Name: Packy Fancher
Hometown: Born in Virginia, now San Diego, California
Age: 30
Sponsors: Cockfight Skateboards, Ace Trucks, Skeleton Key Mfg.
What set-up are you riding?
I have a vert board and an “other” board. Vert board: Cockfight deck (8.8 wide, 15-inch wheel base), Ace Trucks – 166, Spitfire Formula 4s – 58mm, Hard Luck ceramic bearings, Bones bushings – hard, Paradox grip, Shorty’s bolts. Other stuff board: Cockfight deck (8.5 wide, 15in wheel base), Ace Trucks – 144, Spitfire Formula 4s – 54mm, Bones bearings, Bones bushings – medium, Paradox grip and Shorty’s bolts.
What’s the most fun DIY, skater-built or renegade spot that you’ve skated lately?
That’s easy, Washington St. Does Bucky’s bowl count?
Have you ever built something to skate?
Not as much as I should have. I helped one day with the Charm City ramp when they moved it from West Virginia to Baltimore. I think the owner sucks, so I never skated the Baltimore version. Back in 2010, I was in Berlin and helped make some small banky/pyramid/ledge things, but they got torn down while I was there. I held tools for guys building the Trey Winslow’s ramp (RIP), I helped sheet an indoor skatepark during high school and, most recently I helped countersink some screw holes for the Ramona ramp.
Who do you like to skate with the most these days?
Probably my wife! Also, Ben Hatchell, Neal Hendrix, Rob Lorifice, Alan Young, Josh Stafford, Zack Dowdy, Darren Navarrette, Mike Richards, Matt Kreigle, Jimmy Wilkins, Dan Sparagna, all the guys at Bucky’s, anyone at WSVT, Auby Taylor, Lizzie and Allysha. I’m sure there are more and I’ll be heckled for that…
Coolest skateboard graphic you have seen lately?
Mine, obviously…
Best thing you’ve skated in a skatepark?
Faelledparken, Copenhagen, Denmark. Easily the most bad ass skatepark I’ve ever skated, period. All of it.
Favorite skateboarders of all time?
Last time I had a favorite skater it was Dan Drehobl. My favorite skaters are usually the ones I’m skating with at any given time.
Is there anything that hasn’t been built to skate yet that you’d like to see built?
Yep, a concrete replica of Trey Winslow’s bowl in Suffolk, VA. 6-ft square shallow, 7ft extensions that dogleg into a triangular 9ft deep end with a 16ft cradle. It was Skatelite with hand-poured coping. It looked extremely difficult to build, so maybe it’d be easier with concrete.
What’s one of the best road trips you ever took?
I went to Europe by myself for 3.5 weeks after I finished college. I went from Brussels to Berlin to Prague, back to Berlin and then flew out of Brussels. I won $500 euros in a bowl contest after three days of being there. I’m a history geek, so I explored every corner of Berlin, did a wall ride on the Berlin wall and saw a bunch of crazy Cold War era shit. It was awesome.
Are there any skate-related charities that you support?
I’ve kicked a few bucks to Mike Rogers’ Grind for Life here and there, and donated to a few backyard ramps.
What music have you been listening to lately?
I was obsessed with the Talking Heads in high school and, recently, I’ve been playing almost all Talking Heads and David Byrne stuff. People hate to skate to it, so I’ll play Ice Cube and N.W.A. during sessions.
What do you consider the responsibilities of a professional skateboarder?
Push product.
Which skate shops do you support and go to the most?
Route 44!!!!!!!!!
What is your favorite skate photo of all time?
Me looping Reedsport? I dunno… All of them!
What is your take on girls skateboarding?
More please.
What piece of skateboarding memorabilia do you have that means the most to you?
I have an original Gator board hanging up. People sometimes look at me funny for it. When they do, I just tell them I point to it when my wife talks back to me.
Who contributes the most to your local skate scene?
All the guys that help maintain Washington St. Also Truman Hooker and Zack Dowdy are always patching up street spots and ditches. Local pros that build shit on their property do a damn good job too.
Top three favorite skate tricks?
Eggplant, Madonna, Smith grind.
Do you think skateboarding should be in the Olympics?
If you wanna have some downhill or slalom shit, go for it. Anything besides that isn’t really “Olympic.”
What is your proudest moment in skateboarding so far?
The fact that I’m 30, I’m married, and I skate 5-6 days a week with some of the best of the best. That gets me pretty stoked.
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…
