Probably one of the worst parts of adolescence is having people come up with some witty pun that incorporates your name into a joke. For most of us, this was just a simple rite of passage that we managed to overcome as we entered our teenage years. But when you have a nickname like our friend Spud, I would imagine that the jokes never stop.

In his new self-titled part filmed by Trevor Owens, he’s hoping to do just that by showing that even a city as blown out as Los Angeles still has some hidden spots if you look hard enough (and carry a rub brick around with you).

Why is your name Spud?
Well, Idaho is famous for the potato, aka a spud, so when I moved from Idaho to Portland my 7th-grade friend group gave me the nickname. It was the classic group of kids making videos imitating Jackass. Our videos always sold out [laughs]. Thanks, Mrs. Bailey

Do you shave your head to look like Brandon Westgate?
[Laughs] Westgate is amazing, but no. I fell in love with the band Gents, and their music just feels like this haircut, it’s been three years. I guess we’ll see how much longer it lasts.

This looks like it was mostly filmed in LA? Was that a conscious choice or just done out of laziness?
Yeah, it’s mostly in the LA area. Filming for this started during Covid. Cruising around and looking for new spots was the only thing we could do. And with all the little towns around LA, there are so many spots.

So you don’t think LA is blown out as a skate city?
LA has a lot of blown-out spots, but cruise around with a rub brick and lacquer and you’re gonna find some gems.

LA people have been accused of being fake as hell. As someone that wasn’t born there, do you agree or disagree?
LA definitely is the land where dreams come true, and to get there you have to network like hell and be “nice” or at least seem nice to everyone. That being said, if someone’s chasing a dream or fame, yeah, they’re usually fake. They only care about clout and how their image is portrayed. But there are a bunch of really cool people here just living, especially on the east side. Everyone, remember, you get to choose your friends.

How did you find the track you used? I couldn’t find the band on Spotify, which is rare.
My roommate, Durell Williams, showed it to me. He’s like a music historian. I asked him to make me a song, but he was busy with some Vans Snow video at the time. But it all worked out because I love how Lync feels with my skating.

Are there any other songs you tried to use for your part that you feel like revealing?
I always loved when a part uses an iconic song. “Buddy Holly” by Rivers Cuomo, it’s his first rendition of the song before he did it again in Weezer. It’s all staticky and makes you feel like you’re in the garage with him. So good!

Do you have any official sponsors? Or is this a part you filmed out of love?
Nothing official, just another flow kid. I was actually thinking about naming the part Fully Flowed [laughs]. All out of love, bless the skate gods, Old Man Wes, and Nukes from Pier Park days.

Are there any underrated skaters in LA that you think deserve more shine?
There are so many good skaters here but Austin Holcomb, Austin Pastura, Cody Grant, Jake Selover, and Jalen Noel blow my mind.

What’s your day-to-day job? Are you a seamstress?
Not a seamstress but I do sew every day, mostly modifications of garments. The filmer, Trevor, is my biggest client. He has a serious flea market addiction and knows I can mod anything to fit [laughs]. But I make rent by, “ahemm” craft bartending [laughs]. Just kidding, but seriously, next time you’re in LA come to my bar and I’ll create a riff for ya.

Why are you making pants on a hill?
I have spent a lot of time at that view, and I love sewing. Why not combine them?

How big do you think you’d be on Tik Tok if you skated wearing Polar Big Boy pants?
HUUGGGGEEE

Filmed by: Trevor Owens
Edited by: Sammy Spiteri
Q&A by: Ian Michna
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