Name: Emily Earring
Hometown: Eagle Butte, South Dakota
Age: 15
Sponsors: Wounded Knee Skateboards & Stronghold Society.
What set-up are you riding right now?
I am skating a Wounded Knee Land Loss Deck, Independent trucks, Spitfire wheels, Black Magic Grip with Shortys Bad Brain hardware.
What’s the most fun DIY, skater-built or renegade spot that you’ve skated lately?
One of my skate homies made a DIY skate ramp/ledge at one of his spots in Porcupine.
Have you ever built something to skate?
I made my own halfpipe in my basement with help from Murf and Merk and my sponsors.
Who do you like to skate with these days?
I moved from the rez (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation) to Rapid City, so I left my home park and skate family there. I am slowly making some new skate homies here. So far so good, however, sometimes some skate family comes up and we totally shred the park and streets.
Best skate graphic you have seen lately?
The coolest graphic I’ve seen has to be of Sitting Bull in the Wounded Knee Collection and I’m not just saying this because they’re my sponsors. I think this because of my culture and, with me being a Native American, I find it awesome to see one of our great chiefs on a skateboard! In my opinion, I think that’s cooler than seeing a graphic of a woman in a bikini or a graphic of a weed plant. No offense… just saying.
Best thing you’ve skated in a skatepark?
Denver Skatepark or as I call it “Big Red” (because the ground is red). Yeah. That park was the bomb and I wish I could skate it again soon. The part I like in that park has to be the spine bowl only because it has some gnarly curves and you build up so much speed.
Favorite skateboarders of all time?
Favorite skateboarders are Lance Mountain, Cara Beth Burnside, Jim Murphy, Leticia Bufoni and Tom Schaar. They all shred in the most sickest way possible.
Is there anything that hasn’t been built to skate yet that you’d like to see built?
No. I think everything I could think of is already made.
Best road trip you ever took?
I don’t travel out of South Dakota very much. However, the trip to Denver with the whole Pine Ridge skate crew was so fun! I was the only girl and, in a car full of boys, there was going to be a lot of arguing. Haha! Well, they wouldn’t let me sleep. That’s for one thing. We brought a camera with us, so there were endless photos taken. These guys are like my brothers so, of course, there were arguments and some punching involved. They treat me like I’m one of the guys and sometimes they forget that I’m a girl, so I always catch some weird conversations. We were restless and barely reaching Denver and we decided to tear up some cardboard and write some funny stuff on it and stick it on the window. Let’s just say that we couldn’t stop laughing at people’s reactions. YEAAAH! I wish I could go back to that day.
Are there any skate-related charities that you support?
Yeah. The One Gathering Skate For Life competition that goes on in Denver. Other than that, not really, I try to and I would love to help with anything like that.
What music have you been listening to lately?
I would listen to anything. Lately, I’ve been listening to Pop music, even though I don’t like it. Haha! What gets me pumped up is some Alternative Rock. That’s what I listen to most of the time.
What do you consider the responsibilities of a professional skateboarder?
I consider the responsibilities of a professional skateboarder to be to help with charities and skateparks and anything to give to skaters who are coming from nothing and nowhere. Other than that, just be awesome and shred non-stop. Plus, be nice. Haha!
Which skate shops do you support most?
In Rapid City, there are two skate shops and those are: Zumiez and Edge. I usually go to Edge Skate Shop only because I know some people who go there and work there.
Favorite skate photo of all time?
My top favorite ones of all time have to be when I was bombing a huge hill with some of my skate friends and when I got a frontside grind in one of the pockets in Pine Ridge. Another was when I was in Denver for the One Gathering and I got a backside air.
What is your take on girls skateboarding?
TOTALLY WICKED!!! It is so cool to see something new, especially if it is women skateboarding. It shows that we can shred and we are going to make history as well. I just think it’s about time. Of course, we are going to have to deal with the criticism from men skateboarders, but I think women are strong enough to handle it.
What skateboarding memorabilia do you have that means the most to you?
I have a couple of bruises as memorabilia if that counts. I also have my first skateboarding award plaque from a competition and it says “Best Half-Pipe”. When I received that, I realized that I got a reward for doing something I love and, from then on, I just kept it in my room to remind me that it is possible for me to make it far. That would have to be the most meaningful memorabilia that I have.
Who contributes the most to your local skate scene?
I think everyone here contributes about the same to our skate scene, however, I think Walt Pourier and Jim Murphy are the highest contributors we have. For goodness sakes, they built us a Grade A skate park and they are all for the youth. They give us so much hope to do right.
Top three favorite skate tricks?
My top three skate tricks are: backside air, frontside grinds and some varial kickflips. I’m not that good, but I’m getting there.
Do you think skateboarding should be in the Olympics?
Heck yeah! Why not. We are in the X Games and we have our own huge event in the Street League, Dew Tours, etc. so why stop there. Let’s make this huge – “Go Big or Go Home” as I would phrase it.
What is your proudest moment in skateboarding so far?
My proudest moment would have to be when I was chosen for the Levi’s documentary by my sponsors. I was able to tell my story and so were some other skaters chosen as well. I had the greatest time and I am truly grateful for that opportunity, I was able to learn some new tricks and skate with the skate team that came down as well. We went to a Japanese restaurant and ate seaweed and sushi. It was rad!! Being able to work with them was the funniest and we skated some cool spots too. That has to be my proudest moment.
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…
