed more photogenic than just a flat wall. I’m sure they
You’d say it was a shame if you had to do it, and if it felt bad to
could have done some doubles like that, but I thought it was cooler
you, but I feel there’s enough ways for people to do it where it feels
to see it from the side. I think the toughest part was getting Div to
OK. So if you’re the guy who wants to get in and argue about every
go closer and closer to the edge. Haha! So I love that photo a lot.
political issue and complain and spread conspiracy theories, and
Peter Hewitt’s very photogenic. There’s the photo of John Cardiel
that’s the energy that you like and enjoy then you can do that. If you
where it’s John in this fullpipe in Mexico City and the fullpipe is the
just want to share a photo then that’s cool too. Or if you want to
support of the freeway. That was super cool. Grant skated it more
direct message everybody, just connect with everybody, that’s cool
recently, when they went back there on a Skate Rock trip. But even
too. I guess maybe it’s the disconnectedness of it, and the
when I was there I realised, it was like, “Let’s see what I can do to
indirectness of it, that means if a dude is a dick in real life then
make sure I capture this well!”. It’s always exciting to shoot with
maybe he’s going to be even more of a dick on social media,
the gnarliest dudes, with the guys who are really pushing it and
hiding behind that stuff. I feel, with all those things as they apply to
really going crazy. That’s always the best. I love getting out with
skateboarding, that you can’t really tell people that what they like is
the legends too, just getting to have time with them. It’s insane to
wrong. “You don’t like, that, it’s stupid!” kind of thing. People can
just be with Grosso, or Lance Mountain or some of these people.
do what they want to do.
Skateboarding isn’t that old, you know?! You can meet the inventor
Social media is the biggest disruptor of the last fifty years! It’s
of the ollie! You can meet the inventor of the slappy and do
crazier than fuckin’ television. It’s changing everything. Everything
slappies with him! That’s a thing that something like surfing doesn’t
as we know it has been changing. The collapse of the retail
have, those people are dead! It’s really cool that skateboarding’s so
model... “What do you mean, no more shops?!”, “Yes. No more
young that you can still be around these innovators, these
shops”. Its impact is insane. As far as skateboarding goes? An
incredible people.
open marketplace to share stuff and meet people and exchange things? But then if you give the people what they want, they want
And everybody’s basically the same. You can pretty much speak to whoever you want on Instagram, but should professional skateboarders feel obliged to interact with
McDonald’s and Walmart and Britney Spears and fake boobs and a bunch of dumb, gross shit. I guess it’s up to skateboarding to figure out how to handle that. People like lame stuff.
people?
What Thrasher has always done, is that we pick out the stuff we
Like you say, it’s a cool way to make connections, and I think the
that we probably never would have connected with in the old days.
younger guys don’t even think about it. They just do it. It’s part of
Just look at all the UK skating on Thrasher now. In the past you
their lives in such a way that it feels seamless. I’m around a lot of
would never have known. What are they going to do, work on the
younger pros and I feel like a lot of them don’t even consider it a
Panic video for four years then send us a VHS? So it’s cool, and
drag. It’s where they see their skate videos, it’s where they learn
you get to meet a lot of rad people, but at the same time, there’s a
about new spots, it’s where they meet girls and it’s their whole
lot of dumb shit and if the shoe companies or whoever are going by
world. I think people should just do what they feel comfortable with
metrics, about ‘likes’, then they’re gonna be chasing some dumb
on it.
shit because people like some bullshit. You know who the most
For a certain generation, they don’t even think twice because
popular skateboarder is? It’s a Goddamn skateboarding bulldog.
they’ve been doing it since they were teenagers. And then I see
Put a funny hat on him and make him rap, and he’ll be the biggest
some of the older people, the legends, just loving it.
skater of all time.
like and we share that. We’ve connected with all sorts of people
Isn’t Old Town Road the most popular song of all time? People can’t be trusted to pick the good stuff.
I’m not interested in the Instagram kid’s diamond collection or his road to the Olympics but I’m real interested in somebody whose
You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. But yeah, I don’t
experience is not my own, who loves skateboarding and is really
know of any pros really suffering from not doing social media, but
making a go of it.
I know some who have really capitalised on it. Daewon’s amazing!
The thing about the Over It issue, it was like... Why not? I want to
Of course a million people want to know what trick Daewon’s
put those stories out there for people, and I have no idea if a
doing. And good for Daewon, because Daewon does not like to
person who really needs to hear it is going to see that magazine
go on trips and he does not like to do demos. So this is perfect
and change their life, but it’s part of the story. The story is dudes
for him, since he’s a one-of-a-kind singular talent who will never
getting wasted, and the story is also what happens on the other
be matched.
end of that. And it affects everyone; if you’re alive, you’ve been affected by this one way or another. So let’s hear from some really
You guys did the ‘Over It’ issue last year. Do you think the
respected skaters on that. I just want to share it. We’re Thrasher,
skateboard industry, wherever that may begin and end, has a
we’re not telling anybody to put on a helmet, that’s not going to
responsibility to be pushing for good mental health?
happen. We’re a reflection of what’s happening in skating because we’re fans and we love it, but I don’t think it hurts to share different
I think everyone has a responsibility to show compassion and care
viewpoints.
for people, and talk about problems and share your experience.
Like with women in skating, I think it’s fuckin’ rad that there are
I think that’s important. I don’t buy the theory that if you see bad
women in skating but there’s gonna be some we’re not gonna
behaviour you’re going to want to go and do those bad things.
cover because they’re not our type of skater. But the ones we do
I mean I listened to a lot of fuckin’ heavy metal and I never once
like, I’m not gonna put them over here in the ‘Women’s Section’.
considered worshipping Satan. I feel that skateboarding is about
They’re gonna go on the road with us. They’re with the crew, it’s
raw youth energy, and I think that that’s important, and I feel that
just natural. I don’t need to convince Ryan Lay that girls are worth
that’s reflected in what Thrasher puts out. It feels good to be a raw
being in Thrasher, but maybe I need to convince some fifteen-year-
fuckin’ kid with your friends and go on adventures and get into
old booger eater and I’d rather show him by showing a woman
scrapes. That feels good and it’s part of being a person, especially
ripping in the magazine and on the website. That does more than
a person who has chosen skateboarding.
a ‘Let’s Give Women A Chance’ article. I’m definitely not trying to
I want to include different voices. If you look at Kevin Thatcher’s
say, “I don’t want to hear about women! We’re all skaters, right?!”.
voice versus Jake Phelps’ voice versus Bryce Kanights voice
We’re all skaters, and if you’re a rad skater I want to hear your
versus my voice versus Michael Seiben’s voice, it’s a lot of different
story. I want to share that story. And if you like the parts of skating
voices and it’s always been like that. The idea that Thrasher is just
that we like, you’re down. It’s about getting the story out there and
some caricature of a certain kind of skater is not right and I want to
there was never a ‘do’ or ‘don’t’ in the whole Over It piece, and that
expand that even more. I’m excited and interested in what skaters
was on purpose. Kids are smart. Take it how you want to take it.
with other experiences are bringing to the table.
As far as being a ‘Thrasher type of skater’, people would either be that, or a ‘Transworld type of skater’. What’s it like being alone in the marketplace now? Are there more photos coming your way now? People make up their own rules about what being a skater is. There’s so many different ways to do it and they’re not wrong. Your dream might be to get to the Dew Tour podium, and train at Woodward and get an energy drink sponsor, and you’re not wrong but that’s just not what we’re into. People should skate and make skateboarding whatever they want it to be because that makes what we do even more special. You don’t want everybody to do exactly the same thing anyway. As far as Thrasher being the last print magazine, I guess I just want to do more concept things, more big-picture things, because I feel like the people who might want to read a magazine are similar to the people who who might want to pick up a vinyl record. They want something tangible and they can invest some time in, and I just want there to be stuff worth reading, to be able to find unexpected and fun stuff. And yeah, having the choice of so many photos now because the photos have nowhere else to go... It’s about trying to find the most epic images possible. It’s a big responsibility but our growth is really with the digital stuff, with involving different people and their video projects. I feel like that’s maybe a more substantial area of growth because of the nature of it. Getting to do Atlantic Drift is so cool to me. It’s not not Thrasher, you know? Yeah. It’s Thrasher, those guys and the way they skate is Thrasher. I think it’s really cool that we’re able to make connections with people doing their own thing and doing cool stuff in different ways. Like the GX1000 crew. On paper, what is that? But it’s so visceral and exciting to have that part because that stuff doesn’t always translate to photos. To get to these smaller skate crews, internationally, is where I think Thrasher’s growth is. Bringing more people who are doing cool shit in, and always at the heart of that is skaters and media people with a vision that they really give a shit about and that they want to do. It’s not connected to a product or an advertiser. That’s really cool because that’s where the culture starts.
It’s the ‘little companies’ doing the best shit right now, but is there a danger of too many companies? The smaller companies are great and this kinda stuff has to
And if one of the guys is really fuckin’ good he’s gonna go
happen. There are a few factors that made it happen a little
somewhere where they can pay him. It’s great that it happens
differently this time, one of which is cheap and ready access to the
because it’s going to be the spark that starts the next thing, but
materials, but I feel that this time it’s a little more personal. People
whether or not it’s the death knell for these legacy brands? I don’t
are in their little windows, and it’s becoming more regional, which is
know, probably not.
similar to skateboarding in the ‘80s with Zorlac in Texas and Walker
I think NHS is the biggest skateboard company on the planet but I
in Florida and all that. There were regional companies and regional
wouldn’t say that their board team is particularly sexy or
pros, and that’s really cool. Most of these new companies are tied
groundbreaking, you know? But those guys are going to Australia!
to video though. Like these guys have a little video crew that
It’s the sad state of affairs with most board companies that if a shoe
expresses themselves through little video projects and
brand’s not paying for you to go anywhere then you’re not going
Instagram projects, which is all free to do, to a degree. I think it’s
anywhere. You’re going to Phoenix to do a demo in a parking lot
really cool and again, you can’t tell the kids that they don’t like
like it’s 1994. As far as creativity and a new start, it’s totally great.
what they like. “What do you mean?! You should like this Santa
As far as whether it’ll be like this for the rest of time, I guess we’ll
Cruz board!” “Fuck you, I like this instead!”, you know? If kids like
see. A scarier thought to me, is not that small board companies
it, that’s the test.
will take over, it’s that no board companies will take over and your
I think that what’s going to happen, and it’s what always happens,
Nyjahs and whoever will just sell Nyjah
is that you get a little following, you turn your friend pro and you
skateboards direct to the consumer.
put out the video, but right now the dirty secret is that if you’re not underwritten by a shoe company you’re fucked in the long term.
Right.
The companies that are able to do it are mostly subsidised by big shoe companies; they pay for all of their travel, their tours, and they
Or they just don’t give a shit. Or, as the big shoe companies do
give them a collab which is a big financial shot in the arm. If you’re
in snowboarding, they just buy out the board. In snowboarding
able to align with that, that could give you a financial boost, but
people don’t even ride for the board company, it just has the shoe
otherwise you’re going to be like Lucero. If you want to do
sponsor’s logo on it. I could totally see that happening. The guys
something it’s probably gonna be you and one or two other dudes
in the Olympics, do they want the Element logo on the bottom or
in the garage or in a little warehouse. That’s just what that business
do they want the giant sports brand logo? How much is it worth to
is, so if people want to do that, then great! That’s cool. But if you
them? How much can a board company afford to pay? And again,
have any kind of success then the guys are probably going to want
the shoe companies are just trying to support cool shit happening.
to get a cheque! They’re not going to just do it because they’re the homie, and then they’re thirty, and can the business really pay more than two adult salaries?
I guess it’s nothing to a big shoe company to send a bunch of
Skateboarding being in millions of living rooms won’t affect
skateboarders to Gran Canaria or to Italy or to Japan. It’s a big
the curb outside my house.
deal to some dude running a little company with no support. I feel like the people running it are so out to lunch that they wouldn’t Yeah. But it’s not a sad story, because there are companies like
even know what you were talking about. “Shall we get Thrasher
Fucking Awesome which seemed to have captured people’s
involved?”. They’d have no fuckin’ idea. It’s Italian rollerskaters! I’m
imagination, where people want to know what the team’s about
not worried about any longterm effects of this. This thing’s gonna
and want to know what’s going on. It’s just not going to go back
work itself out. Haha!
to the idea of you and I at the miniramp and I’m pretending you’re Lance Mountain and you’re pretending you’re Steve Caballero.
Do you pay much attention to who’s wearing Thrasher merch?
That’s probably not gonna happen.
Phelps called people out at times.
Since you mentioned the Olympics, has your phone been
Here’s the thing. We haven’t changed anything about what we do,
blowing up with the regular press wanting to speak to the
to stoke t-shirt sales. We haven’t changed anything, we haven’t
editor of the big skateboard magazine? What’s your stance
made moves. In some ways it’s freaky, but in other ways it’s just the
on it all?
timing. It comes around that people see something they know is authentic that’s exciting to them, like how kids see something that’s
We’re just gonna continue to make jokes. I don’t begrudge
exciting and they want a piece of it, and then their friends are doing
anybody who wants to be part of it. It’s Street League to me, it’s
it too. You couldn’t set out to make it happen if you tried, which is
really no different. If people want to do that stuff, that’s cool. It
good because then we don’t have to worry about it! All we need
doesn’t make them terrible people. All this big outside corpo stuff,
to keep doing is make Thrasher magazine, and make our website
I’m just not into. It’s all so contrived and it’s not what’s exciting to
and our videos, and do events. That’s all we gotta do. I’m sure the
us about skateboarding. And that goes for a lot of contests. That’s
Rolling Stones sold a lot more t-shirts than sold albums and I’m
not what’s exciting to me. The contrived points system, and the
sure there were a lot of people who bought those lips because they
medals system? That’s for the squares. That’s for people who don’t
just thought they looked cool. If you don’t chase it you can’t lose.
know or care enough. Someone has to tell them that that trick’s
What could happen?
worth an eight? I’m not of the mind that we need to get skateboarding out to as
Just doing what you do then suddenly Rihanna and Justin
many people as possible, I feel that you find skateboarding and
Bieber are wearing your shit.
you work for it because you love it and you’re driven to do it. I think maybe fewer skaters would be good? Haha! But nobody’s really
It’s a strange, weird thing, however I’m not about to set up the
reached out to me directly, although I’m sure there have been calls
kickflip stand, “You must kickflip before you...” Whatever. How
to the office that have been lost in the antiquated phone
many Wet Willys got sold, you know? In the marketplace, what’s
system. It’s just goofball shit. I’m sure there’ll be successes for
going to turn on a generation of teenagers or whoever? Who can
some people, for whatever they’re striving for, but it just doesn’t
fuckin’ say?! Right now everyone is trying to recreate the Supreme
matter to us. I hope the people doing it have a nice time but it’s not
model. Can you recreate the Supreme model? Fuck no.
what interests us.
They started out by doing the right thing in the right place at the right time. Yeah. And all we can do is keep trying to do better and better shit in the spirit of Thrasher, do the things that we think are fun, exciting and rad. You can’t chase success. You just keep going. There’s this @from_thecrypt account, where Tom Shattuck has been posting up old unseen Thrasher photos. Does this mean there’s less likelihood of a new book for the 40th anniversary next year? Well, part of us trying to get organised involved getting Tom down there. I think there’s a real good chance we’re going to have a cool anniversary. Yeah. Alright. And what about King of the Road, and the Vice partnership? They had a four season option on the contract, so in February of last year I pitched season four, and they said they weren’t going to do it. We never thought we were going to do it for 25 years, so it was just a bit like, “Oh, OK then”. That was in February and then in March Jake passed away and I was alright to just let it lie for a while, and deal with some other things that we were working on. So this year we’re gonna pick it back up and see what we want to do with it. It might be a TV-style thing, it might be a web series, but it’s not gone. Doing the TV show was really cool and I’m really happy with what we did, but it’s not like, “Oh my God, we’re on TV now! How can we desperately keep this going?” or anything. There’s a lot of shit we want to do and I love King of the Road—it’s my project—and it’ll come back but no frantic plans. I reckon it’ll be up and running this year for sure.
Featuring: Keegan Sauder Frank Gerwer Ed Templeton John Cardiel Arto Saari Daewon Song Stu Graham Div Adam James Hardy Jamie Thomas Jim Greco Kanten Russell Andrew Reynolds John Rattray Kris Markovich Lance Mountain Brewce Martin Jake Phelps Corey Duffell Spanky Anthony Van Engelen Rick Howard Ewan Bowman
Thanks Mike @ Keen Dist Josh @ Theories A&M Imaging Michael Burnett Kieron Forbes Miles Kondracki Lucie McIlroy Miller Heather Darwent
Editor & Photographer Graham Tait Layout & Design Graham Tait Feature Interviews Neil Macdonald [@scienceversuslife]
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