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INTERVIEWS

Blondey McCoy Talks Influence, Creativity, & Cultural Appropriation

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Over the past several years, Blondey McCoy has conquered the world. Emerging as one of the faces of Palace and adidas has firmly cemented his status in skateboarding. Simultaneously, he’s infiltrated fashion and the art world through his Thames label, solo exhibitions, and work with high-profile brands like Burberry. What’s most impressive is that he accomplished all of this by age 21. If nothing else, you have to respect Blondey’s hustle.

END. recently visited McCoy in his studio and conducted a proper interview. He goes on the record about many things, including how skateboarding has influenced his personal creativity, and fashions appropriation of skate culture.

END.: Would you say that skateboarding is linked to your creativity?

Blondey: Absolutely. Skateboarding taught me self-confidence and not to need people’s approval to be who you want. Perhaps a little too much. A hundred skaters can do the same trick, but they all do it differently. I always find that amazing. It’s cliched to say, but there are skaters who look more fluid falling off their board than others who are doing the most technically advanced, horrific tricks and robotically making them every time. I think British skateboarding has often been a case of style over substance when compared to American skateboarding. I used to skip school to go and linger in the old Slam store until I could muster up the courage to talk to the people who worked there. I remember the board wall was an absolute beauty and none of the artists seemed to have GCSEs or anything, but they had their own style and didn’t seem to care what people thought of it. Whether that was the case or not, I’ve carried that mentality with me through everything. I’d feel saner having a good bash at ten things than studying for ten years to be told by an unelected mentor that I’m good enough to do one.

END.: Do you think that skating has given you the mindset that it’s okay to fail?

Blondey: I would sooner say that it’s given me the mindset that persistence is everything. Skateboarding is one massive game of trial and error and even if you’re naturally gifted you will fail 99% of the time and break bones. But that’s what makes the 1% of attempts you roll away from rewarding enough to keep at it and bring that trick up to scratch. There is a real work ethic attached. I suppose more importantly it just taught me not to seek constant validation from people and to set my own standards, which is pretty paradoxical to youth culture now with social media and whatever – but that’s another can of worms.

END.: There’s been a lot of fallout recently about fashion’s appropriation of skateboarding culture and style, what’s your take on it?

Blondey: It’s boring. Skateboarding isn’t a subculture anymore – at least not in America. It’s as normal a thing to do there as playing football is in the UK. I think culture clashes are what make the world bearable. Variety is what keeps things interesting and we cant go setting double standards as supposedly liberal people. Everything’s up for grabs if you ask me. You know, I couldn’t care less about football or tennis or cricket, but I don’t feel like I’m pillaging their culture by wearing the kit. I could waffle on about this all day without making any sense, but I basically think everyone should do whatever the fuck they want.

We recommend making time to read this entire piece.

Image Via End.

INTERVIEWS

Pocket Skate Mag Features Daniel Ledermann in ‘Followed’

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Pocket Skate Mag crew went with Daniel Ledermann in his chosen home of Innsbruck, Austria in this episode of “Followed“.

They began their day with a short hike in the Alps and then visited his apartment before hitting the streets to watch Dani get clips both in front and behind the lens of his own setup.

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INTERVIEWS

How to Make it in Skateboarding? Your Fave Pros Got Some Answers

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Chris Joslin, Felipe Gustavo, Mariah Duran, Matt Berger, Ryan Decenzo, and Giovanni Vianna discuss the dominance of Brazilian skateboarders, the forces that drive progression, and more in “Unfiltered.”

“Unfiltered” is a debut content series that offers an unedited glimpse into the minds of the world’s most prominent action sports stars. This roundtable conversation covers a range of topics, including the sport’s evolution, how to handle competition nerves, the impact of social media, and much more.

The first collection features nine episodes, with additional episodes, athletes, and topics scheduled for release this fall. Every Friday, new episodes are released on the X Games YouTube channel.

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INTERVIEWS

‘Cold Call’ Presents Andy Anderson

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In this episode of Thrasher’s “Cold Call“, Andy Anderson explores Venice’s iconic spots channeling inspiration from legends Natas, TA, and Rodney before unleashing his own freestyle prowess.

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