Andy Stone speaks on
Element Skateboards
in the 90's.
words by: Keir Johnson
KJ_Andy, whats crackin in Colorado? This is a new feature we're doing at TFC. Its called "Flash Back", for this first installment I've brought out the old Element "Industry Section" from 411 #8 back in the mid 90's with you, Pep, Stevie and others.
Andy_My footy was a little light in that one huh?
KJ_Nah, its sick man, rocking the Digable too. Whats the first thing that comes to mind when you watch this part?
Andy_Looking back at that time period in skating, it's tough for me not to regret the decisions I made pretty soon after.
KJ_And that decision was you quitting Element and the beginnings of Capital Skateboards?
Andy_Yeah, with Element being under the Giant Skateboard distribution umbrella, we had everything we could possibly want, seemingly unlimited advertising and the newest vehicle for getting publicity, the video magazine. It was a great team with Reese getting on right after that 411 came out too.
KJ_What kind of things, looking back now, are you the most psyched on from your tenure at Element?
Andy_While I was skating for them I got to go to France for a 3 week skate camp with Dave Duren. I went to Cali a bunch of times and did a whole European tour with Ed Devera, Reese, and Pep, going to Germany, Hungary, Belgium, France, and Holland. It's been such a long time, that I get some of the times confused but I guess Eric Pupeki was no longer on the team since he wasn't in the Industry section.
KJ_Now you also dropped a full length video part in the next issue following this one right?
Andy_Yeah, the next issue of the mag was #9 and I had my profile in that one, so you can see they were definitely pumping up their team riders.
KJ_ We'll have to do another "Flash Back" article on that part too. So why did you end up leaving Element in the 90's?
Andy_There was never any incident that led me to want to leave, I always got along well with Johnny, Andy Howell and Steve Douglas, so in hindsight I'd say the only reason I left at all was the prospect of making bigger money than that of a pro rider. I wanted to be in an ownership position. Mike Agnew offered me that and I was too naive to recognize that he was full of shit.
KJ_Yeah everybody was shocked, since that whole empire that Mike Agnew had built with Intensity Skate Shop, going into Nicotine Wheels, Capital Skateboards, Silverstar Skateboards and more seemed to be doing so well, then overnight boom, the whole things gone. How do you feel about the Element of today?
Andy_As far as the Element of today, no one knew back then that skating was going to become the monster money maker that it is today, so for my own mental health I try not to think too much about what would have happened had I stayed on.
KJ_Obviously the person who the most people will recognize from this part is Stevie. I'd always heard Pep had reached out to him in the beginning, and it went from there, what were those days like?
Andy_I really don't remember exactly how he ended up on the team. We were going up to Philly pretty often it seemed back then. Once Andy Howell and Johnny Schilleref heard about him they really wanted to hook him up because they'd heard his family life was shit.
KJ_He's really come a long way, coming thru D.C. in those days, to today, being a businessman, what do you think about it all?
Andy_Yeah, he would come down and crash at mine and Pep's house a lot. He was a ripper back then. I think he was one of the first kids we saw that was really blowing minds. I'm happy for his success now a days and I hope that he manages the opportunity that's been given him and never has to get a daily grind type job.
KJ_Yeah seems highly unlikely he ever will, well that leads me to my last question, talk to me about seeing Pep in this old section.
Andy_It's tough thinking back to all the good times I had with Pep through time... Although we probably would have lost touch a bit, the fact that he's not out there somewhere is sad... He was always on the forefront, and his skating has stood the tests of time. Its interesting when you ride with someone every day it's easy to take that for granted at the time....He was my friend and team mate.
KJ_Alright thanks Andy, we both know people will be seeing some surprises from you this summer...