Best Rocco story?
Dude, I just remember Rocco walking around and he never seemed like he was stressed. He was just the happy-go-lucky dude. He was everybody’s homie. He didn’t have the boss mentality to tell you what to do. I think that was more Rodney’s role. But even Rodney would do it in a nice buddy way too. But when Rodney wanted to put down the hammer, he would let you know. He didn’t beat around the bush when it mattered.
Best Kareem story?
I wouldn’t see him that much in the office. Actually JT handled a lot of Kareem’s stuff. He handled Axion and Menace/City Stars. Kareem would pop in and out at times but he was mostly on the skate sessions.
Favorite Dwindle brand?
Menace. I loved the fact that they were the underdogs. They had so much flavor. I loved hanging out and shooting photos of those guys. Eric Pupecki—I tell people to this day—I didn’t shoot too many photos of that guy but he was the one that had the most photos shot that got used. Almost any time I shot a photo of him—it got ran. It was guaranteed. It was the little details too. Like that one clip of Pupecki doing a backside 180 fakie 5-0 at Lockwood on the picnic table in Trilogy (’96). He’s wearing a beanie and the beanie has those little balls hanging off the top. Somehow even that detail just made me think it was the sickest clip ever.
For more on Trinh’s legendary photography career, head over to Slam City to read the full interview.