Episode 50 with Jaime Owens, skateboarder, journalist, photographer, founder of Closer Skateboarding Magazine. Together we discussed him growing up skating in Florence, South Carolina, studying art and photography in college, moving to California in 1999, connecting with Aaron Meza and Mike Ballard at Skateboarder Magazine, filming for Jackass for a little bit, climbing up the ladder at Skateboarder until it closed down in 2013, moving over to Transworld to become the editor-in-chief, leaving in 2021 with no set plans, deciding to launch a new print skate mag in 2022 and calling it Closer, releasing issue number 4 in the Spring of 2023, his vision of the future of skateboarding media, skating better than ever in his late 40's...  Intro (00:13)  Getting started (01:13)  First video/magazine (03:01) Studying art and photography (06:01)  Moving to California in 1999 (10:08)  Connecting with the Jackass crew (13:43)  Working at Skateboarder (24:05) Moving towards more digital content (34:35)  Leaving Transworld, developing the idea for a new print mag (38:04)  Secret to skating a lot in his late 40’s (45:18)  The beginning of Closer (48:59)  Connecting with Farran Golding (56:47)  Dealing with print quantities (57:40)  Decision to do a quarterly magazine (01:01:37)  Printing the mag locally (01:04:49)  Scheduling (01:08:23)  Doing more digital stuff in the near future (01:10:33) The future of skateboarding media (01:13:07)  Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding (01:15:13)  Friends questions (01:16:30) Conclusion (01:53:23)   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 49 with Atita Verghese, skateboarder from Bangalore, India.  Together we discussed her growing up in Bangalore, her mom being her first inspiration to become a strong independent woman and create her own lane, picking up a skateboard at 19 years old and skating with the Holystoked crew, meeting with the Make Life Skate Life crew and learning how to build skate spots, starting Girl Skate India in 2015, an organization which teaches girls how to skate, promotes gender equality and brings together skateboarders in India through workshops, going to Pushing Boarders Malmö in 2019, skating with Madars Apse recently for an episode of his show « Skate Tales », her upcoming projects…    Intro (00:13)  Getting started (01:13)  Upbringing (02:21)  Discovering skateboarding (07:36)  Being a girl in this emerging skate scene (10:26)  Family and friends’ reaction to her skating (14:27)  Access to skateboarding gear in Bangalore in 2013 (17:41)  First videos and magazines (19:13)  Make life skate life (21:40)  Building parks around India (22:39)  Starting Girl Skate India (23:11)  The challenge of skateboarding for young children in India (31:46)  Vans sponsorship (34:48)  Pushing Boarders 2019 in Malmö (37:21)  Skateboarding not really gendered in India (40:15)  Current Indian skaters the world should keep an eye on (48:01)  Upcoming projects (51:27)  Skate Tales episode with Madars Apse (55:42)  Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding (57:43)  Friends questions (58:43)  Conclusion (01:28:55)   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 48 with Johannes Schön and Florian "Burny" Hopfensperger, skateboarders from Germany, creators of Pocket Skatemag. Together we discussed them growing up in different parts of Germany, meeting for the first time on a skate trip to Croatia back in 2010, working in the skateboarding industry, Johannes in marketing for German distributor Mosaic and Burny as a skate photographer for various publications, launching Pocket Skatemag in 2017, how they run this whole operation between the two of them along with all the other people involved (particularly young prodigy Bennet Rahm), their favorite « followed » pieces so far, their thoughts about the future of skateboarding media, their upcoming projects…    Intro (00:13)  Getting started (01:13)  First video and magazine (05:13)  Meeting for the first time in Croatia in 2010 (08:33)  Work experience before launching Pocket (10:59)  First Transworld photographer issue for Burny (15:30)  Johannes worked for Mosaic, a German distributor for a few years (17:10)  Starting Pocket Skatemag (24:41)  Coming up with the name (28:55)  Influences in skateboarding media (31:58)  Business plan in mind at the beginning? (35:33)  Dividing tasks between both of them (38:13)  What is the other’s best skill or quality? (43:29)  How are you so damn productive? (44:47)  Johannes animations for Instagram (54:05)  Favorite « Followed » pieces so far (01:00:12)  « Followed » bucket list (01:03:00)  Thoughts on the future of skateboarding media (01:03:54)  Inspiring current initiatives in skateboarding media (01:08:45)  Upcoming projects (01:12:23)  Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding (01:14:30)  Friends questions (01:17:49)  Conclusion (01:52:29) For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 47 with Kuba Kaczmarczyk, skateboarder and videographer from Warsaw, Poland. Together we discussed him growing up and picking up a skateboard in Warsaw in the early 90’s, getting interested in filming and making skate videos with his friends, releasing his first full-length video « Grey Area » in 2012 with a crew of talented skaters from Eastern and Central Europe, a few years later using the name Grey Area for the crew, working a full-time job and having a family while filming and making many more videos throughout the years, his upcoming projects…   Intro (00:13) Getting started (02:15)  Starting to film (14:25)  Early videographer influences (17:33)  Grey Area (20:32)  Filming in Florida with Danny Fuenzalida (33:03)  Plaza pieces « Culture of Grey » (36:04)  Potentially turning Grey Area into a brand (39:44)  Balance between skateboarding, work and family (46:41)  The war in Ukraine (53:01)  Upcoming projects (56:46)  Friends questions (57:37)  Conclusion (01:16:27)   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 46 with Ali Boulala, musican, model, former pro skater from Stockholm, Sweden.   Together we discussed him growing up and picking up his first board in Stockholm, his obsessive nature since childhood, developing an interest for music thanks to Bastien Salabanzi back in the Flip days, his early sobriety days and having been sober for nearly 10 years, working with Max Eriksson on the documentary « the scars of Ali Boulala », joining the alternative rock band Ghost Boys, working on their first album, modeling for some of his friends’ brands such as CHPO or Human Recreational Services, working on a book…   Intro (00:13)  Getting started (01:25)  Obsession (06:28)  Music (09:34)  Sobriety (13:39)  The Scars of Ali Boulala (24:56)  Ghost Boys (40:12)  Fashion projects: CHPO, HRS… (43:07)  Book project (47:23)  Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding (50:40)  Friends questions (53:21)  Conclusion (01:18:13)   For more information and resources:  https://linktr.ee/beyondboards   Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 45 with Kristin Ebeling, skateboarder, musician and social worker from Seattle, Washington (also known as Occupied Duwamish Territory). Together we discussed her first encounter with a skateboard while she was living in Singapore as a young child, being bullied as a teenager and finding somewhat of a release through skateboarding, getting involved with Skate Like a Girl around that time and later becoming the executive director, throwing the wheels of fortune events for SLAG, turning pro recently for Meow Skateboards, playing bass in the punk band Punitive Damage, her upcoming exchange trip to Cambodia with Skateistan, going to the 2019 edition of Pushing Boarders in Malmö, her latest part for Krux Trucks... Intro (00:13)  Getting started (01:26)  Subject to bullying as a child (04:56)  Getting involved with Skate like a girl (09:14)  Sponsors (22:28)  Wheels of fortune events for SLAG (25:26)  Turning pro for Meow Skateboards (31:28)  Playing bass with punk band Punitive Damage (36:28)  Upcoming exchange trip to Cambodia with Skateistan (42:32) Pushing Boarders (43:38)  Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding (47:46)  Friends questions (50:05) Conclusion (01:02:29)   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 44 with Steffen Austerheim, skateboarder from Stavanger, Norway, former student turned skateboarding teacher at Bryggeriets Gymnasium in Malmö, Sweden. Together we discussed him growing up and picking up his first skateboard in Stavanger, getting sponsored and doing competitions at a young age, finding out about Bryggeriets Gymnasium in Malmö and convincing his parents to send him over there, moving back to Stavanger after graduating to work and study for a few years, coming back to Bryggeriets in 2020 to work alongside his mentor John Dahlquist as a skateboarding teacher, the many challenges of teaching skateboarding, overcoming anxiety, his recent decision to go sober…    Intro (00:13)  Getting started (01:25)  First sponsors (05:02) Going to Bryggeriets (07:28)  After graduating from high-school (15:44)  Coming back to work at Bryggeriets in 2020 (23:27)  Running skate classes alongside John Dahlquist (31:42)  Regular day-to-day schedule (41:55)   Class side-projects like CHPO in 2022 (48:07)  Current students we should keep our eyes on in the future (54:49)  Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding (59:25) Friends questions (01:01:32)  Conclusion (01:57:22)   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 43 with Chris Lawton, skateboarder, co-founder of Skate Nottingham and Community Development Officer at Skateboard GB.  Together we discussed him growing up in Boston, Lincolnshire, moving to Nottingham in 1996 to study history and connecting with the thriving local skate scene, working in academia at Nottingham Trent University for a few years, traveling to Malmö and Copenhagen with his skate friends and drawing much inspiration from there to launch Skate Nottingham, a non-profit which uses skateboarding as a tool to unlock learning and creativity, participating in a talk about « skate friendly cities » at Pushing Boarders 2018 in London, recently taking the position as Community Development Officer at Skateboard GB, the National Governing Body for skateboarding for the UK…    Intro (00:13)  Getting started (01:26)  Studying modern history in Nottingham (08:44)  Fond of Japanese skate culture (13:08)  Working in academia (17:40)  First time in Malmö (25:00)  Many similarities between Nottingham and Malmö (30:35)  First steps of creating Skate Nottingham (38:44)  Pushing Boarders panel discussion (46:46)  Latests projects at Skate Nottingham, collaboration with Tampere in Finland (50:30)  Tough love from British skate media (01:05:12)  Skateboard GB (01:08:26)  Managing time between Skateboard GB and Skate Nottingham (01:13:34)  Infertility struggles (01:21:29)  Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding (01:26:43)  Friends questions (01:28:08) Conclusion (01:59:54)   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 42 with Eric Swisher aka Chops, skateboarder, copywriter, creator of the Chrome Ball Incident.  Together we discussed him growing up and picking up a skateboard in Ohio, starting a blog in 2008 to  share scans from old skateboarding magazines and naming it « the Chrome Ball Incident » (a reference to Neil Blender), starting to do interviews with pro skaters in 2010, keeping it going until today and interviewing some of the most iconic pro skaters, photographers, videographers, artists of the last 40 years and therefore slowly but surely building Chrome Ball into a staple in skateboarding culture, his whole interview process, how he’s managed to keep doing it so consistently throughout the years despite a busy work life and not making any money directly from the blog, his collaboration with Jaime Owens’ Closer Skateboarding Magazine…   Intro (00:13)  Getting started (01:25)  Work experience aside from doing Chrome Ball (06:51)  Starting the interviews on Chrome Ball (11:32) Staple in skateboarding culture (17:25)  Considering the monetization Chrome Ball (22:23)  Most outrageous sponsor proposal (25:16)  Preparing the interviews (27:57)  Interviews over phones calls vs. in person (42:49)  Favorite and least favorite parts of doing these interviews (49:15)  Inspiration from other interviewers in skateboarding and elsewhere (54:34)  Interviewing Street League/Olympics skaters (56:06)  Most surprising guest (59:44)  Who’s left (01:03:03)  Closer Magazine collab (01:06:22)  The future of Chrome Ball (01:09:25)  Cinema version of Chrome Ball (01:13:04)  Most valuable lesson learned from skateboarding (01:17:51)  Friends questions (01:20:48) Conclusion (01:50:16)   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 41 with Michael Burnett, skateboarder, photographer, journalist, editor-in-chief of Thrasher Magazine.  Together we discussed him growing up and picking up a skateboard in Texas, going to college in Boulder, Colorado to study journalism, making zines with his friends, getting his foot in the door at Thrasher in 1994, then becoming the editor-at-large and eventually the editor-in-chief, starting King of the Road in 2003, the process of choosing SOTY, the relative mainstreamization of the brand Thrasher, the future of the mag (both print and digital), mental health and life balance...   Intro (00:13)  Growing up (01:44)  Crossing paths with Jeff Tremaine (08:20)  Foot in the door at Thrasher (10:39)  Editor-at-large (14:29)  Phelps passes away in 2019 (18:14)  Gnarliest trick ever witnessed (19:02) KOTR (21:33)  SOTY (25:53)  « Mainstreamization » of the brand Thrasher (29:34)  Future of print (33:59)  Growth in the digital stuff (36:34)  Future of social media (37:29)  Talking about mental health in the mag (41:01)  Trying to maintain a good life balance (46:56)  Friends questions (49:22) Conclusion (01:14:39)   For more information and resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.