TALK TURKEY TUESDAY WITH CHEY ATARIA

Talk Turkey Tuesday with NZ legend Chey Ataria

How old are you?
34

Where do you live?
Aucks, NZ, 0649

Who makes it possible?
ABC of course, best company in the world/universe. DVS or Lakai (whatever is in stock that’s mean), thanks to S&S. As for wheels, ride the fire, Spitfire and Thunder Trucks, cheers to Irrom. Grip and hardware from Cheapskates Khyber Pass, chur to Ginge. Bearings from Modus, thanks to Aussie blokes Ben and Brett

Who is up and coming?
Farhad, Toby, Adro, OJ (Mike B) not sure they might already be there???!!! Maybe little man George Rowe, he sent me a sponno tape that looks pretty mean

Feeble grind to fakie, Wellington

Who are your favourite Ol’ Top Dogs?
Gonz, Lee Ralph, Morris Anderson, Jason lee, Jason Jesse

What can you not live without?
My kids, laptop, internet, food & water

When you’re not skating you are?
Playin’ with my kids or on the laptop working or surfing the net, while eating food and drinking tasty beverages

What are your favourite five albums?
1. Wu Tang – 36 Chambers
2. The Roots – Tipping Point
3. Blackstar – Blackstar
4. Trinity Roots – Home Land & Sea
5. Black Sabbath – Paranoid or Black Sabbath

What are your favourite five video parts?
1. Gonz – Video Days
2. Shiloh Greathouse – New World Order
3. Mike Carroll - Plan B Questionable
4. Marcus McBride – Deca Sneak Preview
5. AVE – Mind field
&
6. Kris Markovich – Right to Skate (This was epic when it came out in ’92. A million ollies, the intro was emotional and it had freaky edits)

Ollie, Auckland

What are your favourite five books?
Don’t read books much, too busy online reading the MANUAL site Talk Tuesdays, and shit

Who do you look up to?
I really like the way Joseph Whaanga skates, and as a human he’s rather cool too. These are guys I like for what they do or have done: Bob Marley for his music and just because. Tupac and Biggie for their raps and exquisite use of the English language. The Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize winner. Peter Jackson for the King Kong fight scene, plus his other movies too. Daniel Buckley tells a funny joke now and then, 50% strike rate, plus came up with this clothing range called Huffer that’s fairly good too. Can’t forget the Wifey for bringing up two wonderful children. There’s heaps more but it’s 9:30 Monday night and I need to send this thing in

What are your bad habits?
Procrastinating on interviews/emails, haha!

What’s the worst thing about skateboarding in NZ?
The size of the country, winters, the rain, dirty griptape, bad skate park designs, the run up, that little crack in the surface. Basically the lack of perfect spots and the concrete our councils use to make stuff out of. Um, the amount of good skateboarders that don’t get what they could if they lived in the States, there’s a few that could have got paid and had some fun doing what they do, ya heard… Was that a big whinge or what?

What’s the best thing about skateboarding in NZ?
The size of the country, the good skate parks, summers, the scene, road trips, Manual mag, Vic park mini is way cooler than Island Bay mini!! Frank T. Edwards, the godfather, can’t forget him what a bloody character/legend, aye boy?!

Backside noseblunt revert, Anderson Park, Napier

Top Image: Nosegrind, Te Rapa
All Images: David Read
Interview: Jake Mein