Joe Yates is just one of the countless new friends I have made skating loft. However he is the only one who has shown a hunger and initiative to skate street that's just so refreshing after a few months of salty streets and dusty ramps. Even at the park Joe is always aiming to meet up early and get a solid session in with out any interlopers. Come the first sign of the weather relenting and Joe is chomping at the bit, watching local videos to pick up spots. Oh, did I mention that he's only lived here for two months? You might say it's just the excitement of skating a new city, but If you have ever met the dude, you might agree with me that it's just his personality. Joe is constantly positive, he's always trying to vibe out to something or looking to the next mission wether to the spot, the bar, or god knows what ever comes in between.
Ok Joe, hold old are you and how long have you been skateboarding?
I'm 19 and i've been skating for 7 years bro
Do yo want that bro in there?
hahahaha oh yeah
And where you from?
I'm from a lot of places, I was born in ottawa though, raised in chicago, yeah I spent most my life in chicago, I lived in silver springs maryland for two years as well.
No Comply Pole Jame
So you've skated Chicago and Florida, and now here. Rank These three cities for skateboarding.
They all got really good spots, Chicago is a lot like Toronto, mad alleyways, dirty grimy spots. Any east coast state or province for street skating is sick. It's all raw, it's a challenge, there's always shit wrong, you know weathered spots and junk. West coast is dope too though.
What are your first impressions of the Toronto scene?
Everyones good, everyone has their own unique style, everyone rips it for sure, cause there's so many good spots so everyone can get ill. all the younger kids are soo good. Ben, Jon, Kevin, Andre, Bobby, Nolan, and Zack.
You wanna talk about Silas? (We're listing to the cream song he skated to in inhabitants)
His part is just soo good, that ollie over the grass gap you know what I'm talking about the big ass bank to bank? Then that line at the white tile quarter pipe spot right after the ollie. I think he does hippie jump wall ride, big spin wall rides, i dunno i could be wrong but his parts fucked.
You haven't popped your board once for this interview so far, are you feeling that older style of skateboarding ?
Yeah for shoo old school skating sick you know just cruising around having fun, doing weird tricks you just caught me at a bad time the cold sucks to skate in. I pop my board sometimes though hahaha.
Change the tracks son
What do you wanna listen to?
Ghost face
What's your favorite type of obstacle to skate?
I try to skate everything, just mix it up get solid tricks on everything then try to do them with a lil more finesse go a little faster, think of better questions
What's your best game pickings girls up off the street?
Picking up a girl off the street? Hmmmmm, you gotta be polite and you gotta be smart you know?. Try to be wise, you gotta know how to talk to a woman, start a good conversation and keep talking, get her number, liquid courage helps too. Wait till she texts or sometimes take the initiative to text/call her, thats what a lot of chicks are into these days, oh and facebook.
BS feeble to fakie, we couldn't pick
You're a key holder at the skate loft, and since this is your first winter in five years I would assume you would wait the two months for the streets to warm up and skate the park in the mean time. This clearly isn't the case though, you don't seem to have an unquenchable thirst for skating street. Last night you wanted to go out a third time at 2 am after having already ran two successful photo missions that day. Why are you so desperate?
Yup, shout outs to Everett for making that happen. Yeah it hasn't been bad this winter, I thought it was gonna be a lot worse. I've skated in worse conditions in the Chi. I'm not desperate, you said you needed two or three photos for the interview and thats what we did. I love skating and the hardships it comes with, so if that means go out at 2 in the morning and hit up every spot for a good photo or film a trick in the blistering cold then se la vie or whatever.
Joe, and be honest here, do you enjoy your flat spot? Is it because it makes you're board sound like a two stroke engine?
YYEEEEE lawn mower stee! Those wheels are really good though the flat spots eventually wear off if I skate more street, they're starting to go away already
You're going off to Florida Tomorrow, are you ever coming back?
Yeah deff summers gonna be HYPHY
Favorite all time skateboarder?
I don't know so hard to choose ill give you top 5
1. ALL HAIL CARDIEL
2. Van Wastell R.I.P.
3. The Gonz
4. The Boss
5. Stevie Williams
Sponsors you wish you had?
I would be grateful with any sponsor, doesn't even matter there's so much talent out there nowadays and for someone to be diggin my shit thats dope.
Are you filming for anything right now?
Uhhhh not really kinda filming for my homie Jacks video in Florida hopefully ill get some more when I go I already got some last time i was there too.
Fs wallride
Top Five musical artists/bands?
Muddy waters, The doors, frank zappa WU-TANG CLAN….. odb R.I.P and bAD BRAINS
Gnarly injuries?
Sprained the buck outta my right ankle, dumb swollen couldn't really put any pressure on it for a month and Tore a few ligaments in my left foot. I was in a boot for 2 months
How would your life be different if you never found skateboarding?
I'd probably be doing some sports shit or doing whatever else people do when they don't skate and do maadd meth…..naw hahah
Seriously joe, white chicks or black?
ANY color, I love all my ladies. No ghetto hoochies doe.
Do you think skateboarding is a sport?
No people try and classify it as a sport but you don't have some dude coaching you and all this other nonsense i think its a form of art and creativity a lifestyle you go to a spot and think about something cool and something thats never been done before….I don't know, do you think it's a sport?
Pole jam to bs 50-50
Fuck no! People don't get harassed and arrested for playing sports.
Are you feeling companies that didn't start out in skateboarding but now want a piece of the pie like Nike, Adidas and converse?
I guess they do make good shoes. People were sportin those companies back then because that was all they had to skate in. I think Adidas actually made a legit skate shoe back in the 70's, I'm not too sure google that. But for them to ditch skateboarding and be all about the money and do whatever is hip at the time is kinda lame. Thank god for Vans to pick up the slack and be that real CORE skate shoe since day one.
Thanks and shouts?
Healthy life, the O.Gs,The loft, Everett Maclean for owning the loft and putting up with everything ,duel citizenship ALL ZEE biddies ,Boynton Crew ,954 homies, 708 Nogs, MIA park, Boynton park, new Hollywood Free park, Nicky Young, Joel Christopher Scullard, DRE DAY, Pellican, Arizona Ice Tea, and the TTC.
Skate Loft from Nicky Young on Vimeo.
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