Skaters and Drugs Outtakes: Gino Iannucci plus '02 Divulge Interview

Still from Skaters and Drugs in '03, here's Gino's extras, short and sweet. I also scanned this '02 Gino Divulge for the Editorial section so pasting the raw text from that here too. Make it a Gino Monday. Portrait and nollie 180 sequence: Reda, 360 ollie sequence: O'Meally —ME

GINO IANNUCCI:

“It seems far more publicized in skating. Skateboarding is more about doing your own thing. It’s kind of on you. There aren’t going to be drug tests or anything.”

“When you’re young, it’s like more normal to be around experimentation and those situations. As you get older, it get’s a little less common. I think using drugs later on is where it gets more dangerous—when it’s not experimentation anymore.”

“Skateboarding might get your kid around some sketchy situations. But that’s what life is about. If you raise your kid right, you know they’re going to make the right decisions. Skateboarding takes a kid out of that shelter. Some day, whether you like it or not, that’s going to happen regardless. Making mistakes later on can be a lot more costly.”

“I’ve seen firsthand pro skaters that skate better zooted.”

Here's the Divulge text:

Cult Classic

Gino Iannucci reflects on a bigger pond, corporate crossover, and the road from 101

Words Mackenzie Eisenhour

Progression always arrives in waves. A group of individuals, feeding off a common catalyst, spearhead the evolution of skateboarding and stretch it to include their own definition of the pastime. It happened in the ‘70’s with the Z-Boys, it happened in the ‘80’s with the Bones Brigade, and back in the mid-90’s, it happened with a group of World affiliates including, Blind, Plan B, and 101 teamriders. At the crest of the mid-90’s wave, Gino Ianucci brought speed, finesse, style, and creativity to what could have been one of the more awkward phases skateboarding has endured. While much of the emphasis at the time was on a heightened level of difficulty, Gino managed to safeguard skateboarding’s fluidity and ensure that progress need not sacrifice style. As the mid-90’s swell berths new tides, the shoreline is changing. Big money, bigger companies, and adult life all add up to the ultimate test of any progressive movement—the test of time.

What has been the biggest change in professional skateboarding since ’96?
It’s definitely more of a job now. Not that that makes it better or worse. There’s definitely a lot more money in it now then there was in ‘96. I mean nowadays you see pros doing ads with Bentleys, Lamborghinis, diamonds, and foxes. To me that shit’s just whattev’s. I kind of miss the days when skating was hated on—a little more underground. Skaters used to be like these hoodlum outlaws. That’s really what we traded for what it is now.

What would you have said two years ago if somebody told you you were getting a shoe for Nike?
Two years ago, it would definitely have been unbelievable. Just picturing my shoe sitting next to Jordan’s up in the store or something. The way skateboarding is right now it doesn’t even seem that crazy. It’s so big; it’s almost understandable now.

How was it filming the commercial?
Pretty strange for sure. Like 20 people standing around, huge camera units, and this closed off double-set. They had like a full permit and all that. This guy was standing right next to me and he’d yell action for every try.

Did they understand that it was switch?
I doubt it. I tried to explain that it was like a 180 going backwards but I don’t think they got it. I kind of had to just tell them, “Look, just trust me, its going to look cool, it’ll work for the commercial”.

Was it their idea to run all the slams?
Actually, I made the trick second try and they wanted to shoot more so I kept trying. After I made it once, I just couldn’t get another one to go. When I was leaving the set the guy was like, “I think we really caught something there. We’re going to use more of you falling and not so much of you landing it.” At the time I was kind of pissed off but when I saw the finished one it actually came out good.

What goes on inside the Nike headquarters in Oregon?
You always kind of wonder what their headquarters are going to look like. I mean you know how big the company is. I’m used to going down to the skate companies and the product is like right there stacked up. At Nike it’s like this whole college campus with nothing but offices. You don’t see any of the shoes around the offices. It’s just this whole community with this nice landscaping and all that.

How did the backside heelflip over the gonz gap happen?
That was the first time I was in San Francisco. We were actually about to fly home in a couple hours, and we went to skate EMB to kill time. Nobody was really skating that day. It was me, Keenan, Keith Hufnagel, and I think Jamie Thomas was there. Gabe Morford was shooting photos. I went up and looked at it and just got psyched to try something over it. At the time I was running backside heelflips every which way so that’s what I tried and it worked out. That and the switch flip down the Hubba stairs that same day were pretty much the first coverage I ever got.

What was the best trick you ever witnessed at the old World park?
I got on 101 after a lot of the real crazy stuff had already gone down. I do remember Keenan doing a fakie pop shove-it to fakie 5-0 frontside halfcab out on the ledge. At the time that was pretty amazing. The footage got lost.

What’s up with your skateshop?
I was looking for something to do out here and I had a friend who owned a tattoo parlor. The basement was empty and he had another friend who wanted to open a shop so we all got together and went in on it. It should be done by the beginning of May. It’s called Poets, from Poet’s Corner which was around were I grew up.

Rundown your September 11, ’01 day.
I was in my car when I first heard about it on the radio. I was down in Long Island and all these cop cars were just flying by. I finally got home and just watched the whole thing on television. I pretty much hung out at my house and watched it up until today. Personally I’m over the coverage of it. The whole fireman, FDNY thing has gotten to the point where it’s being exploited. Out here, they’re putting up memorials left and right. Every train station and street corner has a golden statue of a fireman holding a baby or something. It’s cool, but overkill is overkill. It just cheapens the initial reaction. They should have ended it with the special Robert De Niro hosted and just move on.

What do you think they should do with the spot where the buildings were?
I actually liked the light idea, but then when they finished it it just looked like shit. I think they just need to move on. Build something and keep moving. Build a vert ramp or a skatepark there.

If you only had three tricks, what would they be?
360 ollies, switch backside 180’s, and nollie heelflips.

What does going fast do for your skateboarding?
To me, that just feels like the right way to do it. I’ve had people tell me before like, “Maybe you should go a little slower.” but I couldn’t really mess around with going slow. Just flying into a ledge or something and coming out with speed, that just makes the whole trick complete.

What kind of mark did Keenan leave on NYC skateboarding and life in general?
His mark, and really what he left everybody who knew him was his personality. Everybody knows that just being around him was enjoyable. His personality came through in his skating. Just watching him skate was enjoyable, he looked so unique on a board and chose unique tricks to do. Keenan never stressed being pro or any of that. He didn’t want to skate everyday. But when he did, he f---ed it up, because he was psyched to skate. He never looked at it like a job.