Jaws’ comfort zone has no boundaries. You probably knew that from seeing him skate big shit naked and funnel multiple beers past his sphincter on national TV. But actually talking with him about these and a lot other awkward stuff made me respect his goofiness. Sharing his experiences with choke sex, losing his mind on ecstasy, and having 12 ounces of frosty lager sloshing around his rectum, is inspiring in a weird way. Because if you were in the van with Jaws right after he jumped down El Toro naked or took one up the butt for the team, you’d be wondering how to beef up your own skate and life hammers.

Although this interview is part of Jenkem Vol. 2, we decided everyone deserves to get pumped up by Jaws’ naked antics (and photos), so we’re sharing it online. If you want to peep his nuts at the HD gloss they were meant to be seen, get a copy of the book and see how they size up to your own.

You posted a video of someone saying, “Most people would be better off with more pain in their lives.” Why did you post that?
I think more people would be better off with pain because if they’ve experienced pain before they can overcome new obstacles. From skating, learning to get hurt and get back up and try again, it’s in your blood to be able to do that. I think if more people experienced that the world would be a better place. If life gets rough you can remember, “Hey, I’ve been through shit before. I can handle this.” You use that to motivate you to keep pushing forward. I see people that are overweight, or lonely and sad and shit, and I’m like, when was the last time you went outside, played, and rolled around on the ground? And actually got hurt. Because in the end it makes you feel better. It makes me feel better.

Do you enjoy pain?
No, not like that. Obviously, I don’t enjoy being in pain, but, like, when you’re sore from skating for a long time, I like that pain. Where you put in all this work and actually feel sore. Even if you didn’t succeed you know that you tried to the fullest your body could go, and that’s the feeling that I think a lot of people miss out on because they don’t want to go 100%. People are scared of getting hurt, and you don’t need to be scared of getting hurt. It’s part of life and you learn from it.

What about pain during sex? You ever tried whips or chains?
No, not really. I’m more of a lover. I just like to cuddle and hold. I don’t like sexual pain. That’s the healing time. I hurt myself so much skating that I don’t need to hurt myself having sex. I’ve had girls that have been like, “Oh, choke me!” while we’re doing it. I’m like, “OK.”

So you choke them?
Hell yeah, of course, I’ll do it. Then they’ll try to do it to me and I’m like, “Nah, I need to breathe.” But that’s as far as it goes. No whips or freaking chains.

photo: sam muller

On the other end of the spectrum, you use CBD oil for pain relief. Does that stuff work?
Yes. I think it’s really effective. But, as with everything, you gotta keep on it. You can’t take it one time and then you’re all better. You gotta be on it. I use the topical cream, just put it on sore muscles. Every day in the morning I get up and put it all over my legs. Then after I’m done skating I put it on. I think it’s super beneficial.

What does it feel like when you use it? Does it sort of hit you?
I just got hooked up with a CBD company called Flower of Life, so they send me gummies. You’re only supposed to eat two or three gummies at a time, but there’s ten in a package, and I’ll eat two full packages after skating. Then I can feel it. I feel a relief of soreness. It’s also anti-inflammatory, so I wake up the next day and feel great.

CBD doesn’t give you a body high?
No, it’s not psychoactive at all. Even a body high like you’re describing, you don’t get that. You know when you’re hungover and you take three ibuprofens in the morning, then slowly in the day you feel better? It’s like that. I eat two packages of those, and two hours later my legs aren’t sore anymore. It also goes with eating well and not putting shit in your body. I’m getting older. I gotta keep my body as good as I can so I can keep jumping.

photo: sam muller

Do you smoke weed with The Birdman?
Yes. Tony doesn’t really smoke that much, but every once in a while he’ll hit the joint.

What’s his preferred smoking method?
Anything but a spliff. He doesn’t like the tobacco. Mostly it’ll be a joint. He’ll be that dude that just takes one hit and he’ll be good.

Do you guys do it as a team bonding exercise?
Sometimes. It will mostly be when we’re done skating and we have nothing to do, and then Tony’s in the van and he’ll say, “Hey, can I hit that?” Or we’ll be like, “Tony, wanna get high?” He doesn’t smoke that much, but he doesn’t care at all if we’re doing it around him.

“Tony [Hawk] doesn’t smoke that much, but every once in a while he’ll hit the joint.”

Did it take a while for you to stop seeing Tony as the millionaire video game guy and more just like another guy in the van?
The first trip I went on with Birdhouse was to Australia. The first few days of that trip it was definitely like, “Oh cool, this is Tony Hawk!” By the end of that trip it was like, “Oh that’s my bro, Tony Macaroni.” So it only took one trip to see him as a normal person. He’s just so busy, always traveling, and he has three kids – or he has more kids than that I think. He’s a very inspirational person. And he’s very normal too. Just does his shit, drinks a beer, goes to sleep, wakes up, does it again.

Does he use his clout to get you into parties?
Yeah, but it’s usually not parties. Tony is only down to do fun stuff. We were in Malaga, Spain, and they had this hike that was backed up for over a year because people wanted to do it so bad. Tony got them to open up the place that day on a day it was supposed to be closed, and they gave us our own personal tour. It was the most beautiful hike ever. Another thing we did was Ohio Dreams. It’s this huge water slide with a launch ramp at the end into this big ass pool. We found it and were like, “Tony, can you get us in?” Sure enough, he opened the place up for us, got us in, all for free. Didn’t have to wait and no one was there. We do fun stuff like that. Tony doesn’t really like to party, because when he goes out to those types of places he gets recognized and he can’t hang out with us. He has to be presentable while all of us are being scumbags, shotgunning beers, poppin’ bottles.

photo: matt price

Are you pretty into techno and EDM music?
I love techno. Not EDM, not mainstream electronic dubstep bullshit. I just like straight techno, that underground house rave fucking techno.

What’s the difference between techno and EDM?
Techno and house give you a straight beat, and they keep that beat the whole time. Dubstep and EDM will take the beat and put in big climaxes to big drops. Like a huge climax and a drop, then it’s that “BOW WA-WA-WA-WOW” whatever. Techno is where you’re actually dancing and feeling a beat. You can shake your head for fucking twenty minutes and have the same exact beat. That’s what I fucking love.

Do you go to raves?
All the time.

Do people still have raves in warehouses?
That’s where you find the good shit. If a rave is being advertised on a flyer, it’s gonna be that EDM-type, dubsteppy fucking shit. The good ones are usually at warehouses, and you have to know someone that knows someone. I have connections with local DJs who keep me in the loop. The raves that I’m going to are like a hundred people max. It’s pretty low key, everyone kind of knows everyone and we’re all here for the music. Not just there to get fucking fucked up and try to get some chick.

What are some essentials for a good rave?
A good sound system is very essential because the music’s gotta sound crisp. You need a little satchel or one of those hip bags for all your supplies. In the supplies bag, I’ll put my phone, wallet, weed, rolling supplies, and some cash because I do dabble with molly and MDMA. Find someone that has good MDMA, it’s always fun to take that. Then water. Lots of water. I don’t get too drunk at those things, I’m way more of a stoner. I’ll go and get stoned and take some MDMA and just have fun.

photo: matt price

What’s it like taking MDMA at a rave?
It’s wonderful. I enjoy it. But once again, you’ll have to be into the music. It gives you an energy boost and makes everything a little more vibey and intense, but it’s not a scary intense. It’s like a happy-energy intense. You feel an overall euphoria, you don’t mind talking to people. But obviously, you gotta be careful, because if you’re getting someone that’s selling ecstasy, which is the pressed pill, it’s usually cut with meth. You don’t want to take that. I look for MDMA or just MDA. That stuff is very clean, and the next day I won’t feel drained, I won’t feel like shit at all. I feel way worse after having three beers than after popping a molly.

Have you ever combined MDMA with acid or mushrooms?
Yeah, I’ve done MDMA and mushrooms. Hippie flipping. It’s a lot when you do that. When things start to move around, they really start to move around. Colors are very vibrant, and you can sit there and stare at a flower like, “I love this flower. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Then the next day you wake up like, why did I stare at this flower for two hours last night? So it’s a little intense.

Do you see hallucinations when you take both of them?
You don’t see, like, hallucinations. You know when you take mushrooms and shit just starts to, like, wiggle? It makes that wiggle more vibrant, and you get more into it. If you’re smart with it then it’s okay. That’s all it is. But these dumb fucking ravers that are like, “Gimme sixteen of those!” It’s like, no shit you’re gonna die. Just be smart and make sure it’s the good shit. If you find someone who has it, make sure to question them a lot. I’ve taken bad stuff and it’s really bad.

photo: matt price

What’s it like to take bad drugs?
We did some in Chicago that we got off some random dude who said it was molly. I’m pretty sure it was cut with fucking meth or bath salts. It made me feel like I was very happy one moment, and then very scared the next. Everything was bipolar. I was really hot, really cold, looking for people, wanting to be alone. By the end of the night, we were all sitting in a circle on our hotel room floor holding each other like, “This is fucked. We need to ride this out.” That was really shitty. After that, I’ve been way more careful.

Would you ever try jenkem?
Is that where they shit in a bag, bury it, and dig it up two months later and huf it? Sure, dude. Why not? [laughs] No, I’m not trying to kill myself yet.

Jenkem is supposed to make you hallucinate that you’re traveling back in time.
Has Fred Gall tried that?

I don’t know.
I feel like Fred Gall might have tried that shit. I feel like he would be the only one that would be down to try it, really down. But nah, I’d pass on jenkem.

When you take slams you always absorb the impact with your knees. It looks fucked. Why don’t you roll when you slam?
I’m pretty good at doing the squat, like, the Frogger-type hop. I don’t know, I don’t roll too well. I’m more of a splat guy.

Is there something special about your body that helps you take these impacts?
My physical therapist has said I have really strong, like, knee pads in your knees, but I forgot what they’re called. Since I’ve used mine a lot they’re strong. If a bodybuilder were to jump off a stair set their fricking knee would collapse, but mine won’t. And if I was to try to lift three hundred pounds my legs would fucking collapse.

photo: sam muller

How did the naked melon grab down El Toro come about?
When we were on King of the Road, Heath Kirchart was our mystery guest. It was the last night, right after I did a darkslide on a five stair rail. Everyone was happy, and Heath goes, “You should melon El Toro naked, covered in shaving cream.” Heath Kirchart said this to me, so I was like, “Fuck. Goddamnit.” We thought about it, planned it out, and then I called it off. Fast forward a year and I wanted to try and heelflip El Toro for the Birdhouse video. I tried to heelflip it twenty-four times and didn’t stick one of them. I was in that mode where I was like, “Fuck this. I came here. I am doing something.” I looked at Mills, the filmer, and I go, “I’m about to try that shit.”

I took off all my clothes, and the first time I tried it I kicked out and did the Frogger hop. Somehow I kept my skin off the ground. I was really hyped, and then just did it second try. Put my clothes back on, and that was that. After it was done I was like, do what you want with it. That can never see the light of day, or you can throw it on Instagram right now.

When you were on King of the Road, why did you end up doing the embarrassing challenges?
For lack of caring about myself. For lack of caring what people think about me. It’s mostly because I don’t give a fuck. People got girlfriends, and people got this look they gotta uphold, and I’m like, “Dude, we’re all humans. We’re all gonna die anyway. I’ll stick a funnel up my butt and pour beer down it.”

photo: sam muller

What’s it like to butt chug a beer?
It makes you feel like you have diarrhea. That’s instantly what it does. Like, “Oh my god, I can shit liquid.” I will say that, after trying it twice, it does not work.

You don’t get drunk from butt chugging beer?
You don’t get drunk, and it’s a lot of liquid to go into your butthole, so it just doesn’t always go down. When it’s in there you can walk around and just feel like you have to shit so fucking bad. Then you sit on the toilet and piss out your ass.

Got any plans to chug other things up your butt?
Frick no. But I’ve heard about ravers shoving pills up their butt – they call it booty bumping. You might catch me booty bumping.

What kind of pills?
Like ecstasy or molly. Or fucking ketamine.

I wonder if that makes you twerk?
It probably upgrades your twerking to the next level.

When you skated the UC Davis gap for ETN, did they pay you? Like comparable to winning a contest?
Yeah. It was the perfect amount. They pay you for trying it, and if you land it they pay you extra, which is an incentive for people to land things. I liked doing that. I fuck with ETN.

Did you have soft wheels or a different kind of set up when you skated the UC Davis gap?
No, I didn’t skate that with soft wheels. I put in my insoles and I tape my heels because it helps take the impact.

No pads?
I wore gloves because I fucking hate getting those cuts on your hand where you rip off a piece of your palm. I’ll put on work gloves or garden gloves, but no pads.

Was the Lyon 25-stair the only gap you’ve worn pads for?
Yeah. The first time I went there I tore my MCL. Whenever I tried it, I would eat shit on my left side, so my left knee and my left hip and my left shoulder were all fucked up. When I went back a year later, I got these little volleyball pads and put them on my left side so I didn’t fucking suffer and could get the trick. In my head I was like, Thrasher paid for me to come out here, they paid for my dad to come out here, we have three days to do this, I’m not gonna fucking fail. Failure is not an option. So I’m just gonna use this stuff to be able to succeed.

photo: sam muller (click for dick)

When you get to the point where the things you’re skating are that big it makes sense to wear pads. Can you still call that street skating though?
When I go out skating I get that feeling every time like, “Goddamnit. We’re going to an eighteen stair and I’m gonna fucking huck down this thing.” I’m used to that, so when it comes to the next level of scariness, then I’m like, okay, it’d be smart for me to use this stuff. But I’ve only had to use it once. I think of street skating as picking up your board, walking outside, and skating anything, anywhere. That’s the fun to me. But when we’re going to this fifteen stair it’s like going to work. It’s not like we’re going out to have fun. It’s like, now we gotta go get a trick. And the potential of getting hurt is more than if you’re just street skating.

Are you close to reaching the limit with the size of gaps you can skate?
The twenty-five was the biggest thing I’ve come across that seemed possible. I believe I could go a little bit more, but I don’t really know until I try. That’s for time to tell.

Would you ever try the infamous Schlager 13-flat-13 stair set?
Nah, I already know that thing is long. I like the drop way more than the length. I can’t do the length. Just take me to the big drops. Do you know the exact specs of it?

It’s 14 feet tall and 31.5 feet long.
Oh my god. That is fucked up long. I feel like I have a pretty good measuring system in my head, and I know what 31 feet is. That’s fucking long. Holy shit. I have to pass on that. Leave that to Schlager. Let him live that legacy.

Interview: Nic Dobija-Nootens
Illustration: Michael Giurato
Photos: Sam Muller & Matt Price
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