I still remember the day I was peering out the window of my grandmothers house and saw some teenager on a board with wheels rolling down the street. I know for cerrtain that it was 1984. I remember how blown away I was by what this dude was doing, and immediately whatever he was riding on. I ran to my dad asking "What is that, what is that?!". He told me it was a skateboard and then later gave me his childhood blue banana board. That year, at Christmas Santa brought me my first Nash. This photo captured what was my then happiest moment in a 5 year existence. 



I became pretty damn obsessed wanting to become a skateboarder, but didn't really know much until I discovered Christian Hosoi. My Aunt and Uncle had tape recorded a skate competition and saved it for me. I recall first watching him skate and instantly identifying him as my hero.  It's funny how I can clearly identify monumental influences as a child and vividly recall how it set me on a path to what I eventually became. 

Hosoi as a brand persona was probably my first cultural influence that began sculpting my own persona. Throw in some nerdy comic books, H.R. Giger, Ren and Stimpy, motocross, and lizards, then you have a cocktail of social interestes that created who I am today. 



My fascination with skating and skate culture grew into my preteen and then teen years. My mom picked up a pretty rad 80's skate video for me from a flea market. That summer my brother and I watched it every day along with Ghostbusters, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and Star Wars. It was a non stop VHS circulation.

Around 7th grade I was given a two year subscription to Transworld Skateboarding for Christmas. I believe this would have been around 1992. If you were a skateboarder growing in my town in the early 90's, then you were probably one of very few skateboarders. Pre Tony hawk proskater, NO ONE cared about skating. There were constant asshole jocks looking to pick a fight with you, or bored cops looking to harass you. Culture really has changed in my small home town, which now hosts three different skateparks. I spent a lot of the early teen/preteen years feeling a bit like an outcast because of my interest in art, skateboarding, music, and etc. 

Meanwhile, I am reading these magazines and watching these videos that all seem to take place in this magical land called California. In my mind, this magical place was filled with people actually enjoy and take serious skateboarding  creativity, the sun always shines, there are mountains, an ocean, reptiles, and sits on the edge of the planet. I always told myself and my friends, "I want to live there someday. I'm going to live there someday." 

Into my late teenage years, I continued fantasized about living on the west coast where there seemed to be a concentration of my cultural interestes. What at the time seemed to be filled with like minded people, was probably more from being surrounded by small town culture.  Interests in skateboarding eventually led to motocross in my late teens and began religiously watching  Crusty Videos, fantasizing about riding in motorcycles through the dunes of California. Motorcycle culture was a entirely new reason to want to live there. 

These teenage years leading into my young adulthood I swore that I would move to Southern California when I got older.

Well... Better late than never.


See you soon California...

  

A few shots from my most recent trip/shoot way up on a hill in Santa Monica. By far the best view that I have seen in LA.













Not a bad days work.





A couple of friends let me stay with them and their cool dog through the weekend, while I figure a few things out.





They have quite the view of Silver Lake.



Carlafornia



I am back there in two weeks and need to find this hill again in order to video how intense it is. The lead up to this decline is equally as steep as this phot. The top point doesn't allow you to see what is coming next and it feels like you are falling off of a cliff. It felt a bit like the face of a super cross jump.




I met some real rad dudes. I actually got pretty star struck over Bret McKenzie, as you can see in this incredibly hung over photo of me. Embarrassing, but it's true. He was in town working on a new Muppet movie, which I was pretty stoked to hear about.


I also met Jack Passion and his kick ass beard. I assumed he was always in character on his show, and it turns out he is. Really cool laid back guy though, contrary to how he is portrayed on the show. Much more like he is in Mansome.  Dry-witted and super beardy.


This is a abbreviated blog post. Big things happening in my near future. Lots to do and some news that deserves a proper blog post. Perhaps tomorrow evening...

I have had a love affair with California since I was a child. Having gown up reading nothing but skate magazines I fantasized about living there from age 7 to... I still fantasize about living there. Now Monica does too.

Whenever I'm on the West Coast, I truly feel as if I am standing on the edge of the earth. You could fall off any moment and blissfully float away.