Thursday 7 January 2010

Get your bearings: Mike Wright

Leeds lurker and tech flip boss drops an interview with Hooked.


Hooked:
So, how are you doing...just tell us all where you're living at the moment and who you're riding for?

Mike:
Hello Everyone thats reading your computer screen
I am living, in Hebden Bridge West Yorkshire in Between Leeds and Manchester... with myself and my dad. As for riding for I like to think im riding for myself and showing off to my friends and then the products I endorse with humans attached and skate for are...
Almost Skateboards
Krew Clothing
Nike Sb feet clothes
Hubba Wheels .. I have a wheel coming out no way
Independent Trucks
Red Bull Energy drink 'it gives you wings'
not to leave out The Works Skatepark our relationship is quite a sponsoring one

so their is 6 different brands and groups of people that help me along my skate path.


What does a day in the life of Mike Wright consist of?

Depends what day it is .. and where I am but at home it's usually either helping my dad with something and planning on going skating or being skating.
I have a job with my dad and it is extremely flexible so a day in my life usually consists of a decent amount of skating and a decent amount of sitting at my computer looking at some of my favorite things.


What do you do when you're not skating?

Do normal things like food shopping and washing up eating and sleeping
hanging out
sometimes I hang out in the street like an asbo
I go to my local gym fairly often... 'Waterside Gym' if I promote they might give me perks...


You do a lot of complicated tricks like shove it late flips and back
foot flips... you don't see too much of that around these days. What inspires you to learn these tricks?

I'm a fan of late tricks always have been. They look good and they bounce around there's alot to play with late flip things.


What's your favourite trick?

My favirote trick... that question - I dont think anyone has a straight answer to... Maybe I'm wrong. I like the kickflip alot, it's a pretty good trick.



Who is killing it on the UK scene at the moment?

Darran Nolan kills it like a tortoise
Joe Moore will skate for chocolate muffins
Rupert Antoine will skate for baguettes
all facts, no fiction.

Kris Ville bloody well kills

'newest sensation' from Manchester is a skater who is so XXX you cant help but love it...
Tonnes of people kill it man I wouldn't want to pick out too many favorites they all smash it in their own powerful ways.


Is there anyone who you look up to in skateboarding? Any influences on your style?

Yeah loads - you pick up habits all the time by watching.
I'm a fan of Haslam and Deawon, Cory Kennedy and Chris Cole...
I want to be like Chris Miller on vert and Ocean Howell on flat at the same time.



What cities have the best scene, and what makes them so great?

In England I don't know the scenes in a big way.
The ones I'm most familiar with are Leeds and Sheffield and Manchester... and a bit of London.
They're all good .. it's all a part of the same to be honest, you can get on whatever but Leeds is where I hang out the most and we've got a funny crew.
Leeds is always good for a laugh whether its Hyde park, The Works or the Streets...
So come for a skate already.


How does it feel to ride for an American company, and was it hard leaving Blueprint?

It feels good - I'm proud of Almost, I like the guys that run the brand.
Leaving blueprint wasn't hard, it's what I wanted to do.



'Heel Toe Magic' has not long been out. It's got a fair few rad skits and is really different from a lot of skate video out there as it's doesn't take itself seriously - what was filming like for that, intense - or a relaxed laugh?

Relaxed laugh yea. Filming skating should never be intense, skate how your comfortable. The filming was fun... I had ideas of tricks to try and so on and some crazy ideas of endless runs and things that just werent going to work out.
But mainly just picking the best bits out of having a session and then pushing it to try and get clips. It wasn't difficult to put it together in an edit either... the process is enjoyable.



Do you have any choice stories you want to disclose?

I can think of a couple of good scrounging kid at demos stories... The scrounging kid being me. First one was at Redcar where I pestered John Rattray for his sweaty DC shirt that went down to my knees, I was so pleased. Me and 3 friends got photos in XXXL sweated DC gowns.
The second was during the Osiris tour at Bolton Bones Skatepark...
The demo was finishing and Josh Kasper went to the top of the big flatbank to shut it down with his jumping to flat... him, Chad and Tyrone tore it down with a few flips and 180s and then kaspar got into trying the 360 flip... he was struggling but as we know he is a soldier and he made it as there was a big crowd gathering... Everyone was filming and cheering.
As he rode away and came back to the cameras, I quickly ran over and asked him if I could have his setup. He looked around as people were looking on and passed me the Blind Reaper gripped 360 flip to flat setup and said yeah man you have it, and walked off sweatily.

At first I was stoked... then... I got home with the setup and ruined the board and tensor trucks by skating it in the wet after about a week. Those are some demo experiences.

I have a story about psychics:
I used to imagine it was reasonable that some people claimed to be psychic.
Now I understand it's perfectly unreasonable that some people claim to be psychic.
Keep an eye on the ill gotten gains.


What trick should you have down by now but haven't?

Handplants
I'm trying but I'm too weak - I gotta get some handplant steroids... joke


Top 5 favourite bands?

I dont listen to many bands very often most the musicians I like are on their own.
Heres some links to some music people I like:

the zappas dweezil ,ahmet ,moon have some cool music







Finally, drop some names to thank...

Thank you Dave, I've enjoyed answering questions;
And thankyou God because you remind us that so many people live their lives day in day out with lies in their head... the way it should be


Cheers Mike, exciting stories. We'll be keeping our eyes on your blog to see what you're up to:

Check out some crip footage of Mike and don't forget to lookout for him in Heel Toe Magic, out now... buy it from our friends at The Ledge here, or Rollersnakes in the shop.








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