Episode 65 with Scott Johnston, skateboarder and footwear designer from Los Angeles, California. Together we discussed him growing up in Maryland, skating Pulaski in the late 80’s/early 90’s, getting on Think Skateboards and Venture Trucks before moving to San Francisco in 1992, turning pro for Think, moving over to Mad Circle and eventually Chocolate after settling down in L.A., transitioning from pro skating to shoe design in the late 2000’s, first at Lakai and eventually Adidas, his upcoming projects… through surprise questions from Greg Carroll, Matthew Willigan, Tobin Yelland, Aaron Meza, Jacob Rosenberg, Jaime Owens, Dimitry Elyashkevich, Colin Kennedy, Justin Girard, Cairo Foster, Joey Pepper, Tim Anderson, Nikhil Thayer, Pontus Alv, Tony Ferguson, Jesus Fernandez, R.B. Umali, Mike O’Meally and Greg Hunt.  (00:13) – Intro  (01:13) – Getting started  (07:35) – Greg Carroll   (20:15) – Matthew Willigan  (22:41) – Tobin Yelland   (28:37) – Aaron Meza  (31:55) – Jacob Rosenberg  (38:28) – Jaime Owens  (41:57) – Dimitry Elyashkevich  (44:28) – Colin Kennedy   (46:18) – Justin Girard   (50:28) – Cairo Foster  (01:03:03) – Joey Pepper  (01:07:07) – Tim Anderson  (01:12:57) – Nikhil Thayer  (01:18:50) – Pontus Alv  (01:21:16) – Tony Ferguson (01:22:44) – Jesus Fernandez  (01:26:40) – R.B. Umali   (01:29:16) – Mike O’Meally   (01:35:07) – Greg Hunt   (01:39:04) – Transitioning into shoe design (01:44:39) – Retiring from pro skating  (01:51:56) – Adidas Skateboarding   (01:53:02) – Adjusting to Adidas (01:57:06) – Favorite project at Adidas   (02:04:28) – Upcoming projects  (02:09:05) – Conclusion    For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 64 with Jesus Fernandez, professional skateboarder from Madrid, Spain. Together we discussed him growing up in Madrid and picking up his first board in the late 80’s, traveling to the US for the first time at 16 years old with Enrique Lorenzo and staying at Lance Mountain’s home, going back a few years later with his brother Alphonso and his good friend Dani Lebron, getting on Neighborhood skateboards and filming for the “Lala land” video, meeting with Chico Brenes at Lockwood and getting flowed Chocolate boards, filming for “Yeah Right”, getting banned from the US because of visa issues and quitting Chocolate, coming back to Madrid and getting on Nomad Skateboards, reconnecting with the Lakai team in Málaga and meeting with Federico Vitetta with whom he filmed most of his iconic “Fully Flared” part, getting back on Chocolate and turning pro, moving to Copenhagen with his wife and 2 kids in 2018 and getting adjusted to their new life over there, his upcoming projects…   (00:13) – Intro   (01:25) – Getting started   (04:03) – First mag, first video  (07:41) – Spanish tech skating  (10:09) – Meeting with Javier Sarmiento and Dani Lebron  (14:08) – Skate scene in Madrid back in the days   (20:38) – Going to the states for the first time  (22:48) – Staying with Lance Mountain  (26:47) – Meeting with Richald Mulder  (27:06) – Going to the “Nueve vidas de Paco” premiere  (32:52) – Moving to the states with Alphonso and Dani to find sponsors (44:53) – Getting on Neighborhood  (47:12) – Filming for “Lala land”  (48:29) – Meeting with Socrates Leal  (51:29) – After "Lalaland", Neighborhood was kind of done  (54:12) – Meeting Chico Brenes at Lockwood and getting on Chocolate flow  (01:07:58) – Filming for “Yeah Right”  (01:10:25) – Getting banned from coming to the US for 5 years and quitting Chocolate (01:19:19) – Back to Spain, skating for Nomad (01:26:02) – Moving from Madrid to Barcelona (01:30:49) – Lakai team coming to Spain to film for "Fully Flared" (01:43:41) – Fakie treflip switch crook ender in "Fully Flared" (01:46:08) – Getting back on Chocolate  (01:57:05) – Turning pro for Chocolate  (02:01:37) – Gnarliest trick witnessed during the filming of “Fully Flared” (02:04:14) – Moving to Copenhagen (02:09:23) – What are you up to these days?   (02:13:44) – Upcoming projects?  (02:15:53) – Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding (02:18:06) – Friends questions   (03:02:52) – Conclusion    For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 63 with Ryan Lay, professional skateboarder from Tempe, Arizona. Together we discussed him growing up near Phoenix, AZ and picking up his first board in 1999, the current state of his pro-skater career recently joining Sci-Fi Fantasy and New Balance in his mid-30’s, going to college for a bit after high school but eventually dropping out to focus on his skate career, being vegan for over 10 years, starting Skate After School with his friends Timothy Ward and Bobby Green and growing it into a successful non-profit, his involvement with Skatepal and his fond memories of traveling to Palestine, going to the 2019 edition of Pushing Boarders in Malmö, putting together the first edition of Slow Impact AZ in his hometown of Tempe in February 2023, his love of trail-running, doing the Vent City podcast for a few years with his friends, what he envisions for the rest of his pro-skater career…    (00:13) – Intro   (01:13) – Getting started  (02:44) – First mag, first vid  (04:56) – How do you feel at this stage of your pro skater career?   (07:33) – Being on NB with Andrew Reynolds  (09:00) – Sci-Fi Fantasy  (10:59) – Education   (14:47) – Veganism  (19:00) – Skate After School  (25:41) – Getting involved with Skatepal  (30:07) – Going to Pushing Boarders  (31:49) – Slow Impact   (36:32) – Were you set on doing the event in Tempe?   (40:04) – When will the next edition of Slow Impact happen? (43:17) – “We found love” by Rihanna  (46:15) – Favorite memory from the event?  (49:14) – Trail running  (01:02:18) – Goals/ambitions for the next 5 to 10 years?   (01:05:42) – Vent City Podcast (01:06:38) – Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding?   (01:08:43) – Friends questions    (01:42:39) – Conclusion For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 62 with Dr. Indigo Willing, skateboarder, sociology researcher, community leader and author from Brisbane, Australia, also known as occupied Yugarra and Turrbal Aboriginal tribes’ territory.   Together we discussed her Vietnamese origins and settling down in Sydney, Australia with her adoptive family as a young child, how her interest for sociology began and eventually led to completing her PhD, starting to skateboard in 2014 at the age of 41, co-building communities through various groups such as the Adopted Vietnamese International Initiative (AVI), the Asian Australian Films, Forum and Network (AAFFN), the We Skate QLD network (formerly known as Girls Skate Brisbane), the Consent is rad campaign or more recently the SSHRED Research and Community Network, her most recent book “Skateboarding, Power and Change” written with co-author Anthony Pappalardo, her upcoming projects in Sydney in 2024…   (00:13) – Intro   (01:37) – Birth in Vietnam and arrival in Australia as a child  (06:20) – How did your interest for studying sociology begin?   (10:57) – How long did it take you to complete your PhD?   (15:46) – What year did you start skating?   (18:22) – First few years of skating   (23:44) – Building communities   (32:30) – Consent is rad campaign and cyber harassment   (37:47) – Consent is rad started at Pushing Boarders Malmö in 2019  (41:28) – How did you enjoy going to Pushing Boaders?  (43:46) – Had you participated in similar events outside of skateboarding prior to PB?  (49:10) – How skateboarding is addressing the climate crisis  (58:36) – “Skateboarding, power and change” book with Anthony Pappalardo  (01:06:07) – Interviewing 42 people over zoom calls  (01:08:41) – How did you work together with Anthony on this book?   (01:15:54) – What’s something you learned from doing the book?   (01:22:54) – Moving back to Sydney in 2024 (01:31:04) – Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding? (01:32:37) – Friends questions (02:24:32) – Conclusion   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 61 with Madars Apse, professional skateboarder from Venstpils, Latvia. Together we discussed him growing up in Venstpils and picking up his first board in the early 2000’s, doing a lot of contests in his early years of skating which landed him some of his first sponsors, living in Barcelona and studying business as his career was taking off, filming with Javier Mendizabal for the “Cuatro sueños pequeños” film by Thomas Campbell, doing a skateboarding travel show called “It’s a mad world” for a few years which eventually turned into “Skate Tales” for Redbull, the most recent season including episodes with Wes Kremer and Takahiro Morita among other exciting guests, riding for Element for nearly 20 years, his current shoe sponsor situation, his upcoming projects…    (00:13) – Intro  (01:25) – Getting started  (06:29) – Doing competitions at an early age  (12:08) – Getting on Element   (14:35) – Studying business   (18:57) – “Cuatro sueños pequeños” film by Thomas Campbell  (22:09) – Starting to travel a lot  (25:17) – Getting on Redbull  (29:39) – “It’s a mad world”   (32:49) – Transitioning into “Skate Tales”   (34:59) – Figuring out the layout of a season (37:18) – Are you already working on season 4?  (38:02) – Episode in Russia which never came out (39:19) – Future “Skate Tales” dream guests?  (42:13) – Riding for Element and DC for a long time  (46:58) – Current situation with DC Shoes  (51:20) – Redbull helping out building and rebuilding spots in Latvia   (56:40) – Favorite crew to travel with (58:35) – What’s left to do on your bucket list for skating?  (59:43) – Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding  (01:00:54) – Friends questions   (01:35:58) – Conclusion For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 60 with Greg Hunt, skateboarder, photographer and filmmaker from Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Together we discussed him growing up and picking up his first board in the mid-80’s, road-tripping with his friend Goose and a young Sean Sheffey to San Francisco and eventually settling down there right after his 18th birthday, turning pro for Stereo and filming parts for their iconic videos “A visual sound” and “Tincan Folklore”, developing an interest for photography thanks to his friend and roommate Gabe Morford, retiring from pro skating in his mid-20’s and transitioning into filmmaking, taking Ty Evans’ spot over at Transworld and working with Jon Holland on a few videos (including the iconic “Sight Unseen”), making (initially with Joe Castrucci) the first DC video, working on the next Alien Workshop video “Mind Field", choosing the music for it with Mike Hill and Chad Bowers, making the famous Dylan Rieder solo part for Gravis, moving over to Vans to make their first ever full length video “Propeller” and doing many other projects with them since then, his music videos for Cat Power, the photography books he’s put out in recent years…    (00:13) – Intro   (01:25) – Getting started  (03:38) – Road trip to SF with Sean Sheffey   (05:59) – Meeting with all the Deluxe guys in SF  (09:39) – Getting flowed Real boards before getting on Stereo  (11:22) – Going to college during his pro years in SF  (13:57) – Turning pro for Stereo  (20:47) – Filming some super 8 footage in “Tincan Folklore”   (22:47) – Quitting Stereo  (24:32) – Developing an interest in photography   (28:16) – What films did you like when you were just getting started with cinematography?  (30:49) – First jobs on films   (36:38) – Working at Transworld  (43:12) – Getting approached by DC to film their first full length video  (49:12) – Transition into “Mind Field”   (53:37) – Selecting the music for “Mind Field” with Chad Bowers and Mike Hill  (59:14) – Dylan part for Gravis  (01:01:42) – Starting to work with Vans on “Propeller”   (01:03:57) – Transitioning between massive video projects  (01:07:17) – Other video projects with Vans   (01:13:18) – Elijah skating to “Falling rain” by Link Wray  (07:17:58) – Roy Orbinson’s song “In Dreams” used in different skate videos  (01:19:12) – Music videos for Cat Power  (01:20:44) – Nuge and Louie Lopez in Cat Power music videos  (01:21:40) – “Making a music video is a lot like filming a skate part”  (01:23:41) – Photography books   (01:31:21) – Back story on a photo of John Fitzgerald from “Everything I’m trying to tell you”  (01:34:30) – Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding  (01:37:02) – Friends questions   (02:23:41) – Conclusion    For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 59 with Ted Barrow, skateboarder and art historian from San Francisco, California.  Together we discussed him growing up between Texas and Northern California and picking up his first board in the mid to late 80’s, developing early on an interest for art and eventually studying art history in college, spending a few summers connecting with the local skaters in Paris in the late 90’s to early 2000’s, settling down in New York City in 2002 and spending 18 years there skating, bartending, working on his PhD, teaching/lecturing, giving historical walking tours of the city and more, running the famous “Feedback TS” Instagram account for a few years, moving to the Bay Area in February 2020 right at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, Tony Vitello pitching him the idea for a show on Thrasher which became “This Old Ledge”, making the first few episodes on the iconic San Francisco spots, where he’d like to shoot the next episodes…    (00:13) – Intro   (01:13) – Growing up   (02:53) – Moving to Texas   (06:31) – First mag and first video  (08:22) – Interest for art   (16:55) – Summers in Paris  (23:46) – Moving to New York to find work around art   (27:44) – 18 years in NYC, arriving after 9/11 and leaving right before Covid started  (31:27) – Favorite place in NYC?  (33:03) – Working several different jobs   (37:42) – Historical walking tours in New York   (44:43) – Leaving New York   (49:47) – Back to California   (51:45) – Feedback TS Instagram account   (01:01:04) – Hosting panel talks at Pushing Boarders and Slow Impact   (01:12:08) – Completing his PhD recently  (01:24:12) – “This old ledge” for Thrasher Magazine (01:37:50) – Most valuable lesson learned from skating  (01:39:53) – Friends questions   (02:09:31) – Conclusion For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 58 with Jan Kliewer, skateboarder and skatepark builder from Berlin, Germany.  Together we discussed him growing up in Göttingen and picking up his first board in the late 80’s, traveling to California and getting flowed ATM Click boards and DC shoes for a bit, getting on Cliché and filming for their iconic second full length video “Bon Appétit” directed by Fred Mortagne, moving from DC to Globe and from Cliché to Jart within a few years, having a part in Pontus Alv’s cult classic film “The Strongest of the Strange”, unofficially joining Polar in 2012, retiring from pro skating and getting into journalism as the German editor of European skate mag “Kingpin” for a few years, his current job as skatepark designer at Yamato Living Ramps…   (00:13) – Intro  (01:25) – Picking up his first board  (02:43) – First magazine, video  (03:54) – Moving to Berlin  (05:34) – Importance of style   (15:12) – Sponsors   (21:19) – Sharing a part with JJ Rousseau in « Bon Appétit »    (27:01) – Leaving Cliché   (30:14) – Part in “Strongest of the strange”   (30:55) – Moving from DC to Globe  (31:53) – Getting on Jart   (33:38) – “Unofficially” joining Polar in 2012   (36:13) – Guest board on Magenta   (37:48) – Retiring from pro skating   (39:26) – Kingpin  (44:26) – Yamato Living Ramps (58:47) – Sustainability and concrete building   (01:03:49) – Increase in demand for skateparks since the Olympics?  (01:08:03) – How long does it usually take to build a skatepark?  (01:08:53) – Upcoming projects   (01:11:41) – Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding  (01:14:10) – Friends questions   (01:53:02) – Conclusion    For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 57 with Bastien Regeste, skateboarder and filmmaker from Montpellier, France.  Together we discussed him growing up in La Grande-Motte next to Montpellier in the South of France, picking up his first proper board in 2007, developing an interest for filming aside from skating, spending a year in San Francisco as a student, filming and editing videos for Jeremie Daclin’s brands Bonjour Urethane and Film Trucks, making three full length videos with his crew of friends under the name "B(ee)R” in the last few years, his obsession for Twin Peaks, his upcoming projects…     (00:13) - Intro  (01:25) - Getting started   (06:30) - First mag, first video (07:40) - Starting to film skating  (12:53) - Learning how to make videos  (14:30) - Meeting with the Mofos crew  (16:53) - Freelance filming gigs  (27:45) - Bonjour Urethane and Film Trucks projects   (41:34) - Favorite project for Film Trucks, filming with Ben Koppl  (46:26) - Solo parts vs. full length videos   (50:47) - Upcoming Film Trucks video  (51:24) - Beer videos: how it all started  (58:24) - Making the first Beer video  (01:07:10) - San Francisco trip   (01:09:50) - Premiering Beer 3   (01:15:15) - Maxime Garlenc back tail drop in surprise (01:20:00) - Twin Peaks references in skate videos  (01:21:55) - Turning Beer into a brand?   (01:30:06) - Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding   (01:34:09) - Friends questions  (02:01:20) - Conclusion For more information and resources:  https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 56 with Sander Hölsgens, skateboarder, filmmaker and academic based in Rotterdam, Holland.  Together we discussed him growing up in Kerkrade and picking up his first board in the early 2000’s as a teenager, studying art and anthropology and labeling himself a skateboarding anthropologist, writing his PhD thesis on skateboarding in Seoul, South Korea, co-creating and organizing the Pushing Boarders conferences/events in 2018 and 2019 in London and Malmö, his current position at the University of Leiden, his thoughts on the climate crisis and why the skateboarding community is not addressing this issue more, his upcoming projects…    (00:13) - Intro  (01:13) - Getting started  (05:47) - First mag and first video  (06:52) - John Rattray influence   (09:42) - Ever dreamt of getting sponsored/turning pro?  (11:22) - How good of a student were you?  (16:38) - Journey with academia  (21:53) - PhD thesis on skateboarding in Seoul  (26:03) - Skateboarding anthropologist  (30:16) - Film Recordings festival  (32:47) - Pushing Boarders  (38:47) - How many days, how many panels at both editions?  (41:11) - Was the second edition more chill than the first one?  (43:14) - How difficult was it to involve sponsors?  (49:16) - Why hasn’t there been another edition of PB since 2019?  (54:06) - Current initiatives that are inspired by Pushing Boarders (56:50) - Current position at the University of Leiden  (01:00:46) - Article about skateboarding and failure with Paul O’Connor  (01:04:38) - Studying the skateboarding scene in Korea  (01:16:06) - Climate crisis: why is it not discussed more in skateboarding?  (01:26:07) - Upcoming projects  (01:28:14) - Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding  (01:30:13) - Friends questions  (01:57:29) - Conclusion   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.