Jack Curtin

Interview by: Keir Johnson

Keir_Greetings Jack, how did you first get interested in skateboarding, take it all the way back.

Jack_The first memory I have of skateboarding was bombing down this S shaped hill in my neighborhood in Virginia. Also, playing Skate Or Die or something on Nintendo got me hyped on learning how to ollie. I was playing a lot of sports back home in VA, so I never got really into it until I moved to Indonesia, and my new friends all skated so I had a board I could use and didn't stop until I learned how to ollie. Then it all started from there I guess...

Keir_No doubt, so what is it like out there in Indo?

Jack_I had just turned 13 when we moved out there. I was in a totally new world, everything was different than the school I went to in Virginia. I had never seen the new school style boards until I went out there, so I didn't really know shit about skating when I first moved out there.

Keir_So you had to learn how to live in a new enviroment, what was going on with skateboarding out there?

Jack_I met new friends, listened to new music and was doing different things than what I was doing in Virginia. My friend and I would just skate around his house and actually inside his house for the first couple months. He had a marble 3 stair in his living room we would skate when the parents bounced. He even had a flat bar on his balcony, it was crazy. We heard all the Indonesian kids skated at the soccer stadium and they had boxes and rails and banks. I went over there for the first time one time after baseball camp, by myself. It was awesome to see, I got so hyped that I was skating with the locals that were hella good, and they were all super nice. Jack in Indo

Keir_I know during the summers you would return to the DC area, tell me about coming back to DC?

Jack_My friend had the "People Skateboards" video with Brian Tucci and Darrel Vaughn out in Indonesia, so that is where I saw Pulaski and downtown D.C. spots for the first time. Oh man, so funny. I have this memory of going into that shop "Red Eye" or something on Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown in DC, I was downstairs and they were playing a video with Pulaski in it and I was like "hey where is that place?" to the guy working. He's like "that's Freedom Plaza man". I felt like a loser. I also met Jamel Robinson there too, he was hella nice. I remember going into Green Barrel skate shop with my mom and she bought me some tees and the first Transworld I ever owned. R.I.P. to the Green Barrel.

Keir_So then a few years later you came back to the US for a longer period, at which point most of the D.C. crew really met you. I remember hearing "this kid from Indonesia just switch heelflipped the dug out gap at Pulaski" then later that day I met you.

Jack_That was a great summer, and a great day. That day of the switch heel was the just the beginning of the many friendships I made in the D.C. area. Everything just clicked man. Zack Laplante was the one who actually filmed that trick. We became homies and he and Andrew Klien would take me out around the DC area and film. He introduced me to Johnny Edwards, and that same summer I ended up filming the '4 Letter Words' part.

Keir_It's a dope part man, and for those interested, Johnny Edwards and I decided to have Jack skate to the Royal Flush "World Wide" track, the version with lyrics, in tribute to Keenan Milton. So what happened in the next year or so?

Jack_Every summer or winter I would come back and just be hyped to skate D.C., and I always ended up getting lots of footage. I would film with Zach, and Johnny like everyday and Johnny ended up making his next video, 'Pack A Lunch' with that footage. Rodent, Julius Reeves and John Mehring were the photographers that helped me out with the early D.C. flicks. Shooting gold rail in the January cold, not too fun.

Keir_Feels that way outside right now. So then you decided to move out to SF right?

Jack_Yeah, I was planning on moving to SF when I got accepted to USF and after I graduated high school in Indo, so I went to SF after that summer in DC. I always wanted to live in SF for the skating and the city, and it was a good opportunity to get hooked up.

Keir_Who was your first sponsor?

Jack_Lucky Skateboards. Basically, I just did some AM contests with Lucky. We did an east coast tour one time, which was pretty tight, but nothing too major.

Keir_ Why did you make the change from Lucky over to DGK?

Jack_ I was filming with this guy Victor, who would film Marcus and Henry. Henry quit Lucky to ride for DGK, and Henry and Victor had been hyping me up to Stevie and Eli from Gold wheels, so they wanted me on the team. Shit didn't go too smoothly at first because there was some drama from me leaving Lucky, so I had to ride Gold boards for a couple months before I was on DGK.

Keir_So where have been some of your favorite places to skate?

Jack_Singapore because there is so much marble out there it is ridiculous. Barcelona and Paris are fun because of all the spots and the freedom you have there. D.C. is cool when there is no bust, and New York because the city is a beast and I vibe off the energy.

Keir_Tell me what a basic day consists of for you now?

Jack_Man, I am having a lot of free time on my hands since I don't go to school. I wake up in the early afternoon, get on the Internet and get some food. Chill for a bit and then go skate until it gets dark. Come back home, chill out, maybe go out to a bar or club, read, draw, myspace, get hyphy.

Keir_ Word, let's talk about skating itself. What are some things you truly appreciate in skateboarding?

Jack_I like getting up with some good friends and all sessioning together, where everyone is enjoying themselves. I get hyped on peoples styles, when tricks just happen perfectly, the sounds, the movements, and the roll away. When everyone is just vibing together is the best session. I also appreciate originality. We are fed so much skate information, so its dope when you see a new spot or a unique trick, I dig that. There are too many boring photos and tricks being done on rails and stairs.

Keir_3 of your favorite video parts, off the top of your head...

Jack_Gino's part in Trilogy, he had the illest style and trick selection ever. Stevie and Kalis in The Reason, just hype. Matt Rodriguez in the Ipath Promo. His style is so fluid and original, and he does like 5 tricks I've never seen before with some casual ass style.

Keir_How did you go pro for DGK?

Jack_It was like a process. I had been coming out with a lot of photos and interviews, and I was putting in mad work. Stevie always had lots of faith in me, so he was like, you are going to be the next pro on DGK when you are ready, we are not going to turn anyone else pro until you go pro. So I knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when I was ready and the company was ready.

Keir_Its interesting Stevie got his first sponsor with Element through Pepe Martinez and he would often come to D.C. to skate with Pep when he was younger, how does that make you feel?

Jack_Man, I know how much Pepe means to Stevie. That was his idol growing up, his favorite pro. Stevie has always been one of my favorites and an idol of mine, so it is like a cycle man. Stevie is the one blessing me with opportunities like how Pepe blessed Stevie with the opportunities. I think it revolves around respect, determination and chemistry between people. You manifest your own destiny if you have the determination in your heart.

Keir_Well said, so what are you working on right now?

Jack_I got two video parts coming out soon. The Kayo Video "Its Official" is going to be slamming, I think I got "Curtains" in the video, last part or whatever. I also have a part in the new 411 VM coming out this month. I've been going back east kind of a lot lately, like 4 times in the last few months. I go back every X-mas and summertime. I want to get a little place in the spring and kick it out there, a change of pace from SF you know?

Keir_Yeah Curtin gets Curtains, how ironic haha. So what is your favorite board or series from DGK so far?

Jack_My favorite was probably the original series of the jerseys series. I thought that was such a good idea, and they turned out so sick. A way to represent each city that the rider was from. I still have a Sanchez "SF Giants" jersey board because that shit is one of a kind, never to be made again.

Keir_Tell me 5 albums that never seem to get old to you.

Jack_


Keir_Nice choice, lets finish this up, how many times do you think you've answered the question, "When is the Kayo video coming out"?

Jack_ Not so much lately, I think people are getting used to the wait. I'm going to say MARCH is the month...