Don’t say it. Don’t say it…

This video is a relaxed slice of life, a look into the French streets through a VX1000 lens. The streets are happy to have them, and we are happy to watch.

Are you guys red wine or white wine guys, or does it just depend on the day?
SOY: Depending on the hour, I can even go as far as rosé.

VIVIEN: I fear this question is a New-York code name for something much worse. It feels like a trap designed towards French people. I’m not touching this.

In 2015 you both held jobs outside of Magenta. Is that still the case?
VIVIEN: Outside Magenta, I am a licensed Exotic Animal Therapist. I mostly work with llamas, but I dabble in the occasional casoar if need be. Soy’s side gig is to impersonate Hollywood actor Roy Sunday at every Paris Fashion Week, secretly building the momentum to take the international film industry by storm check @roy.sunday on Instagram and recognize.

Coverage of Europe has exploded in the last couple years. Have you guys felt the increased visibility helped Magenta as a brand?
VIVIEN: Not nearly enough! If it did, I wouldn’t have to listen to any more of these damn llama’s complaints…

You guys have done a bunch of guest boards over the years. Is there anyone you’re still seeking out to collaborate with?
SOY: There are many we’d like to do, but we also try to stick within the people we’ve directly met or had direct affiliations with. Reese Forbes, if you read this, my brother randomly met you at a party at your house about 20 years ago. You keen?

You guys have quite an international team. How many languages are you fluent in?
SOY: I’m fluent only in French and English, then I dabble in Japanese, Hindi, and German. I’m also relatively fluent in the Italian accent.

VIVIEN: I can’t speak a word of English, even less French, not any German, and no Spanish whatsoever. Every other language I can handle the basics.

“Reese Forbes, if you read this, my brother randomly met you at a party at your house about 20 years ago.”

Vivien, there are a handful of body varials in your part. Where does your love of that trick come from?
VIVIEN: I tried them off a bump after a few years hiatus back in 2014 or 2013 and figured I could do a quick late one quite easily. I was well into ass-kicking when I was young and the change of guard while keeping your chest straight is a classic Tae-Kwon-Do move, which I practiced for a few hot years. Some Bruce-Lee-Wu-Tang type shit, basically.

Currently I play five-a-side football which uses tons of body feints, and I’m starting to build myself a repertoire of skate feints as well. There are a few to find in this video.

If you could have one big name or one person with what you call “superhuman abilities” on your team, who would it be?
VIVIEN: Well Glen Fox would be the obvious answer as his quickness and ability to pop out of a turn or right after landing is otherworldly. To this day people are still convinced we speed up his footage. There were several who complained after the Just Cruise II premieres. I think unless you’ve seen him live, it’s simply hard to believe anyone could control a skateboard with that much speed and skitching going on.

Do you believe in illegal tricks, or can the right person make any trick look good?
VIVIEN: Nothing is illegal in my book, really. If you do it right, everything goes. Some tricks just take a special talent to lift them out of their cringe pit.

Your approach to skating is very chill and style oriented, from what I see. What would you say to someone that says it doesn’t look like you’re trying your hardest in this video?
VIVIEN: I would never get asked anything remotely as offensive since I am massive and super scary in real life, but let’s imagine for the sake of your deviant journalistic opus.

I like unique style, personal approach and hand-picked spots. Anything “human” that oozes out of someone’s skating, I’m a taker.

On the other hand, I can’t be bothered too much with what people do to fit in. Now, most everybody “goes hard” aka tries their best to show how extreme-over-the-top-technical/gnarly/innovative they are. It’s a bit much for me as I like my shit mellow. I like my spots to show the nice churches and buildings that are around and it takes a while to find them. I like my tricks to be done a certain way as well, and it won’t work for me if I’m on that mad-techy-hard-shit.

I also have about 26 children at home and a bunch of llamas to take care of, so I don’t have all day to wait for some hail mary to land by chance.

“I can’t be bothered too much with what people do to fit in.”

Soy, there’s a cut to Stevie Williams’ iconic switch heelflip in your part. Can we get the backstory on that?
SOY: I was basically whining about not liking my switch heelflip, so we came up with the idea of just replacing it with a better looking one [laughs].

So many of your graphics involve animals. Do you have an animal you most identify with?
SOY: I may have read somewhere that all an artist ever does is make self portraits, so I guess I kinda identify myself with every animal I’ve ever drawn.. Though if I had to pick one it’d probably be a bear. I still identify myself with Mowgli from the Jungle Book -a little Indian kid who surrounds himself with jungle animals.

Are there any activities you do outside of skateboarding to stay limber as you get older? You strike me as someone who has a yoga routine?
SOY: I’ve had several phases of doing yoga routines throughout my life, but I’m not very disciplined, so it’s usually short lived. I don’t think i’m very good at staying limber. Although ankles aside, I am reasonably limber, I guess. But no, skating has basically always been my sole physical activity.

Q&A by: Jenkem Staff
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