Bleav in Skateboarding with Jim Gray

070 In the Patch With Cabbage Bradfield, Podcaster, Skateboarder, Musician, Lover of Skateboarding... My first ever Dual Podcast where we recorded this with the intent for it to be a podcast for each others shows, but I lagged severely and he posted his quite a while ago on his podcast. Check out the podcast as posted by Cabbage and check out some of the other people he's interviewed. FIND IT HERE So, first I start off with an apology to Cabbage, some shit in my life went a little south a couple days after recording this, and I just put the Podcast on hold while I took some personal time to fume, pout, be sad, feel sorry for myself, and so many other foolish realities we all put ourselves through. That sad, depressing bout lasted a few months, but it ended up that I just did not do any new podcasts or finish this one for almost a year, and just focused on living and staying healthy. Then, I finally decided it was time to get back on track, so here we go. Cabbage and I both do these podcasts merely for fun, and not for profit so I hope he will understand.. Please forgive me Mr. Cabbage Bradfield... Cabbage is an East Coast Skater, and we share lots of stories about skaters, doing podcasts, perceptions versus reality, skate politics, marriage and divorce, therapy, weigh loss, other podcasts and shows, our styles of podcasting etc... We are definitely a different breed of Podcasters who float to our own beat. Thanks for joining me Mini Ramp Champ Cabbage, I had a good time.. If you follow Cabbage's podcast, you may have already listened to this, but if not please enjoy.

069 Clayton Graul, Skateboarder, DIY Enthusiast, leader of @UrbanSkateProject I've seen Clayton around for years now, or at least a decade or so, just another nice easy going skater to cross paths with, or at least that's what I thought. I start seeing more and more very cool DIY spots popping up all over Southern California and notice that Clayton is behind many of them, or maybe most of them, but certainly has a heavy helping hand in the DIY Skate Spot Movement. You can see his everyday instagram @clayton_graul and see another middle aged man out skating curbs, crusty ditches, quarterpipes, and a whole lot of random stuff. Definitely loves rolling on his skateboard, that is very apparent. If you check his @urbanskateproject page you can see the many projects he is working on, has worked on, in progress etc..... He leaves tips for other DIY builders around the country about materials and tools etc.... All for the love of skateboarding, and not money, got to love and respect that. So, we sit down and chat, you will learn some of his roots, inspiration for building DIY and his opinion as well as my big mouthed opinion on public skateparks in general. I think I speak for both of us in apologizing for our dogs who just would not stop playing with each other and making noise during the recording, but hey they are our dogs, so they are perfect, right!!! Hope you enjoy my chat with Clayton, and thanks as always for listening.

Episode 068 Scott Pellet S.O.S. Friend, Skater, Hollywood Film/TV editor, TEXAN! Scott and I met over 10 years ago when he was trying to help put together a film on the history of Texas Skateboarding. We quickly became friends and have stayed in touch since then, sharing meals, skating, stories, hanging with family and mutual friends, etc... Scott found an interest in filmmaking at an early age.  Being a kid who grew up in the Dallas area and riding at the Jeff Phillips Skatepark, the first major media project he put together was on Jeff Phillips. Scott's love of skateboarding, filmmaking and music have filled his life and still do. He has been working in the Hollywood TV/Film world for quite awhile now.  I have been fortunate enough to get to visit him at some of the studios he was working at and see sets for successful TV shows such as The Goldbergs and Chuck. He has worked as an editor on the TV shows  "Chuck" (NBC), "The Goldbergs" (ABC), "Mad Dogs" (Amazon), "Sneaky Pete" (Amazon), "L.A.'s Finest" (Spectrum), "Painkiller" (Netflix) and the Lionsgate feature, "The Devil You Know".  You can check his IMDB credits by clicking on this IMDB link.  You will see all the cool stuff this skater has done. I am stoked I have gotten to see a lot of it up close and personal over the years. For several years, Scott and fellow Texans Heath Cherryhomes and Jake Kirby would make an annual pilgrimage to all the local skateparks while Heath and Jake stayed with me during the summer. We were all given nicknames and Scott's was S.O.S. "Sex on a Stick".  I had Texas-sized stickers of our nicknames printed for our helmets symbolizing our brotherhood.... Things we discuss in this podcast that I think some of you might find interesting are our skating adventures, his work on his first film about Jeff Phillips, his Hollywood gigs and the time he filmed interviews (including Jeff Grosso) at my house. Hope you enjoy meeting another interesting person who has passed through my life and is also a skater and very talented in other realms...

067 Geoffrey Gunderson, Vaquero Skateboards Owner, Skater and Friend Geoff is a skater and small skate brand owner I've gotten to know and become friends with over the past few years. He is a So Cal born, Oregon Raised, eventually a Nor Cal transplant, so we talk about that and our perceptions of the preconceived attitudes that come with each amongst other things. We have had some great sessions together over the last decade and we talk about some of those times... Flower Shop in SF, Weirdo Bowl, etc.... We talk skate shops vs. chain stores and what small skate shops provided for skateboarders which is so rare today. In the old days "Kooks were Kooks, but who gets to decide who a Kook is, some other Kook" We even give props to some longboarder friends of ours, so damn we must be the kooks... hahaha  We talked about one of our mutually favorite skateboarders Josh Rodriguez!  We both feel Josh a craft beer who has never had a model which is unbelievable, and lots of guys that have models are Coors Lite... lol  we had a fun conversation and hope you enjoy it... Geoffrey skates everything, and I like that. We talk about some of the issues in sponsoring skaters, our own perceptions and what stokes us out vs what's cool to do. Both of us are stubborn and do it our way. He has a great 14 year old Danny Way story amongst others.

066 Chantelle Heroux, Founder of "Bridge to Skate" Non-Profit We talked about her nonprofit, Bridge to Skate. She does great work in South LA using Skateboarding as a tool for support, motivation, and making lives better.. I am happy to call her a friend and think you will enjoy the story of how she found Skateboarding, or maybe better said how it found her. I'd say all the people she's helped should be thankful she got kicked off the soccer team! I know I am!!  Also known on Instagram by @blondecrisis911 and @bridgetoskate.  Chantelle popped in for a little chat, a hug for me, and lots of cuddling with Tiago. She has a great story including building a school that houses 27 students in Honduras. A quote from the Bridge to Skate Website... With exercise comes education, and vice-versa. The two can't be separated when it comes to living a healthy and fulfilled life. An extension of the BTS concept of providing community support, our school development efforts have already led to changing lives. Our goal, where needed and endorsed, is to complete the “trifecta” – skateboard park, playground and school – in order to give the local community a strong foundation of growth that can lift it from impoverished circumstances over generations. I hope you enjoy my conversation with this creative, passionate, and giving human being, also known as Chanty.. We start out with a great conversation about Chad Muska which I think will entertain you..

065 Dave Andrecht, Hall of Fame Skateboarder, Podcaster, Skate Industry Lifer, Friend, Inventor of one of the Greatest Skateboard Tricks Ever. Special Guest--Bobby Goodsby, founder of the first and still running Skate Camp in America..  Dave Andrecht, AKA "The Raver", was an early air Big Air Pioneer and he created the Andrecht Handplant, one of the most seriously cool tricks on a skateboard. It was one of my favorite tricks ever. Dave also has worked in the skateboard industry most of his life, and was a key player in the H-Street story, and shares a lot of history there that I did not know about, and you will learn about too. His Sims signature model board was one of the coolest boards built in that era, and I'd kill to have one on my wall.. Most of all, Dave is just a good human. I have always gotten along well with him and anytime we've ever seen each other in the last 40 years, it's been a great interaction. I think you will be able to tell that in our interaction, we are mutually supportive of each other. Dave recently started Sk8boardnation a YouTube Channel/Podcast. He does great research and asks meaningful questions about the guests history and experiences in skateboarding, unlike me who just talks too much. Please check out his podcast on YouTube when you get a chance. He wrote down 5 pages of questions for me, and I could probably only come up with 5 questions not pages if I interviewed myself, that will tell you how deep Dave digs, and how much cool stuff you will see on there. How he got that video of my performance on "Dancing with the Stars, Yugoslavian Edition", I'll never know. Dave showed up to the podcast with an old mutual friend Bobby Goodsby AKA: Bobby G, the founder of the first US Skate Camp, and it is still running today. He joined us and we shared some good conversation with him too... Hope you enjoy this special podcast..

064 Lonny Hiramoto, Skateboarder, Friend, Shape Stealer, and former Hoodlum... Lonny is an awesome skater, and hit the pro skateboarding scene as a youngster in the late 70's. I assumed he was older than me cause he was in Skateboard Magazines when I was a kid, but turns out he was just amazing at a young age. We didn't actually meet until 20 years later, now he is a great friend, and die hard lover of rolling on his board, and he's actually two years younger than me. You'll hear some interesting stories, a bit about his Hoodlum Days, and one of the best stories ever about how legendary skater Shogo Kubo (RIP) gave him his first skateboard, just to get him out of the house, so he could make out with Lonny's sister, and even better he had no idea Shogo was a good skater, much less a legend in the making. It's one of the most random and funniest random occurences I've ever heard in our little skate network. This podcast was an accident as Lonny was just popping by to show me the sample deck he had made after copying one of my (Art School Skateboards Jim Gray Guest Model) shapes. Hope you enjoy his Christian Hosoi stories, Lester Kasai stories, and a lot more. Hope you enjoy my chat with this living legend.

063 Alex Romero, Skateboarder and Optometrist to Skateboarding Superstars, and to me too... I met Alex at the Vans HB Skatepark with my friend Chuck Walstead. Alex was just another one of us skaters, and my friend Chuck said, he's my Optometrist too... I immediately said I am coming to you. I prefer to do business with skaters whenever I can. After going to Alex, I was stoked knowing I had someone who cared about my eyes and my world. So turns out his clients include skaters Eddie Elguera, Scott Hostert, Christian Hosoi and Pops Hosoi, Mike McGill, Eric Dressen, Chuck Walstead, Dennis Martinez, Darren Ho, Nick Rosenthal, Cholo from Scum Skates, Steve Caballero, SkateMaster Tate and Mark Waters (RIP, Two Rad Skaters both gone too soon), Christian Jacobs (of Yo Gabba Gabba and Aquabats fame), Parker Jacobs, Billy Zoom and so many more.... Turns out this skater is taking care of the eyes of many of us. So, we chat about life, what takes a guy from skateboarding to Optometry School, and what skateboarding means to him and how it has and does influence his daily life. One look around his office and you'll see.... The stairway going up to his office is lined with skateboard decks and pictures with his awesome clientele. It was awesome doing this podcast with him, because I really have always wanted my podcast to be converstations with people I've met throughout skateboarding, not just pro's or people from the industry but just interesting people with different stories. I hope you enjoy, and if you need some new glasses or contacts, hit up Orange Circle Optometry in Orange, CA...

062 Thibault "TIBS" Parise A French Skateboarder on a longer deck who sells Clay.. You may need an interpreter for this episode as Tibs speaks Fringlish which is a cross between French and English..... Just play the episode at half speed and you will be OK... Tibs talks about how he came to skate on longboards after breaking his shortboard and only having the longboard he used to get to the skatepark with him, and ended up liking riding the longboard more. I support that fully, skate what works for you, anyone who tells you what to ride is a complete Kook in my book. Tibs skates fast and does tricks I certainly can't do on my mid size board.. He also owns a business called Clayer which imports Non Toxic Green Clay from France for pain relief etc..... I have used it many times and it's also great on cleaning wounds, extracting the toxins etc...... or at least it worked well for me.. I am not a physician, so these statements are not approved the the FDA, FTC, FBI, IRS, ABC, or any other judgemental tyranical organization. Being a longboarder he knows all about narrow minded and foolish thinking, and we talk about that like being told he couldn't ride in a skate contest because he wasn't a skateboarder(seriously??), and the realities of having value as a skateboarder when someone needs you, and that door closing in your face when someone more valuable comes along(I've definitely felt that door before)...

061 Teddi Dean AKA: Teddi Bennett OG Bones Brigade Member, Modern Elder Teddi was an original Bones Brigade Team Member. I used to skate quite frequently with him in the late 70's, early 80's. He had a buttery smooth surf style, growing up surfing in Huntington Beach in the 70's. He seemingly disappeared from skateboarding in the early 80's, and I always wondered what happened with him. I re-united with Teddi in 2015 and learned of his interesting life story, and decided it was time to share it with more of the skateboard world. His website describes his life pat simply "Curiosity led Teddi Dean from life as a Southern California pro skateboarder to travel as a student of the Dharma. He is now a mindfulness and meditation teacher".  Teddi currently works down in Baja with the Modern Elder Academy.  Obviously there is a lot of stories on that path, including his days on the Bones Brigade, and his respect for Stacy Peralta. He also spent some time in the film industry, teaches and practices Yoga and Meditation, and he shares some background of the formation of the Modern Elder Academy. He also talks about getting Stacy to come and speak at the Academy as a Modern Elder, a term I love, as I yearn to be one myself as I just turned 60. I hope you enjoy learning about or catching up with Teddi, another amazing product of the pioneering days of skateboarding.

060 Joshua Bridgewater AKA "Spina Bifida Skater" To me, Josh is simply a bad ass, and an inspiration. Born with a hole in his spine, a birth defect called Spina Bifida, his challenges started early in life, including being born at all. Well, thankfully for himself and all of us, he came out kicking and hasn't stopped. I've skated with Josh many times over the last decade or so and I am always inspired by the fact that he keeps the PMA turned up high, rolls with the punches, and keeps smiling! The date we met to record this podcast and the day the pic was taken on the cover of the podcast icon, was one of the few I've ever seen him in without braces, and several times he's been in a wheelchair, but it never stops him. 40 plus surgeries in, he pads up and has as much fun as anyone I've ever known whenever I've skated with him. He is always checking out most So Cal skate events with his sweet lady Shawna and they both always have a great attitude. I hope listening to him will inspire you to get through anything you've got to get through in life. He admits it's not always easy and he spends a lot of time in pain, but if he can endure that, keep smiling, and let skateboarding help keep him sane, I think we all can. He gives back a lot as well and encourages others on a regular basis. He is definitely an inspiration to me and I think he will be to you as well. Enjoy the show, and Josh thanks again for joining me and sharing your story and your attitude...  

059 S-One Helmets Dan McCashin and Chris Terins started as Insole Makers and became Helmet Icons. These two started making S-One footwear insoles down the street from my Acme Skateboards factory in Costa Mesa back in the 90's. They share their stories as they morphed from an insole company into one of the most respected Helmet Brands in Skateboarding, BMX, Roller Derby and more. I've been friends with them for a long time, have printed stickers for them for decades, have worn their helmets for a while, and have always enjoyed working with them on everything, and the great conversations we have everytime I see them, but a podcast gave us a chance to dig a little deeper. Hope you enjoy our conversation, they don't hold back to much so you may hear some surprising things. You may even get a chuckle as I try to remember when I first met them and confused where their first office was with someone else... I first recorded a Podcast with Chris Terins about 2 years ago, and didn't have the microphone plugged in so nothing was recorded, so this is a long overdue re-do. Thanks for your patience Chris, and glad Dan got to join us this time (he likes to stir the pot more than you--haha)... You can find them at https://shop.s1helmets.com/ or at almost any great skate shop..

Episode 058 TSM Skate Media Crew... Carl Carpentier, Marcelle Johnson, Tommie Zam The TSM boys have done True Skateboard Mag www.Truesk8boardmag.com for many years. They are also @tsm_media on insta as well. They've been doing a Podcast and Talk Shows based around the Skate and Music Scene for quite a while. I've sat in on their show before when they interview Ron Allen at Grinderz etc..... I like these guys and love their passion for skateboarding. Funny story is they told me that they wanted to do the show, and I assumed they wanted me to be on their show, so we set a date, and they came up to my office. I thought they were gonna start setting up their equipment and do a TSM Podcast/Show with me..., then they showed up and when I asked where they wanted to set up, they said we are here to be on your show.... It was a very classic moment and of course I was happy to do it that way. All the matters to me is enjoying conversations with people in the skate culture. I hope you enjoy our conversation and get a good laugh out of the confusion. We all sure did.

Episode 057 Mike Mapp AKA "Micro" of Ramp Tech, Possibly the longest consistently operating Ramp Builder in the World Micro is just a straight up skate lifer, who has been building ramps for decades, and runs his skate ramp building company RampTech out of Virginia. They build a variety of products from Quarter Pipes, Half Pipes, Rails, Boxes, Spine Ramps and more. He's built many amazing competition ramps over the years as well for Vans, ESPN and many many more. Skateboarding flows through his blood and he's seen a lot of changes. He has survived each and every change, and keeps on building great ramps. In the 90's I used to send Mike skateboards when the skate industry had forgotten about much of their roots and Mike and I have always shared a great level of mutual respect. You will hear stories of his views and the history of the ramp business, crazy scenes he was part of like the historic "Cedar Crest Ramp" and much more. They made a great movie about the history of Cedar Crest called "Blood and Steel", click on the words and it will link you to learn more. It's a good watch. If you know Micro, you'll be stoked to hear some classic stories, if you don't know him, you'd hear some history on the East Coast Skate Scene and about a player who helped us get where we are today whether you knew it or not. Hope you enjoy our Chat.

Episode 056 Jeremy Wray A Skateboarder, An Artist, A Daredevil, A Filmer, A Husband, A Dad, A Wraybrother, and more I like Jeremy Wray because he has a great smile, a great personality, is humble and smooth on his skateboard. He has countless amazing photos, magazine coverage, ads and boards with his name and art. He is embedded into skate history visually with iconic images like his amazing and insane Water Tower Gap he shot back in 1997 (where did 25 years go?). We talk diving boards, crazy stunts done for TV commercials and movies , artwork and sculptures, our mutual Blockhead Skateboard roots and respect, skateparks and their collision guaranteed designs, favorite daily skate spots, kids, doing loops and much more.. We probably could have gone on for another hour, so we will have to do a follow up because Jeremy and I both wanted to go skateboarding, so we did...

Episode 055 Eric Dressen, one of my favorite, and one of the best humans to ever ride a skateboard!! Definitely one of my favorite podcasts I've recorded for several reasons. Eric is truly one of the nicest souls on earth. Caring, gentle, speaks with his skateboard, not his mouth (unlike me), and he knows how to make someone feel special. He has always been one of my favorite skaters as he for decades has destroyed pools, ramps, ditches, and the streets. When Independent Trucks made it's history book, and had a release party where they sold the layout/proof pages for many of the books main characters, I bought the Eric Dressen and John Cardiel pages, so I've been a fan for a long time. We've known each other for decades and always had nothing but kind words and interactions. But, it wasn't until he came with me to Ohio a few weeks ago for the Welfare Line Skateboard Collectors Bash #7, and we spent 5 days skating, eating, laughing, looking at houses, corn and soybean fields, and flowers that we really go to spend a lot of personal time together. Now, I love Eric Dressen more than ever and it goes both ways. So what you get here is skateboard tales and history, recorded freshly off our Bromance, which I hope continues for many years to come. We talk about his path from Logan Earth Ski at 10 years old, to Alva, Dogtown, and Santa Cruz. Eric choose skateboarding as his life at an early age, we are all the benefactors. I hope you enjoy my chat with Skateboarding Hall of Fame Inductee and my friend Eric Dressen..  

Episode 054 "SPIDEY" De Montrond, Musician, Skater, Surfer, Man of Style Spidey has a new album titled "Synonymity" coming out this week, so I thought it would be a good time to do a podcast. For the last several years, Spidey and I have gotten to know each other more than ever, and he's come by dozens of times and picked up my acoustic Guitar and played in my office. We've had lots of fun and I've seen his talent on many levels, something that is hard to translate in words. Check out @theGentleOrchestra on Instagram and there is a link on the profile page to his music. Spidey alongside myself, grew up in what I call the Pioneering Age of Skateboarding, when most everything done today was created. A simple time when we just skated with our friends and we happened to be lucky enough and just talented enough to sneak into the world of Pro Skateboarding. Spidey had some very memorable, collectible, and creative Pro Model boards on Santa Cruz Skateboards, went on to a music career with Capital Records, and today spends most of his time surfing and playing music. He also designed many sock variations for Merge4 socks in recent years. The conversation drifts across many areas of music, skateboarding, surfing, and more and hope you enjoy and learn something you may not have known before. Thanks for listening.

Episode 053 Beau Brown Legendary Downhill Skater and Long Time Icon in the Skateboard Industry Beau Brown is a good friend of mine. He has deep roots in the skateboard culture. He grew up in Huntington Beach in a very pioneering time in skateboarding. He raced Stand Up Downhill Skateboards primarily but skated a little of everything. He found his way into the business side of skateboarding, selling skateboard stuff for many years for Madrid, Tracker, Brand X, and worked with me at Acme Skateboards / Abc Board Supply for over a decade as well. He worked at Etnies/Sole Technology after Acme, and eventually made his way back into the deck market and today still manages manufucturing decks and other goods for some major players in skateboarding. Beau has always been dependable, stable, and independent, he is a good man to have on your side. We have been through a lot together, weddings, children being born, crazy days growing like wildfire at work, and we've watched some important stuff in our lives crumble in front of us. We've side by side through life's struggles emotionally, physically, and emotionally. Basically, you don't get better long term friends than this. The best part of doing this podcast is just having conversations with my friends like Beau, who have been a big part of my life, and a big part of skateboarding, sometimes in the foreground, and sometimes in the background. Hope you enjoy meeting or learning something new. Thanks for listening.  

Episode 052 Wyatt Hammond, 8 year old Future Pro Skateboarder I mean seriously what else is there to say, Wyatt is 8 years old and skates better than you, and me, and most everyone else. The thing that will surprise you is listening to how to thinks, plans, and approaches skateboarding. I've sponsored him on my Powerflex Wheels brand for the last few years, and have enjoyed watching his fearlessness, and skills. It's been fun watching him grow into a young force on a skateboard, and I thought some of you might enjoy hearing the perspective of an 8 year old. He is amazingly well spoken. I am always amazed at all the new videos he's putting out on the regular. If you don't know Wyatt, or haven't seen him skate, just google him or check his Instagram.. @wyatthammond  

Episode 051 Bud Stratford and Laura Richards, Skateboarders, Owners of Zeppelin Aero Works Skateboards, and Industry Bullshit Callers. Bud is a very opinionated, vocal, sometimes antagonistic man, and of course he doesn't hold back his feelings on controversial subjects surrounding skateboarding, and that makes me love him even more. He and Laura started a new brand Zeppelin Aero Works recently, and they are even doing a Jim Gray model (I know, why?). Bud admits in our Podcast how he straight up ripped off Acme Skateboards with his Cleveland Skateboard and Supply Co, quite an honor to me but I made them buy me lunch anyways. See, there are perks to having your own podcast. 3 listeners in 4 countries and free lunch, I think I am gonna do this forever. Hopefully you will find Bud and Laura's story interesting... Bud, found his way to Concrete Wave Magazine, did his own website EverythingSkateboarding.com and eventually decided to start Zeppelin Aero Works with Laura @zeppelinaeroworks on instagram. Their new company is dedicated to making unique and functional skateboards, something quite often overlooked by the skateboard industry. I look forward to watching and seeing what happens with Zeppelin and what kind of trouble Bud can stir up next.

Episode 050 Michael Brooke, Skateboarder, Publisher, Funeral Directors Assistant Michael Brooke AKA: "SkateGeezer" published "The Concrete Wave, the history of Skateboarding" book in 1999, a book full of history of all types of skateboarding at a time in skateboarding history when there was a heavy industry agenda to push only "Street" skateboarding. Michael has a Mantra that I firmly believe in myself that "all skateboards are good skateboards". Michael then went on to launch "International Longboarder Magazine" and eventually "Concrete Wave Magazine" Along the path, he promoted positivity and fun in skateboarding, on any type, size, shape, or style of skateboarding. I have crazy respect for people in skateboarding who do their own thing, and don't just follow others, so Michael has always had much respect from me. You will hear in this interview how some of his early actions, led to some pretty amazing things that changed how the world saw skateboarding, and the drive to promote and share the love of all types of skateboarding was always the driving force. Today, Michael is a funeral directors assistant, still a lover of all things skateboarding. He is stirring things up in the business of death as well with some interesting and logical new opportunities. We all die after all, so why not document our own and our relatives lives well.. Michaels latest book, "THE ENDLESS WAVE A Skateboarder's Perspective on Death, Dying and Spirituality" which he co-wrote with Nathan Ho is definitely a read I would recommend. It definitely will give you an interesting view into death from a skateboarders perspective, and provide a gateway to interesting things to ponder if you have an open and realistic mind. I enjoyed it thoroughly and read it cover to cover as they say one day while sitting home with Covid a couple months back. It's a free download and I recommend you check it out. You can download a free copy here: CLICK TO DOWNLOAD Michaels latest venture "Time for My Story" helps families document their own, or their loves ones life stories to create written and visual memories for generations to come.  Hope you enjoy my conversation with Michael. I also hope you learn something, take something away, share something, or otherwise let your preconceived notions about skateboarding, skateboarders, death, or spirituality be altered in a positive way.

Episode 049 Mike Folmer, Florida Skateboarding "Hall of Famer" and my friend for 40 plus years. Mike is just a great all around skateboarder from a very influential time in the history of skateboarding. He was a member of the legendary Sims Skateboards team, and 1978 to 1983 were his most prolific years with several Pro Model decks. One of the legendary few to ever get a Skateboarder Magazine Front Cover.  Anytime I've seen him skating then or since, he is still smooth, fluid and stylish as ever. Definitely one of the raddest Miller Flips around, he'd do them on anything big and small. Mike dabbled in lots of things after his skate career, and settled on Vintage Clothing. Always a bit of a vintage buff, Mike always had vintage furniture, vintage cars, and was heavily into the vintage vibe of the Rockabilly Scene... as the years progressed Mike learned the ins and outs of buying and selling vintage goods like t-shirts, jeans, skateboards, buttons, jackets, sweatshirts and lots more. Today you can find him at @shopskaterdaterdude on instagram, or skaterdaterdude on EBAY We talk about his personal history growing up in Florida, what it's like to be from Florida Vs. California and much more. Hope you enjoy learning a little about this Skate Legend and awesome human..

Episode 048 Ken Hada, Skateboarder, Podcaster, Historian, Photographer, Dad, Creator Ken is the behind the "I had a Conversation Podcast" which lists art=drumming, skateboarding and photography as it's headline. I have done an episode of podcast with Ken, and you can find that podcast along with others such as Lizzie Armanto, J. Grant Brittain, Julie Kindstrand, Amelia Brodka, Ray Zimmerman "MRZ", Kim Cespedes, and even his good friend actor John Stamos. Ken is a Skatopia Skatepark OG. The Original one in Buena Park, CA.... A place I spent many hours myself in my teens. We became more acquainted in the last decade or so as Ken started promoting Skatopia Reunions and historical information on Skatopia.net a website he built and maintains. Ken was always at the ladies events documenting, and I think we shared a mututal stoke watching the ladies skate scene come on strong in the last decade or so and Ken took many great pics as the ladies scene was progressing.. Hope you enjoy that fact that I Had Conversation with Ken.... You can find Ken's podcast at www.ihadaconversation.com

Episode 047 Steve Caballero, A legendary Player in the history of Skateboarding We have a great chat about Steve's unique and amazing career in skateboarding including having two sponsors VANS and POWELL PERALTA for more than 30 years, which is certainly rare in the history of skateboard sponsorships. We discuss the changes Steve witnessed in Pro Skateboarding over the years, and some of the challenges that have come up along the way. We discuss how strange it was to us both when amateurs started getting paid, and what is feels like to be a Team Manager as opposed to a rider and much more. We talk about collectibles and opportunities we missed or lost, skateboarding's Big 5, and how I ruined skateboarding in the early 90's (I promise it wasn't me). We talk stickers and how important they are to us and our culture. We also discuss the days when I sponsored Steve and he rode for my Standard Trucks Brand during the 90's, that was a great honor for me back then, and it was timed well for both of us at that time. Our conversation is unplanned and organic, the way I like them. I hope you will enjoy it and learn something new and different about somebody you already know about, but maybe not in the context you will listen to here. Thanks for listening.    

Episode 046 Oscar Lorretto Jr. Adaptive Skateboarder/Activist/Consultant and Damn Nice Dude Oscar is rad... He was born without a left leg or hands, so life definitely gave him some challenges, but he found the greatest outlet of all....SKATEBOARDING.... and while that has been great for him, he's been of even more help to others. What he has done to inspire people of all ages and different types of disabilities is amazing. He worked for many years with Adaptive Action Sports, and now is an Independent consultant helping others form organizations, run events, etc.... He is also on the board of directors of The Sheckler Foundation, and on the board of USA Skateboarding, which is the US Olympic Skateboarding Committee. He is actively trying to work towards getting adaptive skateboarding (prosthetics, wheel chairs etc....) into the Paralympic Games. He has also helped and worked with The Poseiden Foundation (we are both advisory board members), Bridge to Skate, Grind for Life and more....  I Need to do a podcast with Mike Rogers from Grind for life too, don't I? Basically, after you see Oscar skate, realize he has a full time job editing in the television industry, and gives back to others, you should check yourself when you decide to whine about how rough you have it.. Be inspired by Oscar, overcome your own obstacles, and hit a few obstacles on your skateboard too... Hope you enjoy Oscar, he really is a rad dude!!!  

Episode 045 Chuck Dinkins Florida Skateboarding Hall of Famer, East Coast Legend, Epic HumanChuck is pure skateboarder. We first met back in the 80's and Chuck has been blasting off walls, jump ramps, pools, and ditches ever since. He has even become quite into slalom, something I keep threatening to try some more... We talk about Chuck's life as a military kid and moves around the country until finally settling in Florida where he has been for some time now. Chuck was a pro for Walker Skateboards, owned by Bruce Walker, one of the coolest humans ever to work in the skateboard business.We talk products, generational changes, shit that irritates the hell of of us, competition, traveling doing demos and sleeping on couches across America and much more.. Hope you enjoy. I was stoked catching up with Chuck, and if you know him you love him, and if you don't you'll see why we do...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 044 David Rogerson AKA: Shitbird One mans Story, is another mans Controversy.Self Proclaimed Jim Gray Shittalker David sits down and rambles with me. David like many before and after him learned the hard way, the skateboard industry eats it's own, and if you aren't a heavy insider you get eaten even harder. David founded a great skate wheel brand Speedlab Wheels, now owned and run by Alan Keller and family. He went on to produce "Pray for me, the Jason Jesse film" and talks about that a bit. He spent early years working within the SF Skate Mafia, and shares his viewpoints on that. He is definitely ADD as hell as his mind goes deep in many directions I was learning quickly, so there are many tangents he drifts off into.David and I had talked off and on over the last several years, but I learned so much doing this podcast, and in our conversation at lunch before, that I never knew. My podcasts are intended to let people with a place in the history of our culture talk and be heard, I don't put words in their mouth and I don't edit what's said. So, if you are offended, I am sorry and Birdo, Jason Jesse, Leticia, Fausto's Family, Jim Muir, Biker Gangs, and anyone else offended, if you got something to say or retort, you are welcome to come on the podcast too, or back on if you've already been on. He also gives props to some who don't get enough props, like the legendary Dan Wilkes, and Scott O'Bradovich who I already did a podcast with.. There are many rad people in skateboarding that you don't know about but should. David picked me up in his recently acquired 1970's Red Porsche and took me to lunch before we recorded this, and nearly got killed in it on the way home, as he got clipped and spun out on the freeway on his was back up north. I've been threatening to come skate his Wally Holliday built backyard pool for over a decade now, and maybe I'll do that and record part 2 after the fall out.As always, thanks for listening.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 043 Ron Allen Legendary OG Street Skater, Artist, Musician, and Great FriendRon and I talk about his early days in Visalia, California and the path to pro skateboarding, company ownership, how and why he became MC Intelligence after a near death experience.He has had a great life of skateboarding being a main force on H-Street, and eventually into doing his own brands, Fun Skateboards, Life Skateboards, and American Dream Incorporated (Relaunched recently).. check out @americandreamincorportated and help a skater owned brand stay strong. You can also find Ron at @Ronallensk8 on Insta and follow his path. I consider him one of my truest of friends, and we have a great conversation about many things including skateboarding, and our crazy industry, racism, liability, the olympics, and about the changes in skateboarding over the years and how we both value competition and what it did for us as skaters.I've witnessed Ron rapping on the fly and he's pretty damn good, he puts out a positive message as a human and prefers positivity over negativity, which isn't always easy when in the skateboard business. I have great respect for Ron, and few people can put a smile on my face more than he can. I hope you enjoy our conversation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sal hails from Baton Rouge Louisiana where he started riding BMX until it went in a direction that no longer interested him, and with a little luck, found himself with a skateboard to ride, and has never looked back. Soon, he found himself touring with skateboarding greats like Danny Way and Ron Allen, filming all around the country, and living a dream. His early sponsors include H-Street, Plan B, Tracker Trucks, and Spitfire. Those dreams come to and end for most and for him, he just took what he had an moved forward on new projects of his own. He's been the man behind Aesthetics Clothing and Skateboards, Elwood, 23 Skateboards and more. He's lived in New York and helped run the Zoo York brand at it's peak, and much more. He's got some new projects coming up with his BMX roots, but personally will always be searching out a thrill on his skateboard. At 49 years old, I watched him still casually busting out backside airs in a pool just a few weeks ago. Through his various brands and relationships, he's sponsored many people who've gone on to make quite a splash in skateboarding, like Fucking Awesome's Jason Dill amongst others. Sal is deep in the skateboard culture and has a great respect for it.On the day we recorded (twice--oops), Sal found himself with myself and legendary skate photographer and music man "O" Otis Barthoulameu as O dyed some wheels for him and we were chatting while the Rit Dye boiled. Sorry for the background noise, this is just the reality of doing all this on the fly.If you are a fan of Sal, you will enjoy hearing his perspective. As always, I learn new things everyday from these conversations, and am happy to share them with my 3 listeners worldwide. Thank all 3 of you. Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

Episode 041, featuring Salman AgahOn a random Bike Riding quest I find myself in downtown LA and hungry, so of course I headed to Pizzanista. Not expecting Salman to be there, but I got lucky, so said lets chat and catch up and record a Podcast, so we did. Salman as you know is a legendary skateboarding, who I consider to be the driving force behind "Switch Skating", and definitely the first guy I even saw do a whole run backwards. We talk about that, why he started PIZZANISTA, how lucky we are to be skateboarders, and how a cool babysitter helped him satisfy his early skate cravings which linger to this day. Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

Episode 040, featuring Otis Barthoulameu AKA "O" @otiserie @gnarcakeI had a nice chat with O as we all know him as we were custom dyeing some Powerflex Wheels for a special Gnarcake Otisserie Limited Edition of Powerflex 5 wheels which will be available soon. We talk music, skateboarding, Tracker, Transworld, Thrasher, Indy, and a whole lot of random shit between boiling wheels, and sneaking off to have coffee. Hope you enjoy O, he is a one of a kind musician, skateboarder, photographer, and all around fun and creative human.

Episode 039 The Picturebooks Band, featuring Fynn Grabke and Philip Mirtschink with Special Guest Claus Grabke!The Picturebooks is Fynn Grabke and Philip Mirtschink. They are skaters from Germany, and they are managed and produced by Claus Grabke, legendary pro skater and musician/recording studio owner and much more. I love these guys. They are more like family than friends. For over a decade now, they've made my Costa Mesa Office/Warehouse their US Headquarters when they are here. We've shared countless meals, deep conversations, family time, skating, and lots of crazy excursions to make music videos, and I've enjoyed many of their shows while they've been here. We discuss what's it's like to grow up with a musician father deep in the music lifestyle and business and lots about skateboarding and it's influence on them. Bottom line, I love these guys, and think you will too.

Episode 038 Matt Baran, Skateboarding Architect... Ok how about Matt Baran, very talented skateboarding architect. Matt is a Southern California Raised skater, now living in Nor Cal in the Bay Area running his Architecture Design Firm, Baran Studio Architecture.We met on Instagram where I frequently post houses I like with the Hashtag #ThisIsNotJimsBeautifulHouse and Matt saw some of the posts, made a comment on a few of them. After a little snooping and a couple chats, here we are talking to a skateboarder with a very real and impressive portfolio. So, we had a chat about Architecture and Skateboarding, and how one tied into the other to create the life Matt now enjoys.In this crazy pandemic world, we did this interview via zoom, and it's 98% clear, but I apologize for the occasional fuzzy sound. Hope you enjoy Matt, and if you need a really rad house designed, or want to build some cool apartments of the future, hit up this creative skater...

Episode 037 Frankie Hill, OG Street Destroyer joins me with a special guest appearance by his 5 year old daughter Frenchie. Frankie and I chat about his experiences and viewpoints from his days growing up skating and being sponsored first by Dogtown, and eventually Powell Peralta.We talk about growing up and learning to cruise so you can skate for a long time. He shares an experience that took him out for a long time, and how in hindsight its so much easier to understand, and lessons were learned from it that all up and coming skaters should hear.To me Frankie was one of the first street skaters who went really big, and opened up the door for all the crazy stuff that happens today. Hope you enjoy our chat, and thanks for listening.

Episode 036 Jim Fitzpatrick, IASC Founder, Early World Skate Traveler, Bones Brigade Intelligence Operative In 1964, Jim hopped on a plane, equipped with 12 MAKAHA skateboards, his surf stuff, and headed to Europe, being one of the first to expose much of Europe to the sight of an American Production Skateboard. The Makaha Exhibition Team, which he was a part of did just that, random exhibitions to promote this new activity. Competition Teams came later as this was before skateboard competitions had emerged.From his early skate days, we discuss the crazy yet incredible story of how he was hired by Powell, sight unseen, picked up and flown to a skate contest in Savannah, Georgia, and ended up being part of the Powell Bones Brigade crew with such duties as it's intelligence report. The story is very interesting and funny.After his Powell days, Jim formed IASC, the International Association of Skateboard Companies, of which I was a proud board member of, and the first official meeting was held in my conference room. Jim went on to be the early spark for public skateboard parks, culminating in the adoption in 1997 of SB 1296 (California State Senate Bill 1296) which gave cities the liability protection that allowed them to build skateboard parks. I sat in the California Senate Judicial Committee 6-7 years later to promote and push the vote to make that law permanent in 2006 which was made via SB 1179. These bills and laws set the precedent for the nation and the world to begin the massive growth of public skateparks.Jim also is the one who suggested they include language stating the parks should be unattended (no pad nannies), and skateboarders should all thank him greatly for this one, as it has avoiding millions of hours of harassment at skateparks. This show is a good listen for anyone who appreciates knowing how their skate history came to be and the players that were involved. Jim definitely did his share to benefit skateboarding, and I am thankful for his hard work that I've got to enjoy for a couple decades now.

Episode 035 Micaela Ramirez, Founder Poseiden FoundationThe Poseiden Foundation’s Mission is to inspire all youth through life-changing experiences to pursue their passions and to accomplish their dreams through Skateboarding. Through empowerment, love, and support, we change the mindset of society by raising awareness of at-risk youth and homeless children within our community. Micaela and I met over a decade ago and became friends, I have always been a friend and advisor to her and while I do sit on the advisory board for Poseiden, I am just here for guidance and and advice when needed, Micaela and the crew handle things quite well on their own. Micaela's big annual event "Ladies Day at the Berrics" has been taking place for 12 years, and I've been lucky enough to have been to most of them and watched it grow from a small event to an amazing event for hundreds.With a worldwide pandemic and large gatherings not taking place, this year Poseiden's efforts have changed to virtual, and they will be holding a Worldwide Game of Skate with Skaters from all over the world competing and leading up to the finals to be broadcast in conjunction with the Berrics. Follow @poseidenfoundation on Instagram for more info.Hope you enjoy Micaela, and please help if you can. Spread the word, make a donation, it all helps at risk youth, and helps female skateboarding to continue progressing.

Episode 034 Donnie Spada, Skateboarder, Friend, Musician, and Band Support SuperstarDonnie is a member of the world renowned Sad Posse, the skate crew/gang that controlled the chaos at the world famous Sadlands in Anaheim, California. They took over, had the place wired, ripped, and created a little chaos too at one of the greatest skate spots of all time....We met in the early 80's and have have skated off and on over the years. In the last few years, he introduced Old Man Roll Out, and got some of us old fat washed up dudes off our chairs and into the parks while the kids were in school.Through skateboarding and skateboarders he found his way into the music business and has worked with many bands, most notably, NO DOUBT and PEARL JAM, but as you will hear, he has done work with many others. We discuss how skateboarding led him to this and how it has taken his across the world and he's been able to see many countries and cultures. He says his job title is something like Backline Tech or (Roadie) but I think he's rad so I'm calling him a Raddie instead and Band Support Superstar!! During the Covid Chaos, Crisis, Catastrophe, or Coup, (depending on your political viewpoint, or size of your brain), he has been laying low, and playing with his own band Loose Trucks and having fun. They were recently on the famous Rodney on the Rock show which is cool, because we had all grown up listening to it.Hope you enjoy our chat, I sure enjoyed catching up.. Thanks Donnie!

Episode 033 Kent Dahlgren, Skateboarder, Hacktivist, Skatepark Advocate, Socially Conscious HumanKent is one of the most fun and interesting people I know. We met through skateboarding both being skatepark advocates and that relationship together helped the Public Skatepark Development Guide Publication come together, and bonded a great friendship.Kent is one of the original members of the group that built Burnside Skatepark in Portland, and advocated for it's legitimacy, and went on to help found and run Skaters for Public Skateparks.This is definitely an interesting listen as you'll hear about Kent's skateboarding roots, and his present focus with his company 214Alpha in helping communities achieve financial and social self sufficiency, and the complexity and simplicity of it all amazes me. Basically, Kent is smarter than you and me.This is probably the only podcast you'll hear the all these words in the same conversation.. Skateboarding, Skatepark Advocacy, Little Rock Arkansas, Guerrilla Gardener, Skaters for Public Skateparks, Tony Hawk Foundation, Skaters for Portland Skateparks, Non Monetary Capital, Community Building, Self Governance, Algorithm, Elasticity, Enoughness, Growth and Diversity, Hyper Local Governance, and much more.Hope you enjoy listening and knowing that there are Skateboarders are at the forefront of technology to help society at large.

Episode 032 @ChrisClicksDigital AKA: Chris Dangaard SKATEBOARD PHOTOGRAPHER and my friend. I met Chris a few years back and we clicked right away (good pun huh?). I liked his style and how honest, gentle, and real he was for a big dude who looks like he could just thump you and knock you out, and he probably could, but as we discuss "we're too old for that", LOL. I posted a few of his pics on my personal and Powerflex Wheels pages, and sat back and watched as he slowly got invited into the scene and past the invisible barriers of entry. It took lots of work, but he stayed dedicated and put in lots and lots of miles and hours.His talent stands for itself and I am stoked to get to hang out with him often. I see him now fielding calls from the likes of Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Christian Hosoi, and so many of the upcoming rippers. He has been an integral connection for me and Powerflex Wheels and I am stoked to see him getting more and connections daily.Our chat is about the challenges of getting anywhere in skate photography, changing times, adapting to the new world, who is a dick and who isn't, etc.... Just kidding, everyone knows who the dicks are, you don't need to hear it from us. I hope you enjoy the conversation and getting to know Chris a little more and we both agreed, we didn't heckle each other anywhere near enough, maybe because that's what we do everyday... Enjoy!!

Episode 031 Jesse Parker, Longboarder OMG! He's a Rebel who skates everything on 38 Inches of Wood!!Been skating all around with Jesse for ages. He seems to shows up everywhere I go and rips everything. He rides a longer board than you do. He has a Gravity and a Pope Skates Longboard Model (that's right, he's got two) and at over 38" he does slappies, and wall rides better than I can on my smaller sized board.We talk stereotypes, skate spots like Sano Land Ditch, Indian School, Kona skatepark, Steve Olson, Andy McDonald, Dave Hackett and his hairy chest, and our mutual love for Brad Edwards (RIP). We also talk crazy skatepark designs with neck high handrails, we google skate stoppers, discuss pads, injuries, experiences, the public's lack of real knowledge of skateboard manufacturing etc...Jesse wanted to thank his sponsors Gravity, Pope Skates, Clayer Brand and fellow longboard skater Tib's Parise, Socco Socks, Shark Shivers Bearings, Posuer Mfg, Duck Foot Beer, Tracker Trucks, Powerflex Wheels, Priority Longboard Crew, and whoever else he forgot to tell me... Jesse is a lifelong skateboarder, and just happens to ride a longer board, so to me he's just a skateboarder. Hope you enjoy our conversation.

Episode 030 Mark Kowalchuk, CANADIAN, Artist, Skater, Friend, and THE MAN who named this show. I met Mark a few years back at Volcom. He was doing lots of art for them and just got along great and we've been friends ever since. We've done some Guest Model skateboards together for ArtSchool Skateboards, his skateboard brand, he's helped me with Powerflex Graphics, and he even accidentally named the show. Today he does work for the Berrics, Fallen Shoes, Clayman LTD, and many more....We did this chat via Zoom he was in Canada, and I was in Space! Ok, well my mind was but my body was in Costa Mesa. Check @Mark_Kowalchuk on instagram and see lots of really amazing art he has done...

I met Jason "Wee-Man" Acuna (Ah-coon-ya!) in his early teens at a skate shop demo, and for 30 plus years we've shared laughs and skate sessions. He has kept his perspective straight, and I'm stoked to say he's never changed. He skates for fun, has a good grip on the reality of fame, and has done a good job at figuring out how to enjoy life.We talk Van Life, Skateboarding (Duh!), Gonz and his other favorite skaters, some of our favorite ramps and skate spots, his recent move to my town of Costa Mesa, Sponsorship, his Mini Cooper experiences and mine, and lots more. Does he reveal anything about Jackass 4? Well, you'll have to listen to find out.