An Interview With Chad Knightby Mike Sinclair on Friday, May 05, 2006
How long have you been skating?
I think since I was about 10, so 19 years. Man, over 60 percent of
my life.
How did you pick up your first sponsor?
well, my first sponsor was Sunsports, a shop in Ohio. Kenny, the
manager, helped me to get my first board sponsor, though. I was 13 when
I got on H-Street. I used to send the resumes with contest results and
videos of myself.
How long did you ride for Maple?
I rode for Maple from '94 until the day it died...2002, 2003? I don't
remember which. I was drunk for the entirity of both of those years.
They always told me they wanted me to be the Steve Caballero of
Maple...I fell for it.
What were the best and worst times at Maple?
The best times at Maple, for me, were right after the Seven Steps to Heaven video came out. '97-'99. Jerry had just gotten on and no one had quit yet. We traveled as a team to contests and did little tours. I had just turned pro and was having the time of my life. There were a few worst times at Maple. When Marc and Dave and Jerry left, those were really shitty times. The worst of times were at the end though for sure. Daxter had taken over the team management, had created a seperate title as amature team manager too and was calling the shots. He had the best of intentions for the brand but he was spending more than we were bringing in. Things got spread pretty thin. Shit just sucked then. Maple just felt different all together; no riders were the same as in the begining, all the logos were lame, and the spirit of it had died. They were scrabling to find an image for Maple to take on and it just felt cheap. I was happy to see it die and get put out of its misery.
Have you ever won a mini ramp contest?
Yeah i was crowned King of the Ramp for winning the mini-ramp contest
series at Sunsports every year.
Who is the best mini-ramp skateboarder?
Chad Vogt
Do you agree that the mini-ramp section in Questionable is still the
best mini ramp footage to date?
Yes it is. I also really like all the mini-ramp stuff in Hokus Pokus
and Vogt and Alphonzo in Next.
Tell me what's up with 1031.
Kristian wanted to do a company that really was pure skateboarding. I
think he is fed up with all the goons in the industry that just dont
skate, or don't skate anymore. Kristian started 1031 with the intentions
of having a company with longevity and not some hot shit for the
moment. Rather embace what skateboarding is all about...fun, and not
lose focus of why we all began in the first place.
Who is on 1031?
Kristian and I are the pros. Nate Roemer, Drew Dezort and Jhovani Vidal
are the ams.
What took you longer to make. The switch backside flip or the switch
360 flip down the sports area double set?
Switch 360 flip.
Who do you usually skate with in San Diego?
Shit, no one skates here anymore that I used to skate with. I have to
skate with kids 10 years yourger than me now. I like skating with
Kristian and Mario, they actually just go skate. I didnt know people did that anymore.
Like, without a spot in mind, just go skate...go figure. It's fucking
awesome.
Where is the best place you have ever traveled too for skating?
Australia. I would love to go back.
Who are some up and coming am's that you have noticed?
Drew is really gnarly. He's just moved out here from Ohio and he's on a
mission. Others? Andy Baumorchae, Nate Roemer, Anthony Schultz. I just
know the kids around here.
How much you can bench press?
I know I pressed myself off the ground 100 times after eating shit. So
100x180... 18,000 pounds?
Have you ever knocked someone out?
No, I've been knocked out though. I really try to avoid it now that I
have a kid. I've seen too many people get seriously fucked from getting hit.
Jesse Fritsch told me back in 1998 that "Chad Knight has leather
couches in his apratment...he must be rich!"
That's funny because my couches now sure arent leather!
What is the best thing about riding for 1031?
I dont have some kook breathing down my neck trying to get me to try
shit i dont want to do. Kristian respects my skating for what it is and
dosent ask me to try anything else.
When was the last time you...
...ran a red light? Today.
...stole something? I don't remember. I know that shit will come right
back to kick you in the ass.
...slapped someone? Oh, shit! I bitch slapped my friend Shane because he
kept getting us kicked out of bars. I figure that would be a good way
to get my point across. Then he punched me in the face. It was classic.
...kicked a dog? Today.
...sacked a rail? Not yet...
...leaned a new trick? Today. Switch kickflip pivot fakie.
Any words of wisdom for the kids out there?
You're a skateboarder, so is he, dont be a dick.
What is your favorite magazine?
Any skateboard magazine. I like all of them.
What do you do when you are not skating?
Hang out with my kid a lot at the park and the beach, study, eat.
Name three things that people don't know about Chad Knight?
I own a violin that I cant play.
My nose got cut off when I was 3. I will get hurt worse on a manual pad than a 12 stair. |
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