Thrill of the hunt: the Rowley interview.

MANY OF THE TOP PROS are very guarded about their image and like to micromanage every aspect of their coverage--down to the questions I ask them for their big interviews. They see the mag as just another ad and, if they got their way, would turn their interview into something closer resembling an infomercial than the Q and A any actual skate fans would give a shit about.

But not Geoff. If anything, the sketchier the questions the better. Seriously, you should have seen what I cut out of this interview--fantasies of hunting naked women and even more bizarre stuff. He's the type who would rather shoot his mouth off than fumble over some wishy-washy answer. Better to say something some people might not like than to say a whole bunch of nothing.

You can see it in his skating, too. He'd rather try and slam than go home depressed, rather tackle some unskated monstrosity than truck out some old reliable trick on the rail of the month.

This is some salt-of-the-Earth shit! The real deal! This is Geoff Rowley's third Thrasher interview and it is my immense pleasure to share it with you.

What were your first years in California like?

Treacherous.

What I heard was that you and Tom were the raw talent and Deacon and Fox were your promoters. How did that relationship work?

Both Ian and Jeremy had lived in America before we even moved here. Ian knew all the guys in Orange County, all the guys at the mags like Swift and Grant and Sturt and all the maniacs from back then--Justin Ashby and Art Godoy, all those guys. So when we moved here he already knew everybody--Don Brown--everybody. Where as Jeremy used to work for a company called Brand X up in Ventura. He was the team manager. So they knew most everybody and me and Tom knew nobody.

What kind of instruction did they give you? What were you, 17?

I was 18. They gave absolutely no instruction. None. Not at first. Not at all. We all knew what we were coming over here for, just to skate. And if we liked it we'd stay here. Tom and Rune and everybody, we just came over like any skater would.

Did you have a change in motivation when you got here, to the land of Matt Hensley?

No, there was too much to take in. Everything I wanted to see, there was too much of it! It was overwhelming. It's not as comfortable is it? To come from a city to here where everything's spread out like wildfire. You don't know what's up or down. It's all over the place.

Were Deacon and Fox sweatin' it, starting a new company with unknown talent?

I don't know if you'd say sweatin' it. They were fighting for their life! It's not easy starting a skateboard company, particularly when your company's had a lot of problems. Flip had a lot of problems before moving to the United States. It went through a lot of hell. It had already been through hell, so they were okay with it.

Do you remember when things started to click for Flip in America?

No. I couldn't say it was like that, really. I think it's been ups and downs and ups and downs the whole time. While one guy's been ripping, the other guy's like mellowing out. There's never a stopping point where you go, "Alright we've made it." And there never should be, ever. Ever. I assure you that everyone on the team was not thinking they would get to a certain point and say, "We've made it." That's not how the company is run. It's not.

After Plan B, the model for a skate company was that to be successful you had to get all the gnarliest skaters. You always have the best skaters and you get all the newest best skaters. It seems with Flip, even though you get the new gnarly skaters like PJ Ladd and Bastien, you still have some more unique dudes like Boulala and Penny. How do you keep that balance between having the best new guys and the more nontraditional skaters?

I think you've got to look at it more long term. And with that you've got periods where you're up and periods where you're not so up. You know what I mean? There are a couple years where maybe you don't find some new kids and maybe it's not going how you want and you just have to wait. You could grab a super team over night, but is it going to last eight or nine years?

Has there ever been the temptation to try and grab all the best guys, like, "Let's get Muska! Let's get McCrank!"

No. Never.

Even when the team is running really hot? There's never been the temptation to say, "Let's get the gnarliest dudes!"

We have the gnarliest dudes! I will say that. We have the gnarliest team, hands down.

I know from being in the van there are times when everyone doesn't always get along, but how important is friendship to the team? Is it okay to have someone on the team who's really good but who no one likes?

No. Again, you have to look at it long term. You have to go on trips. You have to work together. No one can do that for a long time with someone they don't like. A lot of other companies say, "Oh, this guy's good!" They get him and then two years later he quits because he's not really part of the team. It's not really a team. I mean, I'm sure everyone's wanted to kick me off at some point. Or I've wanted to kick off everyone at some point or another, but it's not really that serious.

I wanted to talk about the black sheep of the team, and someone whose name I've never even heard you say, Alex Chalmers. How does he fit in with the team?

Well, he lives in Vancouver, for one. And he skates mostly skateparks, he doesn't really skate street that much, so why would he come on a street filming trip with us? But he is an integral part of the team 'cause we don't have anyone who skates like that. I think that side of skateboarding is incredible to watch and if we're gonna have somebody who skates that stuff and skates it well I'd rather have him than pretty much anybody else.

Are Fox and Deacon as hard as everyone says?

That's just the way they are. They're outspoken and they care a lot about the team. If you look at what they've done for people and went out of their way to do--no other people that I've been around do that for their team riders. There's so much stuff they do that has nothing to do with their normal job responsibilities, and they've gotten nothing for it.

Like what?

They look after the team properly. They don't get paid to take care of everyone. To me I think that's invaluable.

What do other companies do wrong? I know when we're in the van we'll turn to a company's ad and start laughing.

Doesn't everybody do that? They must do that.

What do other companies consistently do wrong?

I think we all fail in some aspect. Nobody's perfect. Even the biggest brands are doing something wrong in one way or another.

What keeps the Flip team on track?

Just living it every day. Paying attention to it every day. Not forgetting about somebody. Knowing where they're at in their life, not just in skating. Some of the best companies do it, others don't. I don't want to name any names, though I'd like to.

Will Flip ever have a girl on the team?

Nah. Probably not. Not unless she can grind a triple kink backwards--slide her flaps off. But other than that I doubt it. No, you know what? It depends on how gnarly she is. If she's gnarly, she doesn't have to be as gnarly as the gnarliest street skater, but if she's gnarly and you can feel that coming through, why not? Could cause some internal issues on tour. Some very internal issue.

Arto: It's a strict rule that pirates don't have women on board. How's this mustache coming in?

I don't have a mustache.

Well, you have something.

That's exactly what I've got, something. Some'tache.

Arto: How often do you trim it?

I've never trimmed it once. It's been completely undisturbed for probably a year and a half.

For the Thrasher Magazine Geoff Rowley Sketchy Mustache Invitational what are you going to be looking for?

No gingers.

What do you hate so much about the gingers?

The first girl I ever stuck it in was ginger.

Was that good or bad?

That was good. Very good.

Then why the deep-seeded hatred for gingers?

It's just a bright color, something to behold.

I saw this weird Vans ad of you with some sort of outdoor adventure theme. What was that? That's not a crooked grind.

That's got nothing to do with skateboarding whatsoever. That's an obsession. The two guys with the mustaches live the life I dream of--those are two guys, both of them are from Colorado and one lives in Alaska. It was on the last day of a nine-day lion hunt in Colorado. The picture was taken in Dubuque after about 10 hours of going up and down mountain ranges with snow that's up to your chest. I've never skated or worked or done anything as strenuous and killing as that. I thought I was going to fall over for the last five hours. It was like when I ran out into the desert that time on some maniac mission. But this time I was completely sober. If you're into that kind of stuff, one of those guys is the premier lion hunter in Southwest Colorado. He quit taking people out for money three years ago and he's a friend of a friend. He's 50-odd years old and he's been hunting them since he was 16. He's got some of the biggest lions ever taken in Colorado.

So you guys were out there to shoot mountain lions?

Yes, though we never shot anything. I've been out with him for the last two years and we never caught anything because the weather was so crappy. In his whole 40 years he only shot two, but he's probably caught hundreds and hundreds. So that gives you an idea. It's not barbaric.

He's not living off lion sandwiches?

Well, he likes to eat them. I've heard the loin is really tasty, but I don't eat meat so I wouldn't know.

Arto: How can you hunt lions for 10 hours if you don't eat meat? That takes a toll on your body. How do you get your proper nutrition?

My life is a complete contradiction. I eat an entire vegetarian diet. I do pretty good, right? I always have energy. I'm always moving. I went to the doctor six months ago and got the physical and I wasn't deficient for any vitamins or minerals. I'm getting everything I need from my diet. The day I don't feel good, the day I want to eat a hamburger, I will. I don't even care. That's never really bothered me. It's just my diet. It doesn't even matter. It's not even a subject worth a shit.

What go you into tracking animals?

I've been into the wild beasts for a long time. I have. About three years ago before I moved here, when I was 15, before I grew from a little kid into a very small man, I just started reading about them.

What would be the ultimate outdoor adventure for you?

I've been doing it the last two years. Lion hunting is the gnarliest shit ever. Actually, I would imagine hunting grizzly on foot with a handgun would be gnarly too.

I'd imagine so.

That, in British Columbia on foot. I take that back. Grizzly, Alaska, on foot, handgun. And a sleeping bag.

Arto: What happens if the lion comes after you?

Well I don't have a gun! You never know what can happen. The last time I was out I shitted for about two seconds because the dogs were chasing the cat. I saw the cat on the other side of the canyon and I was at the bottom and they were chasing her down. It was two cats--a female and her cub. Rustling bushes next to me! I couldn't see them! It's not that likely. Mostly they run. They don't fight that often.

Arto: What should you do if you turn from hunter to hunted?

You should be thankful you're the chosen.

What do you think about white Rastas?

I don't give it much thought really. They're quite nice as long as they clean their dreads.

How come you entered the X-Games this year?

It took like six months of going, "Shit, what do I do? Oh, shit! Fuck! Twat!" I called Jake--everything. The fact of the matter was, I looked at what they tried to do and I figured if they're trying to make stuff better and I'm part of it, then that's a good thing. I don't have a problem with ESPN. I don't have a problem with the X-Games. I have a problem with the way they were doing the contest. They're showcasing skateboarding. If they're trying to do it proper, I'll help them.

Did they do it proper?

They did a much better job than before, and that's a start. Even if none of us go they're still gonna have their contest. They don't give a fuck. They're gonna do it no matter what. Wolnei Dos Santos--he'll be there.

Were you nervous the first time Ed took nude photos of you?

Ed has never seen my tackle. Ever! I am thankful to say that, 'cause if he had seen my tackle he'd have drawn it! Everything you tell him, anything really sketchy, he documents. I have to be really careful what I tell him. He can't keep any secrets.

Arto: But you know he's pictured it in his head many times.

What? My nudity? Of course he has! He's pictured all of us--dancing together! In moonlight! With several 15-year-old girls with us! I learned pretty early from Ed. I was getting a blowjob in a laundromat around the corner from here and a woman walked by and saw us and said, "Get a room." I told Ed this just 'cause I thought it was fuckin' great. And Ed made a cartoon out of it. He made me into a bear and wrote Flip on my T-shirt and drew a girl who looked just like my girlfriend and put it in his book and was showing it to everybody all, "Yeahhh!" So I learned pretty quick that Ed's a special creature.

Having lived among us for a few years, is there anything you could tell your fellow Europeans about us Americans that would make them hate us less?

Open your heart and your eyes because you can't experience anything in a short period of time. You're not going to learn anything about America from the TV or from a two-week trip to Disneyland. It's a massive country. In order to really feel it you have to put some time in. America's a little different from Europe. Americans are different. English are different. But I think the American lifestyle doesn't really mix well with the European lifestyle, because it's completely the opposite.

How come there are no handrails in this interview?

No reason. None, I've been skating how I skate and that's the way it's been going. I just haven't seen one that looked decidedly inviting for a while. Show me an S-shaped one that goes around corners and over buildings and I might be interested. Straight ones and all that are great.

I don't look at it like that.

Arto: Do we really need another 15-stair rail down something?

For me I've always tried to learn new things and constantly do different things, Tried. Right now that's the way it's been going. I've been skating different things that I find hard. That's what I do, I'm not a handrail skater. I'm not a rail pro. It's a non-issue. Skate whatever you want.

What's good about the hunt for massive concrete terrain?

Living in Orange County, everyone gets booted out of everywhere. You're in, you're out. But there's a lot of concrete ditches. They're easier to skate. You can sit down; you can skate. I've always liked that--being able to grab a bottle of water and go out on a mission. That was always fun to me, to find new spots and skate and not get booted out. I'm having fun skating locally because I've found all this different stuff that people aren't really looking at. That's fun for me--to skate stuff that everyone's not interested in.

Do you believe a man adds vices as he adds years?

Yeah, probably. But he also gets wiser, so it's okay. He's wiser so he's okay with it.

Do you think someone slipped you drugs on our recent trip?

I'm absolutely positive! GHB! The date-rape drug.

I thought that made you pass out.

No, it makes you run 11 miles into the desert! I talked to my friend about it who has taken many drugs and I'm sure I was slipped something. A man does not--unless he's absolutely twatted, unless he's completely insane--behave in that manner.

Arto: What were you drinking at the time?

Whiskey. Fairly cheap whiskey.

Arto: Yeah, whiskey won't make you run 11 miles. Whiskey will keep you closer to the bar.

We were a mile and a half from a freeway. I ran to the freeway and I ran another three miles before I even looked up. I saw the lights of a Denny's and sat in it and ordered food, ate it and the first thing I remember was looking at the lady, ordering the food, and I couldn't hear what I was saying. I couldn't hear what I was asking for. I couldn't think straight. When you're drunk you still have your brain deep in there. It's not like that. So I ate the food, ran out of the Denny's without paying, ran up an embankment, over the freeway and then I ran another eight miles. I thought immigration was after me! I'd see a light from a train a mile away and jump in the bushes! It was like four above zero and it was pissing down rain and I'm in the desert in mud, diving into the bushes. You don't do that stuff when you're drunk.

Who's a pro skater whom you'd put on Flip in a second?

Eric Koston.

In the Really Sorry video, are you making fun of Jamie Thomas?

No. Absolutely not.

What about the inverted-cross board?

That's just my own personal joke.

What are your views on Christianity?

I'm not one. That was just a joke. Believe what you want.

What do you like about kinks?

It's a bit more exciting, isn't it? The steeper the better. The more S-shaped the better. The more treacherous the better.

Why aren't you in the new Tony Hawk Pro Skater game?

I don't know. I have no idea. Maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe I'm lagging. Maybe I better not say anymore. I'm not afraid to say it. The way I see, it seems like Tony looks after himself and the people just around him. He says he looks after the good of skateboarding; I don't think he really thinks like that.

Arto: Is it really his call?

It's his name on the game! What do I care? It's a video game. This is other people's business. It's out of my control.

Arto: They should chuck all those games out the window anyway.

What do you think of all these fools bitin' your shit?

What fools? I think it's wicked. I bite fools' shit all day long anyway.

What doesn't belong in a skateboard mag?

Arto: Do you wear deodorant?

Not for about--actually, I put some on recently 'cause my pits were smelling like shit.

Arto: Did you do it for yourself?

No. I did it for my lady.

Arto: Did it make you feel good?

No. It made me feel like a fag.

Arto: Did it make her feel good?

Women fuckin' love it, don't they?

What belongs in a skateboard mag and what doesn't?

Arto: Fucking deodorant ads!

Is it true your parents have never seen you skate?

No, they've seen me skate. I think the last time they were here I was skating outside the front of my house and my mother came out and she was looking at me really strange. Like, thinking she'd never seen such a thing, No, they saw me skate when I was a kid. They've never been at any contest I've ever been at. Ever. They've never seen me skate properly, that's for sure. And that's not intentional. They're my parents. They hang out in their house drinking tea. They're not at the session lighting it up. I'd love it if my dad was out ripping. I'd love it.

What's your advice to all the little bucktoothed kids back in Liverpool? If you could give the 14-year-old Geoff some advice, what would you say?

Nothing. None. Enjoy your life. Do whatever you need to do to make mistakes.