Editor's Note: We sat down with Andy before his prelim for the park event. Andy just missed the final cut there but made up for it on the Vert ramp where he took first place by killing it on his final run. We wanted to know a bit more about his opinons on the state of skating right now and he had plenty to say, so enjoy.
EXPN: So have you been out to see Dogtown yet?
Andy Macdonald: Yeah, I thought it was really good for what it was, like a snapshot of that posse. It will definitely help to explain some of the history behind skateboarding, because a lot of kids I think don't realize that people have been doing it for so long. I also think though that it is just that…a snapshot of those guys. 'Cause there were a lot of guys besides the Z-Boys that were doing it.
EXPN: Yeah, it would be great to see the next part, you know? The guys who came next.
Andy: Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. I came out of there and was like, I can't wait until part two. Because if you really think about it, to me the original Bones Brigade and Powell Peralta had just as much, if not more, influence than the Z-Boys.
EXPN: Ok, so Dogtown in comparison to the new Ultimate X movie?
Andy: Well, Ultimate X is even more of just a snapshot. I haven't seen it so I can't really comment on it. I know that Ultimate X is just about one contest so it would be kinda like the whole Dogtown thing being only about the one contest in Del Mar. It's really just not an accurate picture of the people who are in it I think. It just seems odd that if you are going to do an IMAX film that you would kinda pick your skaters that you were going to focus on and then give them a chance to do their thing. With the large format movies it seems that you could do so much more than just show a contest. At a contest people are doing contest runs and not necessarily their best stuff.
EXPN: Since we are talking about competitions, which is your favorite?
Andy: The ones that I win. (laughing) Really though, there's a contest in Innsbruck, Austria, the Air and Style. Those are always super fun. Really good prize money and a laid back, fun atmosphere.
EXPN: What do you think about this competition, being in a mall and everything?
Andy: I was thinking that the park itself is exactly the same as the Vans parks, except this one says ESPN above it. It's kinda weird that we are having a contest here. Because it doesn't really seem like the place for it because no one can see it. I mean there is absolutely no spectator space.
To me, part of the reason that we go out on tour is so that people from different areas get to see skateboarding. To see it on TV is one thing, but to see it actually in person, is a COMPLETELY different thing. Basically the people who come here to see the street contest are going to be watching it on the JumboTron outside.
We might as well just go to a lot in Hollywood where no one can see it and they can film it. That would probably be easier for them to film it and better for us to skate you know? To me it just doesn't make sense, if you are going to have a contest and we are going to fly out to wherever to compete you should build the street course with grandstands or in an arena. That way a lot of people can come and see the skateboarding live.
EXPN: Speaking of arena tours, you just did the Huckjam kickoff right? How was that?
Andy: It was a lot of fun. Tony and I used to do something similar to that for Charles Schultz every year, in Santa Rosa. It was BMX, Inline and Skateboarding put into a very choreographed show. Tony and I always thought it would be great if we could do it as an arena event, but no one ever had the resources. Thanks to a certain video game though (laughing) Tony now has the resources to do it all.
It was great, super fun. It was awesome skating with the bands right there literally like 30 feet away. Mike Ness and Social Distortion are playing and you are on the ramp. It's a lot of work and a lot of precision. You are going off of cues and there's doubles and triples and the motocross guys flying over your head so it has to be on point or else you can get really hurt, but we pulled it off.
EXPN: So how many people showed up for the event?
Andy: I think it was about 200 people short of a sell-out. That's great considering that no one has ever seen it before. It was just this idea that is hard to convey. Just seeing video or whatever, there is no way you can put that kind of show on TV. Maybe if there was a camera over the whole thing. There is so much going on at different parts of the ramp and different stages, all at once. Often times in practice, I would be sitting there watching and I would so fascinated with what was going on that I would miss my cue every now and then.
EXPN: Ok, speed round. Which movie do you want to see more? Spiderman or Star Wars?
Andy: Well, I already saw Spiderman. It was pretty fun. It actually surprised me that it grossed more than the Harry Potter one. It just shows you that Spiderman transcends generations. From the old movie to the comic book fans. I thought it was supercool, I have never been a comic book fan, but it was entertaining.
Star Wars, I am just old school Star Wars. I saw Phantom Menace and it was just a big marketing ploy to me. I think a lot of people got upset about that, with Jar Jar Binks and everything. It was more about selling toys. From what I hear though, the new one is going to be less of that and more of the actual story and all. We'll see though, I'll definitely go see it.
EXPN: Ok, favorite place to go and skate?
Andy: There is a place that I actually didn't get to skate but I usually skate every year. Right outside of the venue at the Slam City Jam, Hastings Park, the bowls there.
Dave Duncan: (passing by) Yeah Yeah…cement! Rock some concrete!
Andy: Hey Dave, what's up?
Dave: Nothing…just chillin, I have to go check in, I'll talk to you later though.
Andy: Cool.
EXPN: Nice, that goes right to the next question. Tampa Pro or Slam City?
Andy: Slam City, no doubt. Again, just because of the fans, you know? The Tampa Pro is super roots, I used to go every single year. But it's at a skatepark and it's really hard for spectators to see anything. Where in Vancouver it's in an arena and you can get in and see everything up close. It allows that many more people to be exposed to great skateboarding.
EXPN: Ok, last one, favorite trick?
Andy: Probably…um…frontside Benihana when I am feeling it. Just superbig on a vert ramp, as big as I can do it. It's a really relaxing trick.
EXPN: Anything else you want to add?
Andy: There is a new cement park in Louisville that I have heard about. I am a big advocate of free public parks. Especially with cement, cause you can make things out of cement that you can't do with wood. The new one in Louisville, that's supposed to be great. It's got a full pipe in it and the lights stay on till 10 at night. There's no one there telling you to wear pads or anything. It's just like the softball field or the basketball court next door. That's how, in my eyes, they should all be. Just like baseball and basketball, there should be public places to skate.
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