November 20, 2007 @ 3:43 PM
How was last night, did you go anywhere after the premier?
I’m good man, I’m good, didn’t go out too hard, every one went to the bar and then we were all hanging out outside, everyone sort of went their own ways and I went back to the hotel. I’ve been chilling all morning.
We thought the movie was bloody good, well done.
Thank you, thank you, do you have any criticisms, did you think it was too long or anything?
NO!
How many more stops do you have on the trip?
We were in California L.A., and that went real well, and now we’re chilling in London, last night’s premier went real well and next we’re off to Lyon and then probably shooting off back home I guess.
Just the three stops?
Yeah, some of the other guys are going to Canada though.
London’s a bit of a tough audience but I think it was really well received, what did you think of the response of the crowds in the cinema?
I thought it went real good, LA had a lot more people, loads of people turned out for that one but London was tight, I think everyone went off. It’s kid of hard because the video’s so good, there’s so much happening, people were in awe there’s just so many good tricks you can’t cheer for them all you know what I’m saying? Marc’s section had everyone in awe.
What did you think of Marc’s section?
Marc is a soldier man, all the times we been on a trip and he’s got broke off he just doesn’t stop you know, hits his head, gets up and carries on, sometimes we’d be there all night, like, the sun’s coming up and he’s still there just taking care of business. Works hard and does what he has to do. That’s why he got the last part.
How about yourself, did you have any of those tricks that took you all night or ones that you had to go back for, any near makes that your still want to go back for?
Sometimes yeah, there were a few times when we had to go back, but we had a lot of time, we all just worked hard, we worked until we had it right, it had to be ready, you know, I mean we could have put the video out last year and it would have been cool but it needed to be the best we could do.
Is that the reason why it was pushed back a few times?
Yeah with new additions to the team like Guy Mariano, you know what I mean, he’s a straight up legend, he had to have enough time to get something together that’s worthy of him, you don’t want to put something out just for putting it out, it needs to be right, and Eric Koston, he just got on the team like a year and a half ago, and he’s the king, you got to give him the chance to get his part together, you know what I’m saying?
How long were you filming for?
Like four and a half years or something like that, a long time.. Just collecting footage, a lot of footage didn’t make it. Ty Evans knows what he’s doing you know, he’s a real smart dude and wanted every one’s footage to be the best they could do, and there’s like 19 people on the team you know, if each person gets a 5 minute section then the video will be too long, you know what I’m saying. Ty really came through..
Did Spike Jonze have a lot to do with the filming?
Yeah well you know the intro with all the special effects and shit, that was all his doing, that was unbelievable. I think, and I know a lot of other people think that Lakai is a fully legit team you know, real tight, you know, they don’t have a snowboard team, or wake board team or anything like that so it’s got to be good you know, it can’t afford to be any less than that, you know what I’m saying? Having Spike work on this helped out a lot.
Did you get a chance to work with Spike on any of the special effects?
I was going to do the backside five-0 that Marc did but I tweaked my ankle a month or so before and those explosions are no joke man, I mean, those things BLOW UP, you know the stairs that Mike Mo switch flip? That flame was like three hundred feet in the air man, they had napalm in those stairs.. I was standing about a hundred feet away, it was crazy, I wasn’t too confident with my ankle and you got to be on it with that, I just stood back and let them do their thing.
Cairo was the first one to do one of those stunts man, and he actually got blown up, like it was too close, he came out with shrapnel marks all over his body and stuff and there were paramedics on the scene… it was a cool day though, the guys who do the expositions, the pyrotechnics work in big budget Hollywood productions with Spike you know, it was legit.
This movie has definitely raised the bar for skating, what are your thoughts on this?
I think we did what we had to do you know, with people like Rick Howard, Eric Koston, Guy Mariano, Mike Carroll you know, I’ve looked up to these guys for ever man and they are the best so it had to be good. Lakai in my opinion is at the top and if they’re going to put out a video, they can’t come with anything less..
Did you have someone cracking the whip, getting you motivated to go out filming?
Yeah real hard, real hard, Ty Evans and Fedrico. Ty knows what he wants you know. We would go on all these trips, check into the hotel and leave the hotel at 9 in the morning and we wouldn’t get back until 3 the following morning, sometimes even through sunrise, you know. Everyone worked hard.
We would always be on the phone or email about who’s done what, that’s how we work, we’re a team, you know what I’m saying, we would all be in it together all motivating each other and stuff.
What were the highlights of filming for this video?
Man, just being a part of this, you know? All the guys on the team are the guys I’ve always looked up to you know, and they’re going to have real good parts, I just wanted a chance to shine, you know. I’m just glad to have the opportunity to be a part of this.
How did you feel about your own part?
I think everyone’s their own worst critic; I set out to do the best job I could do, and now its over, its like a chapter of my life is done, that was like four years worth of filming, it’s a long time. I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out though.
Are you going to take a holiday?
No, I can’t not skate, you know, I’ll get back and carry on, I’m never not skating, its my passion and I think I can always work harder..
Do you have any other video projects coming up?
I don’t actually, I mean I’m sure that there will be a lot of stuff coming up when I get back but I have a lot of footage left over and I’m going to get back home and just skate you know, I’m a hard worker and I’m going to just get back on it.
We put the video out and there’s going to be a lot of hype. We have to maintain that now, you know what I’m saying..
Ok this is a bit of a delicate question but it’s a topic that everyone is chatting about, how did you feel about the Nike video?
I got a lot of heart for the Nike team, a lot of them are my friends you know, I mean the skaters are phenomenal but as far as Nike being corporate you know, I’m 100% skateboarding and when I’m not skating I might wear some Nike’s to chill in or whatever but its like Coca-Cola. Nike makes skateboard shoes, which is cool but they also make all sorts of shoes.
I was into the skating on the video but that’s as far as it went you know, I wasn’t so into the skits, but Paul Rodriguez is like the best in the world man.
Any last words, any advice to give out?
Work real hard and have a good work ethic, realise there’s a million people out there working ten times as hard as you, just try to better yourself, do the best you can do and things will fall into place man.
The best value you can have in life is to be grateful you know, you got to be grateful for everything you have man, you can’t be complaining about shit.
You can’t be a hater, be cool with every body man, people that hate are never going to be happy, you got to just be positive and have good vibes and it will all be good. Don’t waste your energy on hate, it won’t get you anywhere.