The Wood - Skateboard Podcast

In our first episode of Season 4 we speak with Kat. Kat works at The Skate Gym and is also a coach there.  In this episode she speaks about her skateboarding origins in Oregon and her journey to Texas. She also speaks on some of the great things, and some of the drawback about being a female skateboarder.  Kat brings an amazing style and perspective to skateboarding that many can learn from.    

In this episode I interview Sean Haines, the founder of 512 Skate Project. What started out as giving a few boards from his collection to some kids who wanted one for Christmas has turned into a full blown non-profit. In partnership with 100% Skateboarding Sean and the 512 Skate Project crew have helped many kids be able to enjoy Christmas with a good quality skateboard. In some cases these kids have gone on to become sponsored skateboarders and changing the trajectory of their lives.   Follow the 512 skate project on instagram at: 512_sk8_project

In this episode I interview Chase, Tristin, and Benji.  They talk about a skate clothing and culture brand Chase started call Khaos Skateboarding.  The brand represents them and their local community of skaters, artists, and designers. In this episode they speak about the brand, skateboarding, marketing, culture, music and entrepreneurship.    

In this episode I interview local ripper KV (ig: @kc_is_chinked_out). He speaks on his favorite tricks, his style, and his homies. 

In this episode I interview Brian Love. Brian is a prominent skate in the Leander/Cedar Park, TX. area. He has been teaching lessons for a few years now and is an instructor at The Skate Gym. In this interview we talk about his skateboarding life, his teaching philosophy and his views on the direction of skateboarding as a whole.

In this episode of The Wood Podcast, I speak with Leander and now Lampasas, TX. legend Paul Konecci. Paul is a very eccentric skater. With his unique style and solitary sensibilities, Paul stands way outside the norm of skateboarding. Go check out his instagram at @paul_konecci  

In this episode we speak with Gus and Gabe, two of the members of Squash Skateboards in Leander, TX. Gus will be moving to Tyler, TX. soon so I wanted to make sure I got him on the mic. Squash is a local group f homies who started the Squash brand for a fun project. They are tight with all the local skaters and The Bone Crue in Leander.   Gus ig: @go0berus Gabe ig: gzbes Squash ig: @squashskateboards  

In this episode I speak with Jaxson Langley. Jaxson is fairly new to the Austin area, hailing from Amarillo and Fritch, north of Amarillo. In this episode he speaks about his hometown scene, his favorite tricks, riders, and his goals to work to become a professional skateboarder.  You can find Jaxson at his instagram acct: @_atxskateboarding_  

In this inaugural episode for Season 3, we start out the season as the official podcast of The Skate Gym in Leander, TX. We interview Kurry and Pablo, two of the minds behind local extreme sports clothing brand The Bone Crue.  The Bone Crue have established notoriety and traction in the Northwest suburbs of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, and Liberty Hill. They encompass skateboarding, wakeboarding, BMX, surfing, and snowboarding. All their designs are homegrown and they consistently lift people up to be better riders and part of the community. 

In this episode, I askes James Harlan to come over and work on my car for a transmission flush, a tire rotation and oil change.  It started pouring rain so we decided to make the best of the time and record an episode of The Wood.  I met James through the NeverWas crew where he is the youngest guy there and was ripping during the Stupid Fest that they do every year.  James can rip both a skateboard and a BMX.  You will find him mostly around Shayla Dame Park in Round Rock or in someone's driveway fixing a car.  Give him a shout if you want your car fixed!    Parents:  James cusses alot, so if you don't like it, hide your kid's ears!  Haha.  

In the Season 3 Episode 12 of The Wood Podcast I speak with Lou Statman about his passion for slalom skateboarding. Lou invited me at the last minute to go out and meet him in the parking lot of Pflugerville High School Pfield parking lot where he frequently sets up cones and has a good time with friends charging through them. I happened to have some gear with me so I did an impromptu interview. He gives us a primer on slalom skateboarding in this episode. At the end, Cory Thornhill and Ethan Allen also made cameo appearances and shared their rigs with us! You can find Lou on Instagram at: @loucorproductions

In this final interview in the container at the Banger in the Hangar, I found the creator of the videozine, Mongochatter, Jon Hanks and grilled him with my usual questions until we started free-flowing the conversation. His take on pushing mongo was very refreshing and applies to life as a whole. Pushing mongo is an easy target for ridicule in skateboarding, but for those who dgaf, mongo is empowerment and, after this conversation, seems to be the best way to live life. Find him! Instagram: @mongochatter youtube.com/mongochatter  @MONGOCHATTER  Patreon.com/mongochatter

In this episode at the Banger in the Hanger, I interview freshly turned pro skateboarder Dakota White, along with Pat Morehead and Brian Michaelsick from Hellsick Skateboards.  Pat and Brian talk about their roots as a skateboard company and the importance of their graphics.  Then Dakota jumps in and speaks about the significance of the graphics of his new pro model on Hellsick skateboards that Pat designed.  The imagery of the buffalo and lighting tie into his Native American roots and the star quilt pattern on the top tie into his Grandmother's Native American quilt making skill.   This graphic is amazing.  The board is high quality, and the rider, Dakota White, rips.  I have no doubt this board will become iconic. 

At Banger in the Hanger 2023 vert contest in Houston, TX I got to meet Brad Roberson, the Owner of Texas Skate Shop located deep in the sticks of East Texas in a little town called Gilmer.  In the least likely of skateboard markets, Brad is spearheading a burgeoning skateboard culture that was simmering underneath the fabric there.  He builds his own skateboard deck from scratch, and runs the Ditch Skateboarding International Facebook groups as well.  He is a natural born teacher and will take any chance he can get to evangelize the positivity that skateboarding can bring to a life and a community.  Was really great to meet him and I look forward to collabing with him somehow in the future.  

In this episode I ran into Hubba (William LeMaster) at the Banger in the Hangar contest in Houston, TX.  I already knew he was basically a pro skater, has his own board with Cockfight Skateboards and is a complete ripper, but I did not know he grew up in Dallas and that he grew up hanging around the spots of all the Dallas pros like Jeff Phillips and Craig Johnson in the 80's.  Hubba is super genuine and very modest. He lets his skateboarding do most of his talking.  I felt very fortunate that he came on to share some of his origin story.  Thanks Hubba!   Be sure to look out for more Banger in the Hangar interviews between The Wood Podcast and Won't Shut Up and Skate Podcast!

In this video I interview Andy "Bastard" Escalante. Andy has been one of the folks behind the scenes at the Lizard Ditch Skateboarding DIY in Austin, Texas. Andy walks us through his skateboarding life and how he came to find his home community in this ditch. He speaks on his philosophy around community and building DIY skate spots and shares some valuable insight into how we can be a creative and constructive force in Austin culture by building placers like Lizard DIY. A special thanks to Andy for sharing his wisdom and doing this interview. And also a special thanks to all those folks who are out there building!

In this episode I sit down for the long haul with Darin Hoops.  Darin came to Austin 18 years ago in 2008 from Arizona.  His experience with the Dream Destroyers, scrappy skateboard part collecting, and DIY spot building on slabs was brought here to be a strong influnce on the DIY spot culture here in Austin.  Darin is a creator, a collector, a curator, and a talented stroryteller.  The interview was long, but it felt super short as I was deeply immersed into his verbal imagery. 

This episode is a sort of bonus episode.  So not totally about skateboarding.  Doug and I grew up together in Kingwood and skated together with all of our crew.   But Doug has always been more of a BMXer.  The BMX and the skateboarding world in Austin has always been closely related.  We skated/rode many of the same places, we partied together, we have the same DIY spot philosophies, and we all seem to know each other.  My brother Casey, who is best friends with Doug, crossed both worlds of BMX and skateboarding.  This helped me to keep in contact with Doug and be aware of both worlds.  This episode was an emotional episode for me to make as it is still hard to see my friend, (who was always ripping and pushing the boundaries at whatever he did), confined to a wheelchair. Doug won the Nationals and worlds for BMX. Doug was chosen to go to the 2012 Beijing Olympics to represent the US for BMX. He never made it due to the accident.  He is not supposed to be alive. But over the course of this interview, I realized that Doug is still Number One. Despite doctors and people telling him he can't do things, he is continuing to push the limits of what he can do everyday and is claiming lots of small victories.   Doug has shifted his perspective and wants to world to know he is still here and still Number 1. 

Cary Jackson aka: Carjack is a Skateboarding data dump. He has been around the Houston and Austin scene for a very long time. Beginning skateboarding in the 70's, then diving deep into the 80's Houston pool scene, cutting teeth on local park building and DIY spots, to becoming a world traveling skatepark and X-Games contest park builder, Cary has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of skateboarding and the park-building industry within it. We met up at one of the oldest ditches in Austin, the Turkey Bowl, for this interview. Follow along as Cary takes us through a narrative just as bumpy, gritty, gnarly, and unique as many of the the pools he has skated.

This was a banger of an episode.  It is a long one, so sit back and relax and enjoy all the amazing Texas skateboarding history that Chip can spout out on demand since he was right there experiencing it all in real time.  Chip is a long time OG Texas skateboarder and contest announcer for skatebaording and and for the. Texas Rollergirls.  He has been around the block and has the stories to prove it.  This episode has zero dull moments and makes you realize that right now, everyday you are out there skateboarding with your homies, you are making history and nostalgia for every following wave of skateboarding to come.  Chip reminds us of that fact and expresses beautifully how we are all a part of that in our own "free to be us" way.  Thanks Chip!  

One of the locals from Garden Ridge in north San Antonio was at Jaws in New Braunfels ripping and we got to talking. Turns out that not only is he a ripper on a skateboard, he is also a Fitness Trainer. We were talking about strengh, mobility, flexibility, recovery, nutrition, and everything else surrounding physical wellness and skateboarding. As I mentioned in my first blog post, I want The Skate Gym to be about all of that. Most of the time when I am at the park I just want to skate and hang out, but on occasions like this where the incentives align, I can't resist taking out my 4-track recorder and doing an improv podcast recording session. Thsi episode came out great. Trevor is an incredible skater and an incredible person. I hope to have him come to the The Skate Gym to do some skateboarding strength workshops!

In this episode, I interview Cat, the Founder of Cherries Wheels.  Cat is not just the Founder of a skateboard wheel company.  Since the day she stepped on her first ramp and bashed in her nose on the flat-bottom of a skatepark ramp, she was hooked on skateboarding.  But not just skateboarding, but also the wider community surrounding skateboarding.  Everything she does, from working a skateshop, creating zines, organizing contests, building DIY spots, to creating the first woman-owned wheel company, Cat forms a story and a community around it.  You can clearly tell she is a Madrina of the DIY scene and brings to life the corners of the city where most don't venture to go.  At the same time, she creates a high quality, professional skateboard wheel for everyone.     You can find out more at: cherrieswheels.com - https://www.cherrieswheels.com/ Instagram: @cherrieswheels

In this episode I speak with Will Caston at Fredericksburg Skatepark.  Will has spun the wheel and let fate decide where he has lived and skated in lots of places from Jackson, MS, to North Carolina, to Salt Lake City, to Portland, to Austin, and has always carried his stoke for skating everywhere he goes.  He is a true soul skater.

I met Chad at House Park on October 1, 2022.  He was gracefully grinding that deceivingly hard curb at the front of the park and had a mellow vibe to him, so I ask him for an interview.  The guy has been skating for a long time and in a lot of cool places.  He definitely knows how to find his happy place on four urethane wheels in the morning no matter where he is.  He also brings some cool stories about the Ohio skate scene ad the military base in Germany.  Thanks Chad!  

In this interview I interview fellow skater and podcaster Jason Cabello.  He is fairly new to Austin and brings his experiences from Miami and LA with him.  He is also a podcaster and knew how to tell a good story about his life as a skater and his battle with addiction to recovery.   

In this episode I speak with another fellow Kingwood homie.  Dave has a weird style and a mellow persona.  His comfort zone is in nollies and doing low-key dork tricks on one curb for hours at a time.  With his creative and unique approach to skating and life, it was a pleasure to get him recorded! 

In this episode I sat down with Brian Farmer.  He is a low key street skater who generally skates with the Foundry-Hellsick folks.  Also coming from Kingwood, TX. like much of the crew.  He describes his influences from the early days and what it's like being a teacher in the institution who is also a skater who grew up hating the institutions, and how it affects the way he teaches and communicates to his kids.  

San Marcos park local, Josh Chappell charges everything.  "Holdin' on for dear life", and "try to stay upright as long as you can".  I love this outlook on skateboarding.  I'm sad this interview was cut a bit short as my recorder battery ran out.  He had alot of great stuff to say.

Shane Wolfe is born and raised straight out of the ditches as an Austin local.  You can tell his ditch style in everything he rides.  Hitting every possible line and corner of a bowl he sweeps it up.  

Mandon Maloney has been skating a long, long time.  You can always find him at House Park in central Austin.  He has seen skate style come and go and seems to have always done his own thing in bowls and on ramps.  He is super low key and humble.  In this episode, he talks about his early days in Dallas, his favorite places in Austin, his music and band, and his favorite things all of them.  He never even mentioned his old house having a cameo in Streets of Fire, or his more than 2 decade professional tennis career.  Like I said, a super humble dude. 

Scott Garlington (Switchie) has always been a bringer together of people, and he rips also.  From arriving in Austin as a dreadlocked Drag rat to nowadays meditating through his skateboard at House Park on the reg, Scott has earned his place as one of Austin's established.  In this episode we get to hear his take on skateboarding in Corpus, OKC, and Austin as well as the wood ramp scene in the early 2000's.  

In this episode I had a great time speaking with with Dave Wattigny.  He speaks of all types of tales from his photographic memory of his early days on his Hobie board, to the Broken Neck, a busted spleen, to the Dust Bowl in Lafayette, to "pool-cleaning" and building the pool in Parisite Park in New Orleans.   

In this episode I got to speak with Isaac Martinez during a Wednesday night session at his house in central Austin where Maggie's Ramp is located.  He talks about the ramp story, the early days of his skating, his influences, and his board shaping.  

In this episode I got to speak with John Wilinski aka: Hollywood while he was in town and ripping up Maggie's ramp in Austin, TX.  Hollywood has been around the block and back again on a skateboard and has a unique perspective on skateboarding both as a pro and as a ramp builder.  

In this short episode at the Fredericksburg contest on April 29, 2022, I had a chance to sit down with Ebone and talk about her love for skateboarding. Growing up in South Austin, she has found her crew of like-minded women who also skate and have a stoke for the sport.  She also teaches at a middle school and has been given the opportunity to  share her love for the sport and for her students by helping them learn how to ride a skateboard.   

This is one of two short episodes from a contest on Fredericksburg. David Castillo, founder of Orale! speaks with me as we talk about skateboarding in The Valley in South Texas, and in San Antonio.  He also talks about his company Orale! that specializes in hardware made for skateboarding.  Park building legend Grapes also makes a cameo appearance.

In this episode I interview San Marcos local Sam Bethke.  He recounts the days in San Marcos, TX before the official skatepark, the street scene, and his run-ins with the security guards.  Then, later in life he discovers Krav Maga and describes how it all ties in to his first love of skateboarding.     Brought to you by: Foundry Skateboards  https://www.foundryskateboards.com/

In this episode I speak with Wes Hunter.  Longtime local in the Austin skate scene and longtime ripper at many of the iconic wooden ramps that were built in Austin over the past couple of decades.  We speak a little bit about those ramps and his influences as a skater.

In this episode I talk to Stephen Esposito while we were skating at Tom Henry's concrete skatepark in his backyard.  He recounts his skateboarding roots in Phoenix and Chicago before his move to Austin.

PJ has been rolling since the 80's.  He brings lots of art and style to his skating and his life.  He recounts some cool stories of his early days of skating with all our local Kingwood hoodrats and with Christian McCloud (RIP).  We talk about favorite boards, skaters, and different styles along with his own artistic style and work.  

In this episode I interview Brad Jackson.  Brand is a fixture at Brushy Creek Skatepark.  The the Autumn Skateboard Collective, Brad consistently puts in effort to make sure the parks are clean and that the local hoodrats are stoked on skateboarding by helping to gather and distribute extra new and used skate equipment.  If you see Brad at any of the skateparks lend a hand, show some respect,  and if you have any extra gear laying around, give it to him and he will make sure it gets under the feet of the kids who will use and appreciate it.  I also haven't mentioned yet that Brad is a ripper.  

Episode 02 with Sean Forsberg.  If you took Bill Murray, Mark Gonzales, and Mickey Mouse and threw them into a blender, you get Sean.   Sean brings the weird vids to The Foundry and pulls some really good footage out of his ass alot of the time.  He also flows really really fast around bowl corners.  The podcast ends abruptly, due to the batteries running out... Or did it....?

For this first episode I interview Pat Morehead.  Longtime skateboarder, founder of Foundry Skateboards, and an overall OG.  It was a beautiful day at an uncrowded Pflugerville Skatepark on a Saturday afternoon.