Reggie Barnes Interview
Surf Expo has a Sean Obrien interview With Reggie Barnes, former Wlaker freestyle pro and the man behind Eastern Skateboard Supply, whose indoor skate facility we covered a while back. The interview focuses on the business and not his skateboarding career.
– Thanks to Michael Brooke for the tip.
How come all the freestyle guys became such business men?
That’s an interesting point. I know in my time riding freestyle my creativity, inventiveness, and passion for life has hugely increased. Freestyle set ups, unlike standard boards are very unique and specific to the rider. Most pro decks are specific to it’s rider, and all vary greatly. As board edges and wheel dimensions change, we must constantly make adjustments and modifications to keep things in unison. 1/8″ wear on a wheel or board edge feels like a mile. The constant wear and parts breakages causes you to become very inventive. And since there is no “standard” in freestyle, you have to come up with your own ideas to maintain and improve the relatively short life of your working set up. It’s a constant battle, and it’s this battle that leads you to the realization that you have better ideas and better innovations than any skate company. So now we start our own company and develop our own product.
Because when all the vert skaters were out partying and getting laid, they were in their rooms writing up business plans…and masturbating.
Yeah the whole damn skate world is run by freestyle guys they must have some kind of skull and bones club or something like a skull and casper club