By now you’ve probably read his interviews in Thrasher and on Vice, so I tried to go a little deeper into things that haven’t been discussed recently. The Vans Video, life in Richmond, painting & tattoos, and social media. I don’t do interviews, I just ask questions. Photos by me, questions by me.

You still painting a good amount? Seems like you were pumping them out for a while there post-alien/pre-mother. How do you come up with the ideas for your pieces? Do you draw from anyone in particular as inspiration for your work?

I haven’t painted much lately, I was painting a lot when I was living in LA, watercolor stuff. Usually I’m super into one particular image or style of image (i.e. snakes, cowboys and indians) and want to know how to make them look a certain way, so I paint them. I’m inspired by a lot of tattoo artists obviously and folk art, antique american indian pieces, old photographs, old flash.

You got a lot of tattoos really fast, what sparked that?

I can’t control myself, I got carried away, so here we are.

Can you tell us a little about the shop you ride for, Venue?

Venue gave me everything I have, I owe everything to them. They’re a huge working part of the skate scene here, supporting real skateboarding in the industry, and giving Richmond skateboarding a sense of community, I hope that every kid has something like that in there life, it makes a huge difference, I hope people realize that about skate shops at this day in age.

There’s been numerous instagram posts of you riding FA boards, Habitat, Alien, Krooked, Girl, what was that all about?

I rode whatever for the last months of filming for the vans video, we were finishing the video, and I was at a point in my life when I didn’t want to be worrying about what board company I was going to ride for, so I tried not to. 

What’s the filming process been like for the vans video?

Filming for this video has been long. Pre-tattoo footage, weird pant phases, hair, no hair, don’t judge me.

Who is going to have the best part in the video?

I’m really looking forward to AVE and Daniel’s parts.

Is your part going to resemble the skating in your more recent Richmond-based parts like Old Dominion?

My part will not exactly resemble my Richmond parts, nothing looks like Richmond. But I would like to think that people will be able to tell where I’m coming from by the feeling they get from the footage. Ideally the same way they would watching me skate Richmond, but obviously the spots will look different.

You just moved back home from Cali for the second or third time right? How come?

I got carried away with that as well. I came back to Richmond 6 months ago when my lease ended in LA while some people were still filming for the vans video. I wasn’t doing anything here and felt like I should go back out there, so I did. Couldn’t do it, bailed on a lease, and here I am.

I heard you have the best selling vans shoe right now, how you feel about that? You like the low or mid better in your shoe? Any talk/plans for a second shoe yet?

I don’t have the best selling vans shoe, but it does well. I couldn’t be happier about it, they gave me the shoe I wanted, and it does well. Couldn’t ask for more than that. I like the low. No talk of a second shoe. I want to make a cowboy boot.

If it were up to you who else would you want to see riding for mother?

I would love to have Jon Rowe on mother.

Do you think mother falls into the same small company category that brands like Scum Co, Politic, Magenta, Polar, FA. and Bianca Chandon do?

I think mother falls into whatever category people want to put it in.

Do you think it will be difficult for shops to sell the boards among a sea of small company decks?

I don’t think were having any trouble selling boards.

Are you going to have a pic of your mom on one of your boards to come? Isn’t she super into the civil war?

I don’t know if we will do that, yes my mom is a civil war buff.

Any plans for video stuff or trips yet?

No plans yet.

So 20 stair rails are fuckin wack huh? Only slappy curbs and bump to hydrants for this guy? Looks like bust crew has been jumping on rails recently via vine.

I said “can kids really relate to a 20 stair handrail?” because I don’t really relate to that type of skating myself, that being said, I want to grind a 20 stair handrail.

What’s the deal with that vine app and your crew using it so much?

Vine is the best thing in the internet.

Will “Special-Gilby” ever make a comeback?

He just might.

Did your instagram account get hacked? I don’t even know who you are on there.

I have 3 instagrams.

How was filming for A-street? We’re you psyched to have so many friends move out there with you at once?

Yes but it was gnarly, LA is hard to do.

Who are you favorite skaters right now?

Jon Rowe and Jake Johnson

What is JEK doing right now?

He’s in Ohio with Chad at mother.

What’s it like skating/hanging out with that dude Jimi Britches?

In honor of Mother Collective, Jake Johnson’s Mind Field opener

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