Lodge Guest, Packy Fancher

Name: Packy Fancher

Current: Job / school: Staffing Agency, Recruiter

Where are you from? Virginia, USA. Lived near Virginia Beach, Virginia Tech, and Washington DC for most of it.

Please name a cool place from where you are from?

There was an amazing bowl in a small town called Chuckatuck that was 15min from my high school. Had a 6ft shallow end that went up to 7ft and opened into a 9ft triangular deep end. One of the deep-end pockets was a 16ft diameter cradle. All skate lite, it was amazing. Gone now…

Where do you currently live? Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA

Please name a cool spot from where you are from? Now that I’m in San Diego I’d say Bucky Lasek’s bowl. It’s pretty large.

What nationaly do you feel the most? *Chanting* USA, USA, USA!

Family status: Married, on June 2^nd my wife is hooking us up with a baby girl.

Age: 31

Sponsors: Officially Cockfight Skateboards and Ace Trucks. My friend Adam Taylor hooks me up with knee pads from 187 under the table and I have a Skeleton Key Team shirt so I’m going to claim them as well!

Years of skateboarding: In August of 2017 I’ll hit my 20yr mark.

Board size: Vert board: 8.75, “other” board: 8.5

Wheel size: Vert board: 58mm, “other” board: 54mm

Trucks: Vert: Ace 155s, “other:” 144

Loose or tight trucks : Depends! Vert is super tight with the hard bones bushings, other board has soft bushings and loose trucks.

Change set up every: eh, not as often as I should.

Current Board trend: Having two different boards is a trend of mine. For others, I guess having one rail?

 

 

 

 

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

Street: Almost never, I have a neighborhood bar cruiser board and I’ll Ollie up curbs to get around.

(Skatepark) Flow Street: 5% of the time, I like to skate Prince Park in Oceanside with some good street flow.

Miniramp: another 5% maybe, a lot of mini ramps being built these days have corners and features, kind of melding into bowlish territory

Long board: Does the bar cruiser count? It’s got soft wheels.

Vert: 60% of the time. I like vert a lot.

Bowl: 30% Bucky’s is a bowl but it’s pretty much a vert ramp with corners. It’s my favorite thing to skate. Been skating combi a lot lately as well. We have no shortages of roundwall here in SD

Freestyle: hahaha, nah.

 

 

Please tell us about your daily DAY by the hours, (or tell us about your longest day the last week’s) we want to know how your day is looking like

 06.00: Awake, making coffee, getting ready for work, once a week I’ll go to a 6am yoga class

07.00: Getting ready for work, making breakfast, driving to work

08.00: Usually at work before or by 8am. I like to get in early so everyone thinks I work super hard

09.00: work

12.00: lunch, I try to bring left overs but if I buy my lunch its usually Bahn Mi’s from a place called Baguette Bros, on Wednesdays I work from home and always go to “It’s Raw Poke Shop” 5 blocks from my house, and then there’s a grocery story with a hot lunch buffet with good options. San Diego has pretty solid food options.

13.00: Work but this is usually when I send my barrage of text messages to try and chase down a vert session or somewhere else after work

15.00: work coupled with internet surfing, reading up on offseason NFL football news, counting the days until football season. I like to watch a lot of football because it’s good to take a mental break from skateboarding.

17.00: Usually leaving work around this time (since I got in so early!) and I’m usually driving about one hour to go skate to where I’m gonna skate.

18.00: Sitting in traffic.

19.00: Probably sitting in the parking lot of a vert ramp in north county waiting for everyone to show up, stretching, skating vert.

20.00: Doing the same vert shit I’ve been doing for the past 12 years

21.00: Driving home from skating.

22.00: Hang out with the wife, unless she’s asleep, then I’ll play some videogames. I play Madden and Star Wars Battlefront. I’m actually a huge nerd.

23.00: Sleep

01.00: probably getting up to piss then more sleep

 

 

 

How are you doing at the moment?

Good, drinking some coffee, deciding where I’m gonna snag some breakfast (I cook my breakfast every weekday but it’s Saturday so I’m going to treat myself). **I ended up getting a breakfast burrito FYI.

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

99% I do have some minor hip flexor pain from sitting at my desk too long the other day. It’s fine though

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

I moved from a densely populated area (Washington DC) to a rural area (Smithfield, Virginia) where everyone is still living like we’re in the 1960s… Wasn’t really down with the culture there and there wasn’t much to do. This was in 1997 so skateboarding was still not a “cool” thing to do. It was a great way to cure the intense boredom of my new home.

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

Fuck yes. Although I’m a bigger frame guy and I’m pretty sure I could rough some people up in football. But I don’t see people in their 30s casually playing contact football. I plan on skating at a decent level until my 60s.

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

80s: I was born in 1985 but I’m into history so I have heard many stories from that time. I started skating vert in Virginia Beach so hearing about the glory days from the Windsor Woods fork crew made a big impression on me. Everyone in DC WONT STOP talking about Cedar Crest. I could probably tell you about every single party and how many people were there. Apparently is was ‘epic.’ I also found tons of old skate videos, Ban This is one of my favorites.

90s: Started skating in 1997 so the 90s for me was all about shitty kickflips and 50-50s on curbs. Took about 2 years to become semi-competent on a skateboard

2000+: Learned to drop in on vert in February of 2000. I gravitated towards wider boards. I had this Toy Machine fist board that was like 8.8. No one was riding that kind of thing at the time. I had noticed skate parks being built at this time had a lot of transition features. I was pretty sure bowl skating was going to be huge sooner or later. I was right! Starting around 2005 I was doing Tampa AM and other AM vert contests. Couldn’t do flip tricks or spin so I didn’t go very far but I like doing fs grinds and backside airs so I didn’t mind, I just liked being in the mix and going to the parties. I entered a bunch of bowl contests for World Cup. Skated the Combi contest in 2007 and didn’t get last, bunch of Oregon Trifectas. I got to do the fist ever Dew Tour Bowl contest in Ocean City. That was pretty badass, everyone was on the deck of the bowl pounding beers next to NBC cameras. Someone’s beer exploded on Bob Burnquist, he was cool about it though. That was a damn good time, Ocean City Maryland is an absolute trip.

2010+: My “adult” skating years. This is my favorite time because at this point I have met a ton of people and travelled a lot. I finished college in 2010 and went to Europe for a month by myself. Spent most of that month in Berlin, I absolutely love that place. In 2013 my now wife and I got to go to Ultrabowl in Malmo so that was pretty fun. Got to skate the Copenhagen park which is literally the #1 best park I’ve ever skated in 20 years. Probably the last time I do an international pro level event.   I’m pretty sociable so I have a large network of skaters to call wherever I go. When I started dating my wife we would go to skate parks in random towns and we’d always run into someone I knew, she thought it was pretty weird but skateboarding is one big family.

 

 

 

Do you feel skateboarding is in a good way?

Yeah. Skateboarding is about the individual so you can go bomb a hill on a long board, do some casper stall shit in a parking lot, grind a hand rail, carve a pool, backside air a vert ramp. No matter what is popular in skating at any time, no one is making you do anything. No one is making you do slappies if they’re in style, no one is making you drop in on a big ramp. You’re the boss you can do whatever you want. Its awesome and I think it helps you learn things about the world at large through a skateboarding lens.

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

Well I don’t have talent to be in them so having said that they totally suck, haha. All jokes aside, it goes back to the last question, if all of a sudden there’s a buncha kids training to be in the Olympics, that’s their thing, they’re not making you train for the Olympics. I like the counter culture aspects of skating so in that sense I’m not really big on it. On the flip side, it’s an opportunity for some dudes to make some good money and travel the world. I always say that skateboarders should take as much as they can from the corporate entities, GET THAT MONEY. Plus I hear that the Olympic committee passes out free condoms so to all the homies that get to do it, “GET THAT OLYMPIC PUSSY!”

Where do you stand in terms of politics?

Whether you’re male or female you need to get that money!

Who do you hang out with at the with at the moment?

My super pregnant wife.

Have you been on any great mission’s lately ?

I spent 2 days helping to dig out the Pala pool. I have known Peacock since like… 2006 or 2007 so it was fun to be a part of the big dig. Digging out a pool is fucking hard. 2 weeks ago my wife and I joined a large crew at the Nude Bowl, someone brought lights and we camped. She’s 7 months pregnant and camped just fine, she’s a badass.

Explain the Dream session,

5-7 person session at Buckys, Faelledparken, Combi or the Skatehalle in Berlin. I get along with most people so it could be with anyone as long as it’s only 5-7 of them.

Have you been working on projects lately, DIY or other funny stuff ?

Yes, I didn’t really help with the concrete part but I helped a friend of mine clear a lot of shit out of his back yard for a little ukulele shaped bowl he has. Deep end is 4ft and it’s very challenging, super tight pockets, good coping, one corner is all rocks but you can grind the shit out of them. Can’t tell you where it is though 😉

When I was little I would like to,

I was obsessed with Star Wars as a kid (I have a Darth Vader tattoo now). I would play Tie Fighter on PC, probably one of the best PC games ever. I also played baseball until I was 12. Once I discovered the skateboard baseball kinda went away.

When I’m home I like to

Drink beer, and I do a lot of chores.

What kind of music to you listen to ?

My favorite band is the Talking Heads, they’ve been my favorite for like 16 years now. I like funky stuff, I like hip hop (A Tribe Called Quest, stuff like that). The last concert I went to was Steely Dan and I’m gonna see Hall and Oates in July. People usually don’t ask me to put music on at sessions…

I normally call my homies for,

Skate sessions.

Your homies are,

Think of your favorite vert or pool skater and I’m probably skating with them later this week.

I enjoy going to,

Sunset Cliffs (google it), I live two blocks from the ocean so I like going there, everything in my neighborhood is walking distance so my wife and I can eat anything you can think of within 5 blocks. We like running down to Mexico sometimes. We also like camping in the desert certain times of year.

 

 

FAVORITES

Beer: Tough call. Definitely Pacifico (instagram handle is @pacificodrinkin), that’s my favorite overall beer. Bells Brewery is one of my favorite breweries. They make a Two Hearted Ale and an Oberon ale as well (good for summer drinking). Karl Strauss makes a good Mosaic Session IPA. I got introduced to Pilsners in Prague so I like Pilsner Urquell, I’m always trying pilsners from microbreweries here.

Wine: Pass. But if I have to I like Pinot Noir.

Liquor: Blanton’s Bourbon or Clase Azul Reposado Tequila.

FOOD:

Breakfast: Basically everyday I eat a chopped up poblano pepper and tomato egg scramble with half an avocado sliced up. Been doing avocado toast lately with a friend egg on top. Tapatio hot sauce is a must. If I go out for breakfast I’ll get a breakfast sandwich or eggs benedict.

Lunch: poke, bahn mi sandwiches

Dinner: Sushi, Oysters, we like to cook so we cook a lot of different stuff

Late-night snack: California burrito

Resturant: The Joint is a good sushi fusion place in my neighborhood, Raglan’s Public House is probably our favorite neighborhood restaurant. We recently discovered the Crack Shack which is a friend chicken sandwich place close to downtown. For a special occasion we’ll go to Juniper and Ivy (same owner as the Crack Shack). The owner of those two is a judge on Food Network cooking competitions.

 SKATE

Skateboarders: Too many to list. I love everyone!

Skatepark: Faelledparken, Combi, Prince Park in Oceanside, Washington Street

Skate spot: Bucky’s

Skate film / clip: Ban This made a huge impression. Future Primitive. Also Tent City from Anti Hero, that is like some sort of skate Bible.

You fave Tricks: Eggplants, Madonnas, Frontside feebles.

Culture:

Art: No favorites off the top of my head. I like futurism and surrealism though.

Film: Apocalypse Now

Music: Talking Heads, A Tribe Called Quest, Steely Dan, anything funky with a beat

Book: The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

City’s: BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN. I was a history major so in between skating I did a lot of exploring on that trip. More of the Cold War relics and shit like that. I’ll throw Washington DC in there as well.

 People:

Writers: Kurt Vonnegut all day

Actors: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill, also I guess Daisy Ridley (you see where I’m going with this)

Skaters: Anyone that’ll skate with me.

Homeboys: my friend that just got his shit built in his backyard. Portsmouth Pool Service, Windsor Woods Fork Crew, and anyone that’ll skate with me. Josh Stafford, Willis Kimball, Danny Tumia, Adam Taylor, Dan Sparagna, there’s countless (sorry if you weren’t mentioned!).

Technology:

Tablet: pass

TV: Samsung cause they make the glass for other TVs

Camera: Sony

Phone: Samsung

APP: Instagram

Car: 2017 Subaru Outback 3.6L

Bike: I focus primarily on burning fossil fuels to get around. Sorry everyone! *cough cough*

 

 

 

When was the last time you really won big time?

Well for brownie points I’m gonna say get married to my wife Alex, and I’m gonna win big in June when my baby arrives. But the answer you’re looking for would be in 2010 when I went to Berlin. They had a bowl contest the 1^st place was 500 euros. I didn’t have a lot of cash so I volunteered to clean up the park and help set up for the event. I was the first skater in the first heat which is usually a curse but I ended up not bailing anything and I won. I lost my shit.

When was the time you really lost big time?

My behavior when I found out I won in Berlin.

When you travel, is there anything you ALWAYS bring ?

MY SKATEBOARD! Also I try to bring my phone, phone charger, and Jambox (portable Bluetooth speaker). Extra socks.

Best travel advice you can give is,

Bring your phone charger. Observe first, then speak. Be 15min early for everything, always.

Best life advice you can give is,

Bring your phone charger. Observe first, think, then speak. Be 15min early for everything, always.

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

My wife is good with money. I have a 401K, I’m somewhat responsible with money. I spend too much on going out to eat and expensive beer.

Best travel memory you want to share?

Probably the Berlin trip. This past August my wife and I flew to Portland Oregon and drove to Euguene (AMAZING skatepark) and stayed in Bend, Oregon for a few days. Really good stuff to skate out there, it’s beautiful. Tons of volcanic rocks, lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, dark green forests (not a lot of green in San Diego. Well there is a lotta ‘green’ but…)

When I do not skateboard I,

Chores. Go out to eat, cook.

My fitness program is,

Skating, yoga, sometimes surfing, and chores.

Do you care about your health?

Yeah I plan on skating well into my 60s..

Anything that concerns you at the moment?

Oh I dunno, bringing a human being into the world in a few weeks. Small stuff like that.

When I get old I want to,

Skate into my 60s. After that I guess surf and snowboard depending on where I’m living. Maybe get a dirtbike and ride around the desert. But skate until I literally cannot.

I would NEVER,

Quit skating before my 60s. Or smoke cigarettes. Or buy a scooter for my daughter.

I would like to see more of,

Maui, Berlin. I need to check out the South Pacific.

That one time where I was in jail because of,

Throwing snowballs at cars in college.

I should do more of,

Yoga and surfing

My future looks like,

Pretty fucking solid.

I dream of some day that I would,

Raise my daughter to save the world.

On Netflix / YouTube / Internet I watch,

Stand up comedy, Saturday Night Live, Fargo, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, skate clips, Star Wars rumors.

If I could change the world I would,

I would like international travel to be easier and more accessible to more people.

Everybody should own a,

Passport. Or a 401k… you’re going to live a long time.

The hobby I have, no one knows about is,

Playing Madden (football video game), I’m in the top 7% of players on Playstation.

I will never get rid of,

My skateboard, and my list of contacts.

I would love to be in a movie with,

Emma Watson

Any regrets in life so far?

Not kissing enough girls in high school, I was a pussy.

Who should we follow on social media at the moment?

1. Doggosdoingthings. Nicknpattiwhack.

Anything else,

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about my favorite topic!

Random story’s you want to share?

Umm my only name dropping story I’ll share is when we were skating Pala a few weeks ago and two big vans show up. It was the Mountain Dew skate team and film crew. It wa a BIG crew. So I was skating it with Chris Russell, Curren Caples, Dalton Dern, Daymein Hertenstein, some of the ripping locals, Sean Malto, etc. I think I saw Theotis Beasley but he was spectating. Most of them were spectating, looked like they had been skating all day. Got to chat with Sean Malto a bit, the only street skating videos I really watch are the Girl/Lakai folks so that was fun (Fully Flared, Pretty Sweet, all that stuff). I got to give Malto some tips on how to smith grind the pool. I felt kinda silly telling someone like that how to do something on a skateboard but he was a super nice guy.

Alternate (might be better to use than that first one, your call!):

When I got to skate the Dew Tour Bowl contest in Ocean City some friends of mine and I rented out this complex of 6-8 different beach bungalow/apartments. It was 2 blocks from the event but all the pros were in a hotel at least a mile away from the contest. Parking is impossible there so a lot of the guys in the contest were just hanging out at our place all weekend. I think 95% of the contest had a beer or caught a buzz there at some point.

The Bowl Final was one of the last events of the weekend. I obviously did not make it to finals, so me and this girl I was dating at the time decided we should eat some mushrooms as walk to the contest. We were in the rider’s tent drinking beer, staring at NBC cameras follow Pedro Barros through the sky, time really slowed down for us when he would do an air. Most of the crowd was given neon green hats so the stands were looking pretty trippy. We made it through 2 heats before it became too overwhelming so we headed back to the bungalow. We were in the second level of one of the larger apartments rolling on the ground giggling and groups of people kept coming by to say hey and have a beer. Most people left after like 15min because we were so messed up and obnoxious. After the 3^rd time the front door opened I stomp and shout “WHO GOES THERE?!” Sure enough it’s Steve Caballero and I’m just like “OH SHIT. Hello Mr. Cab how are you?” He smiled and left within a minute or two.

Thanks to

Cockfight Skateboards, Ace Trucks, Portsmouth Pool Service and Windsor Woods for teaching me everything that’s important, everyone I skate with now, anyone that has built terrain on their property – you have achieved skateboard salvation and will enter the Kingdom of Skateboard Heaven. And you for sending me these questions, great meeting you guys when you were in town, hope you had a blast!