Simo Makela Is the name on many skaters’ lips at the moment. Hand picked by Arto Saari to join himself and Eniz Fazliov as the Finnish contingent of the resurgent Alien Workshop roster, he is also one of the top boys on the Nike SB European programme.
This interview is an extract from the epic Fluff SB project, available at all good NikeSB dealers now.
Where are you right now, Simo?
Whuhuuu! I’m at home.
Helsinki still, huh? Isn’t it freezing and dark at the moment?
Getting dark in a couple hours! And I just woke up, really sucks at the moment, this weather.
No plans for migrating south?
I think I’ll be going to Barca in a couple of weeks, skate with the homies. Lots of friends are going there. If I can just get a hold of Kaspar.
Ah, you want him to pay for it, or what?
Haha hopefully he will. I’m trying my best to make him do so.
You’re gonna get a place to stay or crash at someone’s house?
Usually I just crash at someone’s house. Would be sick to get a place with some friends, though. Have to see what my friend Winkle says, that’s where I’ve been staying usually. Or maybe I’ll see what Madars says. That could be crazy.
Do they know about your feet?
My feet don’t smell anymore!
Really? Did you get surgery?
No, I got some new socks! I don’t know what happened, they just don’t smell anymore!
Haha, you’re gonna make lots of people happy with that. Unless it’s just one pair?
No worries I have a few pairs.
You can also wash them huh?
Also an option these days.
How old are you Simo?
22
And born and raised in Helsinki?
No, born and raised in Lahti. Which is like 1 hour away from Helsinki. But I live in Helsinki now.
Do you have your own place there?
I do. Just moved into a new one as well.
Didn’t you live with a girl that wasn’t your girlfriend, for 2 years and didn’t pay rent?
Haha- I did.
Well, now it’s your chance to apologize and say thank you to that girl don’t you think?
I guess so, THANKS!
What’s her name?
Her name is Ansku, you know that!
Ah you lived with her? Well she deserves a medal. And now you live on your own?
No, I live with my girlfriend.
What do you do besides skateboarding?
That’s a tough one, cause I don’t do much besides skating. Well… I just chill with my friends and party I guess. I draw sometimes as well. Yeaah, thats what I do.
No job?
No job.
So how the hell do you pay for those expensive beers in Finland?
Well there have been some jobs. Not at the moment. Ummmm, that’s what I’ve been wondering too. It’s not too expensive in the shop. But you were always buying Karhu beers, Koff is cheaper. I was trying to tell you.
You guys sure seem to like beer. I have never seen so many kids bring a case of beer to the spot, drink it and then film the gnarliest line. Is that the secret maybe?
Could be. I think you guys are pretty into it too. Or what do you think?
Well we don’t drink as much during skating.
But after skating, it seems to go down pretty swift and easy I must say!
So what’s a Makela day like at the moment?
Wake up, probably go surf the internet waves for some time, kill it on the Spotify, at 3 go to skate park. Leave the park at 8.30 then come home or go to my friend Pablo’s house. He lives on the same street. Now I’ll probably start watching TV since we finally got it working. It’s been a couple years since I had a TV that works.
Let’s talk skateboarding. What made you start?
Same old story I guess. Some kids from where I grew up started skating and I tried someone’s board and after some time of just borrowing their boards my dad got me one. Eleven years ago I think. Or maybe 12.
Who you ride for at the moment?
I ride for Volcom, Nike, Alien Workshop and Ponkes the shop. And Perus!
What is Perus exactly? And don’t tell me I know, we’re trying to educate the people here.
Perus is our posse. Just friends who skate together and film some shit and might even go as far as making a video sometimes. My friend Pirkka has a camera and he usually points it at us if something worth filming is happening. They are also making some boards and wheels and clothes now. So that must make it a skate company too.
Did you ever go on the partyboat between Helsinki and Sweden?
Yeah I’ve been on the party boat a couple times. Good times!
Never got locked up? I heard they have their onboard prisons for rowdy passengers?
Yeah they have. You have to get pretty fucking rowdy to make it into one of those. I haven’t been locked up.
Tell me about the partyboat for those who don’t know.
It’s a big boat that goes from Helsinki to Stockholm. You go there at like 5 and the next morning you´re in Stockholm. Then you spend the day there and go back into the boat at 5. People just go there to party. There’s a bunch of bars and stuff. And when you’re on the boat all the booze and cigarettes are tax free. So it’s pretty cheap, lots of people there and everyone’s having a good time.
Aight Simo, gimme your thank- yous then.
Thanks to Mum and Dad, all the Perus boys, SLP, Taika, Marcel, Deeli, Marius, Mcmanaman, Volcom, Alien Workshop, Nike, Kaspar, Hans, Travis, Colin, Anssi, Teemu. All my friends, you know who you are: THANKS!! That’s it.
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