Name: Jim “Murf” Murphy
Hometown: New York City, New York
Age: 50
Sponsors: Wounded Knee Skateboards.
What set-up are you riding right now? Board, trucks, wheels, grip, hardware…
My set up is a Wounded Knee/MPS deck, 9” wide, 169s Independents and 62mm Bones SPFs.
What’s the most fun DIY, skater-built or renegade spot that you’ve skated lately?
The Pine Ridge Park in South Dakota that Monk and the boys just finished up is super fun.
Have you ever built something to skate?
I helped build the downhill Red Bull ramps in Prospect Park with Merk the Jerk and Jack Fitz. We built some downhill bowl ramps.
Who do you like to skate with the most these days?
East Coast Big Tim and Chicken Hawk.
Coolest skateboard graphic you have seen lately?
It was up in Anchorage, Alaska, where we had a bunch of kids doing graphics and they were all skaters. They were doing handmade graphics and Wounded Knee graphics and those were the best graphics I’ve seen lately.
Best thing you’ve ever skated in a skatepark and what skatepark was it?
Best thing I ever skated in a skatepark was the Egg Bowl at Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Favorite skateboarders, of all time?
Steve Herring, Brad Constable, Jef Hartsel, Tom Groholski, Jeff Phillips, John Gibson, Craig Johnson, Reese Simpson, George Draguns, Dan Tag, and every kid on the Pine Ridge Reservation that picks up a skateboard and rides the Grindline skateparks.
Is there anything that hasn’t been built to skate yet that you’d like to see built?
I want to poach an idea that Shaggy had for a downhill skatepark in a parking garage with multi-levels. I’d love to see what that would be like. I think that would be epic.
What’s one of the best road trips you ever took?
Alva tour of Australia in ‘88 or ‘89. Everybody on the team was there except for John Thomas and it was a really sick road trip.
Are there any skate-related charities that you support?
Stronghold Society and big props to the Tony Hawk Foundation.
What music have you been listening to lately?
Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.
What do you consider the responsibilities of a professional skateboarder?
The utmost responsibility is to be super cool to young kids and realize that your interaction with them could last them a lifetime, so be cool and don’t be a jerk and keep skating for the rest of your life.
Which skate shops do you support?
Water Bros., Sid, Newport, Rhode Island, all day.
Favorite skate photo of all time?
Any photo of Jay Smith doing a layback. The sequential in Skateboarder was epic. There’s a backyard shot of him standing up in a pool grinding towards the hip that’s sick and also the Salba/Dunlap doubles shot at Upland.
What is your take on girls skateboarding?
I think it’s rad. It’s the best. I think more girls should skate and get a huge support crew out there because women are as talented as men. They can do anything that men can do, so get out there and rip it up.
What skateboarding memorabilia do you have that means the most to you?
Print shot of Andy Kessler kicking down the street by Ivory Serra. It’s the original shot that was used on the Juice cover.
Who contributes the most to your local skate scene?
Andy Kessler, even though he’s gone to the next level, is a huge influence on what gets built here. Because of his attitude and his legacy, we all live and die by it. Hands down, Andy Kessler, New York City.
Top three favorite skate tricks?
Slob fastplant, layback grind and smith grinds.
Do you think skateboarding should be in the Olympics?
It’s a double-edged sword. I have mixed emotions. Part of me doesn’t want to see it turn generic in the eyes of the world, but another part of me sees it as a great opportunity for young kids. It’s all about the youth and, if there is some way it can give them more opportunities and get more concrete built and it’s inevitable it’s going to be in the Olympics, so be it. Let’s see if we can try to keep it gnarly.
What is your proudest moment in skateboarding so far?
Being out on the Pine Ridge Reservation and seeing Monk building a skatepark for the kids on that Reservation.
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…
