About Justin Lozoff - The anonymous guy who supplied the Rodney Mullen videos and a Modern Freestyle Skateboarder.

Stance (Goofy or Regular?) 
Regular, but if I get back into skating I want to start riding goofy.

Whys that?
Over the past decade I didn’t skate much, so I didn’t get better and just kept doing the same stuff over and over again and it wasn’t that fun. I want to do something different.

When did you start skating ? With what setup? 
I started skating in April 1986, when I was 12. It was a Vision Gator with gull-wing trucks. The board was white, the trucks black. I don’t remember the wheels. That, and my 2nd board can be seen in the Rodney parking lot video where he ollies over the 3 boards. I started freestyling in September 1987 — and my setup was a Mutt – his first model, a hand me down from a friend of a friend. It had Indy’s, and probably Powell freestyle wheels. I always skated Indy for freestyle and Tracker for street.

The video of the Gator model is on your Youtube channel, Nominay?
yeah, you know the video, the 3rd board is my sister’s, Tony Hawk, she got me into skating

Do you have any favorite skaters? What do you like about them?
My original favorite skaters were Mullen, Guerrero and Hawk, not in that order, not sure if there was one. Over the past decade when I got back into skating, my favorite skaters became Danny Way, Rodney Mullen, and a later Powell Peralta pro who was totally overlooked, Pat Brennen. Guerrero was the first skater I saw. Future Primitive was the first video I saw, and it was a revelation to me. I always related to him, his style, thin and goofy looking but way cool in skating. I kind of saw myself in him. Hawk was just amazing to watch, just the way his skating looked and vert was the most exciting to watch. He was so precise in skating years ahead of others, he had it down to an unselfconscious science.

Too technical for most I’m sure.
He was made fun of some, I thought that was retarded. It was obvious to me at least that he was the future, it was just obvious. I must be coming off  as cliché, how I love to talk about the 80′s.

Favorite skate video and video part?
Favorite video part is Frankie Hill’s, Ban This.. Favorite video? I guess would be, Questionable by Plan B. There is nothing quite comparable to it. Questionable is undoubtedly the most historical video in skateboarding history.

Where do you like to skate?
Piedmont Park, but of course I don’t live in Atlanta anymore and haven’t in a decade;. but it’s pretty darn ideal for freestyle. In Houston there was this Kroger that I liked for my first few years here, only soft, smooth black asphalt. In the city it’s too busy and developed now to skate there anymore, there are not too many decent choices for freestylers in Houston.

What does skateboarding mean to you personally?
The first thing I think about was those first couple years I started. Skateboarding was magical; There were moments of that magic later on, here and there. But that’s how it affected my experience, how it felt. The past decade it was more of a therapeutic, spiritual thing. I’m being vague, it’s hard to explain I guess. It is interesting in a way that another form of exercise like running could never be, learning and doing tricks, there’s a self created culture in that kind of creativity. Skateboarding is a physical art.

Where do you think you’d be if you had no idea what it was like to be a skateboarder?
If I had no idea about skating? Actually, I quit doing kickboxing because I got back into skating in 2000. They wanted me to compete. In skating you don’t have to do that. It’s your own expression and bond with life, whatever that is.

Any words of advice?
If you’re not having fun skating, then you’re going to get lost. If it’s a health issue, explore that with a Doctor. Otherwise, just quit and do something else with your life.

The post Justin Lozoff Interview appeared first on Freestylers United.

What have you been up to these days?
Working 6 days a week living the dream, and one day of sleep and skating.

As a professional skateboarder, what do you feel are your best accomplishments?
The big spin pressure flip 180 nose grind I’ve been doing it for over 12 years and it still is hard to pull off. Most tricks you can get down, but that one is a zebra and not a horse.

What are some of the best skate spots in Oceanside, CA?
The Oceans 11 ledge and rail and the ATM Bump. I like the ditches as well and my favorite has to be the flat ground at South o School.

Any dream spots you wish to skate one day?
Yeah, I need to skate Puru, it looks epic, and all of Lima looks rad.

When you made a living off skateboarding, what did you tell people you did for a living?
Okay here is a disclaimer for all the fine people reading this right now. I never condone being a lier I feel it is the worst thing in the world, however in the strange world we live in the first thing anybody wants to ask you in a social setting in any shape or form is, “What do you do for a living?” Some pros like, Jeremy klein, will just say, “I ride a skateboard.” Others will just say something out of the blue, but both of these can open a pandoras box. If you admit you skate for a living they, will ask you a bunch of cliche questions and a list most likely in this order with these terms; “Do you know Tony Hawk?”, “Do you play video games?”, “Do you ride on that horse shoe deal?”, Do you enter the X-Games?”, “Do you know rob Dyrdek?”, “Do you know Ryan Sheckler?”, “Do you get hurt a lot?”

It goes on and on and it is no fun. Before you know it you are 20 minutes late to dinner. Back in the day when I skated for a living, in my case I did not wish to lie or just state that I ride a board for a living, so I would think about whomever was paying me the most for example, shoes, I would just say “I work for a shoe brand in marketing and P.R which is the truth. Yyet it does not spark up the, “Do you know Tony Hawk?” stuff. Plus if it sounds boring enough nobody will hold you up and ask you 5000 things.

When did you start skateboarding, who or what got you into it?
I started in 1988, this dude Jeff Deadmore got me into it. Him and Eric Lundy, Eric Gusto, Pete, Willy, and Matt Graeycheck. They all rule Van Wa was rad too and so is P Town.

What is your take on modern day skateboarding? Has it changed for better, or worse?
I feel it has gotten a lot better and much more amazing. ground breakers like Shane o Neil, Torey Pudwell, Chris Haslam, Deawon Song and pretty much the entire Almost Team, as well as Mike Chin and Andrew Thompson have also elevated the bar to new levels. The only thing I wish that we could go back to, is all the good vibes. There is a lot of haters now, skating was not full of haters. Before, it was a unity and I see a lot of gang like drama going on now and that sucks.

Are you working on any video parts or special projects this year?
Yes, there is a local video here in Cedar Rapids I am trying to lay down a part for. Not sure on the drop date yet but ask Mike from A.P.

What is your preferred streetstyle set up and freestyle set up?
7.7.5 32 long deck. Indy 1.39 trucks. Bones hard bushings, set to almost as loose as the king pin falling out.

How often do you skate freestyle? What or who inspired you to get into it?
Per Welinder, Rodney Mullen, Kevin harris, darryl Grogan, Reggie Barnes and Adam Miller. I probably freestyle once a day on my lunch break. I own a shop now so getting away is a lot harder. www.eduskatecr.com swing by the store if you are ever in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I bust some pogo’s in front when it is slow.

Who are your current sponsors?
Rekon skateboards, special thanks to Geraldo and John Castro, street Ice Wax. Turn Style Bushings. Kontrol Wheels. Willy Santos, and my ladies cooking.

In 2002, you were filmed by Darryl Grogan with a 16mm camera, how did that project come to be? Have you filmed and/or skated with
Darryl since then?
Yeah he rocks! Before I moved from California, I skated with him a bunch of times. He is one of my heroes, the dude is the best. It was a lot of fun, we skated all over Los Angeles and San Diego together. Those days were epic for me and I had a lot of fun.

Where did the nickname NATO come from?
You’re going to have to ask Eric Gustoffesun or Brandon Tonto, Eggleston or Shalina Jones. they were the child hood friends who started calling me that. No clue really, I guess it had to do with me being so hyper and having the energy of the entire Nato Forces.

What are your favorite skate companies?
aAnything Sole Effect makes and Rekon as well. Anything Kontrol Wheels makes, anything Skate One makes, bushings, bearings etc. Black Box , Girl, DLX, Kayo, Dwindle, NHS and Sector 9. I guess if I were on an island by myself, I would just rock Indys 50 mm, Kontrol Wheels and an extra set of 60 mm soft UFO wheels for my trade outs and some Sswiss Ceramics with a Rekon deck and Rekon pereskated grip with Bones bushings.

How is your new shop ‘EduSkate’?
Hectic, fun, and rad! We actually just sold out of 60 percent of our stuff. I need to order way more and we’ve only been open for just a week it has been a tornado of crazyness but fun never the less. I am stoked on all the support.

What are your plans for your shop and where is it located?
It is ‘loskated’ here in the fine city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Come by and see us sometime, our address is;
417 SW 3rd ave, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

We have to ask this, where do you see freestyle skateboarding going in the near and far future?
Uphill, a lot of kids are getting into it and that is keeping it alive. This dude, Adam Miller here is the next Rodney Mullen. No joke either, ground breaking stuff. Get ready for his part in the up coming Cr ap video the dude is so rad, the guy can do any trick. Plus, he can learn and invent new ones in little to no time at all, he rocks.

Any parting words and shout outs?
Yes, thank you for having me. Big thanks to, Dave, Noralee, Jay, Sally, Sam, Barna, Linz, Jacob, Dallas, Joel, Mike from A.P. Paul Ullyy, Phil Taylor, Tim Taylor, Fletch, Markus Ocean, Howell, Guy, Rick, Rodney, Daewon, Ronnie Bertino, Tim Gav, Daxter, Lussier cullen, Pyotherus, the whole SLEW CREW and Mobbede Mafia crew, Dd Temp, Blitz Distro. ALEX POWERS, Sean Stokes, Garret, Andrew, Darryl, Mike Chin, Dave Hupp, Brandon E, Eric Gusto, L.E. Rob Brink, Joel Miller, Holiday, Dave next door at Mystic Koal the Dog. Tyler next door, Emerson Locksmith, Sign Pro, Rekon Skateboards. John Castro, Geraldo Bran, Eyedea and Abilities. Eric Stricker, Dave Swift, Grant Brittan, Aaron Meza, Joe Brook, Eban Sterling. Amelia Brodka the sticker guy, Frankie Hill, Pat Duffy, Lance Stevie, Frost, Yogi, Eric Barry, Jack, Jen Mennards, Cameron Sanchez. My trusty Saturn that drove from San Diego to Iowa and anybody else who supports us. Thank you.

Notes from Author: This Nate Sherwood Interview was done a few months back but had to be re-edited because Nate Sherwood moved prior to us interviewing him. If you find any typos, misspelled words, or any grammatical errors please comment below. Thank you for your support, new interviews are on the way!

The post Nate Sherwood Interview appeared first on Freestylers United.

How has skateboarding impacted your life and cinematography?
Skating was really the only thing I cared about when I was younger. It really showed me what I could accomplish when I’m focused and really set my mind on something. It gave me the opportunity to travel all over the world and meet some really awesome people. I got into filmmaking in the early 90′s and started doing skate videos while I was in film school.

You’re really a true documentary filmmaker when you do a skate video because you have so many things that you’re battling to get the footage you need and you have to try your best to make things look good when the environment is not always ideal. I did 5 skate films in the 90′s shooting everything in super 8 and 16mm. Those films taught me so much and how to make the most of what of you have to work with.

What have you been up to lately?
The last few years I’ve been filming and editing promotional videos and commercials for businesses. Lately I’ve been putting together about 1 to 2 video projects a month. I’ve also done several documentary pieces and a couple of music videos over the past 5 to 6 years. I love everything about filmmaking. It’s really what I was born to do. I still really like to skate though when I have time.

It is no doubt that your impossibles are breath-taking, did they come to you naturally or did it take a lot of practice?
Yeah I really liked to come up with variations on the impossible. Rodney invented them in ’82 I think, and I really admire his genius in coming up with impossibles along with so many other tricks that we do today. I got into impossibles because I didn’t really see a lot of variations being done back in the day and that inspired me to try the trick different ways.

In your eyes, what are the main differences between freestyle skateboarding in present form compared to the past?
I think freestyle had a stronger scene back in the 80′s and early 90′s with just more skaters and more events happening. The industry accepted it a lot more back then aswell. You would see more street, vert and freestyle contests happening together in the same place and occasionally freestyle would get some coverage in the mags, along with more company sponsorships. (Thanks to Concrete Wave and Michael Brooke for being the only major magazine now that actually gives freestyle a voice.) Then by ’93 or so it began to really fade and a lot of the top pro freestylers started companies or began to work in the industry.

Contests and freestyle overall just wasn’t the same after that. It never really was a money-maker for the industry except back in the 70′s when freestyle was pretty much apart of everyone’s skating. Now though I think freestyle has some great new young skaters that have embraced it and pushed it to become once again a more recognized form of skating. Guys like Lynn Cooper, Brett Novak and Takashi Suzuki along with their skating have also really helped to promote freestyle through their videos.

When did you start skateboarding?
I started skating in ’83 in Frankfurt Germany where I lived with my mom who was stationed there in the army. I skated a regular street deck at that time. I went to California that summer to visit my dad and saw my first freestyle competition. I was just blown away by all these skaters doing tricks on the flat ground. I saw Kevin Harris, Per Welinder, Per Holknet, Hans Lingren, Primo, Keith Butterfield among others. After that I was hooked and got my first freestyle board a few weeks later. I saw Rodney in the first Powell video later that Fall and he was of course very inspiring. I would have to say though initially that Per was my biggest influence.

What happened to you after the freestyle scene died out, when did you return?
I went back to school in the early 90′s and discovered filmmaking. I did skate films and other random film projects until ’99. Then I moved up to LA to be closer to the film industry and began to do more promotional videos and industrial films. An old friend of mine Chris Clark encouraged me to get back into skating in 2001 and I’ve been back into it ever since, with a few short breaks in-between.

Are you planning on attending any future contests or events?
I’d really like to go to this contest in Vancouver coming up. It looks like it’ll be amazing. It’s great to see people taking a different approach to a contest and the way it’s been promoted and set up, I think is getting a lot people interested in going. I’d really like to go to the Paderborn contest this Summer also. I feel bad not going to that contest in past years. I actually started skating when I lived in Germany so if there is any international contest for me to go to it should be that one.

One of these days I want to come over and skate a good session with Gunter, Yoyo, Stephan, Chris, Mario and all the other freestylers at the Paderborn event. Then go to a local beer hall and have a huge stein of some great German beer.
The Munster contests way back in the day were always great for freestyle aswell. Thousands of kids in the crowd watching and freestyle always seemed to be respected there. Thanks to AJ Kohn also for putting on a great championship in 2010. That contest brought so many people together and was such an awesome event for freestyle.

When and how were you introduced to the Fedora we know and love?
I started wearing that thing in the late 90′s when I was just trying to keep my neck from getting burned in the sun when I was filming. Then I kept wearing it and just never took it off.

How did you end up learning those parallel hand stands, did you create it or was it inspired by someone?
I first saw Per Welinder doing those and just thought it was the coolest trick ever.
What companies did you ride for in the 80′s and 90′s?
I road for Schmitt Stix with Mike Kinney and Hans Lingren (Hazze), Vision Street Wear, Thunder Trucks

Have you had any skateboarding related injuries, how did they effect your skating?
Many. More than I can count. I dislocated my shoulder years ago and that took quite a while to rehabilitate and get back to normal. I was able to skate but I couldn’t swing my arms as much for balance like before. A lot of twisted ankles and I’ve banged my head many times working on different handstand tricks.

Who or What inspired you to become a cinematographer?
After film school I worked with Russell Carpenter ASC on “The Indian in the Cupboard” in ’95 and that was a great introduction for me on how feature films are made, cinematography and how the studio system really works. Before and after that I worked on my own skate films and that taught me quite a bit. On my business card it says cinematographer but I do an enormous amount of editing aswell. I’m really just a filmmaker.

Any projects you’re most proud of?
A lot of my promotional videos I’m proud of. I just finished one for a machine shop that I’m really stoked on. I’ve also done some commercials in 35mm for different businesses here in LA that turned out pretty good. I think my 35mm documentary pieces are really my best work. I’ve done several on different people and on various companies. I put some of the skate related pieces together and released them all as one project called “8 pieces” back in 2010. Right now I’m doing a documentary on a pop singer who’s on her way up. It’ll be in HD. I’m shooting it with the Canon 60D, which I think is one of the best DSLR’s out there.

Will we be seeing any new video parts or skate related videos from you?
I hope by the end of the year I’ll have a new video part. I haven’t focused on video parts much the last few years. My mind has really been more on filmmaking.

What are your favorite spots in Southern California?
Some of the beach piers are always fun to skate at. I have a secret spot that I’ve only taken Terry Synnott and Ricky Rodriguez to. It’s this really cool parking garage that’s hidden away from the general public. Usually though I just find a smooth parking lot or concrete area to skate.

Any parting words?
I guess just try to have fun with your skating and you’ll find that you’ll progress much faster.

There are also several other people I should mention and thank. Lillis for being instrumental in bringing back freestyle years ago along with Bob Staton and for just being very supportive of the freestyle scene in general. George Douville who helped me a lot when I first got back into skating and worked with various board manufacturers to get me the specific shapes and boards I needed. Keith Renna who played a huge part in putting the Casper video together by helping me get a lot of the skaters involved and just helping to facilitate the project as a whole. He’s also my Ebay mentor. Mike Kinney for being a good friend back in the day and for helping me out with some of my current projects.

I want to thank Russ Howell for being a huge inspiration to all of us, for laying a lot of the ground work in freestyle years ago and for basically being a mentor. Back in the 80′s he invited me to his house once and showed me some amazing contest and demo footage of various pro freestylers that I never would have seen otherwise (there was no internet back then). Paul Schmitt for his sponsorship back in the 80′s and for being the Board Manufacturing Master he is.

Witter for being very supportive through the years and for helping the freestyle scene grow to where it is now. Thanks Witter. Thanks to Tai Tai from Brazil who’s kept in touch and been a good friend the past few years. I’ll get down there some day, I promise. Bobby Casper Boyden for his work years ago in helping to bring back freestyle and for his influence on freestyle as a pro back in the day. I wanted to thank Jamie at Capital Skateboards for his support years ago and for putting a lot of his funds into the growth of freestyle.

Thanks to Terry Synnott for being a good friend through the years and for always calling me up to go skate when he comes out to Cali. Richy and Maria Carrasco at Sk8Kings for getting my lazy butt out to do demos. My sponsors for getting me product when I need it and sometimes when I don’t. Especially Karl at Oust for teaching me a lot about the manufacturing side of the industry. Al Garcia for his support years ago and for coming up with awesome business names. Lastly I just want to thank Erick for this interview and for his consistent support through the years.

Frank Lee and Bill Robertson have also kept in touch and have supported various projects I’ve done. Reggie Barnes has helped me in promoting many of my films through the years and I’ll always be very greatful for that. I want to thank Dan Matsumoto for his huge support of my skating. Alan Benson, Curtis Lee and Chris Clark are also true friends that have stayed in touch over the years. Lastly, I just want to thank Erick for this interview and his consistant support through the years.

[ad#ad-1-1]

The post Darryl Grogan Interview appeared first on Freestylers United.

Why do your close your English emails with “Sorry for my English”?
Ha, my English is so bad. I understand only the half.

When will you put out other language editions of your skateboarding books?
The Street book is in English. The problem is to sending it, it is always expensive

Freestyle in Europe seems to have more of a base than the N. American counterparts, what do you think accounts for that?
I think it is simply the attempt to work with small Street contest (Paderborn) and Slalom contest (Paris) together.  Freestyle is not well-organized. [In Europe there are] New organization, new people, new ideas come forward in Freestyle.

What kind of process do you have for putting together a freestyle routine for a video or contest, is that something you seem to follow when you are skating on a regular basis?
I’m mostly a freestyler. But since I’m not in Sweden anymore. I am now trying more new tricks.
[In] Freestyle Contest, to get the interest and respect the skater should be a free program from many different tricks. (Handstand, shove-its, ollies, kickflip, 50/50, No hand Casper, wheelies, spins). To show freestyle with wheelies and kick flips, and so to go to his two minutes shorter error-free is not ok. Every street cat can do better. Street skating is manifold.

Where are some of the coolest places you’ve been skating?
San Francisco is one of the most beautiful spots. Always worth a visit. Philadelphia, Cuba, Japan and Rio also have beautiful spots. There are many more beautiful spots [to skate].

Where do you see Freestyle skateboarding going in our near future?
Freestyle in the future. Ha. As long as the companies are in this present form, freestyle skateboarding will not evolve. Maybe develop something new this year by Canada in May New Ideas.

Will you be writing more books, how will they be different from the others?
I am making a book. But first a biography for next year. A video of my 30 years skateboarding.

How many hours do you skate a day, what do you do to prepare for  each session?
2 to 4 hours per day. I changed my skating now. I try more street in direction. And an old freestyle skateboarding I have to revive to the old tricks for videos.

What is your prefered skate set up? (Deck, size, trucks, bearings,  wheels,etc)
7.5 deck, tensor trucks and the best roles amlängsten also keep the Skate-Kings wheels are 54mm 97A

Who is your favorite AM Freestyler?
There are some good amateur. Here in Europe, I think the small Ruben from Holland”.

We’ve noticed you’re winning a load of contests, do you get tired of  contests or do you find them fun no matter what?
I always enjoy it. I’m not about to win contest. I want to get a good rotine program. This is difficult and irritating. and I attach great value to this a fair contest for all skaters”.

How has skateboarding changed your life?
Everything I do has something to do with skating. I live it.

What are the reasons you got into skateboarding and when did you  start freestyling?
No idea. I started 15/05/1983.

How has freestyle changed over the past couple decades? Do you  prefer the old days or modern days of freestyle skateboarding?
Previously, it was like a family, freestyle. Skateboarding in general. Today is the great envy and many enemies.

Who are your sponsors?
Sk8Kings and Decomposed.

What did you do during the 90′s as street skateboarding took over?
1994 to 2002 I did not go skateboarding.

How many times have you met Rodney Mullen, did you have any skate sessions with him?
A few times I went to Rodney. I’ve known him about 20 years and he is always impressive. He is a genius in things skateboarding.

What advice would you give to both new and old skateboarders?
Have fun while skating.

The post Gunter Mokulys Interview appeared first on Freestylers United.