Interview: BDF
Photos: Matt Clarke
We hear that you’re the newest addition to the Karma Skateboards team, so how did that come about and what happened with Icon?
I think the Icon brand had run its course and they decided that they wanted to concentrate on their other companies so made the decision to put Icon to rest.
It’s a shame but it’s a business at the end of the day and if its not making money then its fair enough I guess. I spent a few years with them and I appreciate all the support they gave me but unfortunately it doesn’t always last.
I’m still good mates with Smedley and the guys from Rollersnakes so there’s no hard feelings. I’d skated a few demos for i-five because they sort me out with Silver trucks and me and you both know Adam (Karma/I-Five Distribution Owner) and get on well with him so it seemed like a pretty natural move. Plus I’ve known Pete (King) for years so I’m stoked on how it turned out.
That was a pretty quick cross over, how long was there in between the two? (laughing) About an hour wasn’t it?
(laughing) It was a bit longer than that but there’s no point hanging about. Adam had asked me a while ago if it riding for Karma would be something I might be interested in sometime in the future but at the time nothing came of it so when Icon finished, I called him to see if the offer was still open. Thankfully it was and I’m stoked to be riding for them now…
You’d been filming for a few different projects though right? Tell us a bit about that. Whats happening to all the footage?
Yeah, I had a fair bit filmed for Toby (Batchelor)’s video but the rest of the people that were going to be in it had other commitments, so for one reason or another the video never really happened. I think a lot of the footage of (John) Tanner and Nicky (Howells) ended up in Savoir Faire and my stuff was going to be an Icon promo with Smedley but that’s not happening now either. (laughs)
So whats happening with it? Is it going towards the Karma video?
Yeah a lot of it is. It was kind of sitting around not doing anything for a while so we were going to put it all out, just to get it out there you know? I had a few pictures that Matt (Clarke) and Chris (Johnson) had taken so we were going to run it all together with the footage but then the Icon thing happened so we decided to put a bit of the footage out as a teaser and the rest will go into the Karma video which should be out sometime soon. It works out well all round really. I’m definitely looking forward to doing some more filming and getting some new footage, I find it easier when you’ve got a deadline and a target to work towards as opposed to just filming for the sake of it y’know?
Stoked. One more thing: what was with the orange on all your Icon stuff (laughs) Are you going to be aiming to get any Karma graphics in “ginger” or what?
Cheers for that mate, yeah I’m over that now for sure (laughs) I’m gonna pick a new colour and we’ll take it from there…
Go to www.karmaskateboards.com for more.