Daniel Cardone Interview

July 02, 2009 @ 11:16 AM

I just came back from an event where Daniel rode with his unique style.
Have you ever skated a spot with him?
Look around after a few of his runs and what you’ll see will be confused faces and people saying ”That’s just impossible.”
His skating will amaze and you know that each and every moment he could drop a unique trick even in an unconventional line, Daniel style.
He’s fast, mellow and his riding is fluid and spontaneous.
No plans, no rules, whatever is going on in his mind he doesn’t even question himself, he just rides it no matter what the trick will be...of course it would be perfect and he would enjoy it with a big smile on his face, the biggest of the whole skatepark...skating’s always fun!
Daniel is a living contradiction, he could ride the worst things, from fucked up parks to giant bowls to huge hubbas (which comes easily since he’s a pretty short guy) and even tricks on handrails with shitty landings always with ease and his style, but he could sprain his ankle stepping off from a pavement while cruising home after a day of pure skateboarding.

No matter how many contests he won and how many pics he got in magazines, Daniel is still the same kid happy about life and skating with this infectious passion.

But don’t get me wrong, he’s not any hero or something, he’s got his faults like verybody else...he get drunk fast, he’s a mess after 10 minutes of skating and.he’s probably the least competitive skateboarder in the whole skate biz.

He was with no board sponsor for 2 years, and even if a lot of people would have given him free boards he didn’t seem to care. He prefers to buy his boards so nobody was displeased.

Shy, humble,hearty, stylish and fast, never dull or fake, never a primadonna, he’s always at the top, with or without his board Daniel is always a real Gentleman. Enjoy the style.

Hello Daniel. What's going on?

Yes!  Everything is OK....today its so hot here, this morning I went to buy two electric fans..I was riding around the city with my Vespa with two fans on board people were looking at me with strange faces (laughs)...I've been barricaded in my house, naked with the two fans at full power…you know it's “Go Skateboarding Day”?

Yes I know.
I forgot about it...a kid called me five minutes ago to remind me that today there is this contest for under 14's at the Elbow bowl and then a party with concerts. I’ll go there later- I have to bring a pair of shoes to a young kid that skates well...he's the same size as me. I’m supporting him.

Before to leaving for Malmo (Bowlriders) you told me that it would had been good to skate well at the contest, but it would be impossible to win because at these contests people go like trains...and instead what happened? Did you start going like a train too?

I have no idea… I tried my best, but I would have never expected to win. I skated well but I didn’t think well enough for first place...I honestly have no idea.

What do you remember of the day?

Ehmm, I don’t remember so much...because after the contest I was exhausted and killed by the slams I took during the weekend, I was suffering and so I started to drink beers, some beers in a few minutes (laughs)...I was a little “happy”.

And when they called your name…?

I tough: “Shiiit! I’m fucked up”… it was strange; I should have enjoyed the moment more, but in the end who cares? It had been a great weekend and then we partied all the next week around Europe with this big bus. The only problem was that my girlfriend left Malmo with my wallet in her bag and so I was totally without money and I had to beg money from all the boys in the bus. The bus was the house of madness...with the Dagger Crew...a game of chance was goin’on inside and in Berlin some women jumped in the bus...madness. But it was ok.

Could this summer be a “turning point” for you after years of good skateboarding?

I don’t know to be honest, in a certain way this year I had great satisfaction, its something more (than before) and since I’m trying to live with my skateboarding some extra money is never bad...and then I always enjoy myself, what more can I ask?

I know that you don’t have a board sponsor and during the last two years you bought your own decks...isn’t a little strange?

Yes, when the company for which I use to skateboard folded, I tried to manage...I started buyng decks at the skateshop in the city where I live. Yes, it’s a little strange, if you have boards its ok and if you don’t have them is ok anyway. I can say I took a period of time to see what to do...the problem is that I destroy decks…(laughs).

Some years ago you were in the flow team of a big American skateboard company and then you started skating for this small company. A lot of people think that following the project of this small brand you lost some great opportunities, maybe the chance to have a model for a good company. Do you agree with that?

Yes I think that’s is true, for sure, but at the time I didn’t care about other things, I preferred to stay with and skateboard for my friends. It was a great experience, also for the great energies I put into the project. It happened and so that’s ok. I have no regrets, that’s for sure.

How old are you now?

I’m twenty six years old, not for too long...in September I’ll be twenty seven.

And how long have you been skateboarding?

I started when I was almost fifteen years old, so I have been skateboarding for twelve years, more or less.

Are you happy about that?

Shiiiit, I’m so happy!!! I’m super happy. During all that time I was growing up, a lot of things have changed...twelve years have flown away. Great.

What do you think skateboarding has given to you?

Skateboarding has given so much to me that is impossible to explain, in the beginning it was pure fun, a new thing, then you start to travel through your country to go to the small contest and you see new places and meet new people. After you start to travel in Europe and around the world and that’s incredible. Learn a new language, to speak English, if I think back to when I was in school I would have never expected to learn to speak English...to have the opportunity to communicate with the world. Wow, that’s great. Skateboarding has given me a new point of view, a new vision of life, for sure wider than the one I could have had living all my life in the same place. I could have done a normal job, something more quite, more humble and that’s would have been ok, anyway, but now I’m too happy.

Do you have other interests or passions apart from skateboarding, or skating is the most important factor of your life?

I have different passions...let me see...like chilling, having fun, going on holiday...(laughs)...skateboarding is the most important thing, for sure.

Is it hard to make a living out of skateboarding here in Europe? How much hard work is needed?

It’s very hard, I consider myself lucky. The support of my family has been important, especially in the beginning, anyway- it counts a lot how much you believe in it, how do you like the world of skateboarding in all its aspects, you must feel comfortable in it naturally. I don’t think someone can skateboard for money. For a skateboarding career its important to have character, personality, skateboarding is different from other sports and it’s probably that peculiarity, which is the magic part. Skateboarding is different.

During the last years skateboarding seems to be bound to models and the image seems to be more important than the substance, maybe to make sponsors and media happy… is there still space for imagination in skateboarding?

I think that image in skateboarding is a personal thing, a personal choice, I like to consider skateboarding for what it is...and there is a lot of space for imagination in skateboarding, now more than ever.

I think that every skateboarder that’s seen you skateing would like to be in your head for one day to see your vision of skateboarding… even amongst a hundred skateboarders in a session you always find your line, different from the others and that seems to happen in the most natural way. What do you feel when you are skateboarding?

I like to find strange lines, going fast, pass through strange corners of the park or spot, thinking about different things is the funnest part of skatebording. It seems to be casual and the most of the times it is, but I like to see a spot and try to skateboard it in a different way, fantasy is fundamental in skateboarding. To find your line is important, its spontaneous, its your trip. I’m not the one to watch all the videos and know all the tricks done wherever, I’m not really into these things.

I have seen you skateing all kind of spots, from rails to pools, sometimes spots so rough as to be unskateable by most. What do you like to skateboard?

Everything, I like to skateboard everything. There isn’t a favourite kind of spot, I prefer everything, it depends on the day. Even good spots become boring after a while, and for sure I don’t like to kill myself.

You are always on the road, how long before you start to miss home?

Never! I like to be away the most I can…the wish to move is always and since forever. Now that I live with my girlfriend Alice, I am more inclined to come back home.

A good place that you remember?

I have been to a lot of good places, I have nice memories of my days in Oregon and Arizona..the atmosphere, the people, the parks...all those things together. I have seen great places all over Europe and I would like to see more.

Do you like the European scene?

I like it a lot, it’s great, it’s a strong scene with great skateboarders. Good people and good parties.

Did you play other sports? I know you used to play soccer…

Yes I used to play soccer, I used to run like a missile (laughs)...but soccer is too serious, too much coaching, the matches on Sunday morning were too early. It was frustrating and it didn’t give enough to me. You cannot compare it to skateboarding.

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