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Duty Now For the Future Retrospective – Lil Eddie

DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE RETROSPECTIVE

LIL EDDIE LAWRENCE

INTERVIEW BY BREWCE MARTIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRINDLINE SKATEPARKS

We started the Duty Now for the Future articles to honor those skateboarders building concrete for other skateboarders. These skaters are dedicated to building skate structures, day in and day out, where quality is job one and money doesn’t matter as much as the finished product. They are the ones carving the future for generations to come and we want to bring their stories to you in order to understand what goes into building those killer parks that you get to ride! We want to thank these skaters for all their sweat, hard work and dedication to skateboarding! They’re not afraid to lay yards of pool coping down, so get out there and grind it up!!! That is our Duty Now For The Future! D-E-V-O. We dedicate our Duty Now For the Future Retrospective to Bob 2 aka Bob Casale. R.I.P.

What is your favorite backyard/DIY spot to skate?

I don’t know. Where have I been? You caught me on the spot on this one. I would say my house, but it’s not skate-able. This year it’s going to be mine. Other than that, Charleston is always good. Before that, Florida, the Property, and everywhere down south.

Who is the one person that influenced you the most in building skateparks?

Tim Payne was always good at building wood stuff, and that’s what I started out doing. Then I came on with Hubbard and Shaggy. They’re good. That’s it.

What’s your favorite skatepark now?

I think the one we’re doing in Pittsburgh with the full pipe is going to be pretty good. It’s got a good bowl. I always like Louisville, back in the day. That was hard to beat the first time. You could party there. It was like a backyard, but it wasn’t.

So you could party there and that helps?

Yeah. It keeps it going. [Laughs]

What do you think has been the biggest innovation in skatepark building over the years?

It’s always changing. You never know what you’re going to do until it’s done. I think grant money is the best innovation. Everyone else wants to control you and tell you what not to build now. You used to be able to just build what you want, or they told you what to build and you built something else. Now it’s completely the opposite. The grant money, to me, is keeping it going.

Where do you see park building going in the next ten years?

Hopefully, I’m still building them then.

Do you see skatepark building as a long-term trend?

Hell, I didn’t think it would last a year, and it’s up to 20 now. It’s been going strong since ‘98 and it’s still happening.

What do you think is going to happen in skatepark building over the next ten years?

It’s going to get handed down to a new group. [Laughs] And they’ll keep it going, hopefully.

What innovations have happened in skatepark building that have become obsolete and aren’t being built right now?

That’s a hard one there. It seems like everything is being built. Everyone is building parks and there’s new and old and re-creations. Everything is being built. They just keep building them.

What is your favorite pool shape and why?

I’d have to go with amoeba. It has the most pockets all around. Keep it moving.

Favorite pool coping?

I like Federal Stone, but there is a lot of stuff being used now. I’m just keeping it the same.

What is the one thing that hasn’t been built to skate yet that you’d like to build or see built in the future? 

Double barrel, shotgun full pipe, side by side.

Who is on your crew right now? 

On the last one, we had Austin from Pittsburgh, Fish, and Matt from Atlanta. There are more people that come and go.

“I think the one we’re doing in Pittsburgh with the full pipe is going to be pretty good. It’s got a good bowl. I always like louisville. That was hard to beat the first time. you could party there. It was like a backyard, but it wasn’t.”

Anyone you want to thank?

I want to thank you for owing me so much money, Brewce. And I want to thank Dan for not leaving this out of the interview because I’m hoping some day Brewce gives me my money. [Laughs]

[Laughs] And I hope one day Dan will send you some clothes.

[Laughs] Yeah, Dan. Send me some clothes.

What is your Duty Now for the Future?

Raise my little girl.

DUTYNOWRETROSPECTIVE-13-14-LILEDDIE

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