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Chris Strople

Chris Strople – Juice Magazine State of Skate Interview

Name: Chris Strople
Hometown: Monrovia, California
Age: 55
Affiliations: Deckcrafters, Ace, Bones.

What set-up are you riding right now?
I have several and they’re all Deckcrafters. I ride a 9 1/2 or a 10-inch CS model, trucks are Ace 55’s or custom 66’s, wheels are Deckcrafters Pi’s or Bones 58mm or 60mm. Grip usually Mob.

What’s the most fun skater-built or renegade spot that you’ve skated lately?
Rusty’s or Ament’s Treasure Bowl.

Have you ever built something to skate?
I just skated what was built, whether the intended use was for skating or not.

Who do you like to skate with the most these days?
Wally, JA, my SGV crew, SD crew, Bulky, Lance and all the bros that are still rolling.

Coolest skateboard graphic you have seen lately?
There is so much cool art, but one of the coolest that I have seen lately is a special edition board done for one of the Native American reservation skateparks in South Dakota by Montana Pool Service. It has a very intricate graphic.

Best thing you’ve ever skated in a skatepark and what skatepark was it?
Walla Walla bowl with kicker, 15 footer at the Pipeline.

Favorite skateboarder of all time?
Waldo [Autry].

Is there anything that hasn’t been built to skate yet that you’d like to see built?
Rebuild of original Arizona pipe downhill section.

What’s one of the best road trips you ever took?
Florida to New Jersey with Barry, Shogo and Wally for  the opening of Cherry Hill Skatepark.

Are there any skate-related charities that you support?
I just support youth sports in general, as we need to give them a way out.

What music have you been listening to lately?
Nothing but the Blues on KJZZ on the weekends.

What do you consider the responsibilities of a professional skateboarder?
Enjoy, have fun and pass it on and don’t f… with people.

Which skate shops do you support and go to the most?
STYX in Monrovia, California.

Favorite skate photo of all time?
Waldo skating the Baldy Pipe.

What is your take on girls skateboarding?
Skaters are skaters and the girls have always ripped.

What skateboarding memorabilia do you have that means the most to you?
I have a piece of the tile from the Fruit Bowl and Jay’s Hawaiian ID from ‘78 that he left at my house and I forgot to give it back to him.

Who contributes the most to your local skate scene?
Any and all skaters.

Top three favorite skate tricks?
Any kind of air…

Do you think skateboarding should be in the Olympics?
Skateboarding should have been in the Olympics 40 years ago. Top skaters are some of the best athletes in the world, although they would never admit it.

What is your proudest moment in skateboarding so far?
To still be smiling and skating and to have it still be here.

Chris Strople
Not many can get down and low on laybacks like Chris Strople. Here he is showing how it’s done at 55 years young. Photo MRZ

ABOUT THE JUICE MAGAZINE STATE OF SKATE:

When we started Juice Magazine 22 years ago, you could count the number of skateparks on one hand and grindable pool coping was mostly a distant memory. Now there are thousands of skateparks all over the world, along with a vast quantity of DIY spots built to skate. In 1993, the majority of skateboarders listened to punk rock or hip hop exclusively. Now skateboarders listen to almost every kind of sound created. Two decades ago, skateboarding related charities were non-existent. Today, there are numerous non-profits giving back to skateboarding in many ways. One of the most important differences between now and then is that, 22 years ago, there was a clear division between old school and new school skateboarding. Now that wall of separation has followed the same path as the Berlin Wall, allowing for an unprecedented unification of skateboarders all over the globe. Great strides have been made for girls that skate as well as the acceptance of skate history and long overdue recognition for skateboarding’s pioneers and its artifacts. At the same time, the current generation of skateboarders is taking skateboarding to new heights, previously unimaginable. As the landscape of the skateboarding industry changes on a daily basis, and the topic of skateboarding in the Olympics rears its head once again, along with the disturbing subject of who controls skateboarding being tossed about by corporate entities, we decided it was time to take a good look at the State of Skate. We asked 20 questions to 100 skateboarders, ages 8 to 58, and found that skateboarding is as diverse as the skateboarders that are addicted to it, no one controls skateboarding except skateboarders, and the State of Skate is savage and strong. Now get out there and skate tough!

JUICE MAGAZINE STATE OF SKATE features interviews with 100 skateboarders including: Tony Alva, Dave Hackett, Chris Strople, Duane Peters, Steve Olson, Dave Duncan, Steve Alba, Tony Magnusson, Pat Black, Jesse Martinez, Bill Danforth, Jim Murphy, Ric Widenor, Lester Kasai, Glen Charnoski, Bryan Pennington, Peter Furnee, Jeremiah Risk, Ryan Smith, Jason Jessee, Omar Hassan, Cam Dowse, Jen O’Brien, Depth Leviathan Dweller, Brett Roper, Travis Beattie, Chris Gentry, CW Dunn, Chris Albright, Charlie Wilkins, Cairo Foster, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, BJ Morrill, Dr. Lenore L.A. Sparks, Sid Melvin, Jesse Irish, Packy Fancher, Greg Lutzka, Jimmy Larsen, Adam Dyet, Luis Tolentino, Greg Harbour, Frank Faria, Ryan DeCenzo, Dave Bachinsky, Johnny Turgesen, Casey Meyer, Edward Sanchez, David Gravette, Ben Hatchell, Brian Geib, Felipe Gouveia, Eric Santos, Kyle Smith, Cameron Revier, Josh Stafford, Justin Grubbs, Etienne Eden Archila, Sanzio Piacentini, Josh Elder, Eddie “Mighty” Moreno, Kevin Kowalski, Otto Pflanz, Jeremy Smith, Adam Wiggins, Jimmy Wilkins, Danny Gordon, Jake Hilbish, Corey Blanchette, Adam Legassie, Nick Santos, Trey Rounds, Curren Caples, Justyce Tabor, Andy Anderson, Sarah Thompson, Coral Guerrero, Collin Graham, Derek Scott, Ace Pelka, Sonny Rodriguez, Jarren Duke, Mikayla Sheppard, CJ Titus, Noah Schott, Emily Earring, Julian Torres, Wyatt Wisenbaker, Josh Forsberg, Nathan Midgette, Roman Pabich, Yago Dominguez, Jack Winburn, Jonas Carlsson, Kiko Francisco, Bryce Ava Wettstein, Desmond Shepherd, Matty Jessee and Luke Kahler.

FOR THE REST OF THE STORY, ORDER ISSUE #74 BY CLICKING HERE…

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