Trà Đá #13

“Skateboarding is not a hobby. And it is not a sport.

Skateboarding is a way of learning how to redefine the world around you. For most people, when they saw a swimming pool, they thought, ‘Let's take a swim.' But I thought, ‘Let's ride it.' When they saw the curb or a street, they would think about driving on it. I would think about the texture. I slowly developed the ability to look at the world through totally different means.”

▲ Maxime Freslon – BS Nosegrind Revert

Ian MacKaye (1962 - )

Can you tell skateboarding?

us

about

how

and

where

you

began

Hi, I think my first introduction to skateboarding was around 1984... my brothers did slalom in New Caledonia and I followed suit. Then when I arrived in Dakar in Senegal I really got into it. We were a crew and we were crazy motivated to improve. The story began there and never stopped for the next 35 odd years…

Skateboarding wasn't very equipment at the time?

popular,

how

did

you

get

Yes and no, it was coming back actually. I had my first board in 1984, it was a G&S (Gordon & Smith) with a helmet, protections, gloves, the whole deal.

My brothers had slalom boards so that's what I used. A year later I got a “Holysport” that I customised with gullwing trucks, SKF bearings, and pink VISION Blurr 59MM/97A VB2 wheels, so cool! Well the board lasted 6 months and I got my first Corey O'Brien pro model from Santa Cruz, then the “pro-models” from Natas, the Matt hensel at H-Street, the Powells (Frankie Hill, Underhil), the Templeton at New Deal, and the “doubletails” came strong.

I'm telling you all this now but it was really insane to have this at the time. Its was a nightmare I swear!!! It was all done by mail-order, letters, telephone, checks, but still it worked!

But I'll admit it was extra hard for me because I lived in Africa at the time (from 3 to 15 years old) and I can tell you it was hell. We were determined! But then as you can imagine the gear was the most precious stuff in the world. Sometimes we would arrange for our friends' parents who were pilots to bring boards back from France. But because we were in Africa we bought two decks at a time and they had to last until the next trip!!!

And then in 1989, Alexandro came along. He changed history. He became the druid!!! He was sponsored via a brand in Canada and rode for Vans. His dad was ambassador in Senegal so he provided equipment for us.

Everything changed then. He shaped my image, my vision of skateboarding forever. I was a 10 year-old kid and the dude was 16. He taught me everything.

Also, I flew back to France every holiday so I made the most of it. There was Philippe Hervé in La Rochelle, in Rochefort there was Local Wind (they had a medium ramp and banks in the courtyard, it was quite the spot). Then there was Street Machine, we made group orders to save on shipping. Another era! I loved it, it was mental, EPIC!!!

Did you have access to magazines and videos?

Actually like I said, there was ALEXANDRO dude!! That's when it clicked for me. He taught me everything, the spirit of skateboarding, its culture (music, art, style), everything! Being sponsored, he had access to a world I knew nothing about. Then the instruction began, the videos, magazines, the music, the art. I remember he always said: “you do a trick, but you do it well. Don't do too many, you'll do them without passion. Choose one and make it yours!!!”

I kept the frontside flip haha.

But yeah, despite the isolated location we did have access to all this, because he handed it to us. We had built a mini ramp at his place and whenever a new magazine or video came out we organised a bbq/concert evening. It was nuts. I was young but it was insane when I think about it... we were 10 year-old kids initiated by 16/17 year-old chicks. So I discovered Punk Rock, HXC, HipHop, urban art: graffiti, stencil, stickers, and it worked really well together. That time definitely shaped my life and who I am today.

At what point did you decide you wanted to work in the skateboarding industry?

That's a real question... I don't know really, I'd say from the very beginning actually. We all have that childhood dream to do something we're passionate about.

That being said, it was also a time when the idea of making a living out of it, skateboarding, didn't make sense. It was marginal. So I always told myself that I would do something in that area, but I didn't know what exactly. And then there was ROCKSLIDE!!

Can you tell us about the beginning Skateshop in Niort with Frederic Mario?

of

Rockslide

ROCKSLIDE... See, you were asking me when I decided to work in the skateboarding world, well ROCKSLIDE was the start! Actually at the time my life could be summarized to three things: my band, skateboarding, and university.

I had just finished my studies and the band was faltering.

Fred was a long-time friend and I knew he wanted to open a shop because he worked seasons and was over it. So we looked for the right town and NIORT opened itself to us.

And that was the beginning of a crazy adventure. We were 25 and we knew bugger all. So let me tell you it was quite the adventure. Appointments with banks and accountants and the rest, we had to learn real quick about all that. We found a space, pretty cheap and in a good location, but the place was a tomb so we renovated it, two months of non-stop work. Stress was high, we were exhausted, but we did it and what a reward in the end.

As we had wished there there was nothing else skaterelated in town, but there was a real scene so it worked right away. It was skateboarding all day man! We had a huge flat, so parties, skate, work were the beat of our life. It was incredible. All the teams came through Niort and stayed at our place. We sponsored Julien Merour, Sam Partaix (his first Tampa). We sponsored the pioneering female skaters Claire Essertel and Claire

Alleaume. Shootings ads and videos for the shop. La vida loca in short.

And then we grew up and our ambitions changed, Fred's and mine. I got married, I had a little girl and I settled down a little. I wanted to create a brand because I was going in circles at the shop and I figured it was the logical next step. But I didn't know much about brand development. So I left the shop physically and started as a commercial agent. I bought a van, contacted undistributed brands and I went for it. Fred stayed on at the shop. I stayed on as shareholder for two years then Fred bought my shares to be the one and only captain of the ship.

Today the shop is still there, Fred is still at the helm and I'm in awe of his abnegation in that story, which will be forever engraved in me.

That’s when you decide to create your brand, Crime LR? Yeah, I left Rockslide for this purpose, in order to learn all aspects of the business. From there, I worked every possible job, sales, logistics, marketing and production. After that I traveled a lot to see how the industry was doing abroad. I thought of SUPREME NYC, HUF, DQM and others as my models.

So once I had the concept figured out I thought of a way to get started in France. And I moved back to my hometown, La Rochelle, and I took the plunge in the insane adventure that was CRIME LR, for 11 years!

The Sirocco shop coexistence go?

already

existed,

how

did

the

Yeah, the Siroc' had been there for a long time. We knew each other, really well actually. Pierre and Christophe have done a lot for the local scene, the french scene even. It was tense in the beginning, because the opening of the shop happened at the same time as Christophe's death

death and Pierre was in a bad place. I knew it, and I knew the guy wouldn't be too happy about it.

Prior to the opening I went to see him and it was complicated because there was a personal factor to it, I had worked for them as a sales rep and I think that Pierre took it as a betrayal on my part. At least in the beginning. But the idea for the shop was to develop our brand and incidentally offer brands that Siroc didn't want to sell. So, in time it all fell into place because everyone benefited in their own way and really it ended up boosting the scene.

The creation of your brand coincides with the advent of online shopping, how did that transition impact your business?

Actually when I created CRIME LR I immediately set up an online presence. The brand name was chosen with that in mind actually!

When it came to coming up with a name I wanted something connected to skateboarding, that would be easily understood in different languages, and short. So I went from the slogan “Skateboarding is not a crime”, which to me didn't make much sense anymore because skateboarding had become mainstream, so then creating a brand called CRIME was going against that and drove the point home on the “alternative” side of this lifestyle.

Furthermore, CRIME has the same spelling and meaning in french and english. So it was international, and it also happens, unfortunately, to be one of the most typed and used word online so it helped with referencing!

In the end, the fresh concept and brand storytelling gave it momentum online pretty rapidly and the website was quickly successful.

Also around this time, Nike, Adidas and Converse established themselves in the industry and crushed the core brands. What is your view on that change as a businessman, and as a skater?

Yeah well if I look at it from a business perspective, in the skateboarding industry there was a fifty-fifty percent chance it would work.

All those brands did everything to enter the business and they succeeded at a time when skateboarding needed it. And so it was extremely profitable to the industry, until they decided not to play by the industry rules, but by their own. It could have worked perfectly in my opinion, and I could find many shops who will support this version. But the fact is, they always want more, and the skateboarding industry is not as malleable as it seems.

I think they will have to come back to a more appropriate method, but so far it doesn't look like it's happening. But it's kind of a good thing, it will give some value back to brands that are 100% skateboard.

Now in my personal opinion, these brands have always been part of the skateboarding world. I mean, it's a question of conscience. But when you're young, all that matters is that you have shoes to skate with, whatever the brand. Skateboarding is alive and will stay alive through its gear industry, shoes are accessory and must remain so. I believe that a kid who wants to skate will put all his money in the board industry and he's right, the rest is anecdotal in my opinion. What makes us skaters aren't our shoes but the board we ride.That's how I see it.

Unfortunately, CRIME LR shut down, what happened?

Well I'd say it had something to do with what I just explained. The major brands changed the rules. And it quickly became David against Goliath.

But it was a slow process. We actually had 300 retailers around the world. The business was doing well, it was a well-oiled machine.

Until the major brands stepped up their game. Many of our retailers began having trouble paying us in time because they were under the pressure of major brands who were threatening them (commercially) to close their accounts. So they paid the big guys first and the smaller ones had to wait. It's crazy because they would sell our products but used that money to pay the bigger brands. It was anecdotal at first, but by the end it was every other client, and unmanageable.

Furthermore, I think we got to a point where we should have transitioned from our family-run system to a more structured one. We didn't and we became trapped in an economic and internal structural slump that led us to shut down.

We also had to deal with personal issues which explains why it didn't last longer. But listen, it was an incredible adventure, I regret nothing and I learned a lot for it all.

So you still see it as a positive experience?

Of course!!! When I see the original project, what it became and what it yielded, honestly it was a 1000 times worth the effort.

You know we've talked a lot about culture, spirit, about passion and all that since we started the interview. If I take a step back and consider the seeds we sowed in this project, I can say without hesitation that the job is done. I have always tried, in the most natural way possible, to convey my passion for skateboarding. And the result is that when I see guys like Boucle and Alex with RAVE, the career of Kevin Rodriguez with Supreme and Hockey, Alex with Uniallday, Patissou who shoots all the time, Malo investing in underground media, Baptiste teaching skateboarding, Toto LR in a masterclass and soon teaching as well, and all the others...

There's a great pride that all these people follow their path today with the same values, pride and admiration as well.

You then went on to create Deep and Naive, how is it different from your previous projects? What's your vision for the future of your brand?

Well, in-between I first and foremost took the time to figure out where I wanted to go and how, which I didn't know right away.

I set up Deep and Naive in 2018. I started with an idea to make another brand in the footsteps of CRIME LR. It was a mistake on my part. I lacked structure and motivation to go through the whole process. I couldn't get CRIME LR out of my head. So I paused a year later and I gave myself time to really know what I wanted to do. So I worked in logistics for a couple of years, and wondered every day what I could do with DAN. So I observed the industry, its evolution. I also looked at what could motivate me in terms of identity, of concept, and I didn't see anything that seduced me. And then, after that two-year break I finally found the angle that inspired me: accessories. It was my favourite part with CRIME LR and the products I liked the most. So I imagined the concept for a hat brand that would combine all of my passions, art, music and skateboarding. I think I've succeeded. It's a great product, neutral, uni-generational and unpretentious.

So I will create a universe around this product including art, music and skate. I've always been a fan and admirer of Ian Mackaye and DISCHORD Records, so I created the brand following the same principles as an indie music label, combining products, media and events.

All of which should be affordable, qualitative and aesthetic.

It is all scheduled to launch in September, but the first communication elements and visuals are coming in.

Stay tuned!!!

The skateboarding scene has evolved in La Rochelle these past few years, how do you feel about the new generations?

Let's say that if I look back at when I first started skateboarding compared to now, its a whole different world. But there are almost 4 generations in-between so it's hard, if not irrelevant to compare. So I'll stick with what I see. This generation is obviously super talented. They learn fast and there's many of them. They also have access to favourable infrastructures to help them improve.

Now, maybe I'm harsh, but overall I find the new generation bland... It doesn't feel like they have a cultural approach to skateboarding. It's all very conventional and plain. But this is also how I feel about the industry so it makes sense. Anyway it's all very subjective, and as for us, we were a generation with a blank slate, they're not. On the flip side, those who have something special really stand out from the rest.

You're part of a generation of skaters who have a wide musical and artistic culture around our passion. With the growing popularity of skateboarding due to social media, the street league, the olympic games soon, skateboarding is getting more athletic, how do you feel about that?

Well it matches my feeling about the local scene, I find it a bit insipid. Every generation has its vices so maybe now I'm too old to be unbiased. But like I said I find everything a bit bland so it's easier to see what stands out. But even so I believe that there are some people who try, and succeed, to keep the spirit alive while moving with their time.

I think Milou's approach is really interesting. You can feel that he doesn't want to lose his drive with skateboarding, while at the same time using the codes and advantages of this time. He's doing pretty good I think. And he can fucking skate!!!

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Pressure flip master Nate Sherwood gives us some insight on how he dealt with life, school and the daily problems of dyslexia in his youth.

As a dyslexic his shop Eduskate helps to teach the public about skateboarding and its history. The British Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as "a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate, fluent word reading and spelling" it is characterized by "difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed".

Dyslexia affect over 700 million people world wide.

This condition gives the feeling of being lost and confused.

Hello Nate, is life going well? I would like to chat with you in order to guide our conversation into a discussion about dyslexia. I plan on keeping things stress free and natural for us both. You recently had surgery right? How has life been and where are you?

I moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa back in 2012 to open up Eduskate. Eduskate is actually my skate shop. I did not want to compete with any skate shop. I value and respect all shops that are skater owned, and operated. There was a core shop in every city from Vancouver to Mexico. I had to move where there were no shops. My wife is from Cedar Rapids too. We moved here then opened up about nine years ago.

I have been behind a counter gripping decks and destroying my fingerprints ever since. The scene here is amazing; great talented skaters, and three parks within thirty miles of my skate shop. When we opened up we were 30 miles from the closest shop. And now our biggest challenge is the internet, daily people are coming in with their setups. If they bought it online, I charge them a fee.

What brought forth the name Eduskate?

It is a play on words, I twist words and make puns daily.

You have a school desk in the skate shop, is it safe to say education isn’t just a play on words but something you are pushing?

I feel many people misunderstand skateboarding culture.

Skateboarders are not dirt bags or weed heads. I deal with folks who are lost in transkation (translation) when it comes to skateboarding. The shop helps them out.

They might call a mini ramp a vertical, which is wrong because no mini ramp goes to vert. Our shop deals with 90% beginners, we have to educate them. I had to push hard so people would understand the basics of skateboarding.

We also have a museum of skate history in our shop. The shop has boards arranging from demo set ups from the 1950’s all the way up until the present. The main thing to explain is that skateboarding is a performance art but masquerades as a sport.

Your giving skateboarding history with a little education. How was your education in public school?

My eduskation at best, skateboarding was an outlet. I was picked on a lot for not being able to read out loud in class. I found this new tribe of people in the streets. Within skateboarding if you failed nobody laughed at you. The skateboarders helped you up, they encouraged you to go forward or to continue rather than cutting you down just to count your rings.

Skateboarders helped fertilize my soil; your soul could grow with a real support system. Soon enough, I was obsessed with skateboarding. I sat in high school class staring at the ceiling, pretending to skateboard on it.

I would look at the clock in class and think about it as an object to ollie over.

Skateboarding introduced me to punk rock and to hiphop too. It showed me different facets of subcultures. I went from having no self esteem to having low self esteem. Before I knew it, I developed self esteem, confidence, self worth and determination.

All of these things are what it takes to survive this world, they all came from skateboarding for me. I was ostracized to a degree in school. Skateboarders didn’t give a flying f@#k about my dyslexia. But with having perseverance, it helped me to get through school.

Without it, I would have killed myself literally. I feel the word eduskate, symbolizes that same perseverance. I also am hoping to save lives as well. The same way my local shop did for the youth in Portland. That shop was called Cal Skate, they helped me when I was a child.

A lot of people can identify with your school experiences and skateboarding. What’s your learning style? There are seven learning styles and how exactly do you learn? Visual (Spatial), Aural (AuditoryMusical), Verbal (Linguistic), Physical (Kinesthetic), Logical (Mathematical), Social (Interpersonal) and Solitary (Intarpersonal) are the learning styles. We use them all but we might have one that is the most dominant.

Aural-Auditory for sure, It has helped me in many ways; with driving, dating, audio books and road trips.

Someone might view dyslexia as a disability but others might view it as an advantage. Do you have any X-men life stories to tell?

I have always had life situation that force me to think outside of the box. So, I am sure my dyslexia is a part of that. Dyslexia has helped me excel in paths that are least traveled.

How could you improve school for dyslexics?

When I was in high school, technology was in its infancy. We had a computer lab, however pencil and paper was the dominant tools for communication. I feel there are tons of tools that dyslexics can use to survive in school.

For example: It would have been nice to have homework assignments that were double spaced, better yet have paragraphs which are separated fully. This would have helped me to dissect the words easier in books.

Also do not make a dyslexic person speak in front of a class, that form of public reading doesn’t help. It would have been a huge lifesaver if sight reading was taught instead phonetics to give helpful information.

I used to spell the word “agents” like the word “against”, which is wrong. I fixed that by thinking about CIA, FBI shows. The two words look nothing alike.

I would closed my eyes before I tried to spell it, I start to imagine the Dick Wolf TV show. I start to remember the windbreakers from a show that had the words “agents” on the back of it. I then can visualize the word and I'm good to go.

What advice would you have for someone struggling with school in the USA as a dyslexic?

1. Accept your differences 2. Ask for help from the faculty and if they don’t help go on line and find a school that will, like my school Edison High School located in Beaverton, Oregon.

Do you think the education system will eventually become better for dyslexic students in America or around the world?

Yes, I do. Right now in the USA many of teachers are not passionate about their jobs.

They have unions that guard them-and I love unions. But teachers can slack, teachers can display a lack of care for teaching and still keep their job.

The normality of these situation in school involve a student making a mistake for the first time, a teacher would laugh or flip out on the student. The teacher is actually tormenting an individual with a learning disabilities.

Think about the average teacher putting batteries into a flashlight. The flashlight did not turn on for some reason, would the teacher lose their mind? No, they would try to figure out the disconnection. A teacher would ask logical questions about the disconnection of the simple flashlight. Why wouldn’t you do that for another person and it’s your job?

Dyslexics are told to maintain a stoic attitude and to stay calm or reserved in class. This is a highly stressful situation for an adolescent child dealing with issues that they don’t understand. The whole world is it backwards for us dyslexics, the world does not understand how our minds and most of us dyslexics don’t either.

Sad but more than likely to be true!

This is a true story of someone who lived with dyslexia, I knew this guy. I used to skate with him and he was a great person.

He joined the military, he couldn’t get a college education because he had a lack of academic skills. USMC infantry sent him to Kush Mountain range.

I believe his issues with dyslexia caused him to run the wrong way stepping on a mortar. He ran the wrong direction, a common mistake made by dyslexics, who don’t know their right or left directions.

Everybody thought it was suicide but I have my own opinion. Dyslexics easily can read the numbers on a GPS guider wrong.

I have known many people with dyslexica and they have had similar difficult problems. It would also help if teachers didn’t see them as cattle set for the slaughter.

I am sorry if my energy seems negative but I had to dish in some actual facts.

Nah, you are fine. I wanted your honest opinion. What’s your ending statement to leave us with?

Dyslexia is like a broken arm or diabetes patient, it can get better with treatment. This condition can be treated quite easily if teachers and staff are trained to deal with children who suffer from it.

Dyslexics are everywhere, and society needs to better train its schools and teachers to recognize and treat dyslexia.

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