Gilbert Crockett Week Day 2: Exclusive Interview
Posted April 10, 2012, 3 a.m. /
Welcome back to another installment of Vans Rider’s Week. This week we feature our newest addition to the pro ranks, Richmond, Virginia’s own Gilbert Crockett.
Yesterday we set the week off with Gilby’s first pro interview from the latest issue of Transworld and some older interviews so you could get to know Mr. Crockett all over again.
Today we give you a meaty exclusive interview with the latest pro for the Alien Workshop Sovereign Sect where we discuss his madness, his VA roots , what it would be like to be a vampire and a bevy of other topics. Like any Gilbert footage you’ve seen, his interviews always promise to be interesting and unique. From the time I’ve spent traveling and sharing rooms with him he’s proven to be exactly what skateboarding has always needed and loved: someone who is so on his own program that they could not be replicated. He dissects everything: shoes, spots, clothes, tricks, food, EVERYTHING. He may be, in my opinion, the most interesting skater in the world. He doesn’t ever drink but if he did, he’d prefer Dos Equis.
FYI, one by one, week by week, we’ll be focusing on all your favorite Vans riders.
Who would you like to see after that? Hit us up @vansskate on Twitter and let us know.
How has your life changed since going pro, Gilbert?
Let me think about that question…I don’t think it’s changed at all.
Are you driving around in a Lamborghini?
No.
Have you been or do you plan to be arrested after smoking PCP and running through a hotel naked?
Well, I am going to New York this weekend so that could happen. I’m going up there to skate, hang out and get tattooed just to get out of Richmond by myself and be free with just a backpack.
This weekend is Easter Sunday. No Easter egg hunt for you?
That’s this Sunday? I guess I’m going to be in New York. I forgot about that. My little niece just did her Easter egg hunt last weekend; I missed out on that.
Yesterday we set the week off with Gilby’s first pro interview from the latest issue of Transworld and some older interviews so you could get to know Mr. Crockett all over again.
Today we give you a meaty exclusive interview with the latest pro for the Alien Workshop Sovereign Sect where we discuss his madness, his VA roots , what it would be like to be a vampire and a bevy of other topics. Like any Gilbert footage you’ve seen, his interviews always promise to be interesting and unique. From the time I’ve spent traveling and sharing rooms with him he’s proven to be exactly what skateboarding has always needed and loved: someone who is so on his own program that they could not be replicated. He dissects everything: shoes, spots, clothes, tricks, food, EVERYTHING. He may be, in my opinion, the most interesting skater in the world. He doesn’t ever drink but if he did, he’d prefer Dos Equis.
FYI, one by one, week by week, we’ll be focusing on all your favorite Vans riders.
Who would you like to see after that? Hit us up @vansskate on Twitter and let us know.
GILBERT CROCKETT INTERVIEW
How has your life changed since going pro, Gilbert?
Let me think about that question…I don’t think it’s changed at all.
Are you driving around in a Lamborghini?
No.
Have you been or do you plan to be arrested after smoking PCP and running through a hotel naked?
Well, I am going to New York this weekend so that could happen. I’m going up there to skate, hang out and get tattooed just to get out of Richmond by myself and be free with just a backpack.
This weekend is Easter Sunday. No Easter egg hunt for you?
That’s this Sunday? I guess I’m going to be in New York. I forgot about that. My little niece just did her Easter egg hunt last weekend; I missed out on that.
I just read that you’re not living at home with your mom and grandma anymore.
Yeah, I moved in with my friend, Brent, that shoots photos of skating. We got this cat and we’re just chilling down the street from my mom’s.
How often do you go back to your mom’s?
Probably once every week or two.
I was ready for you to say every day.
No, they would like that, I’m sure.
Is that your grandmother on your voicemail when I call?
Yeah. I don’t know if I should say this in the interview but that’s just if it’s a number I don’t know and they think they have the wrong number and don’t leave a message so it works pretty good. I’m pretty psyched on it. My grandmother recorded it for me. I told her what I was doing it for. That’s not even her name. I asked her to do it and she’s like, “Ok,” and she went and looked at some old witch book she had and stole a name from some witch from the early 1900s.
No way! Is that her thing? Is she into witches?
I’ve never heard her talk about witches ever and then I asked her to record this voicemail and that’s what she pulled out. I didn’t know what was going on but it’s sweet.
And your mom is like a junior Civil War historian.
Yeah, she can’t get enough of it.
Witches and war? What’s going on over there?
Well, I don’t know. They like to keep it original.
Did you see that photo of Nicholas Cage as a vampire?
Yeah, that is insane. It looks just like him. It’s awesome.
Would you be psyched or bummed to be a vampire?
Shit, probably be bummed. You’d get over living after a while.
Would you get tired of doing the same tricks for the next couple hundred years?
Yeah, no shit. Nothing would ever be changing. You’d be fresh legs every day for the rest of your life. You couldn’t get bored of shit because you’d be stuck doing it forever.
You don’t drink booze, would you be able to drink blood?
I’d probably drink blood before booze.
Yeah, I moved in with my friend, Brent, that shoots photos of skating. We got this cat and we’re just chilling down the street from my mom’s.
How often do you go back to your mom’s?
Probably once every week or two.
I was ready for you to say every day.
No, they would like that, I’m sure.
Is that your grandmother on your voicemail when I call?
Yeah. I don’t know if I should say this in the interview but that’s just if it’s a number I don’t know and they think they have the wrong number and don’t leave a message so it works pretty good. I’m pretty psyched on it. My grandmother recorded it for me. I told her what I was doing it for. That’s not even her name. I asked her to do it and she’s like, “Ok,” and she went and looked at some old witch book she had and stole a name from some witch from the early 1900s.
No way! Is that her thing? Is she into witches?
I’ve never heard her talk about witches ever and then I asked her to record this voicemail and that’s what she pulled out. I didn’t know what was going on but it’s sweet.
And your mom is like a junior Civil War historian.
Yeah, she can’t get enough of it.
Witches and war? What’s going on over there?
Well, I don’t know. They like to keep it original.
Did you see that photo of Nicholas Cage as a vampire?
Yeah, that is insane. It looks just like him. It’s awesome.
Would you be psyched or bummed to be a vampire?
Shit, probably be bummed. You’d get over living after a while.
Would you get tired of doing the same tricks for the next couple hundred years?
Yeah, no shit. Nothing would ever be changing. You’d be fresh legs every day for the rest of your life. You couldn’t get bored of shit because you’d be stuck doing it forever.
You don’t drink booze, would you be able to drink blood?
I’d probably drink blood before booze.
Let’s start from the beginning. Where did you grow up at and how’d you get into skating?
I was born in a town called Dinwiddie. I didn’t live there but for four or five years. Then we lived in this town caller Chesterfield. I got into skating because one of my brother’s friends. I remember him telling me about skating and he talked about it like it was drugs or something. He was like, “Oh, dude! I got this video, it’s so sick.” He was talking like it was this really bad thing that was really cool that I should get into. He eventually gave me a board and The Reason, that Transworld video; that’s how it started. And I was hooked right away. When I started skating I stopped doing absolutely EVERYTHING else. Ever since then it’s been the same way. I played baseball and basketball when I was younger but once I started skating I quit the basketball team. I used to draw a lot, I quit drawing. I quit everything for skating. As I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten more patient with getting into other shit again just recently. Before that, the first five years I was doing absolutely nothing but skateboarding.
Were you skating solo, like Rodney Mullen? Is that how you got so good?
The first year I skated at my house and my dad would build me little ledges and ramps. My brother started with me and he skated for a few months but the first year was myself in the driveway. Then I met kids in the neighborhood that skated.
When you told me your dad worked on cars it made sense because of the way you dissect everything. Do you see that part of him in you?
Yeah, yeah. He works on cars and everything else; he’s not an auto mechanic. He works a job where he’s a fix-it-all handy man type of dude. he’ll fix ACs, refrigerators, plumbing. He’s a carpenter, electrician, he’s got it all figured out. I don’t think about tricks like that. I don’t try to dissect tricks or think about every aspect of how the board is going to move if I try it this way or that way. It just kind of happens without me thinking about it like that.
I was born in a town called Dinwiddie. I didn’t live there but for four or five years. Then we lived in this town caller Chesterfield. I got into skating because one of my brother’s friends. I remember him telling me about skating and he talked about it like it was drugs or something. He was like, “Oh, dude! I got this video, it’s so sick.” He was talking like it was this really bad thing that was really cool that I should get into. He eventually gave me a board and The Reason, that Transworld video; that’s how it started. And I was hooked right away. When I started skating I stopped doing absolutely EVERYTHING else. Ever since then it’s been the same way. I played baseball and basketball when I was younger but once I started skating I quit the basketball team. I used to draw a lot, I quit drawing. I quit everything for skating. As I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten more patient with getting into other shit again just recently. Before that, the first five years I was doing absolutely nothing but skateboarding.
Were you skating solo, like Rodney Mullen? Is that how you got so good?
The first year I skated at my house and my dad would build me little ledges and ramps. My brother started with me and he skated for a few months but the first year was myself in the driveway. Then I met kids in the neighborhood that skated.
When you told me your dad worked on cars it made sense because of the way you dissect everything. Do you see that part of him in you?
Yeah, yeah. He works on cars and everything else; he’s not an auto mechanic. He works a job where he’s a fix-it-all handy man type of dude. he’ll fix ACs, refrigerators, plumbing. He’s a carpenter, electrician, he’s got it all figured out. I don’t think about tricks like that. I don’t try to dissect tricks or think about every aspect of how the board is going to move if I try it this way or that way. It just kind of happens without me thinking about it like that.
You dissected a pair of shoes to build your own from the sole up. How’d that go?
It went pretty good. I only got one shoe. I never finished the other one because I got healthy again. So I only got one shoe. I can’t really help but think about it in so much detail.
Do you wear the one shoe?
No.
You should wear the one shoe into a Vans meeting and be like, “You know what would be really cool? If yous guys made me the other shoe.”
That would be sweet.
I’ve watched you eat…you really are like a mad scientist with everything you do. I don’t know if you’re aware if you’re doing it.
Dude, I was definitely not even aware of that until a few years ago when my friends started fucking with me about it. They’d tell me that when I eat I’m completely consumed with the food in front of me. Starring at my plate the whole time I’m eating, really into it and passionate about eating.
Do you think you might possibly be insane?
HA! That’s pretty possible. I know what you’re saying though. Sometimes I get completely consumed with shit and I can’t stop thinking about it or looking at it whether it’s a shoe or a board or drawing someone did or whatever. I’ll drive myself crazy just looking at shit and thinking about it too much. I have to calm myself down.
You have a pro model coming out this month from Alien Workshop. How on earth did you pick a shape?
HA! Well, at least with skating I’ve been skating 14 years and I’ve been paying attention to every detail of everything, board shapes, trucks, wheels, that I’ve pretty much figured out what I like and I don’t have crisis with shit like that anymore at least. I know what I like and I learned how to relax and deal with it and skate and have fun rather than thinking about shit too much with that type of stuff. I used to be bad. But I’ve been riding the same board shape for years now and I think they’re just going to make that into my shape.
What’s Gilbert Crockett’s shape?
It isn’t anything special. I just stole it from AVE. When I got on Workshop he was riding an 8” board with a 14” inch wheelbase and a rounded nose and tail. I stole that shape and have been riding it ever since.
I remember the first time we met on that Vans Vegas trip to PHXAm and there was a box of 100 pairs of Vans for the guys. Everyone just reached in and grabbed their size and walked away but you sat down and tried on all 100 pairs of shoes.
Oh yeah. That was before we made this Stage 4 shoe. I was all over the place then. I didn’t ever know which shoes to skate, which ones I liked or which ones I hated. I was just running through shoes testing them. There’s so many shoes that Vans makes and I’d get a pair of shoes and be psyched on that shoe for a month. Then I’d be like no, this doesn’t work for me and I’d start skating another one and be hooked on that one for a week. Now that we have this Stage 4 shoe seriously I don’t want to touch any other shoes. That’s all I want to wear and skate in. It’s exactly what I want.
It went pretty good. I only got one shoe. I never finished the other one because I got healthy again. So I only got one shoe. I can’t really help but think about it in so much detail.
Do you wear the one shoe?
No.
You should wear the one shoe into a Vans meeting and be like, “You know what would be really cool? If yous guys made me the other shoe.”
That would be sweet.
I’ve watched you eat…you really are like a mad scientist with everything you do. I don’t know if you’re aware if you’re doing it.
Dude, I was definitely not even aware of that until a few years ago when my friends started fucking with me about it. They’d tell me that when I eat I’m completely consumed with the food in front of me. Starring at my plate the whole time I’m eating, really into it and passionate about eating.
Do you think you might possibly be insane?
HA! That’s pretty possible. I know what you’re saying though. Sometimes I get completely consumed with shit and I can’t stop thinking about it or looking at it whether it’s a shoe or a board or drawing someone did or whatever. I’ll drive myself crazy just looking at shit and thinking about it too much. I have to calm myself down.
You have a pro model coming out this month from Alien Workshop. How on earth did you pick a shape?
HA! Well, at least with skating I’ve been skating 14 years and I’ve been paying attention to every detail of everything, board shapes, trucks, wheels, that I’ve pretty much figured out what I like and I don’t have crisis with shit like that anymore at least. I know what I like and I learned how to relax and deal with it and skate and have fun rather than thinking about shit too much with that type of stuff. I used to be bad. But I’ve been riding the same board shape for years now and I think they’re just going to make that into my shape.
What’s Gilbert Crockett’s shape?
It isn’t anything special. I just stole it from AVE. When I got on Workshop he was riding an 8” board with a 14” inch wheelbase and a rounded nose and tail. I stole that shape and have been riding it ever since.
I remember the first time we met on that Vans Vegas trip to PHXAm and there was a box of 100 pairs of Vans for the guys. Everyone just reached in and grabbed their size and walked away but you sat down and tried on all 100 pairs of shoes.
Oh yeah. That was before we made this Stage 4 shoe. I was all over the place then. I didn’t ever know which shoes to skate, which ones I liked or which ones I hated. I was just running through shoes testing them. There’s so many shoes that Vans makes and I’d get a pair of shoes and be psyched on that shoe for a month. Then I’d be like no, this doesn’t work for me and I’d start skating another one and be hooked on that one for a week. Now that we have this Stage 4 shoe seriously I don’t want to touch any other shoes. That’s all I want to wear and skate in. It’s exactly what I want.
It went through four stages, four guys, to get to the point where you love it. What did you tell them you wanted?
What I wanted was a mid-top shoe that didn’t have a bunch of padding that was real slim but not too skinny where your foot is being squeezed. A slim profile without a bunch of panels or seams or anything. I wanted a little more support in the heel rather than from the middle of your foot up to the toe. That’s what they did. The heel is a little bit stronger and doesn’t blow out and you get all the board feel in the front of your foot like you need.
You’re very detailed oriented and able to articulate it. Do you think when it was your turn to speak the designers were like, “Oh fuck. Here comes Gilbert again…”
Ha. Dude, probably. I know that I’ve sent them emails where I was like, “I want to change this or that.” I’ll go back and forth with them on ideas and I imagine no one else gives a fuck really to that degree. I could probably annoy them, yeah.
Did you have any insane requests just to see if they would do it?
No. Just tweak it out and see if they listen? No.
What I wanted was a mid-top shoe that didn’t have a bunch of padding that was real slim but not too skinny where your foot is being squeezed. A slim profile without a bunch of panels or seams or anything. I wanted a little more support in the heel rather than from the middle of your foot up to the toe. That’s what they did. The heel is a little bit stronger and doesn’t blow out and you get all the board feel in the front of your foot like you need.
You’re very detailed oriented and able to articulate it. Do you think when it was your turn to speak the designers were like, “Oh fuck. Here comes Gilbert again…”
Ha. Dude, probably. I know that I’ve sent them emails where I was like, “I want to change this or that.” I’ll go back and forth with them on ideas and I imagine no one else gives a fuck really to that degree. I could probably annoy them, yeah.
Did you have any insane requests just to see if they would do it?
No. Just tweak it out and see if they listen? No.
Let’s talk about that Gwar episode of Adventures With Chris. Did you have any idea what I had planned for you?
I had really no fucking idea where you were taking me. It was sweet though. I didn’t know that much about Gwar but I’m down for them. They’re from Richmond. They seem pretty sick. It was funny the other day this dude that lives in New Orleans told me that all these people in New Orleans think I’m so big Gwar fan and that I’m a cokehead from those two videos. It’s pretty funny that you make jokes on the internet and people take them seriously.
I had really no fucking idea where you were taking me. It was sweet though. I didn’t know that much about Gwar but I’m down for them. They’re from Richmond. They seem pretty sick. It was funny the other day this dude that lives in New Orleans told me that all these people in New Orleans think I’m so big Gwar fan and that I’m a cokehead from those two videos. It’s pretty funny that you make jokes on the internet and people take them seriously.
People seem to take everything too seriously.
Yeah.
But it seems like you and your buddies are having a lot of fun with your homie videos.
Dude, all we do is fuck around and talk like retards and go skate all day. We have sore abs the next day from laughing too much. It makes you feel like a little kid. I’m hanging out with a bunch of people that just love skating so you end up skating all day, whether you want to or not.
You think that’s what you were missing when you were living in California?
Yeah, definitely. The shit is retarded here just going out all day skating and laughing. At the end of the day you feel so awesome, like you just had the funnest time. And that’s every day. I didn’t have that shit for a long time. And it’s sweet skating with dudes that are doing it only for the fun. They work full-time jobs and then we’ll take a day trip somewhere to DC or Charlottesville or North Carolina. These guys worked all day the day before and then they got to get up at 7am and work the next day. They’re just packing in as much fun in that one day that we go skating so it’s fun as shit.
Yeah.
But it seems like you and your buddies are having a lot of fun with your homie videos.
Dude, all we do is fuck around and talk like retards and go skate all day. We have sore abs the next day from laughing too much. It makes you feel like a little kid. I’m hanging out with a bunch of people that just love skating so you end up skating all day, whether you want to or not.
You think that’s what you were missing when you were living in California?
Yeah, definitely. The shit is retarded here just going out all day skating and laughing. At the end of the day you feel so awesome, like you just had the funnest time. And that’s every day. I didn’t have that shit for a long time. And it’s sweet skating with dudes that are doing it only for the fun. They work full-time jobs and then we’ll take a day trip somewhere to DC or Charlottesville or North Carolina. These guys worked all day the day before and then they got to get up at 7am and work the next day. They’re just packing in as much fun in that one day that we go skating so it’s fun as shit.
Do they ever bust your balls about not having a real job?
Oh yeah. At the same time I try and hook them up so they can skate more whether it’s wheels or boards or shoes or something.
A lot of people in skating are hyper-sensitive and ultra-serious. You just turned pro, are you going to buckle down and start acting serious?
Oh and not having fun? Fuck no! I’m moving as far as I can in the other direction from all that.
Oh yeah. At the same time I try and hook them up so they can skate more whether it’s wheels or boards or shoes or something.
A lot of people in skating are hyper-sensitive and ultra-serious. You just turned pro, are you going to buckle down and start acting serious?
Oh and not having fun? Fuck no! I’m moving as far as I can in the other direction from all that.
What keeps you in Richmond?
Basically that. Friends, family, my girlfriend. I like the feeling of a smaller place but it’s still a city. Like I said, people are psyched to skate here. People are psyched to do anything here. When I go to LA or NY to do something it’s that much more exciting because I don’t live in a place like that.
You think you’ll live out the rest of your days in Richmond?
I don’t know about that. I have no idea. I have no plans for anything. I’m on a lease until August so that’s all I know.
Basically that. Friends, family, my girlfriend. I like the feeling of a smaller place but it’s still a city. Like I said, people are psyched to skate here. People are psyched to do anything here. When I go to LA or NY to do something it’s that much more exciting because I don’t live in a place like that.
You think you’ll live out the rest of your days in Richmond?
I don’t know about that. I have no idea. I have no plans for anything. I’m on a lease until August so that’s all I know.
How would you describe Richmond?
It’s really old obviously. It’s a lot of brick and old monuments. A lot of old ass buildings and pretty cool looking shit like old Coca Cola signs painted on the side of the building that have been there for like 100 years. There’s a lot of historic shit but it’s also pretty liberal. The main school here is an art school. There’s a lot of young people here and they’re all going to art school or dance school or fashion school. It doesn’t feel like a Southern uptight city.
I know you dropped out of school to move to California. Did you ever get your GED?
No, I didn’t. I did plan on it for a long time. It just didn’t happen. I took a class for it for six months. I was supposed to take the test and basically it was a sunny Saturday morning and you had to go in there at 8 in the morning and you had to be in there for a full six or seven hours even if you finished your test early so I just left before it started and went skating.
So you dropped out of high school and you dropped out of your GED test?
Yup.
If you actually went to college what do you think you’d like to study?
Shit, I really have no idea. Maybe art or something. I would definitely like to do something where, to a degree, you do what you want to do and have some type of expression.
It’s really old obviously. It’s a lot of brick and old monuments. A lot of old ass buildings and pretty cool looking shit like old Coca Cola signs painted on the side of the building that have been there for like 100 years. There’s a lot of historic shit but it’s also pretty liberal. The main school here is an art school. There’s a lot of young people here and they’re all going to art school or dance school or fashion school. It doesn’t feel like a Southern uptight city.
I know you dropped out of school to move to California. Did you ever get your GED?
No, I didn’t. I did plan on it for a long time. It just didn’t happen. I took a class for it for six months. I was supposed to take the test and basically it was a sunny Saturday morning and you had to go in there at 8 in the morning and you had to be in there for a full six or seven hours even if you finished your test early so I just left before it started and went skating.
So you dropped out of high school and you dropped out of your GED test?
Yup.
If you actually went to college what do you think you’d like to study?
Shit, I really have no idea. Maybe art or something. I would definitely like to do something where, to a degree, you do what you want to do and have some type of expression.
It seemed like you were never going to go pro.
Shit. Thanks.
Let me rephrase that. It seemed like you did all the work and each time you had a video part or an interview or whatever that was going to be it, that it was going to be what turned you pro. But it didn’t. Do you feel like it happened when it was supposed to happen? Or do you feel like I do, that you should have already been pro?
To me, it happened when it was supposed to happen. Other people can think what they want and have their own opinion and I don’t hate on that. I’m just way more proud to be turning pro now when I’m doing what I want to do and skating how I want to skate, living where I want to live and having that be my direction when I turn pro. Rather than just putting in work and just skating. That’s what I did for a while but it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to be doing. And I would have been psyched to turn pro back then too but for me, I feel better about turning pro now.
Have you ever been in horseback riding accident?
No.
Then where does the bow-legged steez come from?
HAHAHA! Shit, I don’t know. It just happens sometimes I guess.
Did you used to run up and down the basketball court bow-legged?
No.
It’s a very unique style.
I know.
When I was a kid Matt Hensley used to skate with his one arm outstretched at a downward 90-degree angle. Myself and many kids of my generation found themselves awkwardly skating with their arm out, Matt Hensley-style, emulating him. Do you anticipate a generation of kids trying to replicate your bow-legged style?
Dude! I don’t know. Am I that bow-legged?
You’re not that not-bow-legged.
Oh, sick. Well, that’s cool. If I saw kids skating like that I don’t know what I would do. My friends showed me this one video a year ago from when I was out of town. This dude filmed this kid carve up this wall at a skatepark and he was wearing the exact clothes that I wear all the time and he put his arm out exactly like I do and threw a bow-legged steez in there. All my friends were freaking out about it. It was pretty funny.
Shit. Thanks.
Let me rephrase that. It seemed like you did all the work and each time you had a video part or an interview or whatever that was going to be it, that it was going to be what turned you pro. But it didn’t. Do you feel like it happened when it was supposed to happen? Or do you feel like I do, that you should have already been pro?
To me, it happened when it was supposed to happen. Other people can think what they want and have their own opinion and I don’t hate on that. I’m just way more proud to be turning pro now when I’m doing what I want to do and skating how I want to skate, living where I want to live and having that be my direction when I turn pro. Rather than just putting in work and just skating. That’s what I did for a while but it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to be doing. And I would have been psyched to turn pro back then too but for me, I feel better about turning pro now.
Have you ever been in horseback riding accident?
No.
Then where does the bow-legged steez come from?
HAHAHA! Shit, I don’t know. It just happens sometimes I guess.
Did you used to run up and down the basketball court bow-legged?
No.
It’s a very unique style.
I know.
When I was a kid Matt Hensley used to skate with his one arm outstretched at a downward 90-degree angle. Myself and many kids of my generation found themselves awkwardly skating with their arm out, Matt Hensley-style, emulating him. Do you anticipate a generation of kids trying to replicate your bow-legged style?
Dude! I don’t know. Am I that bow-legged?
You’re not that not-bow-legged.
Oh, sick. Well, that’s cool. If I saw kids skating like that I don’t know what I would do. My friends showed me this one video a year ago from when I was out of town. This dude filmed this kid carve up this wall at a skatepark and he was wearing the exact clothes that I wear all the time and he put his arm out exactly like I do and threw a bow-legged steez in there. All my friends were freaking out about it. It was pretty funny.
Who is your boss now at Alien that told you you were going pro? Was it Chris Carter or Rob Dyrdek?
Well, Chad Bowers actually told me. He’s the team manager. I talk to Carter sometimes but I definitely talk to Chad more than anyone. So he told me. I’ve only talked to Dyrdek a handful of times.
Does he know your name?
Dyrdek? The funny thing about that is I was just out in LA a few months ago and we went to Dill’s art show next to Supreme. Dyrdek was talking to AVE and I went up to him and was like, “What’s up, dude?” I stuck my hand out and he was like, “Hey. How’s it going man?” He wasn’t a dick or anything, he was just kind of short with me like, “…yeah, what’s up, dude?” AVE was like, “Do you know who this is?” Rob was like, “No.” He was like, “This is Gilbert. Gilbert Crockett.” Rob was like, “…Gilbert Crockett?” AVE was like, “He fucking rides for us!” Rob starts jumping up and down and laughing, giving me high-fives and says, “Oh my god! Just the other day I read your name and I was thinking, ‘I wonder if I would even know who that is if I saw him?’
And he didn’t.
Yeah, it was pretty funny.
Did you feel like a million bucks?
Yeah, I thought it was funny as shit.
So is he your boss now?
Yeah, I guess so. That was my first interaction with him since he’s been the boss. He seems pretty tight.
Is he changing anything? Do you have to wear shirts with machine guns all over them or have to ride boards the size of SUVs?
No, I don’t think he’s changing anything. He’s smart and knows those dudes are doing it the right way and hopefully that’s how it keeps going.
I read in your Transworld interview that AVE and Dill were two guys you looked up to early on. Now you get to travel with both of them. What’s that like for you?
It super-awesome to me. It’s sick because both of those dudes are exciting to hang out with. Dill is funny as shit and always telling awesome stories. AVE isn’t the type that is going to tell a bunch of stories and talk as much as Dill so Dill will drop stories about AVE that are really funny too. So I get to hear old stories about when those two were gnarly back in the day, doing crazy shit when they were younger. And it’s cool to me because I don’t drink and both of those guys have been sober since I’ve been on the team so all the younger dudes will be partying and I’ll have those two in the van with me. It’s comforting.
You ever have a weird moment where you’re like, “Holy shit! It’s AVE and Dill!”
Ha. At first, definitely. Not so much anymore. It’s still really rad skating with them and I always get that feeling getting to see them skate in person because I live out here in Virginia and I only going there every few months, if that. So it’s still pretty sick to see everyone skate.
Final question. You just turned pro. It’s April. What have you got lined up for the rest of the year?
I’m going to go up to New York the next couple weekends. In May we’re going back there. In May or June we’re going somewhere in Europe. I know we’re going to start going on a lot more Vans trips this year. I’m pretty psyched on that. I don’t have too much on my plate other than focus on the Vans video.
How’s your footage stacking up for that?
I haven’t looked at it together since we started filming. I feel like it’s alright. It’s hard to think of all the trips you go on. It seems like the whole thing has a pretty good start to it.
I wanted to ask you one last thing. How sketchy was that one spot in that Australia or New Zealand trip? O’Meally shot it. Off a ledge. Flat bar out. 50-50 and then transfer to the next one. And if you lean forward you’re dead.
I mean, it was really sketchy but at the same time it was one of those spots to me that I couldn’t not try to skate it just because regardless of the crazy drop on the other side the spot is perfect. It was a ride on grind and then a little gap to another grind. It was exciting but at the same time scary.
So for you it was totally casual?
Ha! No, not totally casual. I don’t know…sometimes it’s fun to scare yourself.
Well, Chad Bowers actually told me. He’s the team manager. I talk to Carter sometimes but I definitely talk to Chad more than anyone. So he told me. I’ve only talked to Dyrdek a handful of times.
Does he know your name?
Dyrdek? The funny thing about that is I was just out in LA a few months ago and we went to Dill’s art show next to Supreme. Dyrdek was talking to AVE and I went up to him and was like, “What’s up, dude?” I stuck my hand out and he was like, “Hey. How’s it going man?” He wasn’t a dick or anything, he was just kind of short with me like, “…yeah, what’s up, dude?” AVE was like, “Do you know who this is?” Rob was like, “No.” He was like, “This is Gilbert. Gilbert Crockett.” Rob was like, “…Gilbert Crockett?” AVE was like, “He fucking rides for us!” Rob starts jumping up and down and laughing, giving me high-fives and says, “Oh my god! Just the other day I read your name and I was thinking, ‘I wonder if I would even know who that is if I saw him?’
And he didn’t.
Yeah, it was pretty funny.
Did you feel like a million bucks?
Yeah, I thought it was funny as shit.
So is he your boss now?
Yeah, I guess so. That was my first interaction with him since he’s been the boss. He seems pretty tight.
Is he changing anything? Do you have to wear shirts with machine guns all over them or have to ride boards the size of SUVs?
No, I don’t think he’s changing anything. He’s smart and knows those dudes are doing it the right way and hopefully that’s how it keeps going.
I read in your Transworld interview that AVE and Dill were two guys you looked up to early on. Now you get to travel with both of them. What’s that like for you?
It super-awesome to me. It’s sick because both of those dudes are exciting to hang out with. Dill is funny as shit and always telling awesome stories. AVE isn’t the type that is going to tell a bunch of stories and talk as much as Dill so Dill will drop stories about AVE that are really funny too. So I get to hear old stories about when those two were gnarly back in the day, doing crazy shit when they were younger. And it’s cool to me because I don’t drink and both of those guys have been sober since I’ve been on the team so all the younger dudes will be partying and I’ll have those two in the van with me. It’s comforting.
You ever have a weird moment where you’re like, “Holy shit! It’s AVE and Dill!”
Ha. At first, definitely. Not so much anymore. It’s still really rad skating with them and I always get that feeling getting to see them skate in person because I live out here in Virginia and I only going there every few months, if that. So it’s still pretty sick to see everyone skate.
Final question. You just turned pro. It’s April. What have you got lined up for the rest of the year?
I’m going to go up to New York the next couple weekends. In May we’re going back there. In May or June we’re going somewhere in Europe. I know we’re going to start going on a lot more Vans trips this year. I’m pretty psyched on that. I don’t have too much on my plate other than focus on the Vans video.
How’s your footage stacking up for that?
I haven’t looked at it together since we started filming. I feel like it’s alright. It’s hard to think of all the trips you go on. It seems like the whole thing has a pretty good start to it.
I wanted to ask you one last thing. How sketchy was that one spot in that Australia or New Zealand trip? O’Meally shot it. Off a ledge. Flat bar out. 50-50 and then transfer to the next one. And if you lean forward you’re dead.
I mean, it was really sketchy but at the same time it was one of those spots to me that I couldn’t not try to skate it just because regardless of the crazy drop on the other side the spot is perfect. It was a ride on grind and then a little gap to another grind. It was exciting but at the same time scary.
So for you it was totally casual?
Ha! No, not totally casual. I don’t know…sometimes it’s fun to scare yourself.
ARCHIVE
2013
2012
- December (53)
- November (49)
- October (54)
- September (58)
- August (52)
- July (51)
- June (53)
- May (53)
- April (48)
- March (47)
- February (63)
- January (48)
2011
- December (62)
- November (62)
- October (43)
- September (39)
- August (52)
- July (30)
- April (6)
- March (75)
- February (52)
- January (40)