Skaters Who Are Jerks in Person

[Atiba Applebum]

I tried to talk to Shimizu about this edit he was in once (believe it was about Dead Moon and I was telling him this was where I first heard them), but he refused to admit he was in it.  Not a jerk, just maddening

[TheLurper]

Pros that I've met that bummed me out by being rude:

Scott Johnston -- politely asked him if he could sit on a ledge that wasn't the ledge I was trying to film a trick on... he pretended like couldn't hear me.

Kris Markovich -- fanned out on him as an 18 year old during my first trip to ASR and he was too cool for me, which sucked cause he was my favorite skater until that moment.

Ethan Fowler -- fanned out at him as well during my first trip to ASR, he was cooler than Markovich, but I walked away feeling really dumb.

Rob Welsh -- he lived in the same city as me and I saw him at the park 2 nights a week, he wasn't nice to anyone except one kid who was super good at manual tricks (not sure if he was just awkward but he wasn't friendly).

Bryan Herman -- he and his friend were rude when they skated my local park.

One of the dudes from the (defunct?) Russian skateboard company Rebel Skateboards skate team. Skated with him one night in Moscow and he was a complete bummer. I just remember him screaming, "очень мало место (very small space)" and being a jerk. I saw him a few times around the city and he just ignored my presence.

Chris MaGoof -- he made every trip to Cowtown a miserable experience.

While most dudes I've met are awesome, I'm sure there are others that have been huge bummers.

Note: Andrew Cannon is a bit of a goofball, but I can't really imagine him being mean. And, I hate to defend D-Way, but he was nice both times I met him.

[zeroepedition]

I met Jereme Rogers on a Girl tour back in the day, when Malto and Capaldi were still kinda flow . People would swarm and try to stop him mid demo to sign hats and boards and he would turn them down and say the signing is AFTER the demo. He'd continue skating the demo and people in the crowd were like "he's such an asshole, he wouldn't sign my board". I think he's more down to earth than people think. At least back then

[Mr. Stinky]

I tried to talk to Shimizu about this edit he was in once (believe it was about Dead Moon and I was telling him this was where I first heard them), but he refused to admit he was in it.  Not a jerk, just maddening

I would also deny appearing in something where Al Partanen has tragically confused himself with the guitarist from Guns n Roses.

[Ms. Tamzarian]

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Me and @Francis Xavier were at a premiere once were Atiba cut in front of a whole line of people. He started from the back and quickly chatted with each person he knew in line until he was at the front.

[close]

That's actually amazing

Hahahaha, thank you Monkey

[Brguy]

Just skaters? At least 50% of them are jerks. When it comes to pros I don't have stories, but you'll get em.

[Dooky-shoes]

Never met them, but Danny Way and Mike Carroll give me that impression. As well as all the Supreme team.

Grew up in the same area as danny, he’s a few years older.
He’s was super nice to all of us kids.

[Watitdo]

Even though the other thread is popular right now, "flash in the pan" is a hella weird saying for a skater to say and coming from an account called generic white skate. You're trying to sound like some old white red neck. My spidey senses are tingling. Now we have this bullshit thread.

We're low key giving shout outs to skaters who don't need shout outs and relishing in unnecessary negativity. Not feeling it. 5 posts and two threads.

[Rockin Robbin]

Most of these stories sound like you guys acting like awkward weirdos and the pros not wanting to talk to you. I feel like Larry fucking David reading this shit. They aren't jerks. You guys are just weird.

[brucewillis]

I have a funny one, not a bad encounter at all but in 2016 i met a lot of skaters at vans park series brazil step (Grant, p-stone, hosoi, phelps, kowalski, fardell, hassam, tim o connor, Ronnie Sandoval). I was the only dude who could speak english so i was translating for everyone and there was a crackhead girl who asked me to translate what she was trying to say to Omar hassan. She was wanting to take him to her house and he was telling me he didn't want to and she was fucking desperate to take him home.

[Bread-Roll]

I saw Heath Kirchart at a grocery store in Melbourne years ago. 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.

[hot take]

Most of these stories sound like you guys acting like awkward weirdos and the pros not wanting to talk to you. I feel like Larry fucking David reading this shit. They aren't jerks. You guys are just weird.

Haha this.

[Sightunseen]

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Andrew cannon.

Came thru my local like 5 years ago before he was the nhs guy and I think he was on world/ain.

Anyway he did a nice nollie heel into a bank I said woo and slapped my board

He came back around the park and told me “you small town guys think that’s impressive you should go out to Cali and see what the real pros are doing u have no idea”. 

Mind u I’ve lived out west and in big city’s and have seen a few pros.... I wouldn’t wanna spend 5 more minutes around that guy

[close]

Wow, he really played himself. That's funny. Thanks for sharing.

I think Danny Way has gotten a more mellow attitude in maturity. Seems nice every time I saw him around town...

[close]

That sounds like he was trying to be self deprecating and maybe it came out like an insult. He’s a nice dude.

That’s exactly what it sounds like.
Andrew is undoubtedly one of the nicest dudes and definitely not a name I’d expect to see first thing in this thread.

Also another poster said Paul Hart and again, very very nice and respectful dude when I ran into him a few months back


To answer the thread, Adrien Lopez sized me up at a work event earlier this year and wouldn’t move when I tried to get to the beer table.  Very cool guy 

[rukes]

I will always be impressed by a really smooth chat and cut.

[Hanna Schygulla]

This is not the most captivating story, but one time about four years ago I was cycling the Santa Ana River trail around late afternoon, almost dusk, and came upon part of the Element team trying to film at a spot (no one really got anything, unless it was before I arrived).

This wasn't the wide open "Skip's Ditch" portion of the river either, this was under the Garden Grove Boulevard bridge; it's narrower, the trail curves, and there's lower visibility. This is the highest traffic time of day, bicycle-wise, and the shadows are long and dark. While everyone else is minding themselves pretty well, Madars Apse decides that all he wants to do is skate flatground directly under the bridge where he's shrouded in total darkness until the last second from all incoming cyclists taking the roll in down directly at him, and he can't really see them until they're hurtling at him.

There were no true close calls, but it was pretty shitty. I saw had old ladies panicking and swerving (but recovering), you had serious cyclists riding with good speed having to veer into the oncoming lane...and he never made an attempt to move. There were no true close calls due to luck, but basically every cyclist he encountered was panicking –– it was entitled and gross. He stayed there for a long time too. I yelled over to him to knock it off from where I stopped to watch for a minute, but he just ignored me. I wasn't really in the mood, so I kept on riding, but it was definitely a display of bad character.

[Glurmpz]

Also gotta chime in to say Andrew Cannon is one of the friendliest pros I've ever met, so I think the other poster must have taken that comment the wrong way. That would be really out of character for him to be rude to anyone.

Here's a funny story that makes the skater seem like a dick, but I think he's more just fried...

So, to preface this, I used to ride for Osiris in Canada back in the day and went on part of the Aftermath tour with the american team. I've met Brandon Turner before that when I would skate with his cousin in San Diego, but on that tour we also chatted a bit from time to time. Fast forward about 15 years, and one morning I'm skating at Poods in Encinitas kind of early to beat the crowd. There's a few guys skating there that I've gotten to know, and we're all hanging at one end chatting in between trying tricks on the main ledge. At one point, Brandon shows up, and when he comes over he gives a familiar what's up knuckles to the other 4 guys, but when he got to me he just looked at me kind of confused and gave a half limp wrist in my general direction from 4 feet away and then went back to a solid knuckles for the next dude. I think everyone noticed and kind of had an awkward look on their faces, but it was honestly just funny as shit to me. I don't give a shit if Brandon remembers me, but if that's his reaction to an unfamiliar face amongst 4 others he seems to know well, he's definitely a bit awkward. Lol. He's fried.

[bo bice]

Andrew Langi was unexpectedly nice, sold me a laptop real cheap too.

[goddamnyou]

I saw Heath Kirchart at a grocery store in Melbourne years ago. 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.

this is the dumbest goddamn meme, it's basically the "wazzzzuuuupppp" beer commercial, but for Adam Lanza types.

[elbarto]

I’ve met a lot of pros and the only dude who I got weird vibes from was Provost last year, and he wasn’t even an asshole. Just quiet and stayed by the van at a demo, kept looking at me weird too. I had skated DOS bowl with him and GT like 15 years ago when I was 10 and they were both super rad and trying to get me to push myself. I doubt he recognized me but that’s the only reason I can think of why he was muggin so hard lol.

[DCOTY]

I saw Heath Kirchart at a grocery store in Melbourne years ago. 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.

Was it at coles, Woolworths or IGA?

This story is also amazing

[trashparty]

Most of these stories sound like you guys acting like awkward weirdos and the pros not wanting to talk to you. I feel like Larry fucking David reading this shit. They aren't jerks. You guys are just weird.

^

[EdLawndale]

I’ve met a lot of pros and the only dude who I got weird vibes from was Provost last year, and he wasn’t even an asshole. Just quiet and stayed by the van at a demo, kept looking at me weird too. I had skated DOS bowl with him and GT like 15 years ago when I was 10 and they were both super rad and trying to get me to push myself. I doubt he recognized me but that’s the only reason I can think of why he was muggin so hard lol.

I too doubt that someone who met you once when you were 10 years old would recognize you as a 25 year old man.

I also don't know that "vibes" constitute being a jerk. Seems like falling into the jerk category requires some sort of proactive behavior.  If someone "vibes" you, I'd just brush it off and keep going.

[GardenSkater77]

I never really tried to talk to any pro skaters so all interactions were organic, but I will say that Ryan Hickey embarrassed me twice on two separate occasions. In the 90s it wasn’t cool to make sounds when someone did something dope. Usually I would abide by this but the two occasions I did not Ryan was there to mock me.

1.) Hackettstown skate park. Saw Kareem Campbell Float a bs 180 over a fun box. I let out a ‘ooh’ and Ryan, standing with a homie copied my sound and then discussed how lame it was I reacted to what he must see all the time.
2.) few months later me and my friends are at the banks and MUSKA was killing the rail in a wife beater, cargo pants, beanie -w- brim and back pack on. My friends and I couldn’t take it having just recently watched Uno and we were oohing and aahing on each trick. 50-50, tail to fakie (twice), lip slide all first try. Ryan was there with Hamilton Harris and a few other dudes and when we made a sound they made a sound right after mocking our enthusiasm.

I think they felt we were showing them up on their home turf but the MUSKA in 96’ at the banks. Come on.

Ryan’s interview is pretty funny and it got Ricky worked up. He seems like a jerk but I’m sure he wouldn’t back down if someone wanted to throw down so I respect his jerkdom.

[elbarto]

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I’ve met a lot of pros and the only dude who I got weird vibes from was Provost last year, and he wasn’t even an asshole. Just quiet and stayed by the van at a demo, kept looking at me weird too. I had skated DOS bowl with him and GT like 15 years ago when I was 10 and they were both super rad and trying to get me to push myself. I doubt he recognized me but that’s the only reason I can think of why he was muggin so hard lol.

[close]

I too doubt that someone who met you once when you were 10 years old would recognize you as a 25 year old man.

I also don't know that "vibes" constitute being a jerk. Seems like falling into the jerk category requires some sort of proactive behavior.  If someone "vibes" you, I'd just brush it off and keep going.

Oh for sure, I didn’t leave thinking Provost was a jerk at all. Maybe I’m just that good looking, he couldn’t take his eyes off me;)

[friendly dave]

The burnside tribe is an interesting one depending on the day you're there. Red and Germ have tried to flex on me one day but then have been great the next. Q-man, Pigpen, and Brent were always dicks.

[AfterBlackEnderEnder]

I grew up in SD so I’ve had my fair share of encounters with pros and industry peeps. Haha, spot on with the whole “they aren’t jerks you’re just weird” thing. Here are a few memorable ones, though:

Dan Murphy - Saw him at a bar during the Mystery days and always liked his skating back then so I bought him a pint and told him he had a sick nollie hardflip. He was definitely flexing his Nike sponsorship to random strangers and I got a chuckle out of that. Not really a jerk but he didn’t thank me for the beer.

Danny Way - Similar experience to others that have posted already, D Way was actually super nice and engaging in conversation when I met him at a random, downtown SD bar/lounge after a Padres game. But he had a spooky disposition about him. It wasn’t until years later that I heard about the ‘incident’ in the early 90’s (on Slap, of course) and it all made perfect sense.

Slash - Met him during the Ride The Sky days and when I asked what he was filming for next he told me he was injured. When I further inquired about what specifically he simply responded with something like “Everything” and then left with the hottest girl at the bar. Big fan after that. Hope he’s doing alright!

Micheal Burnett - I worked at BevMo back in college and he came in to buy a keg. Although there was never any acknowledgement of me recognizing him, he just gave off major asshole vibes and never once made eye contact. Burnout definitely bummed me out and I never really saw Thrasher the same since. This also may have been the year David Gonzalez won SOTY, though, and that was a double whammy. Conversely, Uncle Freddy came in while I worked there and he was a delight!

[Chur Bum]

Dane Burman

Can confirm this.

[ihatejulio]

Billy Marks.

I was at a local Active signing about 5 years ago and brought along two sets of a dozen ping pong balls. He only signed one ball when I SPECIFICALLY ask him to sign all 24 of them. He blew me off so I went to the back of the line again and when I got to the front I STERNLY yet POLITELY asked him to sign the rest of my balls. He laughed and gave me a pair of Toy Machine socks as some sort of consolation as he went to the next person. I was so angry, I didn't want the socks, I wanted my ping pong balls signed because of the potential valuable investment they would be in the future.

So I waited for that prick in the parking lot afterward. He eventually came out and walked to his car to go leave so I quickly hopped in my car and drove up really close. That's when I flashed him my penis and threw a large vanilla milkshake right at his back windshield. I then sped off out of the parking lot for obvious safety reasons. Because you know what? It takes enlightened individuals like myself to set the balance of society straight. He should have just signed my ping pong balls and learned something called RESPECT.

[Paul Cicero]

I saw Heath Kirchart at a grocery store in Melbourne years ago. 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.

This is such bullshit. Hilarious bullshit.

[Sila]

^^no it's the most played out thoughtless pasta on the internet.