Lodge Guest, Scott Taylor

Lien Photo: @mrz

Name: Scott Taylor

Where are you from? San Jose California

Please name a cool place from where you are from? I moved around a lot, I’ve lived in Boston, DC, San Jose, Lake Tahoe, Portland and Arizona..

Where do you currently live? I currently live In Oceanside California,

Name a cool spot from where you are from? Oceanside is great because there is so much to skate, there are 8 or 9 vert ramps and and maybe 10 parks all within 20 miles What nationaly do you feel the most? I’m American by birth, with a Euro lineage

Family status: I’m a Dad

Age: 43

Sponsors: My first sponsors were McGills Skateshop and Alva Skateboards. I’ve had lots come and go during my youth.. These days I ride Green Issue, Indy’s and Bones wheels ad bearing that I get vicariously through friends..

Years of skateboarding: 30

Board size: 81/4 or 8.5

Wheel size: 58 or 60mm

Trucks: indys’s

I change set up every: Rarely, once i like a set-up, I usually ride it into the ground..

Current Board trend: still riding the swollen popsicles sticks.

Lien air over the channel, photo: Bucky Lasek

Please state your type of terrain on your board in hours, days and years or other

Street: I love street skating, but honestly never do it..
Skatepark: love riding park too.. but my current crew is pretty vert exclusive Miniramp: grew up riding em’ …still got a bag of disco lip tricks..
Long board: the long pintails are fun, but nope.
Vert: These days I’m usually skating Tony’s with a small crew, or…
Bowl: Buckys bowl..
Freestyle: nope

Please tell us about your daily DAY by the hours:

Every day is completely different, If I’m teaching I’m up before the sun, mainlining coffee and usually spend the whole day teaching students about video production, and then I’ll meet up with friends to skate at night, or rehearse with which ever band in playing with that week. If I’m playing music I’ll sleep in as much as I can, to accommodate the late night schedule..

How are you doing at the moment?

The last few moths have been very busy. Getting Bucky’s part finished after 2 years was a lot of work. I produced a few other videos for 187 pads, H- Street, and Black Sheep Underground, and I MC’d a skatercross race yesterday at the Clairmont skatepark, I’ll skate Bucky’s today, and spend this week teaching and play some shows on Thurs, Friday and Saturday and Skate Sunday..

How is your body at the moment, (injuries, knees, back, and so)?

No Complaints, but during a bad case of the flu a few weeks back, I managed to crack my head against a door, so I picked up a few new stitches..

When did you start to skate and why? What tricked you into this?

As a child of the 70’s I got into music pretty early, and since I moved around so much, I spent a lot of time alone.. as I got into punk rock, Thrasher was the closest thing to a punk rock magazine I could find, and after reading it cover to cover I was hooked.. It was new, exciting, creative, hard, and to me the single coolest thing I’d ever seen.. I was living in Maryland at the time , and Jeff Tremaine, of Big brother and Jackass fame lived right behind me, He was older and in High School and built a 80’s style 8 foot quarter pipe with a roll-in in his backyard.. I use to stare out my window and watch him and Spike Jonze and a few of the East Coast guys skate it, and that probably sealed the deal..

Do you think you made the right choice (instead of playing football FX?)?

HAHAHA! Of course

Any person’s that influences you at the moment?

I’d say Owen Nieder has been one of the most influential person I’ve met through Skateboarding, both on the board and off.. But I try to remember and be aware of anyone who has helped me out and there are a lot of people I owe thanks too.. Tony Hawk, Kevin Staab,, Paul Wisniewski, Tony Mag, Dave Metty, Mike McGill, Tod Swank, the crew at Vans, Chuck Treece, Joe Wood, Mark Waters, Mouse.. to name a few more

What gets you motivated ?

Music, skateboarding, the unknown, and the chance to create some new memories.. and the fact that if you miss a session with my friends, you get abused endlessly..

Please comment your feelings, memories (if you are that old) & know how about Skateboarding in the

80s

I started in 86, I was wide eyed and looked up to all the guys in the mags.. I was a little kid living on the East coast watching street “Style in Oceanside”, wondering what it would be like to get to see that stuff in person..

90s

In 1990 I was 16.. I helped out at Foundation skateboards after school, and met Owen and Tod Swank and got my first drum set, and laid the foundation for the rest of my life. The 90’s were awesome, the music Scene in San Diego was packed with insanely good bands and I was traveling to skate events around the world… By the mid 90’s I was working at a snowboard shop, traveling with the warped tour in the summers and skating all the time.

2000+

By the 2000’s concrete was coming back, and I found my niche in the park series events, I was also doing some contests here and there like the trifecta and Slam City Jam. I never really cared that much about contests, or even being a pro skater. So while I continued to compete and skate for my sponsors, I got into video and ended up working for Skateboarder Magazine.. I also met and became good friends With Kevin Staab around this time, and he introduced me to Tony Hawk. I ended up MC’ing most of Tony’s demo through out the decade.. that was a dream come true. I also got to skate in the first Media Division at the the Protec pool parties, which might be my most proud accomplishments, because I was not a “bowlrider” prior to that because there were no bowls, and the first combi rebuild was gnarly…

2010+

By 2010 I had moved to Oceanside, and had been teaching Video Production, Mc’ing events and skating as much as always.. After adding a Daughter to the clan, I was able to relax, and shed the pressures of sponsors and trying to please anyone but myself.. Skateboarding took on a new life as something that I was lucky to still do.. and to have tight-knit group of friends who felt the same way… At this point I was shooting video regularly and trying to help expose the insane amount of talent that lived in San Diego. Also leaving the magazine and the “industry” allowed me to shed all the bullshit, fad chasers that thought they “Knew what skateboarding was about” In the end, it’s whatever you make it..

Do you feel skateboarding is in a good way?

As long as I have a board and place to ride, skateboarding is perfect.. but besides that the stuff I’m seeing on social media is so insane, that I am amazed on a daily basis by what I am seeing..

Where do you stand & please comment with skateboarding in the Olympics?

Im not a staunch anti-Olympics guy.. but I don’t think the culture of the olympics applies to skateboarding at all… We don’t compete based on geo-political boundaries, we come together to expand of social circles and expand our minds rather than try to defend the honor of our homeland… I’ll be sad to see young rider treated like olympic hopefuls that need constant training and coaching.. but I wouldn’t take away that opportunity from someone who wanted it..

Where do you stand in terms of politics?

I am politically exhausted.. My country has swung right in the worst way possible. The theater of Politics has shed it’s cloak of decency and turned into the grossest display of power, excess and spite that I have ever witnessed.. people are so easily swayed by the media, that they have forgotten the majority of folks are common sense moderates, but sadly the extreme views are the one’s getting all the attention..

When I chill, I chill with, My Cat..

The last Mission I went on was our last filming trip I took for Buckys video Park. Ozzy Ausband of Blue Tile lounge invited us up for a session at a perfect backyard kidney.. Brad Mclain and a few other were there sessioning when we arrived.. the house was sketchy, that had a giant turtle that wouldn’t stop pacing.. and after smelling weed wafting from the house for a few hours, I finally opening my eyes and saw the giant green plant right next to the shallow end stairs case..

Dream session would be,

Cardiel, Hewitt, Rayborn, Trujillo at Burnside or Miller, Lasek, Glifberg and Hewitt at Buckys..

Lately I have been working on,

Building a guitar, playing Bass, Shooting skate photos and some real estate photos, working on my career as a film teacher..

When I was little I would like to,

Build legos and listen to heavy metal..

When I’m home I like to,

Play music, relax, work in the yard..

What kind of music to you listen to ?

Rock, Punk, some artsy stuff and the Blues

I normally call my homies for,

A session or to go see a show.

Your homies are,

My skate crew is usually Owen Nieder, Tony Mag, Bucky Lasek, Adam Taylor, Caveman and Cavechild, Chris Goulart, Packy, Lincon Ueda, Kevin Staab, PLR and Simon Tabron.. but in SD there are so many cool people to skate with that you never know who will show up at a session.. which makes it even better,,

I enjoy going to,

Sleep, work, shows, Legoland with and Skate!

Melon, Photo: @mrz

FAVORITS

Beer: not really Wine: nope Liquor: Tequila!

Breakfast: coffee

Lunch: fish burrito

Dinner: Sushi

Late-night snack: Chocolate Peanut butter ice-cream Resturant: various SD burrito joints

Skateboarders: Miller, Halterman, Hewitt, Lasek, Wilkins..and like 50 other people.. Skatepark: Burnside

Skate spot: Buckys Bowl, Tonys Ramp..

Skate film / clip: Jim Thiebauds ramp jam, old anti hero vids..

You fave Tricks: stand up grind, or fs Ollie

When was the last time you really won big time?

Three weeks ago,While playing a set with McRad, jamming an improv reggae song live with Chuck Treece, Adrian Demain and Matt from Vans at a fund raiser for the Tony Hawk Foundation. It was an opportunity to share the stage with friends, and personal hero’s and help out the Foundation..

When was the time you really lost big time?

I got offered a spot on 6 week US. tour with Agent Orange playing bass, but had to turn it down due to a few classes I was committed to teaching.

When I travel, I always bring,

music, sleeping aids

Best travel advice I can give is,

learn to suffer in silence

Best life advice I can give is,

stay hungry and learn to enjoy the struggle, that is when you do your best work…

Are you good with money (do you plan, safe it, cash in or blow it)?

Save what I can..

Best travel memory you want to share?

Ten days in the Caymans for the opening of the Black Pearl Park in the mid 2000’s was pretty awesome.. Omar, Dove, Chalmers, Rhino, Staab and Navs were there and every night we’d all meet up on the beach after skating, chill out with our Island friends and hatch a plan for the next days adventure..

When I do not skateboard,

I play music

My fitness program is,

Skating.. and lifting my daughter

Do you care about your health?

yes

Anything that concerns you at the moment?

Not Much When I get old I want to, keep rolling

I would like to see more of,

Europe and Scandinavia

I should do more of,

Yoga

My future looks like,

More teaching, more free time, more travel.

I dream of some day that I would,

Get to skate and play music with the guys who influenced me as a kid.

On Netflix / YouTube / Internet I watch,

youtube: Cracked channel, Guitar Jamz, thrasher netflix: Gotham, music documentaries
internet, skateclips

If I could change the world I would,

lessen the influence of organized religion on society.. increase the influence of science on the world, teach children that materialism is a not the goal of life..

Everybody should own a,

Can opener, but i don’t

The hobby I have, no one knows about is,

Drawing.

I would love to be in a movie with,

Rosario Dawson..

Any regrets in life so far?

Nothing Major, just a few times, I’d wished i’d shown more discretion, kept my mouth shut, and tried a little harder to show my appreciation for the opportunities i’d been given..

Who should we follow on social media at the moment ?

I have a few nihilistic comedian friends I follow, that are amazingly honest, funny and insightful.. in the vein of Bill hicks or Sam Kinnison, but I’m keeping them to myself for now..

Thanks to, 

SOOOOO many people.. anyone who took a chance on this skinny smart ass kid, and gave me the opportunity to advance in life…namely Dave Metty, Owen Nieder, Paul Wisniewski, Jamie Mosberg, O, Bucky Lasek, Chuck Treece, Tod Swank, Tony Alva, Tony Hawk, Kevin Staab, Joe Wood..

Frontside air,  Grand Cayman-Photo Rhino