Hey Andrew, first of all, where did the nickname “Lance” come from?

I really need to make up a new story for this. But until then I’ll just give you the real, boring one. When I was about 9 yrs old I used to skate at my local skate spot ‘Chilis’ with some older kids from the area. They said I looked like another kid they went to high school with named Lance, so it stuck. Then I wrote it on my board a bit when I started skating in the city and it caught on with all my new friends in the city. I hated it for a while and tried to escape it, but that’s when something like that sticks harder. Now I pretty much get  introduced as Lance 90% of the time and just recently got a tattoo of a knight on a horse with a jousting lance haha. I guess it’s here for life.

How did you get into photography?

I think it’s the pretty standard answer. I was into skating hard out and then I had to quit cause my knee was having growing pains problems. Then I got back into it and my friends (such as the magician – Chima) were leaps and bounds ahead of me. I still wanted to hang though so when they’d go off on missions to shoot photos with the likes of Guy Miller and Dave Chami I’d try to tag along and learn as much as I could about what they were doing to keep me in the game. So it probably started cause of FOMO (fear of missing out) but then later developed into a much more passionate pass time.

Did you ever plan to make it your profession or did it just naturally progress to that?

I guess I always had the dream that all my favourite skateboarders would come out on a trip and the photographer would die in a freak accident and I’d get to go and shoot all of it with his gear and that would break me into being the next big skate photographer in the states. So in a sense I guess I did. At one stage I wanted to go study in the states etc, but figured that was probably the worst thing to do. I don’t think any of the ideas I have had, have ever followed through and I never had a strict plan to becoming a professional photographer. So it all happened naturally. I was a senior photographer at Slam before I’d finished high school so I moved out of home a week after I finished my exams. I had to support myself somehow quick smart and that was my only real income.

What are the best and worst aspects of shooting skateboarding photos?

The best aspects are living on my own schedule and doing things whenever I feel like it, like any freelance job. But then that has it downfalls, cause you have to be really self motivated, cause if you don’t make things happen and go out skating and shoot interviews and make friends, you don’t get to shoot anything and the landlord kicks you out of home and sometimes it’s the last thing you feel like doing. Then there’s travelling which is awesome, you get to go all over the place, most of the time for free and get paid to holiday with your friends. Of course there’s the downfall of that which is getting stuck in a van for 10 days full of dudes that you just really don’t get along with or don’t care to be around 24 hours a day, so that can get draining. I think all in all, it’s a pretty good job, you can find flaws in anything.

Where have you travelled to shoot photos and where would you like to go in the future?

I haven’t actually done that much travelling to different places, a lot of the same locations, going up and down the east coast of Australia. But I have travelled all around Australia, and I went to New Zealand for a little trip earlier this year. Last year I was lucky enough to spend 3 months in the states where i got to go on a couple of tours which went through San Diego, LA, San Fran, Oregon and New York. A lot of driving and a lot of middle America. I also got to work on some interviews and an article on the Baker House in Hollywood. I want to travel all around the place to shoot photos, I don’t really have anywhere that I wouldn’t like to go. I guess the major skateboarding destinations are in Europe, but I know I’m off to New Zealand early next year, then hopefully Japan and maybe try to stay a while in New York. I really like the approach to skating over there.

Did you start out shooting film? What are your thoughts on the whole film verses digital debate?

I started out shooting film. I was a bit of a film purist for a minute when the new digi stuff started to really infiltrate. I think I felt ripped off cause I’d worked my ass off learning to shoot film, spending lots of time and money on processing, experimenting and failing. Then this new medium came in and people could learn a lot of that early stuff with lighting and exposure in one day rather than a month of back and forth to the lab. Also the results were garbage. It looked like crap for ages and still does a lot of the time. nothing like those big slides you were getting back from a medium format cameras. But all the budgets went and it got to the point where it was either keep shooting film but not make any money and have to pick up another job or go digital and learn that whole new world and keep living off photography, so I swallowed my pride and started shooting digital. The ever-improving technology allows digital photography to get better and better, and with the help of programs like Photoshop and other plugins you can make your stuff look like film if you like or take it to whole other levels that were never achievable with film. I love the process and the art in shooting film but consider both different mediums that both have their pros and cons at the moment.

What’s your current setup?

I have a bunch of gear at my house etc that I like to use on occasion, both film and digital. My regular set up going out skating is just a Nikon D3 and a bunch of lenses all prime lenses, no zoom and then a couple of flashes, usually just shoot with like 3 flashes. maybe a couple extras if I know I’m shooting a really big area and need a lot of light. My current skateboard is a Baker Shake Junt board – 8 inches, some indy’s, Modus bearings and Hoon wheels. but i usually try to be a pile when I go out shooting and wear like cowboy boots or something so i don’t fall over trying to skate.

Who are some of your favourite photographers?

There are millions of photographers out there that kill it. Especially non skate photographers. Then with skate photographers i love some stuff that some people do and then hate some of the other stuff they do. I’m really picky with other peoples stuff, hopefully I’m as picky with myself. My favourite skateboard picture makers are Brian Gaberman, Mike O’Meally, Oliver Barton and Dave Chami (transworld line-up). I like a lot of the stuff that Jonathan Mehring does and then there’s heaps of individual stuff that i like from all different dudes. All the old Sturt stuff is the best shit still, and some old Skin photos too. Nothing’s as special anymore, the idea of the idol skateboarders seems to die more and more with every name you have to remember of who’s killing it and who did what, so I think that to make something really memorable and really stand out when there’s so many mags coming out and so much skating going on is almost impossible. it’s weird. Out of skate photography I like so many current photographers; Bill Henson, Ryan McGinley, Scott Lowe, Derek Henderson. Really i can’t keep up with all the photographers i like, so many new photographers doing amazing things.

Do you sometimes find yourself playing the role of motivational coach when shooting skate photos?

I guess, sometimes. I’ve definitely done that before. I don’t want anyone to do things they don’t want to do. If we’re somewhere and it’s obvious someone could do something they just need that little bit of confidence I’ll say something small, or offer $50 first try or something. But in general, I think I’m not going somewhere with someone anymore unless they really want to do the trick.

How did FuknOath mag come about? What is your role?

I talk a lot of shit. And my good friend Andrew Currie talks a lot of shit. So we thought it would work out to talk heaps of shit together and find a bigger audience to listen to our shit. The original idea came about cause i was ending up with lots of left over photos from the other mags, stuff that people would be hyped to see and Andrew saw that, that opportunity was there. So one night drunk at a bar we started talking shit on everything and coined the idea that we would actually do something. It took a long time for the first one to come out, so it almost didn’t happen a couple of times. Since then we’ve both hated each other enough to drop out, but I think that’s the energy it needs to stay interesting i guess. I shoot a lot of photos, write a few of the articles and lay out the whole magazine. first time I ever used InDesign the lay out program was for the first mag. I have no idea about graphic design what-so-ever, can you tell?

What advice can you give to anyone wanting to get into skate photography?

Hurry Up! We desperately need more in Australia. It’s not that hard, you just have to be smart about it. Work out what kind of skating you like and what kind of photography you like. How you want you’re photos to look. Be specific too. Make sure you study everything in a photo that you like and why. there’s more to it then a lot of people think. Listen to people that know what they are talking about and not so much to the rest. Clean backgrounds, good exposure, timing and composition. Then quit and earn the big bucks shooting fashion. just kidding. but really.

What’s the future hold for Andrew Peters?

Get married and have kids and settle down with a skate industry job. Psyche! I don’t know. I’d like to go hang out overseas for a while. Just for a change of scenery. Just waiting to turn 21 to make it a little easier to maintain alcoholism in the states. I want to shoot skating for a while longer, I’ve still got a lot to learn in skateboarding first before I could think too much about moving on. I’ve been assisting on film sets a little and shot the stills for a short film the other week and really enjoy that. I would love to direct some of my own stuff, so maybe, I don’t know. That would be a very gradual thing. Keep doing what I’m doing for a minute, not make too many plans cause it’s working out without them so far.

Last words?

Read as many books as you can and kiss as many girls as you can.

This clip was filmed for the tv series FREE. Check more out at www.whatisfree.tv

Steve Tierney (AKA Teagues) is an illustrator and designer based in Sydney, Australia, strongly influenced by urban city culture due to a longtime passion for street skateboarding.

He has regularly designed graphics and art for the Australian skateboard industry and is currently the creative director for local brand HOON Skateboards. He is also Art Director of Australian Geographic Outdoor magazine and Australian Geographic’s Education titles.

In addition to freelance illustration for editorial titles such as Rolling Stone and YEN magazine, Steve has held solo and group exhibits of his art and paintings in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
and Tokyo.

Theeve came about from a family connection with Chris Northwood our managing director. He had great connections in the Titanium industry, so from there he inquired about making trucks, if it was really possible using Ti. Theeve would have to be the first ever truck company ever to use real aerospace Titanium. I’m kind of like the jack of all trades here, I take care of marketing, product development and some creative directing.

How did the name Theeve come about? Does it mean anything?

The Theeve name pretty much came about from looking at what we were doing and thinking we’re stealing a technology from another industry and bringing it to skateboarding, plus if we need team riders etc. we’ll have to steal them from other companies. The off spelling came about to give us a little edge on internet search engines.

What goes into starting a truck company? Was it difficult to design the truck you wanted and then get it manufactured to the quality you were happy with?

It wasn’t hard to find someone to make trucks at the quality the industry expects. The hard thing was designing a truck that turns and performs like a truck should. I came from 20 years riding Indys so turning was important to me as well as making a truck that looks normal.

Aren’t most trucks are made from aluminum, why titanium?

Most trucks are alloy, so are Theeve’s first two models. We add a little extra Titanium in the alloy to make it a little lighter and stronger. One even has a Titanium axle so you don’t get axle bend and save a little on weight. Our 3rd model which is due mid next year is the world’s first one piece forged all Titanium hanger. It has no axle, twice as strong as a regular alloy truck and lighter that the Tensor Magnesium. It has tested really well and will be the thing that really turns the truck world on it’s head.

Who’s on the team? Where can readers send there sponsor-me links?

Everyone will have to wait for the team. All I will say is that we have some big international names coming on board. Should suprise a few people.

Wil Theeve be available worldwide or just in Australia?

Theeve will be available in Australia and the USA in November and about 10 other countries by January 2010.

Whan can we see Theeve in skate shops and how much will they be?

Theeve should be in shops in Australia early November.
Price points are-
Base model CSX, Ti alloy blend, steel axle with Bones bushings $49.95 each.
TiAx model, Ti alloy blend, Titanium axle with Bones bushings $59.95 each.
Titanium hanger model out next year, price to be confirmed.

Is there anthing else you would like to mention about Theeve trucks?

Just stay tuned, website will be up 31 October with team details and all truck specs. If you like the turn of an Indy but hate the weight try Theeve.

Apparently a bunch of old dudes pushing their skateboards around on flat ground, trying tricks they haven’t done in over 10 years while drinking beer is something people want to see, because a couple of months ago (the 1st of August to be exact), a bunch of old dudes did exactly that, and a bunch of people (175 to be exact), came to watch.

There was something for everyone though…. Davidson.

At the start of the year Davo figured he was gonna come home for a few weeks holiday with his family and so he challenged a few of his old mates to a casual game of SKATE. Only thing is, Davo doesn’t have “a few mates”, he pretty much knows every f#cker who ever rode a skateboard in Australia and NZ and every f#cker who didn’t. So what began as a small facebook group quickly grew into a forum for everyone who’s ever known him to chat about the old days, post videos and photos of themselves and basically talk shit for 6 months, but more importantly it became a way for anyone who’d been out of the scene for more than a few years to get back in touch with old friends or random people they might have have skated with or just known because of skateboarding.

The rules for the comp were outlined pretty early by the Dman himself. Basically it was an “All In” game of SKATE on the netball courts at Moore Park with a $5 entry fee and winner takes all. You had to be over 30 or at least had to have skated the Pitt when it was the original Pitt and Skunk was not allowed near the course. However, once the day came and we saw how many people were involved, including Skunk, it was pretty clear it should just be about rolling around in the sun, catching up with old friends and drinking a few beers in between.

And that’s pretty much what it was.

Cheers Davo. See you next year everyone.

Teagues

Photos by Timotay Simon

So Fos, why did you start skateboarding?

I wanted a board since the first time I saw one when I was about 7, but my Mum always said no. Back to the Future came out when I was 13, every kid on my street got a board for Christmas so my Mum couldn’t say no anymore. Saw my first skateboard magazine and that was it, everything else seemed unimportant after that. Seeing that magazine made me realize that there was another world out there.

How did growing up in Yorkshire influence your skateboarding?

Yorkshire, Ugh. Lancashire mate. It’s right next door, but infinitely better. I have Lancashire pride. We used to skate Manchester every Saturday and Burnley every Sunday, it was amazing, the scene was so good back then, no sunday trading, no CCTV cameras, we had run of the whole town. Every schoolyard there has banks, it’s like L.A. but rougher ground and fucked up fun spots.

When did you start creating art?

When I was 3. My mum gave me some of my first drawing books from when I was about 4, I’m so stoked on them, drawings of Darth Vader fighting the Incredible Hulk, so sick. I just never really ever stopped drawing, it something I always did, then when I left school I only really cared about art so I did that.

You own and operate 2 skateboard companies: Heroin Skateboards and Landscape Skateboards. What motivated you to start these companies?

I worked at Slam which was a distributor in the UK, I got to see how the industry operated and how the US companies worked. I was always stoked on skating but none of the companies that I was selling really summed up my experience of skateboarding. So I started my own thing, which was Heroin Skateboards that grew and then I started Landscape because some of the Heroin riders like Snowy had grown up within the company and their style was different to the direction that Heroin was going, so we did Landscape to appeal to both markets I suppose.

How’s the UK skate scene going?

Better than ever, really strong, really good support from shops and the kids. I saw eight or ten kids with Heroin or Landscape boards at my local park the other day. I think kids are stoked on companies and Pro’s that are relevant to them, like if they see our riders around and get to skate with them I think it means a lot.

Which UK skaters do you rate?

Chris Ault, Howard Cooke, Chewy Cannon, Neil Smith, Geoff Rowley, Mike Manzoori, Karim, Snowy, Joleon Pressey, Jim Shimizu, Nick Stansfield, Rory Milanes, Casper Brooker, Nugget, Danny Brady, Simon True

You are involved with the art direction and design of some major US companies including: Altamont, Baker and Deathwish. How did this come about?

Altamont, I met Justin through an Emerica shoe collab that we did, so started working at Altamont that way. Met Andrew through that, pitched some Baker boards to him, he liked em and we did that series. I knew they were doing Deathwish, so I basically did all the art direction for that, met with Ellington and Greco, drew up the spray text and all that look, they have art guys handling it all now cos they have loads of boards they need to put out and I can’t do that many because I’m busy focusing on Altamont, Heroin and Landscape

What inspires your board graphics?

Different things, just funny ideas most of the time, things I think would be cool on boards, or things specific to pro’s characters. I really only do stuff that I pitch to people, I’ll have an idea for Deathwish and send it and end up drawing it all up. I have to be inspired by what the final thing will look like on the wall or more relevantly when someone has set the board up and is skating it.

Top 5 all time skateboard graphics:

G & S Neil Blender Coffee Break
Santa Cruz Spidey
Santa Cruz Jessee Neptune
Anti Hero Sean Young Unknown Asshole
Anti Hero Sean Young Spider

Top 5 all time skate videos:

Risk It
Barrier Kult
Speed Freaks
Scarecrow -Disturb Not the Sleep of Death
Anti Hero Fucktards

Top 5 all time skateboarders:

Tim Jackson
Neil Blender
Eric Dressen
John Cardiel
Jason Adams

What advice would you give to anyone wants to start their own skateboard company?

If you want to make money find something else to do, cos it won’t make you money at all. That’s not the point though when you’re a skateboarder, I did it because it needed to be done, and it needed to be done from my perspective, to support an element of UK skateboarding that was unaccounted for by all the other companies.

Last words………

Keep on Truckin’.

Fos’ part from Heroin’s “Live From Antartica”. More clips here.

We don’t know Brett that well but we do know he isn’t afraid to do his own thing. Whether that be skateboarding, painting, making videos, travelling and creating life moment by moment.

This clip was filmed for the tv series FREE. Check more out at www.whatisfree.tv

Jump ramp days on the Jeff Kendall Pumpkinhead.

Why did you start skateboarding? How did you get into it?

I was into BMX racing until some friends overtook me coffining down Park Ave in Mosman. Sold the bike and started coffining. Skated with Wade and the Mozzy High skate crew and got into launch ramping too. Bought a Santa Cruz Jeff Grosso from Chatswood Cycles, Matt Davis served me. He was a pro for Bonza and customized my griptape. Dominic Gonzalez was the biggest influence back then. I used to get psyched watching him. He went BIG. He was a gnarly coffin rider too. He just had so much natural ability and he didn’t hold back none. It was always full boar with that dude.

Who did you like to skate with back in the day?

Wade, the Jones’ brothers (Eden & Jesse), dudes like Ben Svalbe, Rob Powell. Dave Belly, Ali, Dave & Reese Gardener, Nick Mueller, Dom. I was stoked to meet Mike D from Candberra and skate North Sydney with all the older lads. Mike was so good, so much style. So many other kids, everyone skated and was psyched in the late 80′s. Future Primitive and Animal Chin got us amped. There was a skate craze going on. Brad Coates aka French, was rad fun to skate with for some reason. I guess he wasn’t afraid to take on the hammers and was always stoked. Nathan Ho was great fun to hang with too. We used to shred the North Shore. Wade gave me the craps sometimes when we were real young. He was a smart Alec grommet and the fact he could rip over me on the mini ramp didn’t help. When most people were lamed out and not psyched, Wade was always keen for a roll. We ended up skating a lot together, just the two of us, a couple of groms searching for fun on our boards. He was always there, always psyched to skate, the ever faithful. He was a great friend, still is.

Who were your role models?

My big bro, Glenn. He taught me how to skate. I didn’t realise when I was growing up but I emulated him a lot. He was really creative and made video clips for bands and stuff. Actually he made a clip for the ‘Birthday Party’, the ‘deep in the woods’ track. I ended up getting into making videos and things. It was great having an older bro. He was cool never bashed me. Just gave me a ‘Dead Ass’ once. Oh yeah and he locked me in the spare room and threatened to shoot me with his air rifle if I broke out when he was babysitting me once, cause I was fighting with my sister. Haha. Actually I outsmarted him that time. I opened the windows right up, then pushed something over in the room to make a loud noise, then I hid in a cardboard box. My bro came in, saw the windows open and ran out the front looking for me. I casually strolled out the back door. I couldn’t come back till mum got home though or it would have been a “Lead Ass”. We really used to idolise the Bones brigade. A lot of people reckoned I skated a bit like Tony Hawk because of my long limbs. I learn’t Hippy Twists watching Tony over and over do the one he did in animal Chin. I always liked Tony. Christian Hosoi was gnarly. Seeing him live at Martin Place was awe inspiring. Like Jason Lee said in Christians “Rising Sun” DVD, -”He shook the ramp”. I saw him win an NSA Skate Comp in Tokyo once. After he was announced winner he went around to the other competitors and made sure it was cool with them. I thought he was a great sport and still do. He won $10,000 USD and it was 1989. Not a bad day’s pay. I used to look up to great skateboarders and stuff but now my role model is Christ. It was skateboarders, Christian Hosoi and Sid Tapia who lead me to him and I could never thank them enough. I love those guys. They are making a stand for the name of Jesus. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 1:21 (niv)

The ol' bonk.

Your video PLEBS captured a time in the local skateboarding scene. Do you think we as humans can take life for granted sometimes only to look back and have a new found appreciation?

Plebs was awesome. I was trying to work out why and it’s all in the title I suppose. It was a bunch of people skateboarding, a bunch of plebs. It didn’t like have the pro section or am section, just everyone thrown in together mixing it up. It wasn’t promoting a product other than the enjoyment of rolling. I’m not knocking video’s that are selling stuff, otherwise they wouldn’t get made. I was fortunate to be able to make Plebs as a University Major Art Work. That video got me my Degree, Haha. I’ve always wanted to make Plebs 2 but it’s hard to find the time and funding etc. That was a sweet situation I was in.

I had some heckles getting the music rights but I have to give a big shout out to Simon Def Wish from the Def Wish Cast because I phoned him wanting to use a track off their “Knights of the Underground Table” album and he was so helpfull. He hadn’t heard of me or anything and he didn’t try and negotiate, he just let me use it and got the company to send me an official rights usage document and well I gotta tell ya, that was a breath of fresh air. Dealing with record company’s can be really depressing. I couldn’t believe how easy he made it for me. After I made the Video I went to a Def Wish gig and handed them a video after the concert. It was the least I could do. I think they dug it.

Gordo rode for Volcom back in the day.

Daddy Yeoh used to come to Uni to watch me edit Plebs, to try and get some pointers I guess. I think it payed off, the ‘Loves Ugly Children’ Video was awesome. You rock Daddy Yeoh!

They were good times back then, it seems like yesterday but it’s 16 years ago. It’s cool though I’m not living in the past any more. I’m looking up and ahead to the New Jerusalem, God’s Eternal Kingdom on Earth. For real.

I’ve Written most of a book called “Ride Forth Victoriously”, a brief story of my life before knowing Christ and then my walk with him to date. I just felt so compelled to share the experiences, the encounters that I’ve had with the Lord. I haven’t had an alcoholic drink in years, but lately i’ve been getting drunk on ‘New Wine’ from the True Vine and it’s there for all to recieve.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Luke 11:9 (niv)

Which Australian skaters have been most influential in your life to date?

Dom Gonz, Burkitt, Davo, Kaehne, Cam Goozeff, Ben Cox, Sid Tapia, Bart, Skunk, Waynos, Ho Bag, Johnny, Murph, Spin, Ti, Mullhal is an inspiration. There’s so many, Mullupawick, Billy Dowg.

Dustin was inspiring. I remember going to Tuggerah indoor skate park back in the day. We didn’t realise there was a skate comp on that day, so I entered it or I wasn’t going to get a roll. Dustin would drop in and kickflip the whole massive funbox every shot. That really stood out to me. His consistency. It’s inspiring to see how far he has taken his skating. I remember in the early days he had a lot of critics and people talking him down but he just followed his heart. No one can get in the way of a directed heart.

Frontside noseslide in Coogee.

It was cool. I didn’t get paid or anything but all the free product helped to keep me going. It was really cool, all the people who sponsored me were great.

Cockroach was my first sponsor which was awesome till the factory mysteriously burnt down. Skateboard World helped me out heaps in the early days thanks to Mick Mullhal hooking that up after I won the ’91 Rocks Comp. Just having a shop sponsor like that can really help you so much. Then Plebs came out in ’94 and I started to get serious sponsors like Criminal Skateboards and Volcom. After I tied for first in the ’95 SDS Hordern Comp everything started to come together.

Riding for Airwalk was rad, one day I had to do a demo with Tony Hawk at Kierle Park which was so cool. My Nephews are stoked that I’ve met him because they’re obsessed with the video game. Tony was cool. Demo’s can really put you on the spot but that one went ok.

Balmoral Boards were rad.

Aha hooked me up on Censored which was totally awesome through Addlon which was a distribution company. Actually those Australian tours that he took us on were some of the best times in my life. Going on tour with Aha, Pat Duffy, Dan Drehoebl, Tony Alva, Brett Margaritis and Virginia was on of the funnest things ever. I guess that was the best thing about being sponsored in the end, going on tours, travelling around Australia and hanging out with rad people like that.

I met all the Tassie boys on a tour of Tasmania which was such an amazing place. I gorged myself on south pacific oysters on the river next to Ulverstone there which was a great experience. I guess being sponsored wasn’t anything special but it enabled me to continue skating, travel and meet people.

For the Moove ad, they were trying to track down Evo to do the Stadium rail that they had seen in Johnny Goes off Downunder. They couldn’t find him. So they called everyone and got anyone who could do a handrail to meet at the top of the Stadium rail. It was a handrail casting. If anyone did that rail, they had the job. It was gnarly. I remember Bart there seriously checking it out, we all had a good look at it. No one did it though. That thing is gnarly. Evo is a maniac.

Classic.

Do you think skateboarding and creativity come hand in hand?

Yes.

You had a stint as Editor of Australian Skateboarding magazine. How did that come about?

Well someone who produced like a photocopy zine in Brisbane once wrote an article that launched into a scathing personal attack upon myself. They brought up the Moove Ad and the Level 23 show and stuff and said some not nice things and accused me of stuff. I heard the guy was at Martin Place not long after and I was tempted to bash him because I was hurt by the comments so I felt like hurting him. It sounds terrible but it’s true. Luckily I opted out of doing that and instead remembered that the pen is mightier than the sword. Nick Farris had recently started up Australian Skateboarding Magazine which was a re badged Skatin’ Life Magazine and I decided to write a letter to there because I knew Nick would publish it. I basically used the Authors words to point out his own hypocrisy.

I think Nick was impressed with the wording of that letter and took me on board as an Associate Editor. I did that for a while on a free lance basis until Nick took on the Australian Snowboarding mag. He was busy with running his Video distribution company as well so he offered the editor job to me.

I was a bit skeptical at first, I felt that it would make me a bit of a target and I had my reservations and I even voiced them to Nick. I wasn’t sure I could do the job either it was a pretty daunting task to take the helm of a national magazine at the age of 22.

It was quarterly and on a freelance basis. Then after a couple of years I proposed to make the mag bi-monthly in return for a full time position.

The first issue I ever did ended up before the Senate in Federal Parliament. Gary Hargraves, a local MP from Queensland tried to get the magazine banned because of some controversial content. I had Journo’s calling me up and the Daily Telegraph ran a story on page 9 that basically said that the magazine insighted teenagers to shoot their classmates and to smoke marijuana until they die.

They brought the Port Arthur Massacre into it and it looked a bit ugly. I got a stern warning from the Office of Film and Literature Classification. My concerns had started to become a reality.

It was a great job. I had a lot of fun producing it. Worked there for about 4 years until things went pear shaped.

Kierle Park, Manly

You were known to party hard back in the day. Do you want to say anything about that?

Yeah I guess I was a bit of an extremist. I had been drinking since I was about 12 years old and smoking weed since I was about 13. I took a lot of hard drugs over the years to. My brother warned me to stay away from Heroin so I never went there but pretty much everything else. I never realised at the time but looking back I was always an alcoholic. It seems to be such a norm these days that you don’t really notice. I partied hard for about 22 years or something. I never saw it as a problem except when I would wake up and go “ohhh nooo” and realise the stupid things I had done. Looking back though it really did affect me negatively.

Before the first Bowl-o-rama skate comp, I was blind drunk again as usual, and I met Christian Hosoi who spoke to me about Jesus. He didn’t say I had to quit or anything like that, he just pointed to Jesus and got me to say a prayer where I took him to be my Lord and my Saviour.

Sid would take me for a coffee and point me to the holy scriptures. I started reading them and slowly I’ve been transformed and am still transforming today. The only thing I’ve done is seek the Lord and He has revealed himself to me and has been doing marvelous works in me.

I haven’t had a drink in a couple of years and I haven’t had any drugs in about a year now and I never will again. I don’t even feel tempted. Slowly things that once binded me are breaking off me and I honestly could never be happier.

I feel like I’ve won an incomprehensible prize and all I did was listen to Christian and Sid and all they did was point to Jesus. I’m glad I was down in the past, I’m glad I got depressed, I’m glad I was humbled and I praise god for it, because if that is what it took for me to have the humility to take Jesus as my Lord and to share in the glorious riches of knowing him then it was all most certainly worth it.

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Collossians 1:27 (niv)

Martin Place Double Set

What’s on the horizon for Gordon Auchinichie?

Finish writing this testimonial book and put together a DVD for it as well. Just doing some web design, attending CCC Church Central City, Surry Hills in the Belvoir Theatre every Sunday 10:00am, come down!

http://www.centralcity.org.au/

Last words:

In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

Psalm 45:4-7 (niv).

Gordon Auchinachie aka “Gordo” or “Gondo Man” was a well known Australian skateboarder of the 1990′s. ”The Skateboard King” was a nickname coined by the Channel 10 Level 23 show circa ’93. It annoyed Gordo at the time, but in retrospect he finds it cool. ”When the show came out I was bummed and copped a bit of flak about it, but when I look back at it now it’s classic”- Gordo.

This ad came out in 1992 and features Gordon Auchinachie aka “Gordo” skateboarding. To get the job, Gordon had to attend a, handrail casting and compete against the likes of Mick Mullhal and Brendan “Brenny” from “The Bra” in a skate out on various handrails around Sydney. Gondo Man

Parkside Killers video clip 1994. Produced and Filmed by Gordon Auchinachie. Telecined and colour graded by Dwaine Hyde. Collaboratively edited. Sydney Australia.  Featured Skateboarders: Wade Burkitt, Justin Balmain, Sid Tapia, Gordon Auchinachie, Adrian Powell, Shane Wallace, Phill Mackie, Alex Smith.

Guy: There was no skate store anywhere near there.

Dave: I’ve always been psyched on the westies & peno is full of thoroughbreds. Plus Guy’s theories finalized the decision.

What were some of the challenges you faced leading up to opening the shop?

Guy: So many, it was really hard cause we had to make it ourselves, just building the store was a mission. Also getting stock has proved to be quite slow as well.

Dave: Acquiring help from friends was hard and when we did, the work place was filled with too many chiefs and not enough Indians.  There was putting a stop to Guy’s revolving phone conversations, negotiations with the devil’s apprentices (real estate agents). Worst was assuming friends would provide credit and finding out you’re considered an acquaintance. It was like being an island in crazy river.

What are your best sellers so far?

Guy: Just checked to stock sheet grip, amneisa, Vox shoes There is a few Juice things in there. I know deathwish has been doing well too.

Dave: Anything you’re good at pushing is a best seller. Being brought up on the streets slinging rocks, turning tricks for a dime, you realise everyone has a g-spot and when u find it, start smashing it, just ram your greedy fingers in as hard as you can & eventually you both come out happy puffing cigarettes with a smile.

Did you get much support from the distributors/reps?

Guy: A bit, could use more.

Dave: Opening accounts with distributors is like being a circus animal, you gotta learn to jump through hoops, run around in circles and by that time you just wanna bite the hand that feeds you. However the best people to deal with are the skater owned/run distributors like Aha (Goliath), Ben (PD dist), Ben (Project dist), Nick (Lush), Rob (Trinity dist).

What are the major brands you’re carrying in skate?

Guy: Girl, Deathwish, Nike SB, AMNESIA, VOX all of em really.

Dave: I wake up super early around 4am, then carry all the brands from home to the shop and if that’s not enough, we’re in the process of incorporating a home delivery service as well. Another plan on the drawing board, is wearing in products for our customers. “If its not worn out within 30 minutes, its free!”

Are you moving more soft or hard goods?

Guy: A mix.

Dave: It’s mandatory our staff watch Choppa harden the f#%k up clips every morning to avoid selling soft goods like scooters, blades & bikes.. actually since we employed a female, we’ve notice that the more you move, the harder the goods become!

What are you doing to promote Kingpin?

Guy: Pole posters.

Dave: Installing in-store stripper poles and incorporating free spankings to attract more walks of life. This Saturday we’ll introduce our hottest idea to date, free Kingpin branding!

What’s Guy/Dave like to work with?

Guy: Dave is going off, making the site. He’s doing most of everything.

Dave: Have you noticed when your grand parents tell you a story, they seem to pause at the end & lose position, so they start all over again.. that’s what its like to work with Guy. I’ve always admired him and was shocked when he called me. He has great business knowledge and experience, combine that with my insanity and you get what the Chinese call “yin & yang”.

Besides world domination, what is the future for Kingpin?

Guy: Hopefully grow into a cool little business.

Dave: Stay tuned & find out…