words by: Keir Johnson
photos: Chris Mcdonald
I've known Sam for awhile. I was introduced to him through my close friend Ahmed who lived up the block from him in VA. He told me one of the local kids by his house skated and would like to meet me. So one day we walked down to his house and out comes this kid who must not have been more than 11 or 12, he was smiling ear to ear, just stoked to meet a local pro. We talked for a few and I noticed right off this kid had a lot of heart and a great attitude. I did not get to skate with him that day but a few years later I saw him a local contest at the Silver Spring skate park. Wow, I remember he didn't miss one trick during his run and he went on to win the contest. Keir and I asked him if he might be down to help teach at the summer camp at the park. From then on, I would see him downtown at Freedom or MLK. After awhile I moved to Frisco and he went away to college in Los Angeles. I caught up with him again in 2005 at the fort and not much had changed... still killing it on a skateboard and definitely spreading good vibes. He mentioned he wanted to ride for Circle-A, and I knew he would be a good fit for the team and hold down the only am slot. He was one of the first kids I witnessed really grow up skateboarding around DC and for sure will be a leader of the new school for years to come. -Brian Tucci
Keir_You've skated since you were very young, what was it like back then?
Sammy_The first time I saw as skateboard/skater was on Constitution Ave in the middle of downtown DC, I was probably 7 or 8, and I was headed to the aquarium down there in the middle of the day. I saw two kids thrash by me and my mom cruising down the sidewalk, from then on I knew that was going to happen in my life.
Keir_Who were the people that started in skating with you, and also later on as you got older?
Sammy_From the beginning I was always skating with Marky B and my good friend Alex Hansen aka HANS SOLO, and as the years went on we would crew up down town with dudes like Mike Nalls aka Nails, you (KJ), Adam Graham, Paul Mcelroy, and some of the Annapolis guys like Jimmy Yancey, Jeremy Owens and Andre Stringer. When I was lucky I'd get to tag along with Pepe, Tucci, Pooch or some head that was there long before I was even out of grade school.
Keir_Yeah what was the vibe like up there at Pulaski?
Sammy_It must have been 1996 and as a skater at that age when we rolled up for the first time the place might as well have been paved with gold. It was summer and every skater in the area must have been there, then you skate down 6 blocks to Archives and you find more marble, and not just granite marble, talking about polished multi million dollar marble, so you could definitely say we were stoked the first time we crewed up and went downtown.
Keir_Speaking of Pep, what about when you discovered he lived in your neighborhood as a kid?
Sammy_ We didnt even know it was Pepe's house when we first checked it out. We spotted an I-beam in the driveway of this house in the neighborhood next to mine, so one day when we were probably 12 or 13 we went over there and started skating it. Pep's sister came out and invited us in, we walked in and his family's whole living room was bordered with all his boards, it was one of the coolest things to happen to me at that age. We all tripped out and it was obvious whose house it was when we all laid eyes on the first board in visibility - his element Pepe Le Pew graphic, still to this day I remember how cool his sister was to all of us.
Keir_Even though its just been a few years, I always try to keep telling the younger kids about Pep. What do you tell people about him?
Sammy_Pep was just as good as DC skating can get. Classic, clean style and switch everything. He set a bar back in the day and he wasn't even trying to, thats what we call P I M P... When you watch footage of him all you see is style and its like you think its some shit from the future that people don't even know about yet but instead its the early nineties, all natural, all finesse, all time.
Keir_You were a part of Green Barrel, and now things have come full circle and Kickballers has moved in to that location. Tell me about GB.
Sammy_ AAAAAHHHH, the Green Barrel days, those were good times! I think I was probably a freshman in highschool, so what does that put me at 14 or so? Hell yeah I was definitly psyched on the Green Barrel, everyone was. That place was cool and everyone that worked there was too, especially that girl Kelly, do you remember her? I sure do, man I wished the whole time that I wasn't such a young buck haha.
Keir_Ha, yeah I remember we used to watch vids in there all day, what are your favorite videos of all time?
Sammy_ Back in those days I'd have to say that my favorite vid was Element - "Fine Artist", Pep had the ender part, after that the list goes like - Toy Machine "Heavy Metal", "Trilogy", and then "Welcome to Hell" just came in and crushed every video that came out that year. Look at JT he's still on top of his game, he's one of skateboardings all time best, that was ten years ago!
Keir_Yeah he's put in work. Who do you think has really put work in DC style?
Sammy_ Guys were crushing it harder back in the day more then I have ever seen since, and for real I mean that! Andy Stone would make MULTIPLE circles around the entire plaza with out missing anything. One time I saw Andy take an entire circular push around Pulaski and grind almost 3/4 of the main ledge. I really do think he gets the crown for Pulaski King. I know C Hall and Tucci and Shef were all probably there a little before him, but Stones consistency was off the rictor. It was unreal watching that dude skate that spot, it was really like a demo every time I saw him there as a kid, which was every weekend for a couple of years. Still to this day one of my all time top 5 favs, and that will never change.
Keir_You mentioned consistency, man I remember when you were that kid that just won every contest you entered. Did you enjoy a lot of the contests back in the day?
Sammy_ Yeah in the DC area there was a series of years where contest just seemed to be everywhere. Intensity in College Park, MD was having probably at least 3 a year. Your typical Spring, Summer and Fall events, and East Of Maui (EOM) was having the same thing but they would even have them in the winter too, which was pretty crazy if you think about it. I never skated in one but Attitude Skate Shop was always having contest too, and then when Intensity went out of business all the contest around the area seemed to chill out too. Those were really cool and they did bring alot of people together, and contests can be really fun if your into them, which I definitely was at that age. The EOM contests were probably my favorite, and I won a few of them too. I think the win I was most proud of was probably the last Intensity contest ever, I got first in the advanced division. Even though I'm pretty sure my line won it, it didn't hurt having Mike Nalls as one of the judges, it was good times.
Keir_I did an interview with Jimmy Mac awhile back where we talked about EOM Park, I can't help but keep bringing that place up, I think you, me and Tucci spent more time there than anybody so we have a right to harp on it right, haha.
Sammy_ (Laughter) that was my first job ever, and there couldn't have been a cooler way to make $5 bucks and hour back then. I would take the metro up there early as hell every morning with the 9-5 crowd, and that crazy motherfucker Tai was the manager. He'd always have these crazy chicks come by and hang out all day, or be talkin about fighting people. To this date I've never seen such a crazy fall as when my friend Kevin came off a 50-50 with too much speed, fell under the railing and off the backside of the 16 foot vert ramp and landed on his back, only to have Tai scream at his face and tell him he was a dumb ass for doing it, and that he didnt need that shit at his park! Hahaha, EOM was a lot of fun times!
Keir_To me your first real part was in 4 Letter Words, how did that happen?
Sammy_ That was around the time when alot of the Annapolis dudes and other people Andre Stringer was filming with quit skating. Andre started to move on to much bigger things and we (me, Alex Hansen, Johnny "Digital" and Kyle Jensen) were just the next generation of dudes who were still around an were young enough to wanna skate all the time. One day at freedom me and Hans and Johnny filmed a few tricks, then I just remember a few weeks had gone by and we had been hanging a lot and he wanted to do a video called four letter words, which is a really sick name for a video considering how bad all of our mouths and tempers were back then. You know how it is with skating, we cruised around with each other long enough until we were just boys for life, thats just how it goes down for skaters.
Keir_No doubt, so who was your first sponsor?
Sammy_ My first sponsor ever was Wavedancer Skateshop, and that was all hooked up thru a major mentor of mine, Jamel Robinson. I was probably about 14 and I got first in a contest down in Annapolis, MD. The contest was on the last day of school when I was in the 8th grade, so me and a couple of buddies skipped and I ended up getting first and getting my first shop sponsor. Looking back I don't think there could be a better day for 14 year old skater. School was done for the year and I was ready to skate all summer at a discounted price, well thats what it was supposed to be for Wavedancer, but I don't think Jamel ever charged me too much for boards and shoes, Tyler Tufty was the leader of that squad so we all got special treatment.
Keir_What was it like having that part in EST 2 come out, your first part in a widely distributed video, even in the days before videos came out on DVD's.
Sammy_ Maybe a high point in terms of east coast exposure, but im 23 right now, and I can say with confidence that I'm always skating better than when i was 17, but that was really tight because Hans is my boy, one of my best friends growing up skating, and for us to have a part where he crushed and I cruised was pretty cool. I wasn't skating too much at the time so I think if you consider that our part turned out alright, and in terms of gaining sponsors I think it helped me get some wheels from Autobahn, but that was when I started to take a break from filming and stressing. That was around the time that I started to ride for Pitcrew too, so I had no need for a hardgoods, softgoods, or shoe sponsor, those guys (Pitcrew) make it so you have everything you need.
Keir_You riding for Pitcrew turned into Grey Market Skateboards, what was Grey Market about?
Sammy_ Grey Market was rad, we had Pepe, Sean Mullendore, Andy Honen, Paul McElory and me to for a little mid Atlantic vibe. I thought it was a great idea because at the time there was no real representation coming out of the whole DC region. Philly was doing its thing, New York was doing how it always does, and DC was just sitting there chilling. We had Pepe and Sean as pros and thats all we needed to form a workable and fully legitimate team. The only thing that I think was missing was an on site photographer. We needed more coverage in the mags to make that whole thing work, but Mehring had just moved to New York, and Julius was still up in Philly, its as bummer Chris McDonald wasnt living in the city at the time beacause that would have made a big difference in how that company functioned.
Keir_Yeah Chris has been incredible in terms of helping out this area with sick photos, and hopefully he won't blow up too soon! I too felt that Grey Market could of been the biggest thing. Did you notice a good response from the public about Grey?
Sammy_ Oh yeah, I'd be out in an area like SF and people would be asking me about Grey and telling me they were stoked on it before Honen even moved out there to SF. I'd have to say that the best part of the whole thing was getting my name on a team board with Pepe, Paul and Mullendore. I got a couple of those saved and they're never ever leaving my wall. But to add more to that just being on a team with some of my best friend and favorite skaters of all time was rad.
Keir_What made you move out west?
Sammy_ I took off for school in 2001, I was going nuts in DC and I was really ready for a big change. At the time I couldn't live in a conservative town, so moving to Los Angeles for school was perfect. Coming back for summers was solid though, those were some great summers. I would come back and hang with all my boys, and everyone was always on some sort of skate grind. Hans and Jack were handling so much buisness those summers and their parts would really reflect how much skating would go down during the summer in DC. I'd still to this day like to live summers in DC and pull that style of just skate all day, film till the sun goes down, and then party with the homies all night, and at the end of it all have a whole video part handled in 3 months time. Just thinking about it psyched me up, who knows... summers only a couple months away.
Keir_Yeah thats a cool program, do you think you'll be out in LA for awhile then, how do you feel about living there?
Sammy_ Home is always and only going to be DC for me. I don't think that could ever leave me, because its a lot different out here and I couldn't and wouldn't want to be born and raised in this type of place. But at the moment for me in my twenties its working out perfectly. So as far as home I'll just say no, it feels more like a beach house youth hostel thing (damn thats a perfect way to put it). Only because I know I'll make moves out of here at some point, but for now I haven't gotten enough of what the towns out here have to offer. I just moved to Long Beach which is the best town for skating I've lived in so far, so I've been skating the city a lot and really enjoying the push around.
Keir_I heard you're quite the surfer these days too?
Sammy_ I surf every time there are waves, and out here thats alot, that might be the only thing really holding me back from moving. The ground swells out here are so much different than the east coast, the east coast mainly gets reversed wind swells, which make for unfriendly conditions. Every week or two clean, powerful ground swells from the north and south Pacific sweep up and down the coast and make for a variety of always changing surf spots. Thats always keeping you on your toes to grab them at the drop of a hat. I've also been working for Lakai for about a year now too.
Keir_ Whats been going on with you and Lakai?
Sammy_ Right now I've been working for Lakai/Dvs/Matix as the manager of their sample warehouse. I work with all the designers sending out material and receiving samples, they also got me on their research and development program testing out the new sample models, and for real I give them an A+ on everything they give me to test out. Those guys have shoes down, and all of them skate. So Lakai knows whats up. I skate the Podium ramp a lot after work and then we usually do a little irie cruise through downtown Long beach, there's so many fun little cutty spots, and thats all I'm into skating - cuts.
Keir_ So talk to me about riding for Circle A.
Sammy_Thanks to Tucci I've been getting some boards from Cirlce A. I'm just stoked to be riding boards with Tucci's name on them. About a year ago he gave me one and I mentioned that wanted to ride some more and he pulled some strings and I've been getting them ever since. Its a tight little company with me, Tucci and the man the myth the "MAKER" Doug Shoemaker. Doug is the man and he rips so hard on anything. Both of them have boards and I'm stoked to get those in the mail and kill'em.
Keir_Well take it away then Sam.
Sammy_This might be the first year I've outlined any real goals for my life other than having a good time. Right now I'm aiming to travel alot this year, Indonesia's calling me so I'm going to head their later this summer. Then I'd like to hang and skate in DC for at least a month next year and skate some of the spots I miss. I have dreams about freedom on the monthly! Other than that I want to keep some commas in my bank account and keep pushing myself physically as much as possible, live strong, stay motivated and keep moving!
E.S.T. 2
PITCREW - Where I'M From
Podium Warehouse