Tommy, you've been a great influence to alot of us through your OUTLOOK Skateboards and youtube videos. This interview is long overdue.
Lets start off with the basics. How/when did you start skateboarding and why freestyle?
I believe I was in the 4th grade around 1984 when I got my first complete skateboard... a Powell Peralta/ Steve Caballero from Allstar Bike Shop in Raleigh, NC. It would be about 2 years before I would discover freestyle.
I dont care what anyone says. You are the one who popularized filming long stationary combos that alot of kids are doing today. It's always a juggle setting up boards for rolling and stationary tricks. What was your setup around 2003ish and do you have any tricks/tips/hacks for us?
My setup was kinda basic I believe. 7.25 deck with slight concave and slight upturned nose. Inde 101s, probably my wheels from either Capital or Outlook which I believe they were 52mm offset wheels. Powell Peralta skidplates. Hard bushings of some sort and thats about it. Nothing different for rolling or stationary tricks. Just one setup for both.
You've switched from a 7.25" singlekick to a 7.75" popsicle board over the years. What prompted this change? My guess is that you like to roll and skate obstacles these days with your son?
What prompted the change was... I opened Delicious Skate Shop and The Factory Skate Park in Wake Forest, NC in 2005. We printed up shop decks and I was working at the shop/ park 7 days a week. I have always liked skating manny pads and stuff so I put together a shop deck setup with a 7.75 deck, 5.0 Venture Lows, and Bones STF 49mm or 50mm wheels and it just seemed to work for all my skate needs at that time. Plus I loved the fact those products were easy to find and did not require any additional tweaking. I was also able to learn so many new "street" tricks I had always wanted to learn. Later at the skate shop we would also print up Delicious Skate Shop freestyle decks too! Even having a local by the name of Sean Burke work and skate for the shop and even putting his first freestyle pro model out! Over the years my son, Grant has been in and out of skateboarding involved in many other interests, but when Covid first hit... he got back on the board and it's been on ever since! I love skating with him and hitting up different parks and skating street and if I had stuck with a traditional freestyle setup I'm not sure he and I would have made so many skateboarding memories!
The story on how you met Reggie Barnes and how your shape developed from this is interesting. How many pro models did you have over the years (if you can remember) and tell us how you came up with this classic shape?
How I met Reggie Barnes... in 1986 when I was in the 6th grade my mom got the owner (Reggie Barnes) of a local skate shop (Endless Grind) to do a demo at my cousin's school for the bookfair. Before that night I had not ever heard of freestyle skateboarding or Rodney Mullen for that matter. I was blown away by Reggie's freestyle skills. The demo was late afternoon and it was already dark. Reggie was skating on the little (kinda squared off) skateboard. Reggie was doing all kinds of tricks I had never seen before. After the demo, in the school library... not knowing any better I asked Reggie what he did with his old boards. He said "I either throw them away or give them away." I asked Reggie if I could have his old deck once he was done with it. Looking back I am sure I was a pain in the ass to his skate shop. I can remember calling a few times asking if he was done with it yet. He finally said if you buy your trucks, wheels, and bearings from my shop Ill give it to you. When my mom took me to get the deck she asked Reggie to autograph it. My mom wanted him to write To: Tommy From: Reggie Barnes and I of course didn't that that would be "cool" but he was happy to do it. That was in the fall of 86 and January of 87 only a few months later I would enter my first freestyle skate contest and place 2nd!
I definitely cant credit for that shape. When freestyle was coming back around Jamie and East Coast Skates was selling blanks extremely similar to the Barnes Walker shape... the only real difference was that slightly upturned nose. Then in 2001 Jamie wanted to turn me pro and put my name on a deck. Then when I left East Coast Skates / Capital for Outlook... Vince had the same shape as well. I believe Sambo had ties to the Walker/ Barnes shape or something like that. As far as the number of pro models I have had... I believe 2 with East Coast Skates... 1 with Capital... and 2 with Outlook. Later you (Witter) were nice enough to continue to include me in the freestyle community and put several pro guest models out on Decomposed (the GI Joe is my favorite!) Greatly appreciate all the love!
Last but not least.....you seem to have a good knowledge base on old school rap. Give us readers a top 9 essential cds to listen to.
In no particular order... these are a must peep!
Public Enemy / Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back
3rd Bass / The Cactus Cee/D
Big Daddy Kane / Long Live the Kane
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth / Mecca and the Soul Brother
House of Pain / Fine Malt Lyrics
Run-DMC / Run-DMC
Marley Marl / In Control Vol. 1
EPMD / Strictly Business
Eric B. and Rakim / Paid in Full
