Friday, May 10

Bucky Chat

EXPN.com

Lasek recently took first place in the vert competition at the ninth annual Vans Slam City Jam in Vancouver, Canada, the first stop in the Vans Triple Crown of Skateboarding. This past summer, Lasek came up just short of claiming his third X Games vert gold medal in three years, settling for the silver.

Touchstone Pictures’ motion picture ESPN's Ultimate X takes audiences inside the excitement and explosive drama of the massively popular Summer X Games. Chronicling the breathtaking highlights and dramatic stories behind the 2001 Summer X Games in Philadelphia, ESPN's Ultimate X showcases the eye-popping skateboarding, BMX biking, Moto X, and street luge competitions on the giant screen for the first time.

The following is a transcript of the May 10 chat:

Bucky Lasek: Hey everyone. I'm here and ready to go!

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Sea-town: Bucky, is it wierd to see yourself up on the big screen?

Bucky Lasek: Yeah, it's weird to see an IMax screen, especially to see yourself on it. It's OVERWHELMING.

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BigMoney$$$: How has becoming an internationally renowned skateboarder changed you in any way? (other than being able to afford phat whips). Any regrets?

Bucky Lasek: The only thing it has changed is just being more known everywhere. But I still let everyone know I'm from Baltimore and from an unwealthy family. I just like to spend time with my family.

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SlamCityFan47: Whaddup Bucky? Describe what is so dope about the Slam City Jam contest and why or why not other comps should be designed the same way.

Bucky Lasek: I think it's the overall attendance off all the street and vert skaters. It's a core event so everyone is there. It's one of the only core events left. I'm not even sure it's core anymore but they cater to the skaters more than anyone else out there. The ramp this year sucked though. It was bad.

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Ultx47: Bucky, what do you REALLY think of the Ultimate X Movie? (tell us what the sponsors don't want you to say).

Bucky Lasek: The only thing I really didn't like was they covered the Luge so much. But that really captured the IMAX thing the most. So it's a love hate thing. Going downhill 70 MPH is cool but I"m not sure about calling it a sport. But I thought it looked good in the film so it was OK.

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Jasper: what r u listening to?

Bucky Lasek: Always the Bad Brains but I just started listening to the Neptunes.

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A-Dog: If they made a movie about yoru life who would you want to play the lead? Any thoughts of going into acting after your big screen debut?

Bucky Lasek: I've had people ask me about acting because I have done modeling but I don't know if I would be very good. I'm pretty realistic so it would have to be a role pretty close to my personality. I would probably have to go to school or something.

If the movie were about me, I would cast Steve Berra. He would be pretty funny.

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Rocky III: Do you still have as much fun riding now as you did before you went pro? Has it become a job?

Bucky Lasek: It's so much different. My best times were getting on the bus and just skating with my frirends all day downtown and taking the bus back home. Now we drive everywhere. It's not as much fun in that kind of way but I'm still learning so it's still fun.

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Drew: i was wondering how i could get your autograph

Bucky Lasek: Write to Birdhouse and I return all that mail. You can go to www.birdhouse.com and get the address.

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J.J. in Jersey: Bucky, what is your part in the movie?

Bucky Lasek: They show mine and Bob Burnquist's runs and put some drama behind it. I had a spectacular run and they ask if Bob can follow it up and of course he pulls it off. They also cover our friendship.

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Roger: What did you do for fun in Canada? Congratulations on winning the vert!

Bucky Lasek: What I did this time was hang out with all the guys. I take the chance that I'm given and spend time with my friends.

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Sault Ste Marie: Hey Bucky, what new tricks are you coming up with these days, and what do you think about the Love Park re-construction to stop skating there?

Bucky Lasek: I think it sucks what they are doing to Love Park. I was talking to Bob recently and he was talking about not even showing up for the X Games just because of that. I don't know. I think they are a bunch of hippocrits over there. They say they like skateboarding but they want to destroy a park that has been there forever?

I'm working on a heel flip rodeo.

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Ripper: What is the worse skate-related injury you have suffered in your days of skating?

Bucky Lasek: Mine was I blew out my left ACL on my knee about five years ago. It still restricts me today. I'm only about 80 percent. Thats why I don't skate street as much.

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Ripper: What was your last trick that you pull off at the very end of your part in "The End"? It looks like some sort of 720 to fakie

Bucky Lasek: It was a forward to fakie 720. I named it after my daughter's middle name McKenzie.

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AK4789: Bucky, who were your direct or indirect influences when you were coming up? (doesn't necessarily have to be skating related)

Bucky Lasek: I had about six Hosoi boards. I really looked up to Hawk and the Bones Brigade. Also Jeff Kendall, Chris Miller and Mark Gonzalez.

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Hawk Rules: Have you see Dogtown and Z Boys? It's now showing near me but maybe soon ..

Bucky Lasek: It's really good. It schooled me in some areas. There were some guys I hadn't heard about so it shined some light. I pretty much knew the story though.

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Tre: bucky, how many events do you skate in each year? Don't you ever get tired? How much longer do you think you will skate professionaly?

Bucky Lasek: Yeah, I skate about seven or so each year. That is being picky. I don't go to all of them because it does get tiring. You want to keep things fresh so I try not to enter them all.

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Raplet: So how is birdhouse going? Any new videos coming out soon from birdhouse?

Bucky Lasek: We are working on the new video now. If it's not out my Christmas it will be out by Spring. No name yet.

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Pakboy?: What were you thinking about when you first found out that you were going to be in Ultimate X? Is the movie really as good as everyone says it is?

Bucky Lasek: I had big doubts about doing it. Anytime Hollywood comes into it it turns out to be a bad teen movie. Art and Bruce were unbelievable in the sense of how they let us take control of angles. They let us know what they were looking for and we gave it to them. We were directly involved in it from the beginning.

Thanks for the questions and for showing us support. I really appreciate it. Take care!