SURF SKATE STYLE WITH DON REDONDO. INTERVIEW BY JUICE MAGAZINE. PHOTO BY PING.
When did you first hear of SurfSkate style?
I didn’t hear of surfskate style until the kneeslide era where guys were more “trick” oriented riding pools more like a half-pipe (back and forth – no carves). After that, folks started differentiating between a more flow-oriented approach vs. the robot back and forth trick thing. Before that, there was no reason to call it surf style because all of the best skaters were usually surfers. Look at the old footage of Larry Bertlemann or Buttons ripping a wave side by side with Alva, Adams, Peralta etc. skating the banked playgrounds and pools back in the day – there was a clear connection.
What does SurfSkate style mean to you and who has the best surf skate style?
Pumping and linking multiple walls and moves into one run without pushing while making it look effortless. Totally different from the “tea bag” drop your board, go straight across and do one trick and then promptly pick the board up again. Also, doing frontside grinds where your board is eye level (or above) vs. some stand up thing only to set up your next trick. The “Jay Adams” backside grind where he got so compressed he could lay his hand FLAT on the tile while grinding. And the Steve Olson layback, hand on tiles/trucks grinding – going in with a lot of speed and coming out with even more. Hand and body position would take a full day to explain (watch Dogtown and Z Boys) – just don’t look like an arm waving, butt jack, stinkbug grabbing kook and you will be OK. The Z-Boys, Steve Olson, Hosoi and Chris Miller had the best surf skate style.
How has surfing influenced skateboarding, and skateboarding influenced surfing?
Surfing gave skateboarding the idea that you could pump for speed, get vertical, and do slides (Bertlemann) like cutbacks. Skateboarding injected airs back into surfing (grabs, ollies, alley oops, rotations etc.)
Is SurfSkate style important today?
Flow and style are EVERYTHING!!! I don’t care how “good” you are if you look like a monkey robot kook. That goes for modern trick-oriented surfers who can’t really ride a wave as well.
JUICE MAGAZINE SURF SKATE STYLE STORY:
The influence of surfing on skateboarding has been discussed since the beginning of both, yet we have now entered a new era, where skateboarding has returned the favor with its own unique influence on the surfing world. In order to get to the core of this cross over and to try to define the origins and current state and status of surf skate style, we’ve interviewed some of the most innovative skateboarders, surfers, artists, documentarians, photographers, filmmakers and musicians on the planet. In honor of the great, Shogo Kubo, who once said, “To me, style is everything…” welcome to our exploration of Surf Skate Style featuring interviews with Aaron Murray, Aaron Astorga, Abraham Paskowitz, Art Brewer, Bennett Harada, Brad Bowman, Brandon Cruz, Brian Brannon, Carter Slade, Chris Miller, Chris Strople, Christian Fletcher, Christian Hosoi, Craig Stecyk III, Darren Ho, Dave Tourje, David Hackett, Dennis Martinez, Dibi Fletcher, Don Redondo, Eric Britton, Garrett McNamara, Gerry Lopez, Glen E. Friedman, Greg Falk, Greg Galbraith, Greyson Fletcher, Herbie Fletcher, James O’Mahoney, Jef Hartsel, Jeff Ament, Jeff Divine, Jeff Ho, Jim Fitzpatrick, Jim Gray, John Van Hamersveld, Jonathan Paskowitz, Josh “Bagel” Klassman, Kalani David, Keith Morris, Kirra Kehoe, Larry Bertlemann, Laura Thornhill, Lizzie Armanto, Marc Emond, Michael Denicola, Michael Early, Nano Nobrega, Nathan Fletcher, Nathan Florence, Neil Stratton, Norton Wisdom, Pat Bareis, Randy Katen, Ray Flores, Rob Nelson, Robert Trujillo, Scott Oster, Shane Allen, Shaun Tomson, Shota Kubo, Solo Scott, Stacy Peralta, Steve Alba, Steve Olson, Takuji Masuda, Terry Nails, Tim Curran, Tim Hendricks, Tim Kerr, Tom Groholski, Tony Alva, Wes Humpston and Zach Miller.
FOR THE REST OF THE STORY, ORDER ISSUE #75 AT THE JUICE SHOP…
