Skate Photogs Goodrich - Terrebonne - Brittain Chat with Coping Block!

Coping Block Interviews three of the worlds greatest Skateboarding Photographers!




The images captured by the talented eyes of Skateboarding’s top photographers, has helped to illuminate the sport and the world of Skateboarding. These photographers are the record keepers, the time capsule wizards that make it possible for us to drool over those precious Skateboarding moments time after time. Only a select few talented Skateboarding Photographers are granted access to those energy filled sessions where Skateboarding is taken to unbelievable heights! They are the shapers of our skate memories etched into the aged pages of Skateboarding publications past, present, and future. In this issue of Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine we pay tribute to three of the greatest Skateboarding photographers of all time, Jim Goodrich, Grant Brittain, and Ted Terrebonne.



Cleo:  What made you want to get into photography and what about Skateboarding grabbed your attention?

Jim: I've been aware ever since childhood that I saw the world differently than most. Or, more accurately, I noticed the lighting and details in everything around me, which most people tend to miss in their rush through life. Photography appealed to me be-cause I could capture both moments and places, and then share them with others so they could see the world that I see. Skateboarding photography was a natural progression for me once I got into skating myself. But my real passion for it came from a skate accident, and I started taking photos of my skate buddies while my arm was in a cast. Then, several skate accidents later, I came to the conclusion that it was healthier for me to shoot skating than to skate.

Ted: I think it was the fact that it was something that I could do easily and it made me feel good to be able to produce a piece of art. It was back in 1974 and I was about 25 and needed something positive in my life. I first skateboarded in 1964 and really enjoyed it so when Skateboarder Magazine came out in the middle 70’s I gave skating a try again and decided that I’d give skateboard photography a try.

Grant: I worked and skated at Del Mar Skate Ranch from 1978 till 1984. I borrowed my roommate’s Canon in February of 1979 and started shooting for fun and got hooked. It just seemed like a lot of fun and I had a lot of free time.

Cleo:  What was your first camera?

Jim: Not counting the Brownie box type cameras in my earliest days, my first real camera for skateboarding was the Canon G-III QL, which was a 40 mm fixed-lens camera. My next camera was the Canon FM2, which was my favorite camera, and the one I used for the majority of my photography while at Skateboarder Magazine.

Ted: My first real camera was a Pentax and wasn’t really happy with is so I bought a Canon F1 and right away I fell in love with the quality of Canon lenses. I’ve always used Canon and always will.

Grant: I went with my friend Chris Ray and bought a used Minolta SRT201 and a 20mm lens. My daughter has it now. It’s weird; my wife has the same camera from before we met.


                          Danny Way bmb drops from a helicopter photo by Grant Brittain


Cleo:  How did Skateboarding help you with your other photographic endeavors?

Jim: The action and constantly changing demands of skateboarding photography made it much easier for me to learn all other types of photography.

Ted: Well it gave me a better idea of what made a good picture, and it really helped me because I skated as much as I shot pictures. Plus skaters became my friends because I was actually one of them a skateboarder not just a photographer.

Grant: I hadn’t shot other photo subjects; I started with skateboarding and then started shooting other things. When I took photography classes later that helped immensely with my skate stuff.

Cleo: Have you’ve ever lost a camera due to Skateboarding?

Jim: I often put myself in the line of fire to get a better shot, and had many camera bodies and lenses broken from flying skateboards. Fortunately, I was sponsored by Canon, but they quickly regretted sponsoring me.

Grant: I have had one fisheye sheared off in 30 years, the TWS doubles cover of Cab and Mountain. Stevie kicked his board out and nailed my Canon 15mm. Just part of the job, better the lens than my noggin.

Ted: No, I’ve been extremely lucky! My equipment and I have almost never been hit or damaged while I shot.



                                             Steve Caballero Layback by Ted Terrebonne


Cleo:  What by your definition makes a great skate shot?

Ted: A great trick by the skater you are shooting plus good lighting and composition. But most of the time I think it has some cosmic connection you have between the skater and the photographer.

Grant: Just capturing that moment where the skater, the action, exposure, angle and photographer all come together and make the viewer say, “Whoa, that’s cool, let’s go skate!” it has to make me happy too.

Jim: Any photo that makes the viewer feel the energy of the skate action. Even better, if it makes the viewer want to go out and skate.



                                  Brad Bowman early release frontside air by Jim Goodrich

Cleo:  What skater scares you the most when you are near the lip shooting pics?

Jim: The skaters who were the most dangerous to me and my camera were the ones who would go crazy just to get a great shot, or who skated sketchy and out of control most of the time. There were three skaters who gave me permanent scars from being hit, but I don't blame them since I put myself in their line of fire.

Ted: To be truthful I never thought like that, I always felt protected and normal shooting at that edge. I loved it. It a special feeling I got when I did it and you have to be there to feel it for yourself.

Grant: Neil Blender or Brian Schroeder always scared me, not because they were sketchy, they are just so damned big.

Cleo:  How does it feel to know you just shot an awesome image?

Jim: I always shot photos as if I were the skater in front of my camera. Most of the time, I had the images in my head ahead of time, so I knew when I had a great shot even before snapping the photo. Set up is critical, but timing can turn a good shot into a great shot.

Grant: I still get those feelings after 30 years. I can see the photo on the camera’s screen and I get happy and then drink a nice Ale, and life is beautiful.

Ted: Like a kid in a candy store for the first time.

 Cleo: What frustrates you the most when trying to get a great candid skate pic?

Grant: It kind of becomes automatic shooting after so long, so there aren’t a lot of surprises. I guess when I see it in my mind but can’t translate it to a photo or the skater is having a hard time.

Ted: If you get frustrated trying to get a candid shot maybe you should not try to do that. I never had that problem.

Jim: So many skaters always wanted to ham it up for the photo, and I often staged candid’s (non-action) for a particular need. But I preferred to capture the real person in that moment as if I wasn't there.



                                        Animal Chin video shoot photo by Grant Brittain


Cleo:  Do you have a favorite skateboarder to photograph?

Jim: Brad Bowman, Darren Ho, Dennis Martinez, Mike Smith, Jay Smith, Mark Rogowski, Christian Hosoi, Lance Mountain, Chris Miller, Darrell Miller, Eddie Reategui, Steve Schneer, Alan Gelfand, Ray Diez, Neil Blender, Mark Gonzales, Tony Alva, and Dave and Paul Hackett were among the most fun to shoot because they were totally unique. But I loved any skater who was fluid, unpredict-able, and creative in their lines. I hated trick skaters and robots.

Ted: Yes, all of them that are good at it and love what they do. Young or old I liked shooting them all.

Grant: A bunch, too many over the years. I just like being with people who don’t take themselves too seriously. Miller, Hawk, Gonz, Natas, Burnquist, Kien Lieu, Staab, and Lester etc. and all of my friends through the years that made my job easy. It’s hard to blow it with their kind of talent.


                                  Jay Smith frontside shallow end grind by Ted Terrebonne



Cleo:  During the years you have been behind the camera lens, and each of you have been behind the lens for different amounts of time, what was the gnarliest thing you’ve witnessed a skater pull off?
 
Jim: Probably hang up tricks where the skater pulled it off and there was no way he should have been able to. I've never been a fan of the complex tricks. I love the radical surf-style skating where the skater stays in constant motion.

Grant: There are those historical moments, Eddie Elguera’s “Elguerial”, Daryl Miller’s Miller flip, Chris Miller riding Baldy and Up-land, McGill doing McTwist for the first time, Chin Ramp, going out with Gonz and Natas, Tony Hawk doing anything and the loop, Gator destroying the kidney pool at Del Mar Skate Ranch, Danny Way jumping out of helicopters and mega ramping and jumping The Great Wall, Del Mar contests, Christian Hosoi making skating look so beautiful.

Ted: It’s hard for me to think of any one trick or maybe it was Steve Caballero pulling of the first Caballero and being there to photograph that trick back then. But really I think it has to be all the gnarly tricks I have seen every great skater pulling off their best trick one time during my life as a photographer.


              Original Z-Flex skater Marty Grimes carving at Oxnard photo by Jim Goodrich


Cleo: Many of the photographs that you three delivered to the magazines were instrumental in helping a skateboarder sell decks and promote skate related companies. That’s power! How does that make you feel?

Jim: I became aware of the power I wielded with my camera after starting at Skateboarder, but I never got caught up in the fame or power aspects. I hated the politics and outside influences on what I should photograph. I just focused on doing my job and having fun doing it.

Ted: Poor, because I never made that much from the companies that did, but I did enjoy seeing my pictures in important places in the Magazine.


Grant: I just document what they do. We help each other. They are responsible for my success, but I had the easy job, I never got broke off.

                                  Chris Miller grinding the edge photo by Grant Brittain

Cleo:  You all have had the privilege to watch many skaters grow up from boys to men. who are you most proud of as an adult skateboarder?

Ted: Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi.

Grant: Tony Hawk and Chris Miller for always having it together, they always had a plan.
Christian Hosoi for fighting his way back from hard times. I respect a lot of skaters as good men, I remember a lot of Bros that didn’t make it, and I miss them.

Jim: Stacy Peralta and Tony Hawk, but not particularly be-cause of their successes. Mark Rogowski, because of his great fall, and painful rise from his personal hell. There are many who I didn't have much respect for back in the day, but they grew up into amazing people who I respect greatly today.

                                Steve Caballero backside Ollie photo by Ted Terrebonne


Cleo:  What can be done with Black and White photography that Color can’t seem to deliver?

Jim: Black and white strips away all the distractions and focuses entirely on the subject matter. It's a different form of art than color photography. But I think too many photographers use B/W to make a statement only because it's
trendy.

Ted: With black and white photography you have to create art from what you see more than color photography. With color photography you are sort of taking a picture of what you see.

Grant: I love the grain, the mood that b&w evokes and the drama. It breaks it down to the purity of the image. The rawness.


                             A young Tony Hawk captured  by the artful eye of Grant Brittain.



                       Duane Peters enjoying his salad days, photographed by Ted Terrebonne

Cleo:  Is there a single skate photo shot by one of your photog peers that sticks out in your mind as a great representation of their work?

Ted: Glen Friedman’s centerfold shot of Jay Smith at the Marina Keyhole Pool back in the day stand out for me as one of his better shots.

Grant: I learned how to take photos by studying the photos of the guys that came before me, Goodrich, Terrebonne, Stecyk, Bolster and Glen Friedman. I owe those guys a lot for showing me the way through their photography. Mofo, for giving me some competition when I was starting out. He made me progress.

Jim: I can't single out any one photo for any photographer, but any shot that was iconic and captured the essence of that moment were my favorites. I had the most respect for the talents of Warren Bolster, Craig Stecyk, Jim Cassimus, Wynn Miller, and Craig Fineman. Then later on, the best were Grant Brittain, Glen Friedman, and Ted Terrebonne. I've seen some great work from the new generation of skate photographers but don't recall their names.


                           Eddie Elguera frontside handplant photographed by Jim Goodrich
Cleo:  What type of Camera are you shooting with today?

Jim: Nikon D90.

Ted: Canon 5D Mark II.

Grant: Canon 5D and Canon EOS1D Mark 2 for skating. My Hasselblad and Leica M6 for other stuff.
             My iPhone.


Cleo:  Do you miss film, or has digital made your photo lives easier?

Ted: I don’t miss film and digital makes it way easier to see your work right away. Before you had to get your film developed by a lab before you could see them, plus when I worked for Skateboarder Magazine I gave my undeveloped film to Jim Cassimus and then he got them developed and picked out what went in the magazine before I’d see them. For a while I never saw what I shot until it came out in the magazine.

Grant: I still shoot film for non-commercial stuff; I always have a roll of Tri-X going. Digital is just another tool in the box. It would be hard to do a magazine these days without digital. It’s all digital in the end anyways.

Jim: I hated digital in the beginning because of the limited dynamic range. Plus, most of the first cameras were far too electronic, with many of the manual controls moved into menus. But I love and embrace digital now that I've learned how to make it work for me. And you can't beat the free cost of the shots, plus the ability to instantly show clients the photos. I still shoot in-camera, and believe in getting it right the first time. Just because photos are essentially free now doesn't mean you should shoot like a tourist.

Cleo:  Is there a specific instance that sticks out in your minds from over the years from a skate session that you wish you had the op-opportunity to shoot again?

Jim: Zero regrets about anything except for not being able to photograph my favorite skaters more often, or at all.

Grant: Not really, but I have had similar feeling moments, I shot Miller in Portland grinding up the edge of the full pipe and it took me back to Upland of the 80s.

Ted: Yes! all of them, because most of it happened over 30 years ago and I have forgotten most of the particulars and I would love to relive all of them again.

Cleo:  How often do you get to shoot skate pics with your current schedule these days?

Jim: I retired from skateboarding photography when I left the scene back in 1986, though I do miss it. But I did have a brief photo shoot at the Clairemont Skate Park many years ago with some of the locals. It was shortly after I'd switched to digital and I felt like an amateur. Under the right circumstances, I'd like to shoot skating again.

Ted: Well, being 61 and having a bad left foot that has made me retire; I only shoot maybe twice a year now. I really miss it, but I did have my time and I’m extremely grateful to have been an important part of skateboarding history. I want to thank everyone for being part of the photos I did take because without those skaters I wouldn’t have been part of any of it.

Grant: It varies; I don’t shoot as much skating, working a lot on The Skateboard Mag and with my vintage photo stuff. Shooting portraits and fine art, I shoot skating twice a month unless there’s a lot of stuff happening. Trying to get a book going and I do some shows and special projects. I shoot when I want and only fun stuff.

Cleo:  I can personally tell you that each of you have had photos of yours displayed on the wall of my room as a teen. I studied them over and over again to try and figure out how a skater did a specific trick.

Grant: I like to hear that from people, I get a warm fuzzy feeling.

Cleo:  I want to thank you guys for helping to motivate not only me to skate more and more, but also skateboarders from around the globe. You keep the soul of the sport alive in your images.

Ted: Thank you for asking me to be part of this!

Cleo:  Thanks for taking the time to speak with Coping Block On-line Skateboarding Magazine.

Grant:  Thanks for asking and it’s a pleasure.


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The 2010 Skateboard Hall Of Fame in Coping Block!







There was a gathering that took place on the final hours of the first Saturday of the last month of the year, affectionately known as 2010.  Now with a global economy in turmoil and power being shifted, eliminated or secured by political parties, could there ever been anything more from the fray than the celebrating of true icons of this nation?  I give you the CLASS of 2010 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Ceremony, held at the very historic COOPER DESIGN SPACE in downtown L.A. The COOPER DESIGN SPACE is known for attracting some of the west coast’s top creative talent, and on this special evening Skate talent would be the theme.


                                                  The Cooper Design Space



        This years Skateboarding Hall of Fame inductees included the following; Torger Johnson (R.I.P), Stacy Peralta, Steve Caballero, Patti McGee, Bob Burnquist, Eric Koston, and special Iconic Revolutionary Awards to Larry Stevenson of Makaha and Craig Stecyk III.





 Reported by Bryan Ridgeway


With Emcees Lance Mountain and Steve Berra handling the intros and generational historical, the enchanting yet ruckus evening began on the top floor of one of hippest buildings in all of LA.   Food and cocktails were served.  An industry auction that was filled with some of the most unique skate-related items in the history of skateboarding.

Some of the speech highlights

                                                              A Nose Wheeling Torger
Torger Johnson (died in 1983 in car accident in Hawaii) known for his style and early influences in the 60’s.  Those who saw photos or early day footage know he epitomized the look of skateboarding as well as the dedication to progressing the sport.  He was the first skater in a National commercial FROSTED FLAKES with Tony the Tiger.   There’s not one skate historian that disputes his early ground-laying influence on our sport today.  In so many words, there’s a little Torger in all of us.





                                                                          Stacy Peralta 


Stacy Peralta   Longtime business partner George Powell gave the career background and innovative prowess of Stacy from skater to small time filmer to video director to Hollywood director with several of the most prestigious awards already under his belt.
Stacy himself described how some of the best times were climbing fences at schools to ride banks in the dark and how that help in the development of his style.  To this day he shares the same feeling a skater just starting still feels.  There in lies the generational connection.
He laughed and said his claim to fame was in being the first paid shoe sponsored skater (VANS) and held his award up to Steve Van Doren and said…”I think I finally deserve that shoe model now!”  (Crowd laughed hard)




                                                       Steve at the mic.


Steve Caballero   Stacy gave an intro that only he would know.  He came clean on how and why he had to have Stevie on his Bones Brigade team.   The thought was when he saw Stevie skating that he was so small that he looked like he was 6 yrs old, but was powerful.   He later discovered he was 12 yrs old and new that if he didn’t get him on his team that his guys would eventually have trouble beating him in contests.  The relationship is one of the longest in skateboarding history today!!!
Steve gave the most heart-felt speech I have heard in quite some time.  Every aspect was relatable to the most die-hard skater to the high end pro.  A skater is always a skater.  He attributes his success to being humble and not letting success ruin him.  He stated it can be your undoing or your asset.  He claims it has led him down many paths and has benefitted from its existence in his life as well as Jesus Christ.   Officially been skating for 35 years.  First signature skate shoe in history, an avid collector, accomplished musician…the accolades go on and on.
He said with the guidance he has had that it was easy to keep his head on straight…pause…then he remarked “So to speak”.  Crowd exploded in laughter, as most are aware Steve has a spinal condition that has had his head tilted since childhood.




                                                           A very happy Bob Burnquist.

Bob Burnquist was in utter awe and on the high level of humility.  He simply couldn’t believe that his dream of growing up in Brazil and skating instead of playing soccer one afternoon had led to this night.  He didn’t quite know how to take it cause his idols were on the stage with him.  It was the epitome of how a true skater feels and why they skate…it isn’t for awards, but for the comradery!  Bob is one nicest and most progressive/approachable skaters you will ever know of.
Eric Koston  was also in awe of the ceremony and the company near by.  He stated he went from having and ad deadline to being at the “ABDUCTION” ceremony.  A little joke that Guy Mariano mentioned to him that same day while skating.    Eric thanked Eddie “El Gato” Elguera and told him he would be joining the inductees shortly for sure!  Eddie just grinned as if to say this was Eric’s night…put the attention there.




                                                                          Patti McGee

Patti McGee –The first female inductee into the HOF as well as the 1965 Women’s National Champion and deemed the official first SKATE BETTY.  How many of us know of her iconic image on the cover of 1965 LIFE Magazine.  To think that this woman wasn’t just skating for a fad, but had her own scene down in San Diego and had the support of her mom to do anything she ever wanted.  Of course, she chose skating!  A pure treasure to speak with about her skate experiences.  Her daughter introduced her and told the crowd she always knew she had the coolest mom on the block while growing up. 



Special Category Awards (Revolutionary Significance)

Larry Stevenson  Mr. Makaha himself credited with the first official skateboard company lineup.  His shapes defined the modern-day skateboard post rollerskate/2x4 era.   He is bed ridden currently so his son accepted his award and panned his Iphone around the crowd to a rowsing standing Ovation for Larry’s contributions in the 50’s and 60’s
Craig Stecyk III-  This introduction by Jim Fitzpatrick (aka first sponsored skater ever) sums it all up.  Craig has influenced more people than just about anyone in skating.  He is also one of the most behind the scenes guy you could ever hope to meet.  His vast knowledge, creative approach, and insane intellect has put him at the top of heap of support and influence to people in every generation of skating.  The not the self-proclaimed anything, but there are those who would say he should be proclaimed for much.  One of the Zephyr royalty, Craig was behind the scenes of Dogtown, behind the scenes of Powell-Peralta, behind the scenes of Thrasher Mag, TransWorld Mag, Tracker Trucks, Independent Trucks…he has a fingerprint on much of what we know of as skate history.
This one quote breaks it down as a timeless depiction of skateboarding that Craig has been aware of since it’s beginning.
“Two Hundred years of American technology has unwittingly created a massive cement playground of unlimited potential, but it was the minds of 11 yr. olds that could see that potential.”  -Craig Stecyk  1975
Jim Fitzpatrick introduces Craig-
“For 40 years if you had questions about Skateboard industry or surfing industry…if you wanted to know what was going on…if you wanted to know who was doing it…why they were doing it…where it came from…where it was going…there was 1 person who had the answer.  There was 1 person who knew why, who when where what how.  For more than 40 yrs this guys has been a walking and talking and talking and walking encyclopedia of knowledge about video, the essence of our culture, what we listened to…what we see…our attitude the psychology in skateboarding…CRAIG STECYK”   The crowd erupted!!! There are those who knew…and those who now know!
Craig’s speech
There have been many words mentioned when asked to describe Craig Stecyk over the years from Enigmatic, Sketchy, Aloof, but the accolade that comes up over and over is the word Creative Genius.  He would never say that about himself though.  He’s simply one of us.
“For me it all started going wrong in 1958 when I took my cousins skates, cut em’ up, put them on a 2x4 and have been going downhill ever since.  This worked out well because I’m here with you all tonight!”
Craig went on to describe how he knows all the inductees on the wall and has interacted with them in one way or another over the years.  There is only 1 man who can say that on the planet btw….Craig Stecyk.  He transcends generations!
“I met Jim Fitzpatrick in 1958 right after the unfortunate incident with my cousin’s skates!”
“Grew up in the same town Jimmy did and from a guy in 1938 riding down our local hill with a door with wheels on it to Peter Parkin  in La Jolla in 1947 was where it all started for us.  The line keeps coming forward…comes through me….comes through you….comes through everyone in this room….everybody out there on a corner…everybody in the gutter….everybody in the alley…they are all riding and this thing is going forward and that’s what matters.  It’s got nothing to do with what we ever did ourselves….it’s going through us!  That’s for coming out and I appreciate this.”  CR STECYK III
Coping Block
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The Steve Steadham Interview in Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine




Where are you original from?

Las Vegas NV.


Steve what attracted you to Skateboarding?

 I was a wrestler in High School and it was like a hobby per say and transportation at that time.


                                     Steve Steadham backside air over the Van's Combi Pool



What was your first set up?

 It was some plastic Cadillac board with grip tape that was molded plastic. It was yellow and had ball bearings. Lol, I loved that board.




Every skater from our era had a dream set up, what was yours?

 Well mine was a Brad Bowman Sims board, with Independents and Sims wheels. That was the sickest team back then. Bowman had the most insane style!

Did you have a local skate park or a backyard ramp scene when you started riding?

Yes, “High Roller”, and also “Desert Surf”, Lol. We had a cool backyard pool called “Shotgun”. The owner Rocky was this cool dude that when we first jumped his fence he came out with a shotgun, then he was like, “oh yeah, you guys can come skate my pool all the time”. We skated there a lot.


                                                       Steve during his Powell Team days.



Who were the other skaters in your original skate crew?

 Eddie Williams, Joe Calzon, Ritchie, Blan man, Tom… to name a few.

Did you get to session all of the historic skate parks in California, or are there a couple that you missed skating?

 I missed a lot of them actually, but of the parks I skated Upland was my favorite, but Whittier Skate park was the best. Then there was Marina Del Rey, and I skated Colton too.

What skate park (past or present) stands out in your mind as the best ever and why?

Whittier cause it had the best pools, and the locals where sick! Lance Mountain, Neil Blender, Lester Kasai, John Lucero and others!



Which skaters influenced you the most?

 I think Brad Bowman, then Steve Caballero and Steve Alba.

How did your family react to your involvement in Skateboarding, were they down?

Yes, my father really supported my trips to California. Without his support, I never would have made it to Cali even once to skate. My friend Frank Kocyba took me to Marina Del Rey also. He was really nice to me, and of course Jesus Christ.

Where has skateboarding taking you around the globe?

So far I’ve been to Australia, Canada, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Mexico. I’m going to go to Japan, England and Egypt in 2011.


                                                             Backside Boneless One.

If you could pick any three skaters for a private session who would they be?

I’d say, Lance Mountain, Bucky Lasek and Lincoln Ueda.

When did you start getting into the music scene and how often do you perform live?

I got into music more in the late 90’s when I was slowing down on skateboarding. I traveled a ton, and I still play but not as much. I have been focusing on my shoe company Urban Footwear and my Skate Team. I have Josh Rodriquez, Mike Brookman, Robert Lopez, Brandon Read and Bryan Chiinnea on my team currently. I’m stoked!


                                                             Steadham Design Clothing.


What bands do you feel have influenced you musically, and which do you like to skate to?

Rush, Bad Brains, Roger Troutman tremendously… James Brown, Van Halen and Def Leopard.

Have you ever jammed with Chuck Treece?

Not really, But he came to my house along time ago and basically lit my drums on fire cause he was sooo good. I like left the room cause he knew every song part to the band Genesis. Lol, he is a great musician.

How much vert do you prefer when you skate a pool?

 A lot! I want to build a pool that’s 13 ft with 2.5 ft of vert. or something close. Big tranny and some real vert!




Where do you skate regularly?

Vans Combi Pool.

How do you think street skating has helped skateboarding, and do you think vert is on the rise again?

Street skating has enabled and motivated skaters around the world, because they don’t have to have this perfect skate park to learn. I admire it, I think those guys are insane cause they don’t use pads and do 12 set handrails. Yes, I’d say vert is on the rise again and most skate parks have tranny, which is more on the rise than vert. Their building smaller things recently like 8 ft.

Longboarding is the fastest growing segment of skateboarding today, is your company producing a Longboard as well?

 Yes! I make a few longboard variations, just visit Stevesteadham.com for details.





You had some rad spinner wheels in white that were so sick, are you still producing those?

Well, Mike Miller makes a great wheel. He is still doing them and I’m planning on working with him soon. He really helped me during the Vans Warped tour and also with my productions. So I owe him dearly right now.

Does your skate model come in multiple sizes?

 Not the re-issue from Powell. I’m trying to get them to do the shape they personally make for me. No luck yet, Lol. My company makes street decks with my graphics on them though.

Tell the Coping Block readers both of your companies website addresses, so they can check out your cool stuff!

 http://stevesteadham.com and http://urbanfootwearusa.com



                                Steve Steadham flying frontside in the air above the Combi Pool.


Do you have a certain diet that you follow to maximize your ability to skate frequently?

No not at all. I try to eat but not enough, Lol!

Steve do you miss the days of big skate teams and team competition?

Yes I do. It seemed to be so powerful then, it’s coming back.

Do you think there are enough contests for us older skaters?

No! I’m working on that, Lol!


                                                    Steve appearing at the C.A.A.M Event.



When people think of your skating Steve, they frequently talk of your monster board slides or high - speed lines in pools, what would you say about your skating that doesn’t get mentioned?

Well, hmmm? I don’t know, I like speed and I’m happy with that if that’s what they say. I love front side Inverts but I’m on a mission to pick up some tricks for 2011. I really feel I can skate better than I ever have.


                                                   Steve Steadham maxed out sweeper.


What’s your opinion of the “X-Games”?

 I like it and think is good for skateboarding to be in the main stream. The Legends of Vert is the coolest though, Lol… Wooo hooo!

What would a Steve Steadham Skateboarding TV show be like?

Well its gonna be funny and off the wall. Music, interviews, traveling, making dreams of skaters come true, and absolute mayhem.


                                             Steve Steadhams shoe line URBAN Footwear.



Do any of your children skate?

 Yes, all three skate! Jayde –12, Alexxis-10, and Atasia- 8. I love them so much and it’s the best feeling when they ask me when were going skating again.

What are your skate plans for the future?

 Just to produce more events on a bigger scale, do them better. Skate way better. Try to get on Chris Millers level, love my daughters and people that are close to me more, Love my enemies too, and build my brands into successful entities. Love Jesus Christ.

When are you coming back out east?

 Jan 2011. Surf Expo Orlando Florida.

Any thanks or shout outs at this time?

 Stacy Peralta and Steve Caballero.
Steve signed my board at the Upland contest when I was afraid to ask him and that made me so energized that I became good. Thanks Cab! I love ya man!

Thanks for taking the time to chat with Coping Block, see you at the EXPO!

 Yes, no problem, thanks for having me. Peace




Push, Carve, Grind!


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