They still only had like, 12 people a day skating. It was one of those intense, gnarly snake sessions. I certainly dont feel that I have it all figured out, but I love my life and I am grateful for everything thats come my way. [1] Gonzales has since left the company and today the company continues under the ownership of Dwindle Distribution. Later Miller would branch out beyond just the act of skateboarding, becoming an artist, and the man behind some of the most iconic brands in the industry. Whats up, man? I went to Pipeline and it was just like mecca. I feel like the great companies are ones that have not only great products and a great brand, but an amazing culture. GFL Series is our series of all ages bowl and street contests. Thrasher Magazine Skater of the Year I appreciate quality over quantity and relationships and experiences over things. 47", "A brief moment into skateboard history that shaped today", "Blind Skateboards - New Pro Danny Cerezini Ad (2008)", "Blind What If? Its funny. What is the greatest lesson youve learned from a life of skateboarding and do you think there will ever be a time when you no longer ride a skateboard? Once the pool was drained and we saw how gnarly it was, we didnt even skate it for a little while. Variflex They were black and white, and it was on newsprint. The company's logo for many years was a stylized grim reaper. We would just sit and watch these gnarly snake sessions go down. Did you see Salba coming through there? Despite following in his dads footsteps or boards as a professional athlete and that Zach also works at the same company, he says feels no pressure from his father. From then on, I was going to the skatepark every day. We werent thinking that we were going to make a living being pro skateboarders but, around that time, we started traveling. Blind released a limited edition skateboard deck, designed in collaboration with the Berrics, which were signed by Rogers. As Chris explains in an interview with Ride Channel, "My Schmitt board was famous for being the first board with an upturned nose that was long. The trucks were pretty good at that point, too. To put it bluntly, Chris Senn is a wild . Find out about our data and where it comes from, how it's used, and more. Did she know who Duane was? Blind then signed Rudy Johnson and Guy Mariano, both from Powell Peralta, and Jordan Richter as its vert rider. It just comes with the territory. My sister and I were so bummed. $84.99. Eric Nash has a few things, but thats from when we were kids. He had a cool, powerful, unique style. G&S and Gullwing were really involved with the Am contests. Chris Miller from CA USA Skateboarding Global Ranking Profile Bio, Photos, and Videos Chris Miller Profile Global Ranking Sponsors/Shouts Stereo, Bones, Thunder Trucks Age 55 Insta @owlcat Earnings $37,000 Stance Regular Hometown Encinitas CA USA Updates Update Headshot Update Info The Boardr Mailing List Stay Informed Thats the place.. Zach has skateboarding skills in his blood; his dad is legendary professional skateboarder Chris Miller. Were you riding the full pipe or the 15-foot bowl? Under the heading "A damn good deal! No. You skated the pool at Kona, too, right? My older brother was a hardcore surfer, and like I said, as a kid I was completely inspired by the surf/skate culture of Dogtown. 2015 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony of Chris Miller for the 1980s era two category. What are you doing right now? Salba was there. It offers me a method and vocabulary to better understand the mind-body connection. Tony Alva was the ultimate skateboarder, along with Jay Adams and Shogo Kubo. Just super functional well-made clothes that look and feel great whatever the situation. What was it like hanging out with Neil Blender? Were you around when Chris Baucom threw the TV set in the pool? How did you get sponsored by Santa Cruz? The first time I went to Pipeline, there were at least half a dozen pros there. They were blown away by how fast and how smooth he was. You cant go too fast. I learned so much during that period of time and I understand business and brands in a way that I dont think I could have in school. It was just something I loved doing and was entrenched in the community of like-minded people, so I kept doing it. Nico's conception date was after the Thrive event. Yeah. Yeah, I was riding Indys and a blank Santa Cruz board with GandS Stickers all over it. They actually got pretty good towards the end. I was in awe. It was all racing. Chris Miller Skateboarding harold hollingsworth 33 subscribers Subscribe 43 Share Save 39K views 15 years ago Chris Miller laying down some lines, simple, and classic! Eventually this lead me and a friend to find our first backyard pool, which in hindsight, was literally a life-altering event for me. When its time for an event, he gets the go-ahead to compete. I was 18, so I moved out of my moms house. I knew if I called my Mom that Id never get to go to another contest ever again. Chris Miller is as close to perfection of the evolved vert skateboarder as possible. Boost. The crazy thing about it was that even though that slam was caught on film, that wasnt even my gnarliest slam in that bowl. It went from being underground and then it kept getting bigger. Eventually, Skate City went under, but for a while, we still had those three parks. Jay Adams endures as a symbol of professional skateboarding. I couldnt take another run, obviously. So Im coming in and I did the suck up thing, but there was just no chance. Those guys were hanging out with all the photographers for Thrasher because they were based in San Francisco. Free sheet of black grip with all deck orders. Wed ride the track like everyone else. I was still an Am, but I beat a few pros. Since 1993, Juice has been independently owned and dedicated to the core. Tony Alva. 9. Well, Upland stayed around for a long time. Was there a weird vibe, like youd abandoned the team? They were a closer to Skate City than they were to Upland. You can have one without the others, but to be sustainable you need all three: products, brand, and culture. But it helps him in the World Cup of Skateboarding points system, which can lead to an invite from the X Games or the four Dew Tour events, the big-money competitions. Chris Ortiz was around. We went out for the Kona Nationals. Plan B Skateboards is a skateboarding company based in San Diego California, United States, [1] founded by Mike Ternasky, Danny Way and Colin McKay. However, in a 2010 interview with the "chrome ball incident" blog, Lotti expressed regret in regard to his departure from Planet Earth, a company that he described as a "small and tight family": "I loved skating with everyone, but I wasnt always psyched on the whole World Industries thing. Jan 21, 2013 - Chris Miller. Vans I think he got burned on the industry politics, but hes just a brilliant artist. 2016 With the encouragement of Neil Blender, I created all of the art that would be printed on my pro model boards. I dont know how many people were there. It was a little hard for me, because I was still skating pools mostly. I ended up getting the cover of Thrasher. I was born in California, but then my family moved to Florida. JUICE MAGAZINE 319 OCEAN FRONT WALK #1, VENICE, CA 90291 (310) 399.5336 JUICEMAGAZINE@GMAIL.COM. The other place was colorful. So I skated at Pomona Grand Prix for a long time. When I was a freshman in high school there were like four or five skaters in my school. I was always stoked on how down he was for skating. The Hoffmans, who were the owners of Pipeline, would take a whole crew. How has that area helped influence Vuori and your own personal life? I wish the video showed one of my runs that I made. Hanging out with him was the best thing ever. He was super rad. That was later, when Randy Janson or John Hogan was the team manager. I was there the whole time, non-stop. In high school and junior high, there were only one or two other skaters in my school. What was kind of ironic about it was that at that contest I did pretty well in the Am event. As a skater, he was super amazing. Santa Cruz We skated the banks. What was cool about hanging out with Neil? As a kid coming up, Chris Miller blew me away with his super smooth, inventive, and ever stylish skateboarding. We had the best time. Powerflex In the skatepark, all the pools were painted. Z-Boys Lotti, who formerly skated for Planet Earth (founded and owned by professional skateboarder Chris Miller), was recruited by Lee and filmed several tricks for the opening section of Tim and Henry's Pack of Lies. I am very proud to be part of it! Thats what inspired me to start Planet Earth in the early 90s. 2009 I was supposed to stay with all the Santa Cruz and Indy guys. Ill make it. Then when I landed, I dont know if I hung up or I slid out, but I fell forward into the transition going up into the shallow end. Out East, we were doing a lot of backyard ramps. There were a few other kids, too. Tony Alva, one of the original Z-Boys skaters, was the first to form his own skate company, Alva Skates, back in 1977. As soon as someone that was any good came, we would just get out of there and go to our little snake runs in the back. I suppose it depends on what you want to create, what dreams you want to manifest. All From Chris Miller. Those were really fun. I wanted to be an artist. [Laughs] No. Nash and Grosso were around, but they lived in Arcadia. Photo: Deville. Then I started meeting other kids there that were like, Have you ever been to Pipeline? I mostly skated with the younger locals like Chris Robison, Eric Jueden and Billy Braden. But it takes more than just good genes and a well known name . Did that compromise your skating? In the middle, where the combi was, there was just a big, banked reservoir. Twice a month, we send out the best in skateboarding and BMX events. Id see photos of all the famous dudes from that area. We went from having 20 skateparks to having three. The fact is that there just arent too many other things in life where I can experience the sensations I feel skating big concrete transitions, so Ill do it as long as I can. Bands he's been in: The Skoundrelz, G.F.P. Why am I even bothering with the halfpipe? Well, skateboarding was small enough at that point that the contests were still Pro/Am events. Yeah, he did. Trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. At its peak we had over 100 employees and sponsored pros like Tony Hawk, Jamie Thomas and Shaun White. Nice. We still had our skatepark scene. The company's amateur video, This Is Not A Test, was released in 2011, and focused upon team riders who were amateur at the time: Kroetkov, Kieran Reilley, Rogers, Smith, Ortiz and Kevin Romar. Was your mom taking you to the other parks, too? What was it like for you when you saw Skateboarder go to Action Now and Thrasher kicked in? Latest Facts. We didnt want to move. ", Blind promoted a new line of skateboard decks constructed from North American maple and resin glue with a retail price of US$29.95. Even though I didnt surf that much until I was an older teenager, I was always inspired by surfing. Did you catch a lot of crap from Salba? AlliSports does action sports broadcasts of events, digital media and on-site graphics and marketing, among many other things. You must have shown up and thought, Ill skate the pool. With Vuori, we wanted to create high-quality clothes that we could wear all day or all weekend. Id been skating all day. He was super cool. Thrasher Welcome Miller Beast on Crossbone Metallic Deck. I was a full skatepark rat. What was it like when they started to build the combi pool at Upland? By the time I was 18, skateboarding had gotten bigger pretty quick. It was a pretty good scene. They werent sweating it. [9][10], The second full-length Blind video, What If?, premiered in early 2005,[11] and featured parts from Creager, Markovich, Craig, Sheppard, Brown, Duncombe, Aaron Artis, Evan Schiefelbine, Patterson and Carlos Ruiz. It was all slippery and fiberglass. They had the Am contest and then the next day was the pro contest. Ppl are ridiculous. So lets go back to GandS. I wasnt at the first Trashmore contest. Juice Magazine specializes in coverage of skateboarders, surfers, musicians, skatepark builders, artists, photographers, rock n roll, metal, hardcore, pools, pipes & punk rock. As things evolved in the mid 80s, skateboarding went underground and skateparks were going under. When did you realize you were progressing and maintaining your skills on a skateboard to the level that you would be able to pursue it on a professional level? That must have been a hard decision to make as a little kid. .css-spn4bz{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;color:inherit;}.css-spn4bz:hover,.css-spn4bz[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-spn4bz:focus-visible,.css-spn4bz[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}. Its home to dozens of surf, skate, and snowboard pros. Just about anywhere Zach Miller goes, he gets the same story. American skateboarder Chris Cole first came into the limelight as a teenager performing tricks at the skatepark in Philadelphia. It was just so small. Miller, who lives in Del Mar, finished ninth at that event, earning $2,000. I dont really know if those guys knew the whole story, but in the end, I think they realized that they blew it by leaving me at the skatepark. We still had Upland, Skate City and Del Mar. I definitely felt at times like I blew it with Miller and wished I would have just stayed on Earth I was really involved there. The desire to start brands was the same desire I had to do my own graphics. Can you imagine? Juice Magazine specializes in coverage of skateboarders, surfers, musicians, skatepark builders, artists, photographers, rock n roll, metal, hardcore, pools, pipes & punk rock. Skating a little ramp like that was somewhat confining to me. The sea cell tees are incredibly soft and comfortable with some great natural performance benefits too. $84.99. So I rolled in, and because I was so amped, I had more speed than I normally would. Back then, almost everything was hard to skate even if it wasnt super-gnarly like Upland. That rules out CeCe. You can complete our liability waiver here so you are good to go for participating in our events. You were a Pipeline local, so every place else must have seemed really easy, right? It was fun, though. We met all the Florida guys, too. Born February 3, 1961 - August 15, 2014 (age 53) Based in Venice, California, USA. [Laughs] That thing was burly, man. All of the top guys from that era were there skating. He currently resides in San Marcos, California. As a kid coming up, Chris Miller blew me away with his super smooth, inventive, and ever stylish skateboarding. Duane was killing it. The company also began to reissue a series of boards from the early 1990s that were based on original shapesreissued boards included Mariano, Way, Johnson, Gavin, and Sanchez designs. I just remember it being super-gnarly. We thought it was the coolest thing. He and his wife walked down the aisle together back in 1980. [8] During the 1990s and early/mid-2000s, additional team members, such as Kris Markovich, James Craig, Jake Duncombe, Jake Brown, Corey Shepard, Grant Patterson, Danny Cerezini, and Jani Laitala were recruited by brand manager Bill Weiss. There was a vert contest at Trashmore, and it was the first contest that I remember where pro skateboarders were signing autographs. We went from making nothing to making a decent amount of money. But at the end of the day new kids come in and older guys get let go. My life is filled with creative manifestation, from the physical expression of skating and surfing or yoga, to personal art or working on brands, events and products like apparel and skateboards. His aggressive style . The Indy team manager and the Santa Cruz team manager werent even there. What did you think of Kona? Meanwhile, Etnies unveiled another line, S, with more technical styling. In 1980, I really started getting into skating. Well, I skated before I surfed, but I do think that they influence each other and are complementary. There were magazines covering it. As someone who has successfully followed his dreams, what advice would you have for people trying to manifest their own dreams into reality? There were like, 10 or 15 kids that were ripping Ams. Chris Senn. When I first started practicing, I was wearing boardshorts and cotton tees. I feel very fulfilled by the process of creation and I pursue it again and again. Blind (stylized as bLind) is a skateboard company founded by Mark Gonzales in 1988 under Steve Rocco's World Industries distribution company. Logan Earth Ski No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means; electronic, mechanical, photocopy, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, photographers, writers, or artists named herein. There was ASPO and CASL, so I started going to all the contests. I got a GandS Fiberflex with Road Rider Wheels and Bennett trucks. Become a Boardr member and get access to our Global Rankings reports and more. We came back later and there was some gnarly, older dude skating, but he wasnt anybody famous. I had a good thing going. It was legendary. From 86 through 92, Miller consistently placed among the top 10 in pro vert contests worldwidewinning a dozen or more contests outrightalong with being featured on four Thrasher covers and three TransWorld Skateboarding covers. They were like, Go and see if you can stay with somebody else. So I went back in the skatepark and Im asking all these people that I didnt really know if they had a place I could stay. With a diverse and eclectic background, Shawn has walked the path of a competitive surfer, Hare Krsna monk, action sports industry player in NYC, DIY theology and religions major, and a touring punk rock musician. Darren Navarrette introduces a classic from the 1987 Gullwing video. I was with the younger kids that hung out in the back and rode all the little stuff. Schmitt Stix It was like a recreation center. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. Where in Florida were you based? A few years back Chris immersed himself in the practice of Yoga, as a restorative and balancing practice. In the late 80s, you got the cover again when you were on the Gullwing team, but you were riding Indys. [2] History 1991-1993: Formation, Johnson's "super team", Questionable His father is most proud, not of his son the artist or his son the skateboarder, but proud of the fine young man his son has become. "[14], In an official statement released in April 2012, Brown's departure from the Blind team was announced and a comment from Weiss was included: "Jake Brown is one of the most dynamic, positive and genuine skateboarders I have ever met and been lucky enough to call my friend and I wish him nothing but the best on his next adventure. After Skateboarder turned into Action Now and they had pictures of people horseback riding in it, we had nothing. I ended up getting eighth place. So I was at the skatepark, and those guys wanted to party and they didnt want the little kid around. Previous inductees for the 1980s era two category include . Nyjah Huston also completed in the Summer X Games, taking home the gold for street skateboarding. It was probably around 1980. A few weeks later we sat down and talked and it worked out. They were pretty good towards the end, but the original trucks were heavy and didnt turn very well. Im glad that I got to be involved in skateboarding at that time. We were just so stoked to have a skateboard magazine. The team manager was like, Dont worry about it. We log all the major skate videos that are on YouTube. You were sessioning the combi pool a lot, huh? It was just a bunch of kids at the hotel. [15] Cerezini then parted ways with Blind in October 2012. In the official press release, released on March 13, Blind stated: "We cant thank Ronnie enough for all his contributions,memories and fun times over the years. She placed 4th in the most recent competition. With Gullwing, the trucks were never that good. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You hadnt turned pro yet, right? No. It seemed like such a big deal. You get to do what you loved to do as a little kid. Id go to Am contests and those guys would always be there. Santa Monica was the first place that I ever skated a pool or a ramp. Excel Management represents and works with the world's best skateboarders. It wasnt even a thing to be a skater, just something a couple of us did. . Turning pro in 86 for G&S, Chris took a cue from teammate Neil Blender and went on to draw all of his own board graphicsigniting a DIY approach that would later lead him to launch his own brands at the dawn of the 90s, including Adio, Holden, Planet Earth and Signal. I didnt end up going to Pipeline first. I was at the stage in life where youre aspiring to be something, but youre not really there yet. Hes out of my way. It was at a go-kart track. Yeah. 15K Followers, 4,000 Following, 883 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Chris Miller (@chris_miller_time) It just felt so good for my body and mind! [29], Kroetkov was then assigned professional status in September 2014, during a team event at the Lafayette skate park in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on September 22. Neil Blender is just the funniest, most creative guy. It was crazy how fast it happened. Then about six years ago I started going to yoga, and I was blown away. In my mind, it didnt seem that gnarly, but it was gnarly. INTERVIEW BY JIM MURPHY The company produces decks, wheels, soft goods and accessories. Results for our events and all industry events we know of. There was one kid I went to school with in Santa Monica named Bella Horvath. My mom said, Well, theres a great skatepark out there. She found out where the skateparks were and took me to them. They built the combi pool, and filled it with water. I was going to make it or slam. No, not really. They are a wonderful example of skateboarding and one of Keep Skateboarding A Crime. 2012 Jay Adams. Eventually that experience lead me to the idea of creating my own label, offering a different perspective on skateboarding, and sponsoring younger riders that I could help mentor and bring up. Then four years later, all of a sudden there were a ton of skaters, but they were all younger. Cole has featured in several video games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD, Skate, Skate two, Skate three, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 . Planet Earth grew and was successful, and that success lead me to start Adio Footwear and a few other brands in the skate and snowboard space. I am sure there will eventually come a time that I dont skate, but I hope its not for quite a while. I was always into drawing and art. Upland was open the whole time. Tell us about your early days growing up. 10"x 31.875" WB 15.5" That was the ultimate, at the time. It was gnarly. Joe Kudla and I met around that time, and he was already doing Vuori as a small tee shirt line and wanting to expand. He has many of the same skills his dad had, and all of the refinements that better equipment, more practice opportunities and the sports continuing evolution can offer. Having birthed Planet Earth skateboards in 1990 as the first true environmentally conscious skateboard brand, Chris was also able to transition his outside interests with a natural talent for running his own businesses. Chris always had his foot to the floor when he skated, making him a sight to see, but lots of times blowing up before he finished his run. Skateboarding in Santa Monica was very surf influenced. I would have so much energy from the crowd and the music and everything that was going on. Skateboarding really blew up. Required fields are marked *. [2] Upon the brand's launch in 1989, Jason Lee moved from World Industries to Blind as its second professional rider (as founder, Gonzales was the team's first). The video was filmed and directed by Spike Jonze and is considered one of the most influential skateboarding videos of its era. All of a sudden, skate shoes, a once untapped market, were blowing up, new brands were appearing all the time and local skateboard shops had a lot of new customers. I recently caught up with Chris to talk skateboarding, surfing, Yoga, and Vuori clothing. As the first Z-boy to enter a pro . Chris Miller Couple on Crossbone - Various Stains - 10.0". Looking back at old Thrashers now, they were so thin. Shanann says in the video she hadn't seen Chris since high school. I was like, Okay. They were just hanging on. 2022 Born in California in 1967, Chris honed his skills on the unforgiving concrete of the legendary Pipeline Skatepark in Upland, California before becoming the National Skateboard Associations amateur series vert champion in 1985. When you go into a place like that, you cant believe it. In terms of my personal achievements or what I find most fulfilling, its really that I got to be involved in creating a culture or maybe rebirthing it anyway. Anyone who has invested some serious time into skateboarding knows how brutal it can be on the body. Miller competes today at Mammoth Mountain in the Ultimate Boarder Championship, a boarding triathlon and another event where he can earn points. I just want to hear it from your perspective. I thought I was just going to suck it up. Right on. I was hanging on no matter what. One of the first contests I went to was at Big O. I had lunch with Salba, Duane, Micke and all these guys that, in my eyes, were pretty gnarly guys. Every pool was painted a different color. Yeah. Now offering the Classic re-issued Large Chris Miller Dog deck. That was a little bit later. Maybe dad can give a few pointers when its time for Zach to change his own kids diaper. Show more Show more Raw. A "Subject" segment was published on the Berrics website the following day, in which new street-based footage of Sewa was featured.[30][31].
