Our latest Isolation Station interview is with Bobby Worrest…
Bobby Worrest BY RYAN FLYNN
The days keep rolling by but now it seems some semblance of normality could be looming in the not so distant future. Meantime we are still reaching out to some of our favourite skateboarders to find out where this strange time in history finds them and to talk about what they have recommended we turn our attention to. This week we bring you some choice, life enhancing fodder from Bobby Worrest.
Our conversation found Bobby outside in Washington DC, the nation’s capital. He took some time out of his schedule to talk about his choices for this Isolation Station just a few blocks away from Freedom Plaza. He picked one of our favourite skate videos of all time, introduced us to some new music, directed us towards a great film and suggested a book which has the power to change how we look at our daily lives. If putting this out there means one person who hasn’t seen Photosynthesis takes it in then our work here is doing some good…
ALIEN WORKSHOP: PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Where were you when you first saw this?
The year was 2000 and a buddy showed it to me at his house. There was so much inner city street skating in it that it really caught my eye. The whole video is amazing huh?
It is one that has aged well, so timeless.
Oh yeah, I was definitely obsessed with that video for quite a while.
Did you have a favourite part?
Probably Wenning, Van Engelen and Dill but the video as a whole is something I would wanna watch. If I were to put the VHS in right now I wouldn’t fast forward it to someones part I’d just start at the beginning.
Wenning was really on one in that video, it’s still baffling some of the stuff in his part.
Oh yeah. You have got to give credit to the filmers and editors too. I know who edited it but I’m having brain fart right now. What’s his name?
Joe Castrucci
Castrucci yeah, he did an amazing job on that. He got across a certain vibe and a certain feeling through that whole video. Plus the Habitat section which used the music which went with everyones part which was pretty cool.
Yeah the Mr. Dibbs music. Were there any tricks in here you learned because of the video or still think about when you do them?
Back tails, switch or regular back tails, switch 360 flips and nollie back heelflips probably because of Wenning. I learned the nosegrind pop outs after that but I don’t really run that one.
It’s funny how you watch some videos and in there sits the perfect example of a certain trick. Like Kalis’ fake flip at the Seaport spot for instance which often gets referenced.
I mean Brian did the switch tre flip off the ledge over the trash can at the start of a line. That’s kind of the next level I would say, like he’s just got it like that. Very cool.
Ave’s part is so powerful too, like the blueprint for his parts which followed and built on it
Right yeah that part was the shit for sure. Then the song too had a lot of intensity.
This is a good pick for anyone out there right now to take in.
Yeah, I mean if you haven’t seen that video you should probably go and fucking watch it. Get yourself a copy. I think I had three copies of that video, don’t ask me how (laughs). I know I’ve got one now, I probably gave the others away.
if you haven’t seen that video you should probably go and fucking watch it. Get yourself a copy. I think I had three copies of that video, don’t ask me how
When that video came out it was packaged in boxes of 10 which went to shops and they were special Photosynthesis boxes. I kept one of those, it has my favourite videos in it.
That’s awesome.
STURGILL SIMPSON
Tell us about Sturgill Simpson. You couldn’t narrow down one album so you chose him as an artist.
Yeah it’s really hard to pick one choice for each thing so I picked him. Do you know who he is?
I didn’t before you sent over your choices. I listened to him after that knowing nothing about him but then realised he did the theme song for that Scorcese show Vinyl which I watched. But then that one song sounds unlike the albums.
I like the guys music but I’m not up to date with everything to do with him. I’m not like a fan who know that this next song is coming out tomorrow at noon. I just get his albums when they come out and they’re all not the same. His first two albums were real country style. Then this third album which came out about a year ago, I don’t even know what to call it because it’s not country, I don’t know what the fuck it is but it’s really good.
Which album is that, is it called A Sailor’s Guide To Earth?
Oh my bad, he’s got four albums. That Sailor’s Guide is a good one too. I was talking about the newest one called Sound & Fury which is a trip.
It’s a whole different sound.
Yeah it’s a whole different sound from two albums ago but I enjoy it for what it is. When that came out, I was expecting more country which it isn’t but I still like it though. Then that Sailor’s Guide album is a lot different to the previous album again. You have High Top Mountain which just sounds like classic country. Then Metamodern Sounds In Country Music is country but it’s got some kind of different vibe to it. I think the title probably is self explanatory.
His take on a classic genre.
Yeah that’s a good way to put it.
His voice is the real deal.
Yeah it is, I’ve seen the guy live like two or three times. He opened up for Willie Nelson a couple of years back. Cool show, real cool show.
I’ve seen the guy live like two or three times. He opened up for Willie Nelson a couple of years back
Wow that must have been amazing. Do you have a lot of country music on rotation?
Kind of yeah, probably the most, more than any other genre. It’s feel good music, you can just kick back. It doesn’t make you feel one way or another but kind of relaxed (laughs) which I need. It’s not heavy metal where I want to go out and break shit or whatever. You know what I mean?
If I was going to skate with headphones on, which I wouldn’t because I hate it when kids are downtown skating with headphones on. But if I was to, I probably wouldn’t be listening to country music to skate. I’d be listening to something more uplifting or up beat.
What would you recommend then for somebody wanting to dip into the world of Sturgill Simpson?
I would probably say start with Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, that’s a pretty nice one. Get that album and listen to it I guess.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Tell us about this Coen Brothers film pick…
This is one of my favourites. I couldn’t narrow down my favourite movie or favourite documentary but this is a movie that I like, I just don’t know too much about it. The Coen brothers aren’t my favourite directors or anything, I don’t think I have a favourite director but I do like Quentin Tarantino a lot.
It seems like ages ago I saw this and I need to rewatch it. But I do remember Javier Bardem’s character as being really haunting.
Yeah this guy is out hunting and basically comes across a briefcase full of money. I’m not going to explain the whole story but he doesn’t know that inside the briefcase is a tracking device. Then a hitman is hired and multiple people are tracking this large sum of money. Josh Brolin is the main character who is getting hunted down for this package. It’s a great movie, I really enjoy that one but that’s the basic premise of the movie.
this guy is out hunting and basically comes across a briefcase full of money… he doesn’t know that inside the briefcase is a tracking device. Then a hitman is hired and multiple people are tracking this large sum of money
It’s a modern day western. Are you a fan of the western in general?
I am, yeah I can get down with some westerns for sure. It’s a modern day western.
Might be reaching for a link here but this and the Sturgill Simpson choice are modern day expansions on well travelled existing genres.
You hold a good point yeah.
It’s a good film to add to your list.
Yeah I don’t think you’ll be disappointed watching that movie. It’s not like one of those movies where you’re like “this movie sucks” but so and so said “it’s the greatest movie of all time” and I’m forcing myself to watch it. It’s not like that. Once again if you haven’t seen it, give it a shot.
THE PMA EFFECT BY JOHN JOSEPH
This seems like a poignant choice of reading matter right now. Tell us about this book…
Well I’m not a big reader, I’d rather be out doing active things. But I was recommended this book PMA by my friend Tim. It’s cool being able to read a book written by a guy where the way he writes is like the way he talks. For me, that’s easy to follow. That guys whole history too, he’s come from some shit.
He was the lead singer of the Cro-Mags
Yeah he still is, my buddy Casey plays bass in that band but that’s besides the point.
So John Joseph was homeless, struggled with addiction and was locked up before.
Yeah so he came from some shit, lived through some shit in New York in the 80s. But he persevered through all that and basically he has written this book about positive thinking. It’s cool to read that shit, I wouldn’t call them self help books but they are positive reinforcement.
he came from some shit, lived through some shit in New York in the 80s. But he persevered through all that and basically he has written this book about positive thinking
His background is full of some serious obstacles to having a positive mental attitude so his techniques must have worked.
For him they did for sure. It’s cool reading about it and trying to apply this guys opinions to your everyday life. You read something and you’re like, I agree with that, I’m going to try that today.
Did this change any of your thought processes or ways of doing things?
I would like to read The PMA Effect again, I enjoyed that book. I mean he is vegan and he speaks openly about it a lot and me I’m not. If the point you’re getting to is if him talking about veganism has changed my everyday way of life then no.
I was asking more if it changed your way of thinking about things on a daily basis?
At the time when I read that book it definitely might have opened my mind up a little bit to a new way of thinking. It did, it had a very positive impact and I want to read it again.
Thanks very much for these suggestions Bobby. We wanted to ask you how lockdown has affected your reality?
It’s pretty trippy man. I’ve been skateboarding downtown from time to time. Keeping the circle of friends pretty small, it’s face masks everywhere you go pretty much. I’ve been staying home a lot. I didn’t quarantine like a lot of people who didn’t leave the house for weeks, I didn’t do that but at the same time I wasn’t out hanging out with a ton of people either.
I have my key people I hang out with and still we keep a distance. Nobody I know has been infected with it. Just trying to move on from it really.
George Floyd’s murder has sparked a lot of action, you mentioned that protests are going on blocks away from you right now. Are you hopeful that a change can come?
I hope so, I really hope so. That was very disturbing and fucked up and there’s shit like that happening every day that we probably don’t hear about. I’m not a big political guy but I know something needs to change. We discuss it every day, what it’s going to be.
Something’s got to happen, something drastic has got to happen because that type of shit can not exist. They arrested all the cops involved. How can you be a police officer and stand there and watch this and not disrupt what was happening? It’s fucked up.
Any advice to readers out there…
Just be safe out there. I know there are a lot of people fucking with the cops and shit, but I’m not, I’m good on that. But if you’re gonna do that sort of shit and protest, be smart and be safe about it definitely.
Interview By Jacob Sawyer
If you enjoyed this Isolation Station and want more please check out previous interviews with Dom Henry, Rory Milanes, Sam Sitayeb, Ben Kadow, Tommy Guerrero and Brian Anderson