Barber’s Blog: Bjorn Again

 

Jase Morice, Ben “Puff” Morice and I sat down with Bjorn Johnston and had a quick talk about changing sponsors and getting his name on a board. I think by the time it got to questions the three of us had worked our way through some VB’s but Bjorn was patient enough to answer our self indulgent questions.

Jase Morice: It’s Wednesday 18th of January 2012.
Mark Barber: At 10 past 8.
Bjorn Johnston: In the back yard.
JM: Of Bjorn’s house.
BJ: Everyone has a longneck except me.
MB: You want one?
BJ: Nah I’m good, ha!

Ben Morice: So yeah, let’s kick it off. Whats the deal with KR3W/SUPRA? What’s the vibe there?
BJ: It was time for a change, I’d been with my other sponsors for a long long time but an opportunity came up that was too good to turn down. KR3W/SUPRA were starting up again in Australia, with Brad Plamus (Substance Distribution) who’s a good friend of mine running it. Dennis Martin who’s the skate marketing director and TM in the states (for KR3W/SUPRA) who I also filmed a digital part with, was down to get something happening too.

JM: Was it Get Tricks or Die Trying?
BJ: Yeah that’s the one.

BM: We’re all glad you didn’t die trying. We’re happy about that.
MB: So you’ve left DC and RVCA as well?
BJ: Yeah, it was pretty hard but they were cool about it. RVCA understood, they’d just had a big change up and the split with DC was amicable. It was cool.

JM: Amicably?
BJ: Is that how you say it?
JM: I dunno.

BM: So they were cool with that?
BJ: Yeah they were sweet.

BM: So what’s the actual deal? Because you’re team manager as well?
BJ: Yeah I’m looking after the Australian team as well as being a team rider. It’s pretty cool, still get to skate everyday.

BM: Officially who’s on the Australian team right now?
BJ: It’s me, Ben James, Gabriel Summers (Gabbers) and Dean Parsons.

JM: Can you talk about the tour coming up?
BJ: Not really, but I can say it’s happening in Australia and New Zealand in late February.

BM: All the big American names?
BJ: Can’t really disclose that right now.

MB: How long are we talking about in New Zealand? Because they always seems to get the butt end of the tours.
JM: We don’t care about New Zealand, we live in Sydney hahaha.
BJ: Nah, every stop is going to get the same amount of time.

MB: So New Zealand will see a few days at least?
JM: Look out Owairaka!
MB: Maybe the new bathtub they built on Bond St?
(Everyone whistles)
JM: Simon Thorp posted up a pic of it. SIMON THORP. That’s a name drop by the way.

BM: So wait, you’re supposed to organise this trip, skate on it and get tricks too?
BJ: Yup.
BM: Jeeeeesus. You’re so gnarly, what the fuck.
BJ: Sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. I organized one with RVCA a while back but this is gonna be double the size. I’ve got some help though, Dennis (Martin) is gonna be out here too so it’s not all on me.

JM: You skated with Leo Romero on the RVCA trip right? He’s a mate of yours?
BJ: Best dude to skate with if you wanna get pumped up. He just charges.
JM: He goes up everything now. He goes the wrong way right?
(Everyone agrees)

MB: Let’s talk about your board coming out. You originally had a board back on ABC which was tight.
BJ: Yeah that’s right.
MB: Yeah Chey gave me one, I skated it and I now wish I hadn’t. Would’ve been dope to have your first board. Anyway, you’ve now got a board coming out on Element. Is that just going to be in Australasia or is it available further afield?
BJ: Yeah, I’m not sure. If it’s included in the catalog it’ll be available worldwide. Who knows. It’ll definitely be out in New Zealand and Australia.

MB: What’s the graphic?
BJ: It’ll be the welcome to the family graphic, like everyone gets. The sideways one.

MB: Like the one Appleyard got? You’ve got a more personal graphic coming out too right? Tell us what it is?
BJ: Haha nah, you’ll just have to wait and see. The release party is in two weeks.
BM/JM: Oh man, we’re gonna be in New Zealand.

BM: I’m keen to dive into some ‘Naki history shit.
BJ: Oh yeah?

BM: Okay, growing up skating in the ‘Naki. Good or Bad?
BJ: It was awesome. I liked it, yeah. It was…
BM: Be honest.
BJ: I’m being honest! Everyone for the most part got along! We had talented skaters and filmers coming out of there. The park was fun, (it) was one of the first street orientated parks in NZ.
JM: A park designed by your Dad.
BJ: With input from the New Plymouth skate community as well!

BM: Nah, lets go back a bit further than that now. I’m talking before the skatepark, when we had no spots.
JM: When we had the Library and skate nights.
BJ: Oh yeah, skate nights. Holy shit I forgot about that. The rollerskating rink that you could skate in, with the really slippery floor!
BM: Pretty sure your dad built all the obstacles.
JM: Remember the fight that went down between the skaters and the skinhead roller-skaters?
BM/BJ: What?! No!
JM: Yeah and you started it!
BM: This must have been after our bedtime.
BJ: Haha skinhead roller-skaters VS skateboarders!

MB: So who were the guys you skated with back in the ‘Naki?
BM: Yeah, this is MANUAL, so let’s name drop.
BJ/BM/JM: Nick and Ben Jeffries. Dwayne Waipapa was real sick, Phil Jones, Sam Ike, Greg Roebuck!

JM: This is going way back. How long you been skating for again?
BJ: 17 years. Since I was 10.
JM: Over half of your life!
MB: And that’s because of your Dad right?
BJ: Nah nah, we started off surfing. I started surfing when I was 8. Then when I was 10 I started skating. Had a surfing relapse a few years later but got so angry because I wasn’t skating.
JM: You got all salty.
MB: You got salty?
JM: Yeah he was all tanned and long hair.
BJ: I couldn’t do any tricks after surfing all the time and not skating. I’d be at a spot and be all “fuck this!” and wanna go home and focus my surfboard.

MB: Talking about getting salty, Sparkesy (Cameron Sparkes) couldn’t be here tonight because he went up to the Goldy (Gold Coast), but he prepared a few quick questions, maybe we could wrap up on those?
BJ: Oh no.

Cameron Sparkes: Opinions regarding Australian Sprouters (hot girls)?
BJ: Read the New Zealand Skateboarder article on Australia I did with Puff and Jase a few years ago, that tells you everything you need to know.

CS: Level of skateboarding in Australia? Better than NZ?
BJ: Yeah it’s better, of course it’s better, but you’ve got to remember there are a million good spots and 22 million people.

CS: Next Kiwi to come up internationally?
BJ: Kayle Lawson and Deen Rakich are good as.

CS: Did you really used to tell people you were Australian when you went to the U.S (This is true)?
BJ: Haha, no it’s not true. Chris Wood used to, but only because he said it was easier than explaining to Americans he was from New Zealand when he was travelling with Aussies.

CS: How many Drop bears and Hoop snakes have you seen? Any close encounters?
BJ: Too many to count. I’ve got a spike on my motorcycle helmet now.

CS: Favourite place in Australia?
BJ: Sydney.

CS: Is Bondi all it’s cracked up to be?
BJ: Yeah it’s sick if you like nice water and a million people.

CS: Why doesn’t Mark Barber go in the water?
BJ: Haha, Sharks.

CS: Best city to skate in Australia?
BJ: Sydney of course.

CS: Melbourne or Sydney? Why is Melbourne so chat(shit)? Is it because the guys are hot and the girls are ugly?
BJ: Haha!

CS: If you had to tell a Kiwi a place to live in Australia where would it be?
BJ: Sydney.

CS: Are the Ozzie crew fairly accepting of fresh off the boat Kiwis?
BJ: Yeah man, of course!

Keep an eye out for the exact dates of the KR3W tour in New Zealand and Australia and drop by your local skate store to pick up Bjorn’s new Element deck when it’s out in a few weeks. Support one of the homies and make sure you support the local skate store, don’t buy online!