|
"Jack represents a character straight out of the magical, mystical forest
where the Blood Wizard resides. He is like a vertical veteran but swears he
has never worn pads and does not know how to kneeslide. One sunny day when
the Potrero Del Sol skatepark in SF had just opened there was this kid
trying to do the gnarliest transfer i have ever seen done there. It was an
over torqued indy air all Wade Speyer like. When we decided to make a team
of ams he was the obvious first candidate to me. Jack is pure gnarly."
-Toad |
| Austin: Full name, age, sponsors? |
| Jackson Given, 18, Blood Wizard Skateboards, Vertical Smile Bolts, Caliskatz
Skateshop |
| What parks and who did you grow up skating with?
|
| I first started skating at Moraga park, which was the local park as a grom,
and then it was Walnut Creek. When that opened, me and all my buddies from
school skated there almost everyday for two years. That’s the best park ever
created, but I'm kinda biased.
|
 |
| Ollie from the Freeway ledge into the Bank, Home Ave. |
| Have you always been into skating tranny? What got you into it? What
skaters were you interested in when you started skating? |
| I think it was because I saw the movie *Dogtown and* *Z-Boys* right when I
started skating. So I started out liking that type of skating instead of the
tech skaters from that time period which was around 2001. So I was already
drawn to pool skating, and then just tranny skating in general. I mean I
still like the feeling of riding on a sidewalk, not only tranny. Skaters I
liked the most were dudes that ripped everything, guys like Phil Shao or
Cardiel. Real skateboarding.
|
| You lived at SDSU for a year. You must have some kind of good story from
living on campus? |
| I definitely have some good ones. One of the best times I had was getting
into some hipster party after ASR where Annihilation Time was playing. Me
and my friend Matt both used the same fake ID to get in. Once we got in no
one was into the band except for about two other people. We somehow got free
beer and I sprayed all the hip people standing around and the bouncer didn't
even care. Then we took the trolley back soaked with beer. |
| Nor cal to So cal is a big change. What brought you down here?
|
| Pretty much Washington Street and I went to San Diego State as an excuse to
get down there. I guess it was kind of a year long vacation.
|
| How was your experience skating and meeting people in San Diego? |
| Skating in San Diego was the shit just because there’s so much out there.
Pretty much whatever you want, it's there if you want some. And I met a
bunch of cool people through skating. I figure it's good to know people from
somewhere else than just where you're from.
|
 |
| Fs Alley Oop Fence ride, Washington $t. |
| Why did you decide to leave? You ever coming back? |
| Honestly, I think it was just the environment of the college I was at.
People just aren't that cool there. Walk out my door to hundreds of people
pushing mongo and holding their longboards by the truck, fuck that! I just
feel more at home in Northern California, but I'm always down to go back and
visit all the douche bags I've met.
|
| Explain Blood Wizard? It seems to be more than just a board company. Almost
a lifestyle. Who else is riding for them? |
| Yeah I guess you could say it's a lifestyle. I'd say it's just about fuckin
gettin on the road with your boys and fucking skating. Just get out and get
some. You know, feel some of that Wizard magic haha. We got some sick dudes,
like Jerry Gurney, Gnargy, and Chris Senn just got on. Shit's happening so
watch out.
|
| After skating with just about everybody in San Diego. Who do you think is
ripping? |
| Did I skate with everybody? Damn, well I'd say the Back Bowl Lurkers at
Washington, Dago Dawgs, dudes over on East Falls, and other randoms that I
saw at the parks. |
| Who’s blowing it down here? |
| No one is just fully blowing it all the time, but people tend to blow
it sometimes.
Pretty much when they think they're from the industry and just look at
skating from that point of view and just shit talk and be all dramatic. This
is skateboarding, not The Hills, people.
|
 |
| Gap to Lipslide, Pala Park in 100 degree weather. |
| Who’s blowing it down here? |
| No one is just fully blowing it all the time, but people tend to blow
it sometimes.
Pretty much when they think they're from the industry and just look at
skating from that point of view and just shit talk and be all dramatic. This
is skateboarding, not The Hills, people. |
| What was your experience with phoenix am? Do you enjoy skating contest? |
| Phoenix Am is alright, it's just too much of a huge contest. You skate for 7
hours that day, and only one minute of it is counted. That kinda sucks. I do
like some contests though. More if it's just like a big session, which is
just more fun. I think the Chili Bowl Cook-off in SF is a good contest. |
| What would the chilly bowl be called if it ever came to San Diego? |
| The Diego BROwl
|
| Seemed like you skated some epic shit on that trip to AZ. What else
went down besides the contest?
|
| Damn, we skated some of the sickest shit I've ever seen on that trip. Fresno
had fuckin awesome pools. First things out of the van, we rolled up on a
perfect kidney, that’s a good way to start the trip. Just really good bowls
also and can't forget Gobber's ramp which is always the shit and he's a
really cool dude. It was pretty much an all skate mission though, not much
other stuff. Like we slept next to this pool and cleaned it out that night
then started drinkin. Next morning, wake up bright and early at 8 and you
pretty much gotta skate it because you might not ever see it again. So I had
to man up and do a corner roll-in feelin like shit at 8 in the morning and
it felt good. |
 |
| Decked RNR, On everything everytime. Photo: Brian Leff |
| Did you get a different vibe from the parks down here? Up north it seems
like alot more than just skating revolves around the parks? How did you feel
about our skatepark scene? |
| I think the vibe is pretty much the same. Every park has some rippers,
little kids comin up and then goons. That's pretty much the same up north
also. I definitely liked the scene at Washington St. the best, good guys
usually chilling and there's not a lot of little kids. It does seem to kind
of died down since I went like 3 years ago though |
| Briefly describe the trip to the Cuyamaca mountains you told me about? |
| Cuyamaca is this huge park that had a forest fire like 6 years ago, so all
the trees are charred still. It's a pretty crazy place. Me and my friends
took some substances and just wandered off the trail for 8 hours. Good times. |
| How do you feel about all these big money contest popping up? Is it helping
or hurting skateboarding? |
| I think the contests are getting a little too big, the amount of money is
ridiculous and it's really corporate. On the other hand skateboarders have a
chance to come up really big, making money of these people trying to cash in
of skateboarding. But it's just too elitist, not what skating’s about.
|
 |
| FS Air, Memorial Skatepark |
| Got any advice for the message board trolls reading this? |
| I know it's fun to talk shit with no worries, but it could catch up someday,
so be careful.
|
| Lets Wrap this up with the people who have kept you on board. |
| Toad and Gus at BW, Bruce at VS, Tony at Caliskatz, anyone I've skated with
before, and people who make good music that hypes me up, and Ambroscious
|
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