Mike Blabac | The Nine Club

[tkp]

It's a long one, but pretty informative. Some highlights off my memory:

- Mike moving to SF in 1994 and just being a skater for quite a while before he shot skate photos. Now I know why the SF skaters in the early 2000s were telling me to go get a job folding clothes at the Gap.

- His first paid photo was of Scott Johnston in Big Brother, but it was labeled as another skater / photographer.

- Writing letters to Lance Mountain in 1988 (and him responding) as well as reaching out to Grant Brittain and how he started shooting for Transworld (they didn't have anyone in SF, Phelps would yell out "Grant" when Mike would skate by)

- Documenting Kalis over the years, choosing the catch frame of the infamous Love park tre flip shot

- Mad Circle / Pier 7 days

- Danny Way telling him he should have 1000 rolls of film on him

- Shooting Kalis pushing on the Bay Bridge and how that was pulled off during the gymkhana shoot / shout outs to Evan Smith's recent photo

- Talking about being a photographer now a days, how there is only 1 skate magazine left (8.5x11 I assume)

- Why documenting your friends at spots like Love park are so special, especially when those spots eventually get destroyed

There's a lot more. As someone who spent a lot of my life shooting skate photos, it's definitely an enjoyable watch.

[shouldn't]

yeah that was the best episode in a while, he was one of the people on my wishlist and the episode didn’t let me down. dude seems genuinely humble/grateful and really down to earth, i hope they stay on a roll after this.

[ShutYoMouthFoo]

yeah that was the best episode in a while, he was one of the people on my wishlist and the episode didn’t let me down. dude seems genuinely humble/grateful and really down to earth, i hope they stay on a roll after this.

One can only hope. Next week will probably just be another uninteresting Cali bro with the same cookie cutter story.

[Lucky_Basek]

I listened and really enjoyed. This and the Anthony Claravall episode were fantastic.

Filmers and photographers have so much more interesting things to say that the average pro...with exceptions of course

[metsuri]

I listened and really enjoyed. This and the Anthony Claravall episode were fantastic.

Filmers and photographers have so much more interesting things to say that the average pro...with exceptions of course

Yep, these were both really good. Touching on the subject of DC, there's a Ken Block episode on the snowboard podcast Bombhole. That was also entertaining and interesting, he goes into detail about DC and his car stuff that Blabac talks about here.

[coldbrew]

I listened and really enjoyed. This and the Anthony Claravall episode were fantastic.

Filmers and photographers have so much more interesting things to say that the average pro...with exceptions of course

completely agreed. both of those eps were amazing but this blabac one felt pretty special to me. I'll take a filmer/photographer interview with a story to tell over some fried socal 22 year old any day.

[pizzafliptofakie]

Filmer/photographers always have good stories. That was a really good episode.



Danny Way sucks

[sometimeperhaps]

I listened and really enjoyed. This and the Anthony Claravall episode were fantastic.

Filmers and photographers have so much more interesting things to say that the average pro...with exceptions of course

I’ve been saying and thinking this for years. It feels like that part of the skateboard industry is so untapped. Maybe it’s just us skate nerds, but I wanna know more about the behind the scenes stuff, memorable clips and photos, tour stories and the like.

[lamfordie]

Blabac is one of my all time favorite photographers and this episode did not disappoint. Loved all the stories he told and he seems like a really chill dude.

Danny Way is a fucking douche. Telling him he needs 1000 rolls of film and calling out the other skaters on DC cuz his tricks are harder. Wow!

[Low standards]

yeah that was the best episode in a while, he was one of the people on my wishlist and the episode didn’t let me down. dude seems genuinely humble/grateful and really down to earth, i hope they stay on a roll after this.

I saw a pic of Kelly in the studio on mark suciu’s story.. I imagine Chris will find a way to make that one boring as hell even tho it could be interesting

[BALAKOV]

really good listen

[ThePeoplesChamp]

It's crazy how much more enjoyable the filmers, photographers & people in the industry are than the actual skaters.

[rawbertson.]

It's crazy how much more enjoyable the filmers, photographers & people in the industry are than the actual skaters.

its cause they dont want to take the heat themselves, they just build the legend and take they paychque 

[Fongstarr.]

It's crazy how much more enjoyable the filmers, photographers & people in the industry are than the actual skaters.

Their experience is just so different. Like they are a documentary person that sees tricks or experiences say demos without skating at all. I think the skaters experience can be way more severe either with the highs or the lows. Which is why some skaters just hate the idea of skating for money.

Has there been any skate photographer or even videographer that has quit their craft altogether and do something totally different? Seems like most are still doing it or are shooting for other things.

[suckmadeck]

https://youtu.be/VR5ubkLezwU?t=346

that fucking laugh lol