Awkward (but not bad) Pro Encounters

[rapscallion]

I saw the Etnies team while street skating, honestly couldn't recognize Matt Berger so I didn't say anything to him but he asked if we were doing all right.

Aidan Campbell asked me where to find a Walgreen's, but I only knew about a nearby food store. He looked kinda bummed because he needed an ankle brace instead of food/drink or whatever.

[GoldenGateHeights]

I was leaving my office in SOMA for lunch and Phelps full on collided with me the moment I stepped out the front door. This was maybe 3 or 4 months before he passed.

We chatted for a bit, he asked where to get a good cup of coffee, and we ended up going to the same cafe and I insisted on paying for his coffee haha.

[uploc]

Facebook photo from 2012, and probably from around the same time I started lurking on here so here goes my first post:

During an Emerica demo hosted by 35th Ave North up in here Seattle I was geeked to see the goat Jerry in person, but looking back all I knew about him was weirdness from Man Down, Bag of Suck, and Enjoi's goofy ads featuring him, so I figure he was weird like me so I posted up between him and his girl to take a photo with him and this was the result:



I figured he would react in a goofy way or be hyped to take a photo but instead he kinda just stared at me for a minute... guess not.

Another one was an Adidas Away Days demo up in Seattle. My friend and I are sharing a cigarette and sitting at about end of earshot distance from Busenitz but far enough away that it wouldn't bother him.

 If i can recall correctly he was pretty burnt after eating shit a couple times, but we thought it was cool he was chilling close to people and didn't bail back to the van.

Out of nowhere he starts kind of forcefully "coughing" and makes an announcement complaining about the smell of cig smoke... me and the homie look around and realize we're the only ones smoking around us... oops.

Here's a photo from him that day too:



2/2 for awkward encounters. (but could've been worse?) Idk.

 

[Nollietreflippin]

We have had a ton of threads that are kind of a bummer lately, how about one that lists our awkward (but not bad) interactions with pros, ams, or industry people.

I took a shit in a portaloo next to Andrew Reynolds at nass festival

[bone zone]

I was about 20 and I was drunk out of my mind at my mates house warming party in sydney and chima was sitting there and i fell face first into the full case of beer as i go to grab one in front of everyone in the lounge room, about 20 minutes later i was in the kitchen grabbing another beer and he was in there and i drunkenly fell head first again  into the fridge knocking everything out of the fridge then passed out on the lounge shortly after,
That week a friend was telling me about chima talking about some drunk idiot at that party that was falling into everything and my friend goes 'hey that was you wasnt it?'
Then probably about a month or so later i got to waterloo skatepark and chima was there with a bunch of dudes and as i skate past he taps someone on the shoulder and i hear him say 'hey i think thats that fridge guy!'

[crunchydank]

I was skating bondi park in Sydney, Australia around 2006 I believe. The 88 footwear team was there and I was a huge Corey duffel fan. He skated over and sat next to me and I started noticing his whole ass crack was out of his very, very tight pants. I was lost in thought thinking about how he could even wear underwear in pants that tight and I look up and he is looking at me looking at his ass. We exchanged no words as he skated off. I’m still ashamed to this day. Hey guys, Corey duffel is a free baller if anyone is interested!

[Esmith5488]

I was skating bondi park in Sydney, Australia around 2006 I believe. The 88 footwear team was there and I was a huge Corey duffel fan. He skated over and sat next to me and I started noticing his whole ass crack was out of his very, very tight pants. I was lost in thought thinking about how he could even wear underwear in pants that tight and I look up and he is looking at me looking at his ass. We exchanged no words as he skated off. I’m still ashamed to this day. Hey guys, Corey duffel is a free baller if anyone is interested!

Can’t be fitting no underwear in pants that tight

[HyenaChaser]

I was on my way to a bar a few years back, was crossing the street and noticed a well groomed Asian man standing with a phone to his ear looking down the road. Thinking nothing of it as I passed, it suddenly dawned on me: Daniel Shimizu

I turned around and asked “Are you Daniel Shimizu?” while doing that thing where you sort of lean around a person. He blinked at me and sort of smirked and without saying anything reached his hand out for a handshake. I just said “Uh, oh, hey props man,” as I shook his hand and we parted ways. I spent the next hour wondering if I mispronounced his name.

[honey island]

I was working at a shop during a zero tour, the one right before mystery came around but some were wearing the shirts. I’m a huge Jamie Thomas fan and was just trying to make the older guys at the shop laugh, so when Jamie walked in, I screamed “Jamie!” and pretended to faint. We had the shop closed to the public until zero got there so that was the first thing the team saw. The owner was pissed and made me ride in their van to give directions. So here I am sitting next to my idol, absolutely embarrassed. But they gave me a mystery shirt and I immediately put it on. when we got to the park I stepped out of the van like I was part of the team hahaha

hahaha

[woodsman]

I met Brian Anderson at a Giants game. He was double fisting beers so when he went to fist bump me I thought he was handing me a beer. I tried to grab the beer and I was like “wow thanks man”, he politely told me my mistake and everyone in the whole stadium laughed at me. At least it felt like the whole stadium, beers are 15 bucks a piece at that place, I don’t know what I was thinking.

[biaherl]

Neal Blender has lived in OB, San Diego for what seems like at least the past 20 years. When he would show up to OB/Shockus Skatepark in the morning we would try our best no to notice him. Once you noticed him he would be gone, If you didn't notice him he would be gone just as quick too.

Eventually he got over that phase. I just remember that he would go out of his way to say goodbye to everyone including me, the worst skater at the park.

One day I was talking to a mutual friend about music and I told him I couldn't stand long intro's or long guitar solos. And Neal was like wait what? I said everything but the Minutemen. In fact my favorite Minutemen song addressed that same issue. Neal told me I restoked him on Minutemen that day.

It seems so insignificant but that is a day I will remember for the rest of my life

[I_Respect_Wood]

A have  few,:

In the converse one star tour I saw JJ walking towards me and he told me ¨nice dreads¨and I replied 'thank you so much" but I think it sound like pretty weird, but was the first that came to my mind.

I was hanging with elements Guys in Buenos Aires a couple of years ago and there was Madars with a tinder date in the bar acting like boyfriend and girlfriend, I call him and I said that he wasn´t in a ¨date´, that girls here and mainly from tinder are straight to get laid, like no need to talk to much, and 2 minutes later he was walking to the AirBnB with the girl. Came back a couple hour later to other party we went.


Not a encounter, but las summer in Paris I was in the premiere of that Rowley video that came this year, and there were Hosoi, Rowley, Curren, Lizzie and a few more them some guy come to say hay to me, like we meet from way back, gave a hugh, similing and impressed but dont said a word. I was like being cool trying to figure out who is he... then he asked my name, and when I told him he said ¨sorry, I was thinking you were Ray Barbee, I saw Hosoi, Rowley etc and think Ray is here¨we laugh and he buy me a beer.... very good guy. My friends always said that I look like Ray Barbee

[Beeda Weeda]

i saw morgan smith in the lobby of the royal york hotel in Toronto. He was with his family, I was hungover.
I left him alone.

[AssFlea]

I see pros all the time but met Hasoi like 2 or 3 years ago.
I just missed him when I was in la as a very little kid. I was bummed as hell

I ended up skating with some freestyle guy at the beach. There was no wax on ledges yet. I mostly skated the stairs behind muscle beach.

Anyway hasoi 2017 is better than early 90s maybe.

I got a photo and I watched him do lay backs for hrs. My acl was blown.

My homie gave me a  139 hasoi signed. Ill never part with it.

I would like to meet Steve Olson Lee Ralph and Bill Danforth

[theintern43]

I saw Reynolds at "Wild in the Streets" in Austin, TX he was chilling just looking around the park

I approached him and said "Hey, thanks for Baker 3"

He just replied in the most honest-no big deal way "it's awesome"

Taught me to not over complicate things, some things are awesome, some things suck, it aint to complicated

[gyros4heroes]

Saw Lucien Clarke and a bunch of Palace guys in Southbank a while back, one of their friends sorted me out with weed and ended up having lots of mutual friends so everyone ended up being cool with me.
Clarke snaked me doing the same trick i was trying for a bit, bailed and i got it next try
that eye contact after that was one of the most awkward moments of my life

[HyenaChaser]

Oh I remembered another one.

I was on tour with my band and while we were in LA we grabbed breakfast at this place on sunset, there was a table of pros and industry dudes though I can’t recall who.

Anyway I go to the bathroom and while waiting in this cramped place Sebo Walker walks up to me and asks “Are you in line for the bathroom?” In a raspy voice I said “yea.” He nodded disappointedly and went back to his table. At that point I thought “Huh, his voice is pretty high.”

As we pulled away the whole WKND team was bombing down the hill into the street.

[Merman]

I was at the Alameda Skatepark near San Francisco and Mark Gonzales showed up suddenly with Jake Phelps. After skating the park for a few moments Mark posts up in front of all the skaters sitting near the bowl and starts a rambling monologue that seems to both confuse and amuse his audience. Phelps rides past me as I notice it's him and blurt out "Ayyy I just saw you on TV last night on the Dogtown documentary!" As he passes by, he replies "The world is a strange place." And that was that.

[ProjectBluebeam]

I went to Barcelona in 07 and the first night I got there I saw Rodrigo Tx just standing on the side of the road and I was like yo this place is lit

[tranny in the streets]

I met Sebo in Southbank and I was pretty kooky if I say so myself. I told him his 'The Flare' part was awesome, but he seemed a little stand off-ish so I was just like fuck that and went to score some weed from some random guys over there. He was definitely one of my favorites to watch at the time so it was kind of a bummer. Met Tom Penny the same day same place and he gave me couple hits of his joint and was super down to earth so that was awesome.

Met Wes also a few times in Finland/CPH. He was in Helsinki for HELride and since it wasn't such a huge international event he was incredibly chill, as expected, and showed some genuine interest in my life which was super unexpected. Just spreading the good vibes around all the time. It was an awesome afternoon, and when he was leaving he told me to go to this party at night at this place. Me and a buddy went that night, and it was closed.

Few weeks later I saw him in CPH, he was super fucked up skating the contest probably really drunk or on some other shit, and it was crazy how much he was eating it. Made eye contact and he was just out of it, came up said what's up and I didn't really know how to respond because I was also pretty fucked up. CPH is awesome.

Met Davis when he was doing an NB demo in a city near me. He was apparently going to my city as well but I didn't know. Took some courage to go talk to him because he was one of the guys I watched when I just started skating. Told him I loved Flow Trash and the song that went with it and he said it was awesome that people still watched that shit because it was a homie video. All was good, told him I'd see him around. When the demo at my city came I smiled and nodded at him in a 'sup' kinda way and he just looked away like I was some trash (which I am) lol. Tom K was dope though, real chill guy.

Sam Beckett was walking out of a supermarket and dropped one out of a 6 pack of Lonkero and I picked it up for him, being the super nice guy I was, and it was dented and shit. Then he said to me, 'if you dare to open it you can have it' so I opened it and had it. Thanked him and it was kinda awkward but then again it seems like everything is awkward for me especially when it comes to skaters whose skateboarding I love.

Other encounters have been a little more forgiving.

[Spankthemonkey]

Uhm I hung out with Dee Ostrander for 2 years before realizing he was Dee ostrander

[Spankthemonkey]

I fanned out on Geoff rowley at Tampa 2017. Like I made a big deal. Like I screamed and cried like a girl for Geoff rowley. They had to hide Geoff rowley from me.

[Uncle Gavone]

This isn't awkward but I was at a Nike demo at Wilson in Chicago, this was when Koston first got on. In the middle of the demo some kid yells out "YOO P-RODS IN THE BOWL!" and everyone ran over there, but it was just a local ripper haha. Paul wasn't even at that demo.

I was skating in the loop by myself since I had just moved over to Pilsen, after skating the clocktower ledges by NBC I went over to the riverwalk, and I see Torey Pudwill with 2 filmers looking at their camera's. I could tell he just got a clip on the long ledge (RIP). I didn't want to bother them, so I waited til they were done watching and Torey was hyped on the clip and everyone was giving high 5's. He sat down and I rode up and said "Dude your Torey Pudwill!!" I didnt even ask for a picture since I was alone, but I fanned out completely and said I had been a fan since Shorty's How to go Pro, and he was really cool about it. I then asked him about Mike Barker, because MB wasn't skating for a board company at the time, he told me Barker ended up going to a good university and that he's an engineer for some huge company so I was hyped on that. Ryan Sheckler was at the riverwalk too (redbull trip) but he was trying to do something down the 14 stair, and just kept riding up to it and yelling at it while me and T-Puds had that conversation, so I left shecks alone.

I was skating down 18th street and see a tall guy with some big ass wheels far down behind me, so I tried speeding up to not get in his way. He ended up catching up to me like 2 minutes later, so I looked at him and it was Sean Cullen and he said "nice skating" fist bumped me and then he passed me up, I felt proud of myself.

When I was in the 8th grade I went to a Quicksilver demo at Wilson. Danny Garcia, Jason Brock, Alex Olson, Reese Forbes and Stefan Janoski destroyed the park. I had just watched inhabitants, D-Gar's part was on my ipod so I asked for a picture and said "your new habitat part is my favorite" and he was really surprised and said "Really? You liked it??" super nice dude. Stefan's switch flips are amazing to witness in person too.

[HyenaChaser]

That reminds me, there was one time I was skating from one side of town to the other and I got off to walk up this long hill. I was riding my cruiser which was a Welcome (from their first run, so cool Welcome) with soft wheels.

I notice this dude in a beanie who looks like a snowboarder eyeballing me from a block away. I’m thinking “what the fuck’s your problem, clown.” Sure enough as I got close, right as I’m half step into the ole run and drop, the dude starts to say “Why ain’t you skatin-“ but stops as he sees I’m about to start.

I hold up and I’m like “huh?” He repeats himself and I’m like “shit man, I’m not gonna skate up this whole hill,” which he guffawed at. Actually seemed like a cool dude, if a little fried.

About a block later I realize that was Torey Pudwill.

[Ianizyeah]

I fanned out on Geoff rowley at Tampa 2017. Like I made a big deal. Like I screamed and cried like a girl for Geoff rowley. They had to hide Geoff rowley from me.

One time the plan b team showed up to Lincoln high school. And I mean everyone. I made sheckler give me a high five while he had a dip in his mouth , saw Danny way chainsmoke camel blues. I only let p rod, and pat Duffy get lines. I snaked everyone else. Locals only ! Fuckin kooks. They had a big production crew to film a alli sports segment. Fuck them non skating filmers. Once again locals only.

[AssFlea]

When I think pro

[Johnny Rad]

I saw Mike McGill at a grocery store in Encinitas yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

[HyenaChaser]

I saw Mike McGill at a grocery store in Encinitas yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

Not what I expected from McGill. Then again, that’s exactly what I expect a business owner in Encinitas to do.

[Willie]

^That's a copypasta right? I know I've read that before.

[somethingmustbreaknow]

oldest copypasta. i‘ve seen the same with geoff rowley instead somewhere in here. the whole thing dates back to 2012 and originally involved black lotus as the rude celebrity.