Interview by Ian Berry
PORTRAIT: SHIGEO
What's been the biggest change in your life since we posted your last 10 Questions a year ago?
I had a kid in the past year. She's about to be 8 months. So basically the big change for me is doing things different. I'm more set on things, more confident.
How is skateboarding different now that you're a dad?
I look at skating still as what I love to do, but also it supports not only me but also my family now. I'm still skating around having a good time, but I realize more that it is how I make my living too. So it makes me more motivated.
You always seem to place well in contests but don't seem to enter too many of them, why's that?
I don't ever really know about contests. People ask me if I'm going to be in so and so contest I don't ever really know. If somebody signs me up I guess I'm gonna be there. Other than that I don't really go looking around for contests trying to be out there in that zone. I'd rather be in my chill, like, skate zone, wherever I am, doing whatever I'm doing.
You could make a lot of money in those contests these days. Does that come into play?
Yeah I was thinking about it. This past year I was about to do all that stuff but it kinda got all crazy. I had a bunch of stuff going on and got over it. I'm thinking about maybe trying something like that out, possibly. Just because. Not really to become like, the contest skater, but just to try to do something different.
SWITCH FS SHOVE - PHOTO: JHON
Were you happy with being a part of a montage for Strange World?
Yeah I felt like I did my best in the meantime. I wasn't really shooting for a major part in it or anything. It was kinda just like whatever I had was gonna work and I wasn't really trying to think about having a certain place in the video. Whatever happened happened.
You got hurt there in the end right?
Yeah. I had a couple different falls and random things happen to me. I had random little ankle this, wrist that. I was skating around trying something at the park for that Crossroads contest. Did a trick down the 11, landed wrong, and tore my meniscus. I had to go get surgery so I've just been trying to recover from all that.
After having that knee surgery has your perspective on skating changed, or not?
It's definitely changed a little bit but not so drastically. I have a more conservative approach and not just taking on everything I see. I got to be more creative and not just stick to just one thing. Push myself in all areas instead of being this one dude, gnarly this or gnarly that. Do whatever. Be whatever.
When was the last time you trimmed the caterpillar (mustache)?
I don't know. I've lost track of it. I probably shaved it like 3 times last year, so sometime last year I guess.
Why did you cut your dreads?
I don't know it was just time to start knew. I carried a lot of issues and different things with that set of hair. I look at hair as being a symbolic thing I guess you could say. It marks things and events... random things that happened in your life. Kinda just tells you like a little story. And now I feel like I'm starting a new story. Whatever comes out of it comes out of it.
J-Hon wants to know now that the dreads are gone are you gonna quit smoking the fatties?
Ahhh. Phew. No comment.
