Essex boy Potter is one of the country’s leading cosmonauts, with a greater trail of devastation behind him than a Corsa round a country corner. Since getting on Creature he has been clocking up the coverage but perhaps inevitably skating at that level for so long had to turn round and bite at some point, which it did to his ankle a few months back. We checked in with him for a tin of Red Stripe and a shared bag of crisps…but before we do, here’s some words from Creature UK TM and Shiner workhorse Jerome Loughran who we also thank for these wonderful photos that you see in this interview.
Right, Carl ‘Potter’ Wilson…..I so wanted to make something up about him to make him sound all professional etc but, I can’t lie to you! Potter likes to play golf, listen to shit music and can be highly annoying if he thinks he’s right about something and disagree with him about. Yeah I could go on about how he snakes the shit out of his mates but alas I can’t!! Carl is seriously one of the most underrated skaters in this country he can shred on all terrains, we have been on many a road trip together and I have seen him smash the living crap outta concrete, wood and street! Yeah he’s Essex through and through but he’s been wise and listened to all the advice Munson gave him and it’s worked out well, well sort of, he’s moved up from wiping OAP ass’s to talking them for a walk for a job!
Carl ain’t got image pants on or some fashion haircut, he isn’t a DJ or an artist, he’s 99% skateboarder and 1% Essex chav! The guy’s a true gent to know and I am proud to have him repping Shiner’s brands!
So Carl, tell us about your ankle- how bad was it?
It was quite bad, I guess- it’s been four months now and it has still not healed yet; so the docs say. No skating for ages, which is shit; I’m starting to feel like I won’t be able to skate anymore (laughs). I was quite lucky in the fact that I didn’t need to have pins and stuff, as the bone stayed in place… but for some reason it’s not been healing very fast. Which might have something to do with the drink (laughs).
How did you crank it, what was the actual injury and where did it happen?
I was at Skegness at the mini ramp champs messing around on the new street stuff, went to a lipsilde on a rail and landed in a Michael Jackson posse (lol) which made my leg go all the wrong way. I actually drove all the way home got up the next morning and went to the hospital for an x-ray and it turned out that I had broke the out side bone in 2 places which was nice!
Do you have any advice for other skaters reading this that may encounter the same injury
Well first thing try not to poke things down the cast because they get stuck and really fuck you off! Ha! Don’t drink beer or smoke ‘cos it slows down the healing, go to the gym and get them muscles back and just take it easy really. Don’t try and skate on it to early that’s for sure.
So yourself and Ben (Reamers) grew up out in Essex skating with Mark Munson, looking back when you were younger do you appreciate the amount of effort Mark put into you guys in terms of time and commitment?
God yeah man, I would say we owe Mark are lives (lol)- if it wasn’t for Mark we both would be chavs doing loads of drugs and nicking cars (lol). Thanks Mark!
Obviously we all know that you are a massive pisstaker- what was the gnarliest story from back in those days when you guys were on the road where you and Ben would have got Mark into a world of shit to deal with your flapping mouth?!
Oh god too many I reckon! I don’t know really we were always quite well behaved because if we wasn’t then he would have killed us. Ah- there was this one time at Nass when we had a mega phone and this chav wanted a go so I told him to fuck off and buy one, for quite some time! With this the chav got in a bad mood with me and I think Mark had to step in and tell him to fuck off before he broke his neck!
Have you managed to take the Horsemen of the Apocalypse to further reaches other than the Download Festival?
Haha! Nah- not yet! I wished! That was one of the funniest weekends we have all had I reckon. I’m going this year so you never know but I might have to do it on my own unless you are there! (lol)
You better get your shit together as your shirt will be ripped off your back son! Those were good times; didn’t you have to leave Ben in a tent as he was too young?!
Haha! Yeah poor boy, I think that weekend he sore lesbians for the first time, went to his first festival and got lost ‘cos we got him into the aftershock tent and then he got chucked out!
Now that Raemers has spread his wings on Enjoi and éS and rightly getting worldwide recognition do you miss the good old days of the DuFFs crew traveling round the country every weekend?
Yeah they were the best days for sure, all mates having fun and traveling round the world, I don’t think it will ever be the same which is a shame for sure.
What has replaced the buzz and what are main changes as you have gone through growing out of hanging as a team like that?
Erm, when I broke my leg I learnt to play the guitar which I love doing now, other than that just keep going really it can be hard sometimes though without them boys, we had such a buzz around us that you can’t really find again but I still have fun skating with my more local boys.
Your move to roll on Creature decks after leaving Death went down a while back, what’s the future for the UK Creature team and who’s hooked up in the UK these days?
We got Joe Habgood, Marc Churchill, Stu Graham and Munson and there’s talk of a tour sometime this year with some off the yanks coming over. I guess the vibe is to keep doing what we do really- have fun and skate!
If you were given a part in their next DVD, what music would you use and what style of board graphic would you personally like to see under your feet in that slime green?
I think I would have some ACDC or Sabbath, that would be rad on the tune front. As for a board- something like what French did for my Death one actually, I would just get French to do it again if he was up for it.
If you had to pick 3 of the Creature team riders to session with, where would you choose to skate and with what 3?
Stu, Hitts and Partenen at Washington street for sure!
Munson once said that it’s the concrete skaters that set the UK apart from the others- do you agree?
Not really- but I can see where he is coming from, ‘cos it’s like… to skate like Koston is a joke and you just can’t, really. But, to skate like TNT or other concrete skaters… it’s not as hard- I don’t think. It’s like: say you went somewhere that Koston did something and you tried to do it. It would never be as good and it would have just been a joke what he did… but, when you go to a skatepark there are most things that some one has done that you could do. I think it’s just a bit easier to be on their level really.
Most people when they hear your name would associate your skating in parks due to the amount of events you have attended over the years, how much energy went into making your current section varied in terms of all terrain footage filmed for the ‘In Between Days’ video?
Not that much really. Just went out as usual to skate to see what we can get really. The hardest bit was both me and Russ being around on the same days. It took about 6 months to complete all in, maybe a bit longer- but it was just go out once or twice a month to film.
The Essex scene is well represented in this video with a host of rippers, how important are scene videos like In Between Days for your local crews?
They are important for sure cos they show what ever one is up to and what other spots are out there. The scene is quit spread about here really with little crew all over Essex but we try to skate together when we can. The local shop is shit so no one really goes there if they can help it.
There’s a lot of wasteland down there and sessioned by most in this video, do you guys have plans to take it further and build a Pontus Alv inspired utopia?
Would love to build something like that but it would just get fucked up by kids and no one has the money to put in!
Everyone involved in this video skates rough English spots, do you think it makes UK skating harder in general compared to the gloss of California?
Yeah I think it does a bit because a lot of the US. It’s is not rough like here but in the end that’s what we got so we get on with it no matter how bad it is! That’s just the way it is here I think.
What’s the best park in Europe in your opinion?
I’m not sure- I’ve not been to them all, but Malmo has to been one of the best, for sure- endless lines, and days of fun there.
Is UK skating more influenced by America than other places?
Ermm, yeah. I think so, really- it’s always been the way with most things, hasn’t it? Anything the US does we kinda follow. I guess it’s because that’s where all the big companies are based and the rest of the world just does as they say.
Every big skate team in the world seems to be heading to Israel now- what was your impression of the place?
Yeah, they are! I think we were one of the first to go there and do stuff for a mag. It’s rad, one of the best places I have been. I can see why everyone is going there- so many spots, sick weather, good night life, nice people, good beach- the Dead sea- which is so fucked up, if you’ve never been then you should just go for that alone ‘cos it’s mental You’re not meant to be able to float on water: it’s wrong but rad. It’s just a cool place: go see for yourself.
Who are your UK top five skaters at the moment, and why?
Well, I would say:
Ben Raemers– he’s just a beast, really- love that boy…
Kris Vile– same, just a joke and a nice guy.
Barney Page– that kid’s so good you kind of just don’t know what he is going to do on his skateboard
Andy Scott– he’s the man. Best person to watch skate…
Aaron Sweeney– just sick all round, and fun as fuck to skate with.
Ross McGouran– the kid’s a joke, and under-rated, I think. So good.
What’s in the future for you, Carl?
Don’t know really- just get fixed up and go skating, and have fun with my mates, really! Keep doing what I’m doing, I guess.
Any shout outs?
Thanks to Munson for all the years of fun, Russ for putting up with me when filming, all the Essex boys, the Thursday night boys, everyone from Ipswich, Jerome and all at Shiner, Ally Barr and anyone I have forgot- thanks for some good times!
Enjoy Carl’s section in Russel Cowling’s ‘In Between Days’ scene video that is available for only £5, order one today before they sell out at www.monsternetwork.co.uk
Carl Wilson In Between Days from Monster Network on Vimeo.
Potter is one of the UK’s most consistent and stylish all round skaters and considering he comes from Essex and a prodigy of Munson, it’s amazing he’s such a mild mannered and laid back young man. Any girl’s mother would love him and he’d love them (Easy now Potter). I’ve seen him on may occasion go toe to toe with heavy weight contenders and he never backs down from a challenge. The boy punches way above his weight! Flow, speed and tech are some of the words that spring to mind, but he never tells any one his plans, he just lets his skating do the talking. -Ally Barr.