Name: Peter Furnee
Hometown: Greenwood, Indiana
Age: 44
Sponsors: Cockfight Skateboards, Speedlab Wheels and consideration from ACE, Burly, S-1, Bulletproof Laces and Boneless Products.
What set-up are you riding right now?
Cockfight Allen Midgette shape with Squindo drawn Groholski graphics. Tom was so rad to let us put out a board for him, and it’s a real proud moment… Ace 55’s with Magnesium Baseplates, Speedlab Juggernautz… Fresh Mob and a variety of bolts. I usually OCD hard on hardware, but shit broke on me setting up this board, so I had to set some new shit up… I need to get some Randoms.
What’s the most fun DIY, skater-built or renegade spot that you’ve skated lately?
Darren’s Ramp in Ramona. It counts as skater built. Lots of regular dudes just went and took time off work to make it right.
Have you ever built something to skate?
I’ve built quite a few vert ramps, and a few small concrete spots. By small, I mean less than 20 bags per spot. The ramps were always the best we could do for the money that we had. They always had good coping though.
Who do you like to skate with these days?
Jason Gainous, Matthew Munson, Rich Pond, Snarf, Skiba, The Marks… I miss Jon Burgess quite a bit. Those are just a few of the homies. We roll tight out here in the Midwest, so really, all of them. You have better sessions when either or all of them are there. Jon is just so inspirational. He never gives up on making sure you’re having the best time of your life. He divorced me and moved back East. Shane Patterson. He can make the worst session the best. He talks about cookies when he wants to avoid getting angry.
Best skate graphic you have seen lately?
Brett Roper’s Cockfight graphic by Michael Sieben. It’s still the only perfect fit I’ve seen in the past 10 years..
Best thing you’ve skated in a skatepark?
The coping in Louisville’s new bowl. Once you get up on it, you know you’re a man…
Favorite skateboarders of all time?
Jeff, Neil, Tom, Bryan, Skiba and Mats.
Is there anything that hasn’t been built to skate yet that you’d like to see built?
Of course! I am becoming a huge fan of absolutely giant shit with pool coping on it. Make a 50/50 one of the scariest tricks in the world…
One of the best road trips you ever took?
It was with Wes Meadows probably.
Any skate-related charities you support?
I look at my friends and my scene first. I’m always stoked to help them out, whether it’s helping them get equipment, a ride to the session, donate for wood or whatever. I am not a fan of handouts though. This is of course all earned by the stoke they emit!
What music have you been listening to?
I’ve had Volbeat and Pink Floyd on a lot recently, and Naked Raygun. I’m so amped to have just seen One Less Zero, so I suspect I’m going to get hyped on them again for the next few weeks!
What do you consider the responsibilities of a professional skateboarder?
Tough question. It elicits the dark side of skateboarding. Shit isn’t free. If they’re getting paid, it’s coming from somewhere. Represent yourself and your brands well. Carry yourself in a manner that never alienates your fellow skater. Nobody cares how good you are at riding a skateboard if you are a jerk while doing it. We all piss and shit the same. Ultimately, I think it’s a job, and that job is to rip – as a human first, then as a talented rider. Stand out for being radical.
Which skate shops do you support?
Nomad here in Indianapolis. They are an old Milk Truck and they deliver shit to you. They have a store front, but they cruise out to two or three different parks locally each weekend, fully stocked with rad shit. They carry brands I like and it’s rad to Facebook them and have them roll up in the truck. They also put on a lot of shit locally. They give back more than they earn for sure. I hope they keep it going.
Favorite skate photo of all time?
Jeff Phillips, Trashmore, when the ramp was white… pink shorts, blue vert shirt, full power
invert.
What is your take on girls skateboarding?
Personally, no different than dudes, except they’re funner to watch go across the flat. There’s some really hot ones out there. It’s fun to see a woman rip up terrain better than I can. It shows something really true about them.
What skateboarding memorabilia do you have that means the most to you?
The block of Federal Stone coping from Cedar Crest that I used to drop in off of most. I grabbed it from the ramp during its demise and still have it. I loaned it out for a bit to get a good friend some grinds on it, but I have it back safe now…
Who contributes the most to your local skate scene?
My friends…
Top three favorite skate tricks?
Pivot rock, handplant fakie and frontside grind…
Do you think skateboarding should be in the Olympics?
No.
What is your proudest moment in skateboarding so far?
Facetiming with my wife and kids before Vert Attack 7. They had made a Swedish Flag and covered it with “Go Dad”. Tears, man, tears…
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…
