SO BESIDES JAMIE YOU ARE ONE OF THE FIRST GUYS ON FALLEN. HOW DID IT ALL COME TOGETHER?
I REMEMBER THE TIME BEFORE I RODE FOR FALLEN I WAS GETTING STUFF FROM ETNIES. IT WAS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THAT ARTO SAARI GOT ON ETNIES SO A LOT OF CHANGES WERE HAPPENING AND PEOPLE STARTED TO GET THE BOOT. IT WAS LOOKING SHADY. THEN JAMIE CALLED ME AND I WAS LIVING IN AN APARTMENT WITH AUSTIN AND GRIFFIN IN LONG BEACH DURING THE BACHELOR DAYS, WHICH WERE CRAZY DAYS FOR SURE. JAMIE CALLED ME UP OUT OF THE BLUE AND WANTED TO COME OVER AND SHOW ME SOME SHOES AND STUFF. HE GAVE ME THE LOW DOWN OF HIS IDEAS FOR THE COMPANY AND ASKED ME TO RIDE FOR FALLEN. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN ME. I WAS LIKE, "YOU KNOW THIS." THIS NEW THING IS STARTING AND I WANTED TO BE A PART OF IT. IT WAS JAMIE AND JON ALLIE.

A LOT OF CHANGES TOOK PLACE IN YOUR LIFE DURING THE FILMING OF RIDE THE SKY. COMPARE HOW LIFE WAS FOR YOU WHEN YOU FIRST GOT ON FALLEN, AND HOW THINGS ARE TODAY?
WOW, THAT WAS AROUND 5 OR 6 YEARS AGO. I MEAN A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN CERTAIN WAYS BUT IN OTHER WAYS THEY HAVEN'T AT ALL. I'M STILL SKATING EVERY DAY AND GOING ON TRIPS LIKE CRAZY. BACK THEN I WAS LIVING WITH THE BROS AND NOW I'M LIVING IN A HOUSE WITH A WIFE AND KID. AS FAR AS SKATING GOES IT'S BEEN SO DIFFERENT. THAT WAS A TIME BEFORE GOOD AND EVIL CAME OUT. IT WAS BACK WHEN TOY MACHINE HADN'T HAD A REAL VIDEO SINCE JUMP OFF A BUILDING. TOY MACHINE WAS GETTING BIGGER AND RE-BUILDING IT'S TEAM. I GOT ON FALLEN MIDWAY THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND IN MOST OF MY FOOTAGE FROM THE TOY MACHINE VIDEO I WAS WEARING FALLEN SHOES. IT WAS RAD THAT JAMIE SAW THAT TOY MACHINE WAS DOING STUFF AND THAT I WAS MAKING MOVES IN MY CAREER AND STUFF. HE JUMPED IN AND CAUGHT ME AT THE RIGHT TIME AND IT WAS LUCKY FOR THE BOTH OF US. IT'S BEEN AWESOME SO FAR.

YOU ARE ONE OF THE OG MEMBERS ON FALLEN. DID YOU HAVE A ROLL IN BUILDING THE TEAM? HOW DO YOU SEE THE TEAM AS IT IS TODAY, HAPPY WITH IT?
JAMIE ALWAYS HAD THE IDEAS OF WHO HE WANTED ON THE TEAM. HE'S SO ON IT. BUT HE'D ALWAYS ASK ME WHAT I THOUGHT BEFORE PUTTING SOMEONE ON. LIKE "WOULD YOU BE DOWN FOR THIS GUY?" I'M DEFINITELY STOKED ON HOW THE TEAM BUILT UP, BILLY, JAMES HARDY, CROCKETT, COLE. EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THE TEAM IS AMAZING. YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN, IT'S AN EPIC TEAM AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF MY PLACE ON THIS TEAM. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT EXACTLY NOLLIE FLIP CROOKED GRINDING RAILS AND STUFF. I DO WHAT I DO, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT JAMIE APPRECIATES THE WAY I SKATE.

DID YOU ORIGINALLY SET OUT TO BECOME A PRO SKATEBOARDER, OR DID ONE THING LEAD TO ANOTHER AND JUST HAPPEN NATURALLY?
I GUESS KIND OF BOTH. I FIRST SKATEBOARDED IN CALIFORNIA BUT THEN WHEN I WAS 13 MY PARENTS MOVED US OUT OT ILLINIOIS. I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL OUT THERE, AND WHEN I WAS 17 WE MOVED BACK TO CA. FROM SKATING OUT HERE BEFORE, AND TAKING THE BUS AROUND SPOT SEARCHING, I ALREADY KNEW ALL THESE SPOTS OUT IN THE INLAND EMPIRE. I WAS SUPER ANXIOUS TO SKATE AND ALREADY KNEW TRICKS I WANTED TO TRY AT THOSE SPOTS. I REMEMBER WHEN I JUST MOVED BACK TO CALIFORNIA, TOY MACHINE HAD FALLEN APART AND THE ONLY PEOPLE ON TOY MACHINE WERE ED AND AUSTIN. AUSTIN HAD JUST HAD AN INTERVIEW. I JUST REALLY WANTED TO GET ON TOY MACHINE. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE, BUT THAT WAS MY GOAL YOU KNOW. I REMEMBER EVEN PRAYING ABOUT IT. LIKE, "GOD HELP ME, I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS." SO I MADE A VIDEO WITH MY FRIEND RYAN.I CALLED HIM UP AND HAD ALL THIS STUFF I WANTED TO DO THAT AUTUMN AND WAS PRETTY MUCH ABLE TO PUT A VIDEO TOGETHER IN A MONTH. IT HAPPENED SO FAST, IT WAS CRAZY. I KNEW MELCHER FROM CHICAGO, AND HE HANDED OFF MY VIDEO TO ED. THANKFULLY ED CALLED ME AND WANTED TO FLOW ME BOARDS. I CALLED ED AND WAS LIKE, "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS STUFF!" I DEFINITELY TRIED. BUT THERE WAS WERE ALSO THINGS THAT WERE DEFINITELY IN MY FAVOR LIKE WHEN I MOVED TO CALI I ALREADY KNEW ALL THESE SPOTS. AT THAT TIME, TOY MACHINE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE RIDING FOR THEM AND WERE LOOKING FOR NEW GUYS TO RIDE FOR THE TEAM. SO ALL THESE THINGS KINDA CAME TOGETHER. ALSO, I PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORT TO, YOU KNOW. ED TELLS ME NOW HOW BACK THEN AFTER I GOT MY FIRST TOY MACHINE BOX I WAS JUST SO THANKFUL. ED TOLD ME LATER THAT WAS THE MOMENT WHEN HE KNEW HE WANTED TO PUT ME ON THE TEAM, BEFORE HE EVEN KNEW ME. YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW FAR A LITTLE APPRECIATION AND SINCERE RESPECT WILL TAKE YOU. AND WHEN HE WOULD GIVE ME PHOTOGRAPHERS NUMBERS, I'D ACTUALLY CALL THEM. I DIDN'T KNOW MIKE BURNETT, BUT I CALLED HIM OUT OF THE BLUE AND WAS LIKE, "HI I'M JOSH, ED GAVE ME YOUR NUMBER WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHOOT SOMETIME? I GOT A SPOT." I'D GO OUT WITH BURNETT AND MIRACULOUSLY GET LIKE 3 OR 4 SHOTS IN ONE DAY JUST BECAUSE I KNEW ALL THESE SPOTS THAT NOBODY ELSE KNEW SO IT WAS EASY TO GET PHOTOS. THEN BURNETT WOULD CALL ED ALL HYPED. EVENTUALLY, I GOT TO SKATE WITH EVERYONE AND WE BECAME FRIENDS.

ARE YOU PROUD OF THE WAY YOUR PART CAME OUT?
I AM. EVERYBODY HAS AN IDEA OF THE WAY THEY WOULD HAVE STUFF DONE. I REMEMBER WHEN GOOD AND EVIL CAME OUT I THOUGHT MY PART WAS KINDA WEIRD BUT AS TIME WENT ON I GREW TO LIKE IT CUZ IT'S NOSTALGIC. I THINK I'M STILL WAITING FOR TIME TO GO ON BEFORE I GET THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE ON IT.

HOW INVOLVED WERE YOU IN PUTTING IT TOGETHER?
BARELY INVOLVED AT ALL. ACTUALLY ON THE WAY BACK FROM CHINA, MATT WINTERBERG SUGGESTED THE SONG I USED. SO THERE NEEDS TO BE CREDIT TO MATT WINTERBERG. I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT THE SONG BEFORE, BUT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NEVER REMEMBERED IT.

WHAT LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE DO YOUR PRO MODEL GRAPHICS HOLD WITH YOU?
THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT. ED DOES THE BEST ONES. SOMETIMES A LAME ONE WILL SLIP PAST THE GOALIE.

DO YOU USUALLY SET UP NEW WHEELS WITH EVERY DECK?
THERE WAS A WHILE WHEN I WAS DOING THAT BUT LATELY I'VE BEEN KINDA LIKING THE OLD WHEELS, THEY'RE TRUSTY. A NEW BOARD ALWAYS FEELS GOOD, . . . AND SO DO NEW WHEELS. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING COOL WHEN WHEELS GET A LITTLE BIT YELLOW AND GET BLACKED UP FROM ASPHALT. IT'S LIKE A CERTAIN TOUGHNESS THAT GIVES YOU CONFIDENCE WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO TRY SOMETHING.

ASIDE FROM YOUR TEAMMATES, WHICH SKATERS ARE YOU INSPIRED BY RIGHT NOW?
RECENTLY I'VE BEEN WATCHING A LOT OF EASTERN EXPOSURE VIDEOS, LIKE EASTERN EXPOSURE ZERO. I'VE REALLY BEEN ENJOYING MATT REASON. THAT DUDE KILLED IT. A LOT OF THE TRICKS THAT I DO I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO, AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT DUDE. LIKE, FAKIE BS CHINK CHINKS. I ALWAYS LIKED THE TRICKS THAT HE DID. A CURRENT SKATER I REALLY LIKE WOULD BE DANIEL SHIIMIZU. I WISH THERE WAS MORE OF HIM OUT THERE. I'VE ALWAYS LIKED HIS PARTS, LIKE HIS FOUNDATION VIDEO PARTS AND EVEN THE STUFF IN THE NIKE VIDEO.

HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD YOU SPEND ON A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT?
THE MOST I'VE SPENT IS 2 GRAND. BUT IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT I'D HAVE TO HAVE AND IF I HAD ENOUGH MONEY, I THINK I'D SPEND UP TO 5 GRAND. MAYBE MORE, I DON'T KNOW. MUSIC IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. WITH A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT YOU REALLY CAN'T LOSE. THEY'RE SUCH AN INVESTMENT. IF YOU BUY AN INSTRUMENT AND YOU KEEP IT FOR 5 OR 10 YEARS, YOU CAN ALWAYS SELL IT FOR MORE. ESPECIALLY IF YOU BUY A MARTIN GUITAR OR AN OLD FENDER OR SOMETHING, A STRATOCASTER. YOU CAN SELL THOSE FOR SO MUCH.

HOW MANY GUITARS DO YOU HAVE?
6 GUITARS AND A BANJO. MY FAV GUITAR IS A 1966 DOBRO 12 STRING. THAT ONE'S MY BABY.

WHERE'S THE BEST SEAT FOR YOU IN THE AIRPLANE: AISLE, MIDDLE, OR WINDOW?
TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE PLANE IN THE AISLE. FOR ME I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO KICK MY LEGS OUT IN THE AISLE IF I HAVE TO. IN THE WINDOW SEAT I FEEL ALL CRAMPED AND THEN YOU GOTTA JUMP OVER PEOPLE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. I DON'T LIKE BOTHERING PEOPLE. AND NEAR THE FRONT OF THE PLANE YOU WON'T GET THE STINKY BATHROOM ZONE EITHER. IT GETS ALL SMELLY IN THE BACK.

IF YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE ANY OF YOUR TEAMMATES TO SIT NEXT TO YOU, WHO'S YOUR GO-TO GUY?
JAMES HARDY. JAMES IS LIKE THE GENTLE GIANT. YOU CAN GET ON THE PLANE WITH HIM AND HE'S SUPER MELLOW. I'M REALLY FOND OF JAMES HARDY ACTUALLY. THAT IS ONE SWELL GUY. SAME WITH CROCKETT THOUGH, BUT CROCKETT'S WILD. IF WE'RE ON THE PLANE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE CROCKETT. THOSE ARE TWO OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.

DO YOU HAVE ANY AWESOME HORROR STORIES FROM BEING ON TOUR?
MAYBE IT WAS A WEEK LONG FILMING TRIP TO TEXAS WHERE I GOT SICK AND I COULDN'T SKATE. I GOT A SINUS INFECTION AND WAS SUPER BUMMED. I DIDN'T GET A SINGLE TRICK THE WHOLE TIME. BUT BY FAR THE WORST ONE WAS BEING STUCK IN CHINA WHEN IT WAS RAINING THE WHOLE TIME. WHEN WE GOT THERE, EVERY SPOT WE WENT TO FOR THE FIRST THREE DAYS IT WAS LIKE, "OH BILLY DID THIS AT THIS SPOT OR BRIAN DID THIS AT THIS SPOT." SINCE I GOT THERE AFTER THE OTHER HALF OF THE TEAM HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE FOR 2 WEEKS. THOSE FIRST 3 DAYS WERE THE ONLY NICE DAYS AND THEN THE REST OF THE TRIP IT RAINED. THE ONLY THING WE GOT AFTER THAT WAS THAT TAILSLIDE FOR THE FALLEN AD. THERE WAS NOTHING TO WARM UP ON. ALL YOU COULD DO WAS RUN UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS THEN YOU TRY TO OLLIE THE STAIRS AND THEN JUST JUMP ON THE RAIL. IT WAS HORRIBLE, DEFINITELY NOT ENJOYABLE. DOING THAT TAILSLIDE WAS LIKE WORK. LIKE I HAVE NOTHING TO BRING HOME FROM THIS 2 WEEK TRIP, I GOTTA GET SOMETHING.

EXPLAIN HOW IT IS TO GO ON A TRIP AND HAVING AN AD DEADLINE LOOMING LIKE DURING THAT CHINA TRIP? DO YOU PREFER BEING ON A TRIP OR BEING AT HOME TO SHOOT AN AD PHOTO?
THAT FEELS PRETTY TERRIBLE. IT'S COLD, YOUR BONES HURT. IT'S RAINING AND THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO SKATE EXCEPT FOR THE TWO SPOTS THAT ARE INDOOR, AND THEY BOTH HAPPEN TO BE BIG RAILS UNDER AN AWNING. BUT WHEN I RODE AWAY FROM THAT SUCKER IT WASN'T LIKE WORK AT ALL, IT WAS AN AMAZING FEELING. IF YOU'RE GONNA SKATE SOMETHING BIG AND IT'S FUN AND YOUR BODY FEELS GOOD THAN IT'S AWESOME BUT IF YOUR SKATING IT JUST TO SKATE IT AND YOU'LL NEVER GET A CHANCE TO SKATE IT AGAIN AND YOU'RE MAKING YOURSELF DO IT THEN IT'S NOT AS MUCH FUN, . . . BUT IT'S DEFINITELY REWARDING. I LOVE TRIPS. I LOVE TRAVELLING.I MEAN I LOVE BEING AT HOME WITH MY FAMILY BUT AS FAR AS BEING A SKATE RAT I LOVE THE EXCITEMENT OF TRAVELING. EVEN JUST DOING A DEMO, THE EXCITEMENT OF GOING TO A NEW TOWN AND MEETING UP WITH THE LOCAL KIDS AND SKATE SOME OF THEIR SPOTS IS SO FUN. THERE'S NEVER A DULL MOMENT. AND THE TIMES THAT YOU SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS ON THE ROAD YOU DON'T GET THAT ANYWHERE ELSE. WE GET TO EXPERIENCE SO MUCH IN THE WORLD, THINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE WILL NEVER GET A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE. EXPERIENCING RAW STUFF IN THE STREETS, IT'S INCREDIBLE. WHEN WE GO TO CHINA WE SEE CHINA FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS, IN THE STREETS. WE DON'T SEE IT AS THE HOTEL AND THE PLACE YOU GO TO SPEND MONEY. WE'LL GO INTO THE ROUGH PARTS IF WE HAVE TO. YOU KNOW. BAD NEIGHBORHOODS TO SKATE WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANNA SKATE. YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE IT WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE. THOSE TIMES. THAT'S MY FAVORITE PART OF WATCHING MY VIDEO PARTS. THE MEMORIES OF IT. WHEN I WAS A KID AND I COULD FIGURE STUFF OUT ON MY OWN I WAS LIKE, HOW FAR CAN I TAKE THE BUS. WHAT TOWN CAN I GO TO TO CHECK OUT THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL FOR A NEW SPOT? LIKE YOU ARE ON THE HUNT FOR SOME GOOD TIMES, AND IT'S FUN. THE REAL SKATE RATS, NOT JUST THE KIDS WHO SKATE THE SKATEPARK EVERYDAY, BUT THE REAL SKATER WHO GOES OUT AND SKATE IN THE STREETS. THOSE ARE THE KIDS WHO APPRECIATE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. THOSE ARE THE ONES WHO KNOW AND WILL STILL BE SKATING WHEN THEY'RE OLDER.

WHEN YOU ROCK A LEATHER JACKET SKATING A BIG HUBBA RAIL, IS THAT TO COMBAT ROUGH GROUND, OR DID YOU HAPPEN TO BE WEARING IT THAT DAY?
I WAS JUST WEARING IT THAT DAY.

YOU'VE TRAVELED ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR SKATEBOARDING. IF YOU COULD GET A BABYSITTER AND GO ANYWHERE WITH JUST YOUR WIFE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO?
I'D WANT TO TAKE HER TO FRANCE. GO TO THE SOUTH OF FRANCE AND MAYBE SOME SURF SPOTS OUT THERE. IF YOU'VE BEEN TO FRANCE, YOU KNOW. IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL AND IS SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR CONVENIENCE THEN AUSTRALIA IS A PERFECT SPOT. IT'S DIFFERENT BUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY AND THE MONEY IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, AND PLUS IT HAS REALLY GOOD WEATHER. BUT, FRANCE IS SO DIFFERENT. THERE IS JUST SO MUCH HISTORY AND CULTURE THERE IT'S AMAZING. ITALY IS AWESOME TOO. I'D HAVE TO SAY FRANCE AND ITALY.

WHEN YOU'RE SPENDING TIME AT HOME WITH YOUR FAMILY DO YOU COMPLETELY SHUT OFF THE SKATEBOARDING PART OF YOUR BRAIN, OR ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT CROOKED GRINDS AND VARIAL HEELS IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND?
IT DEPENDS ON IF I'M PLANNING ON GOING SKATING THAT DAY OR NOT. I DON'T THINK I CAN COMPLETELY TURN THAT OFF. I'M DRIVING DOWN THE STREET OR GOING WITH MY FAMILY SOMEWHERE AND I SEE A RAIL, SET OF STAIRS OR WHATEVER, I'M STILL LOOKING AT IT AS WHAT IT IS, A SPOT. I BET YOU WHEN I'M 50 OR 60 I'LL STILL BE LOOKING AT SPOTS LIKE, "MAN THAT'S A SICK LEDGE." FOREVER I'LL BE LIKE THAT. CAN'T GET RID OF IT. SKATEBOARDING HAS STAINED MY BRAIN.

NOW THAT RIDE THE SKY IS COMPLETED, HOW SOON CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE MORE FOOTAGE FROM YOU?
VERY SOON. THE FOOTAGE DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT TOY MACHINE PROMO VIDEO IS IN LIKE 3 MONTHS. SO IT SHOULD BE OUT IN A FEW MONTHS.

WHAT KIND OF INSPIRATION CAN YOU OFFER TO THE YOUNG SKATE KIDS OUT THERE READING THIS?
LIKE SKATESPIRATION? FOR ME IT'D BE TO JUST TRY AND REMEMBER WHY YOU STARTED SKATING IN THE FIRST PLACE. AS YOU GET OLDER MORE RESPONSIBILITIES CREEP INTO YOUR LIFE. SKATING SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT THE ADVENTURE AND THE FUN. TO ME SO MUCH OF THAT FUN COMES WITH ALWAYS GOING TO SOMEWHERE NEW. YOU SHOULD NEVER GET INTO THE RUT OF SKATING THE SAME PLACE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. YOU DON'T WANT TO BURN IT OUT FOR YOURSELF. AS LONG AS YOU CAN GET INTO THE CAR AND DRIVE SOMEWHERE WITH YOUR FRIENDS IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE FUN.