The Rodfather – Rod Ferens
Check out this dope interview Skatenewspot.com did with our Gastown location manager Rod Ferens. Rod has been holding it down in Vancouver for us for a while now, get to know the dude.
Interview: Oleynik
Photos: Christian
Boosh, Swoosh, Juiced. Four years ago, The Rodfather had the first skatenewspot interview. A lot has changed for the former Pegger/Vancouver transplant. Find out exactly what below.
In your first interview, you talked about how much you love Vancouver. You said you don’t leave unless it’s to visit family. Do you still feel the same way about your city?
Ya totally! I just moved into a dope spot with my home boy Luke, right in the heart of the city. It kinda sucks to see a bunch of the homies leave back to the peg, but someone needs to run things out there.
At the time of your first interview you were managing the Canucks store, then you managed Goodfoot. Your new job is different. Tell us about it.
Ya! That was a fun time running Goodfoot, but like everything good, it always comes to an end! I took a job with Take Five trading which was a great learning experience, but unfortunately, it was victim to my wife breakup. I just wasn’t in the right mind frame, and I probably drove Garry crazy with all my shit.
Back then you rode for some serious companies (Nike, DGK, Gold, Venture). Out of the blue you decided to quit them all. What was your thinking with that decision? Looking back, do you feel it was the right thing to do?
Naw, I don’t regret doin it. I hope they gave my shit to someone who needed it, who couldn’t afford to skate, who loves to skate. It isn’t hard to get boards and skate shit, but I remember being that kid who would give anything to get that shit. All those sponsors were about the people behind them, once they were gone, I felt I was gone.
So you work full time, are unsponsored and 35 years old. I heard the other day at the Plaza you did a pop shuv front crook in the middle of the ledge. What keeps you skating at that level after all these years?
Ya now I run Livestock in Gastown, I wish I could say I still skate a lot, but I won’t. Mentally when I go skate, especially with dudes like Wherry, Spenny, Twa, Bryon and Paul Spencer, they keep you thinking you’re on that level, even tho I’m sure I’m not. Also when you just feel the trick that much, and wanna do it that much, usually you do it. Even if I don’t skate that much, you know when I do……it’s on!
It always seems like you try to take care of the people around you, whether it’s through hooking up product or giving advice about things you’ve been through. Do you feel a responsibility as an older guy in the scene/community to try and help it grow?
I think with all the fuck ups I made, and seen how certain people have been successful I just try and look out for my boys! Sometimes it’s just busting balls to see dudes like Robbie light it up. I get hella stoked when my boys make things happen!
What advice would you give to the kids who want to skate for many more years to come?
Skating is a lifestyle! Either you’re in it or you not. If you’re into it, it’s your life.
Do you pay attention to skate videos, magazines and websites anymore?
Not too much, once in a while something will catch my attention. I always get hyped to see Canadian killers!
Who’s skating are you feeling right now in Canada?
All my boys! McD and his whole Green Apple Team, Wherry, Spenny, Trav, Twa, Mc Court, Vince and Trep is nuts!
I asked you this in your first interview and I’m interested if anything has changed: “So if there’s a Micky in your freezer, and you have one drink, what are the chances of you not having another drink?”
Pretty sure that hasn’t changed at all. It just doesn’t happen as much these days.
Last words and thank yous?
Don’t get married! Thanks Matt and Garry! I have the dopest Fam ever! Thanks Benny!
Big thanks to Skatenewspot.com for the write up.
Skate and Create 2010 : Etnies
Skate and Create is a competition brought to us by Transworld Skate and Monster, where four teams comprised of six skaters- four pros and two ams are given 9 days in a warehouse, each with the same set of obstacles. Each team is allowed one art director on site, each team is assigned one Transworld Skate photographer to shoot a feature article for the magazine and each team is allowed a film crew to produce a video for skateboarding.com. The final Video and product is judged by Transworld Skate edit staff on the level of skating, creativity, use of the obstacles, and overall image and video quality. The winner gets the cover of the magazine and will have a spot reserved in Skate & Create 2011. Etnies decided to go with the throw back approach to it all, they even got a cameo appearance from the legendary Kareem Campbell! Here is a little bit on how they wanted to approach the contest, peep the vid below:
“The idea came when I was sitting around with Oliver Barton and we were thinking about everything that went into it last year. I didn’t know how we could top it. I just wanted to have fun. So I started thinking about how there’s so much emphasis on indoor skateparks now. It made me think of recreating the old World Industries days, because that’s the park I saw on videos from when I started skating. We didn’t want to script it. We just got the first batch of clothes from that era, which took a lot of work to find—those really baggy pants, T-shirts with thick collars, like cotton was really thick then. I got little iron-on graphics for the shirts, like the Rudy Johnson 40 ounce. I was psyched on using a camera from that era, too, so I thought it’d be cool to film in Hi8. Oliver shot on film, too, so it looked authentic. I wanted guys to skate and I just ran around and filmed it, kind of how they probably did it back in the day. I think everyone was surprised on how much footage we got in the end. The video we made was only part of all the footage we had.”
Etnies – Crap Shoot, Directed by Benny Maglinao
Huf Commercial #14
Huf footwear commercial #14, stay tuned to our Mailer List & our Twitter page as we will be carrying Huf footwear soon…
Redbull’s Manny Mania Re-cap
Here’s some video footage of Redbull’s Manny Mania Canadian finals held in Vancouver on Saturday July 17th. The event was hosted by our very own Cyrus, congratulations goes to Jamie Suppes who will go on to represent Canada in the World finals held in New York.
Red Bull Manny Mania National Final from Red Bull Canada on Vimeo.
Dion Kovac
I stumbled on this part of Dion Kovac, Sydney, Australia OG and proprietor of One of a Kind. Classic late 90’s early 2000 style. My only Canadian comparison would be Tony Ferguson
-Cy
Canada Day BBQ Re-Cap
Shout out to everyone who came out last Thursday for the 3rd annual Canada Day Jamboree and big ups to the people who made it happen : Cherchez La Femme, Easy Now, Radio Zero, and Fortune Sound Club. Tons of great food and friends, nice mellow vibe in the park as always. Thanks to all the teams that took place in the Livestock Basket ball tourney, most importantly the finalists; in 3rd place Fast Chais, 2nd place runner up Truth is light, and the winning team that was presented the $500 Gift card to Livestock, The Dubs. Hope everyone else enjoyed their Canada Day Long weekend. If you missed out, don’t worry, there’s always next year.
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