It’s been a busy year for Gabriel Summers and that looks to continue so we’re glad he took out some time from his travels for this “Visuals” interview. It was a pleasure to speak to him about his bulletproof selection of stimulus and pick his brains about recent developments…
Words and interview by Jacob Sawyer. Gabriel Summers at home in Tasmania
Gabriel Summers is a powerful Tasmanian export who has been laying down the hammer for many moons now. His gravitation towards unthinkable rails, and situations most would never touch finds him in a lane of his own creation. His My War back catalogue alone helps tell the tale of his approach, one which sees him pushing his own boundaries, and experimenting with what is possible, a rail testing mindset, the lineage of which tracks back to the doors Pat Duffy blew open. In short, Gabbers is exciting to watch, something Mark Suciu eloquently explained in our last “Visuals” interview, a conversation that set the stage for this one. There have been exciting developments in Gabriel’s career, one which has had a few chapters already, the latest being his move from the Zero roster to a new home at Thames. As we are looking forward to seeing more footage of him in this context, it seemed like the perfect time to find out about some visual influences that have played, and continue to play, a part in his story.
It was no surprise when Gabriel’s selection came back that Heath Kirchart featured, but it was amazing to see two eras of Heath’s career represented through his picks. When it came to choosing a video part, it was Heath’s Mind Field part appearance that won out, an impactful, emotional masterpiece that closed Greg Hunt’s seminal video. We enjoyed hearing Gabbers talk about what this part meant to him, how it influenced his own approach, and his reverence for a lost time where crafting a video involved spending way more time making each part as memorable as possible. The second Kirchart selection was his ender from This is Skateboarding, a tech-gnar marriage that couldn’t have been done any better, earning it a percussive triple-angle that cemented it in skateboarding’s collective consciousness. Heath’s influence is forever felt, but as you will read, it’s his work ethic and commitment to the craft that made the biggest impression.
When it comes to iconic images, Daniel Harold Sturt is a photographer whose name is at the top of the list. His photo of Geoff Rowley grinding the Staples Centre hubba was the moment discussed. Rowley was on a mission, testing the parameters and seeing how far he could push basic tricks. This historic moment, perfectly captured by Sturt, signals imminent change, a split second before touchdown, something that clearly resonated with Gabriel. Honouring this moment goes beyond skate tourism, as we learn that Gabbers took this landmark spot for a spin himself. The final pick is a Baker Skateboards staple, a logo board that has over two decades of coverage, and made its way into some of Gabbers’ early boxes and under his feet.
Before getting back to a fast-approaching adidas demo in Nashville, we managed to speak more about his plans for the rest of the year and what we can expect to see from him in the coming months. We cover the sequence of events that led from his departure from Zero and arrival as the first pro on the Thames team, how he is finding his new home, Blondey McCoy’s Bunt appearance, clever and lucrative graphic decisions, UK spots, an upcoming relocation, and more.
Heath Kirchart – Alien Workshop: Mind Field (2009)
Heath Kirchart has always been my favourite skateboarder. It always resonated with me how hard he tried for things. His slams were cool, he had it all, he was gnarly, and also kind of tech-gnarly. He dressed well, he looked cool, and he didn’t say much. He seemed dark and mysterious; he had a good trick selection. I’m not saying anything new here because it’s probably a pretty popular opinion, but he is just the best. This Mind Field part was quite emotional because you could tell that he was coming to the end of his career and was giving it one last push, which I thought was really cool. I feel like this part was just how parts were back then too. That was the definition of a part that maybe took four or five years to make. I’m actually on a trip right now with Jon Miner, who filmed a lot of it, and it’s amazing hearing some of the stories about that, how early he would go for things. It seemed like every single trick he filmed for that part was planned, and even in general during his whole career, it was all very calculated. That’s something that seemed really cool to me.
The song works so well too, it’s very emotional. Skating to “Speedway” was genius. It’s quite a sad song that accompanies him going for it, with not much time left, because he didn’t want to do it anymore. That’s how it seemed to me at the time. Mind Field is the last video that was made in the same way as the videos I grew up watching. Everybody had a part, even Steve Berra had a part. This Heath part is one of the best though, I fucking love it, never not going to love it. He looked so cool on a skateboard. I also kind of liked that he had a reputation for being a dick; I always thought that was kind of sick. I probably shouldn’t like that, but it seemed cool to me.
“I think it’s Heath’s work ethic that rubbed off on me. You don’t want to copy someone’s style, or even their tricks and the way they do them, but I wanted to approach skating the way he did”
I really like the backside flip ender. I also love the kickflip nosegrind that he does on a rail, that trick kind of comes out of the blue, and I remember it being pretty shocking at the time. I always really liked the front board down the white hubba where he lands straight into the stairs. The two back three nose grabs he does either way, I always thought that was a really sick way to start the part. Every single fucking trick in that part is amazing; there’s not one bad trick. I wasn’t there for the premiere of this but I saw it at a friend’s house. I would have been about eighteen when I first saw the video so it wasn’t a kid thing. I think it was such an important point for skateboarding when this video came out. It really was a turning point because, as I said, it’s kind of the last proper full-length to be made in that way. Where people worked for four or five years, and also had the parts you wanted to see. That I wanted to see anyway. It’s a video that I can still watch all the way through, always. Greg Hunt did a really good job with this one.
I think this part inspired me, but I think it’s Heath’s work ethic that rubbed off on me. You don’t want to copy someone’s style, or even their tricks and the way they do them, but I wanted to approach skating the way he did. I was speaking to [Jon] Miner about this the other day, how hard he tried was inspiring. You should try that hard. I’ve never seen Heath [Kirchart] skate but I do have a pretty funny story…He used to work in BLACK, which is a bar in Hollywood. When I was staying out there a lot, it was somewhere we would go, me, Atiba [Jefferson], a bunch of people. Heath [Kirchart] used to work at the bar there, I’ve no idea why, I think he just likes to suffer. I remember going up to the bar, and I wasn’t even drunk because it was pretty early on in the night, but I saw him and got completely starstruck. I couldn’t really put a sentence together, so he thought I was too drunk and he kicked me out, hahaha. That’s the only interaction I’ve ever had with Kirchart; he kicked me out of a bar once. He practises responsible service of alcohol, let’s just say that. I’ve always worked a job, this is the only point in my life where I haven’t so I always thought his work ethic, actually working, was cool too. You shouldn’t get comfortable.
Heath Kirchart – Emerica: This is Skateboarding (2003)
I remember seeing this for the first time very well. It was back in the day when we would all trade videos. I would have been about twelve, and that second line with the back tail, fakie flip, and then the slam. That’s one of the best lines ever filmed, I don’t care what anybody says. But the thing that stuck with me most from this part is the last trick. He does the kickflip front 50 on the UCI handrail, I think the rail is down ten stairs. The way he does that trick, the way it’s filmed, and the way it’s at night, it’s incredible. He landed it before he even popped, and I think that’s so cool. He probably didn’t know he was going to land it, but he didn’t give a fuck and just thought “I’m landing this”. It’s the coolest trick ever done, I don’t think that’s a unique personal opinion either. If you ask anybody, even people who aren’t that familiar with that trick, if they watch it they’re going to agree that it’s an amazing trick. That has to be a universal thing. I would love for somebody to challenge me on that. Somebody could do the same trick down a forty-stair rail, and it will never be as cool as Kirchart’s.
I also like how it’s shown three times. That’s another thing I was speaking to [Jon] Miner about the other day. I was nerding out and asking questions, I’m probably really annoying him, actually. But I was asking him about filming that trick, and it turns out it wasn’t him, it was [Mike] Manzoori who filmed it. Apparently, they had spent days going back for it too, which is crazy to me because it doesn’t look like that. It doesn’t look like it was a mission; it looks like he had that shit pretty easy, but apparently, he had to keep going back for it, and it’s a really good one. Jon Allie also had a good one, but there really aren’t any better examples. It’s a pinnacle trick for sure. This video will always be one of my favourites. I still watch it to this day; it’s such a good one. I grew up in Tasmania, and what we had to skate was handrails, so that was what I did. The Emerica videos played a part in shaping my youth, and a lot of other people’s too. I know Blondey [McCoy] was really influenced by those videos, people maybe you wouldn’t think of. They had an impact for sure.
“The way he does that trick, the way it’s filmed, and the way it’s at night, it’s incredible. He landed it before he even popped, and I think that’s so cool”
It always trips me out just how young skateboarding is. With a lot of other things, there are always different generations that have the equivalent of a Kirchart or an [Andrew] Reynolds, but it’s crazy that we have dealt with just one. We haven’t had a bunch of different ones who have been the same, so it’s cool to have come up through that sort of era. We have seen some of the first parts of skateboarding to go down, ever! I was there when Squish [Jack O’Grady] did the 50-50 to 50-50, some shit that’s never been done before. It’s pretty cool that skateboarding is so young that that can happen. It was great to see Heath appear in Soul Crusher, he’s looking healthy. It’s cool to see an idol like that not become a drug addict or destroy themselves, to come out on the other side, it’s a happy ending.
Geoff Rowley. Frontside 50-50. PH: Daniel Harold Sturt (1999)
I remember seeing this photo for the first time, and you can tell, just from looking at the photo, that it’s something that has never been done before. I love the way that [Daniel Harold] Sturt shot it, he’s not locked in yet, it’s massive, and he has captured the moment of faith, of if this is going to fucking work. I have heard so many stories of Sturt and of going shooting with him. Even with the Jeremy Wray water tower ollie, he kind of got off on that shit, you know? He took that photo, probably thinking that [Geoff] Rowley was going to eat shit, and the way that is captured is so fucking cool. It’s that pure moment of do or die, and of, is this going to work? No one had skated anything that big before. With a hubba like that, you either commit or eat shit. From interviews I’ve watched with Geoff, that was even going through his head, I don’t know what’s going to happen. That’s another factor with skating things that big at that time; no one knew what the fuck was going to happen. No one had pushed the envelope that far; it’s pretty fucked up. This was in Sorry, and that was one of my first videos, I love that video; that was the era.
“you can tell, just from looking at the photo, that it’s something that has never been done before”
I first saw this in a magazine as an advert, and it stuck with me. It was such a cool photo, and all of Sturt’s photos stood out. [Geoff] Rowley would only shoot with the best, and every Sturt image ended up being iconic. I went to the Staples Centre to look at this and actually tried to skate it before. I tried to do a frontside lipslide on it back in 2016. I tried it about five or six times, but I think I waxed it too much, and I couldn’t do it. On one of the attempts, I just slipped out and landed on my tailbone really badly. I had dreams for a while there, and pretty recently even, because I would love to front blunt it, but I think I was biting off more than I could chew with that one. I went to check it out again after the fact, and I couldn’t fathom doing that. I think maybe if I were ten years younger and way hungrier, I could probably do it, but if you don’t get into a front blunt on that thing, you’re dead, pretty much, actually dead.
Baker Skateboards. Logo Deck (2000 – Present Day)
The scene was good in Tasmania growing up, but it was hard to get stuff, hard to get mags, hard to get boards you wanted. Going back to the Rowley photo, all I ever wanted at one time was a FLIP board, but I could never get one. The Baker logo board though, that is just the board, no one has ever not looked cool riding it. I don’t know if it’s because it’s nostalgic for me, but I just love that board. It sticks out but not in an ugly way; it’s such a sick graphic, it’s so simple. Baker 2G was my first video; that’s what got me into skating. Seeing Dustin [Dollin] in that video, and being from Australia, was incredible. If you look at his trick selection from back then, it’s kind of similar to mine. It was a big influence, that was definitely the start of it all for me, for sure. I watched Baker 2G before I had even stepped on a skateboard. My friend’s brother had the video, and that’s what made me want to skate. So when I started skating at age twelve, that was the type of skating I gravitated towards. Even going back to the Emerica videos, seeing that Baker logo board and graphic in the mix was all part of it, so sick.
“When I see someone skating one of these boards on Instagram, it still holds that special feeling for me”
I don’t own one, there isn’t one on the wall or anything, but I’ve skated quite a few. I used to get Baker boards back in the day, so it was super cool opening those boxes, and most of those guys are my friends still to this day. It’s good to see them still killing it. When I see someone skating one of these boards on Instagram, it still holds that special feeling for me. I remember there being a photo of Jerry Hsu skating one around the time it was rumoured he was quitting Enjoi, and that was exciting, seeing someone you would not expect to be skating a Baker board. Everyone used to run the Baker logo board with an Emerica sticker on the front, which is something that will always conjur up a good feeling of nostalgia.
What plans and projects do you have for the rest of the year?
I’ve got a Thrasher part coming out in December, which I have been working on for quite a while. I have been working on that with Taou [Tor Ström], the old Polar filmer is editing it, which is cool. There are a couple of adidas edits I have tricks in which are going to be coming out. I’m working on a Thrasher interview. I’m going on a trip with Thames to Hong Kong in November, which should be fun. The last trip of the year will be to Japan, an hour or so away from Tokyo, so my year is looking pretty busy. I’m going back to Tasmania on Sunday to film an Out There with Ewan Bowman, so I’m pretty fucking busy, which is good. I’m excited to bring out this part, and I’m finally at a point where I’m feeling proud of it, which hasn’t been the case till now, so I’m hyped on that. It’s been hard to focus on that because I’ve been doing so many other things as well.
The Thames squad in Paris and London with Gabbers firmly in the mix
You’re currently in Nashville on an adidas trip?
Yeah, I’m in Nashville, and I’ve just been in Kentucky. I’ve been riding for adidas for the last ten years, and the past couple have been really busy. It’s been nice being part of the crew and great to be considered for these trips. It’s a really good dynamic; everyone skates differently, everyone gets along. It’s good to be able to bring something new to the table and be able to skate with other people.
Congrats on the Thames news. We heard Blondey’s account of the events that led to you getting on in his Bunt interview. What was happening with you at that time having just quit Zero? What led to that?
I had wanted to quit for a while; I wasn’t really a part of Zero anymore at that point. I wasn’t getting invited on trips, and that kind of used to hurt me because it was during a two-year period where I felt like I was doing a lot for the brand. So it hurt when I wasn’t invited on these trips they were going on, I was getting pushed to the side. That could be because I had my differences with some of the team riders, but I felt like I was doing enough that they could have put that aside if I was the problem, or not invite the other person. It got to a point where they would be posting about trips, and I wouldn’t even want to go on them. That was the turning point. Before, before I would be bummed because I wasn’t invited, and now I’m still bummed but relieved because I wouldn’t want to go, even if I was invited. It was enough. My circle of friends had changed a lot within skateboarding because of travelling to Europe a lot, and going to New York. That didn’t really resonate with what they were doing in San Diego, but it did with me, so I felt it was time to change.
You went 13 days without a board sponsor. Were you expecting to float for a bit before Blondey contacted you? Was that a bolt from the blue?
I had heard from my friend Jarrad Carlin that Blondey [McCoy] was a fan of my skating before, so I wasn’t insanely surprised when he hit me up. I was floating around other ideas at the time because I had already kind of checked out from being on Zero for a while, and I already knew that I wanted to quit. There were other things I was kind of flirting with but nothing was really set in stone. I think nowadays, and I’m sure you see it as well, it’s not really about how good you are, it’s more about whether you get along with the crew. I think that’s good, that’s how it should be if you’re running a brand now. It does leave a huge hole full of people not having a board sponsor, which is hard for a lot of people. I think it’s good though, when it’s based solely on the crew you’re hanging out with, and get along with. I wouldn’t say there were other options, but there were definitely some ideas. The companies I was looking to were small, and it’s hard to put someone on who isn’t from where they are based, even if you do get along with everybody. So I took that into account.
“I feel like I can be myself, and that’s really important because your identity is your board company”
The advert welcoming Gabbers to the Thames team which ran in July 2025. PH: Alex Pies
I have always thought Blondey [McCoy] is funny. I loved his show, and loved the small amount of time I got to hang out with him. I think he is a pretty lovely, intriguing, and funny guy. That’s what makes it so different, I think there is space for Thames as a company with how he runs it. He has done it the right way by concentrating on it being a fashion brand first. Getting the suppliers down to make clothing is huge because you’re making money from another demographic of people. It’s a huge problem with board companies; they don’t have a general punter, or general person buying their stuff. Polar had it going on with the Big Boy wave; that’s how you’ve got to make money, tapping into the general public because you’re not making money just from boards. So I thought that was a good thing, and Jarrad [Calin] is one of my best friends; I love him. I was a bit worried because I didn’t know what the people at the office were like or the ins and outs of the company, but after being there for the first time, it just felt like home. I’m going to move to London next year too, so it all made sense. It’s also nice when a diverse team of people ride for a company. I don’t skate like Jarrad or Blondey, for instance, but everyone brings something different to the table.
It feels like there is some rejuvenation going on over there on the skateboarding side of things.
Yeah, and I think it’s only going to grow from there. It will always have the high-end fashion feel to it, too, which is something I really like about it. My relationship with Blondey has grown so much over a short amount of time as well. I love the guy, he’s a really nice person. I don’t feel like I need to be on edge around him, I feel like I can be myself, and that’s really important because your identity is your board company.
Apart from the content he curates Blondey is someone who has been out of the public eye, especially as far as interviews. I think that his Bunt episode will have won over a lot of people and maybe reintroduced Thames as a board company.
Totally, I hooked that up because I know those guys really well and they asked me about it. I always try to help get them guests because I’ve known them forever and we’re friends. I did a Bunt interview with them early on, and we’ve always kept in contact. So I have looked out for people I think would be keen and floated the Blondey idea to them because I knew that was going to happen. I knew people were going to resonate with him a lot more if they could just hear him talk about skating, because he fucking loves it, he’s a skate rat.
“I knew people were going to resonate with him a lot more if they could just hear him talk about skating, because he fucking loves it, he’s a skate rat”
I think he’s in a good place to do that interview, too, because he doesn’t have to watch what he says; he’s far enough removed that he doesn’t have to worry about a sock in the face. Do you know what I mean? He’s not going to be at the Dime Glory Challenge, having to watch his back. I think it was perfect; he really didn’t do any of it to hurt anyone’s feelings, either; he was just telling the truth, his truth. He was speaking from the heart, and you could tell it was genuine. He’s really articulate, and I think that really made a lot of people interested in the brand.
I know you’re particular about what you skate. How are you finding the boards?
The boards are made through DSM at the moment, and those boards are good, they’re fine but they’re just too stiff for me. There’s no flex which doesn’t work for me. So from now on, they’re changing manufacturer to BBS, the same woodshed brands like REAL and Baker use. That’s going to be huge, I think, because a lot of people dislike those DSM boards. A lot of people do like them, but a lot of people don’t. It’s personal preference at the end of the day, but I have skated the same wood forever, so when I tried to skate a DSM board, it didn’t work; they’re too snappy almost, which fucks up everything for me. I think they will all change eventually; all of my boards are definitely going to be made at BBS from now on. There are a bunch of new graphics coming out that I’m really hyped on. I will have way more of a personal say, I’m finally going to get graphics that I have always really wanted that weren’t spooky enough for Zero.
You prefer flat boards?
Yeah, flat, and pointy. The Baker formula basically, the same thing I’ve skated forever
I liked the Nirvana graphic you had, the In Utero one.
That made me a lot of money that one! I was getting cheques. I think one month I got about $6K or something. It sold really well, and I kind of knew that too. It was me being cheeky and thinking fuck it, I’m going to copy something. I did it right when Covid happened, too, so I was making so much money off that board.
I spoke to Mark Suciu recently, and he picked your No White Flag part to talk about.
I know, I read that, I was quite touched by that.
He spoke about watching that backside 50-50 in Canada and being scared for you. Were you scared for you?
Yeah, I was scared, but I kind of knew it was going to work. I also knew that if I stuck, I wasn’t going to die, it just would have sucked a bit. I wasn’t too concerned. I was originally going to try a boardslide, and I’m glad I didn’t because that would have sucked, it would have taken a lot more than first try, and back 50-50 is way better.
Favourite spot in the UK and spot in the UK you’d like to visit but never have?
The best spot ever is probably that rail in Manchester, the one where the bombing happened. It’s kinda eerie. You know that one?
It’s the rail you kickflip front 5050’d?
Yeah, that one. That spot is probably the best; it’s so fun to grind. It’s such a perfect rail, it might be the best rail in the world, actually. That clip was in the Blokes 2 video. I’ve got another trick on that rail that’s going to be in my part. The spot I want to skate, though? I’d actually love to go to that spot in Bristol, the plaza called Lloyds. I’ve never been there, and I probably wouldn’t even enjoy skating there, but I’d love to go there just to see it. So much cool stuff has happened there; it’s quite a monumental spot, and I need to see it.
How is skateboarding feeling right now?
Let’s just say I’m really good at trying tricks right now, but I’m not so good at skating if that makes any sense. I’ve been going on so many trips and trying to film for this part that I haven’t had much time to just go to skateparks. So I have my tricks, but I’m not so confident about trying something I’m not 100% good at. Honestly, from when No White Flag came out, I haven’t had a break. I think the day that part came out I went straight onto an adidas trip. Then, I kept going on adidas trips, then started filming for this new part. Soon, between being hurt, being tired, and being over skating from skating too much, I haven’t really had a chance to just have an afternoon session at the skatepark and enjoy it. I’ve either been sore or focusing on other stuff. So, I wouldn’t say I’m that good at skating right now, but I’m good at trying tricks.
It seems from watching you skate that you would need that periodic skatepark intermission to recuperate from working on a video part constantly.
Yeah, I do, it happened this year, where I was trying a trick, and I was trying it for like two months straight. I ended up landing on my hip so badly that I got an infection in it. Then I kept on trying it, and because I couldn’t fall on my hip, I hit my head really badly. That ended up really putting me back by about two months. I couldn’t really skate at all. I went to New York to hang out with Cyrus [Bennett] and Max [Palmer] and stuff. I was there for two-and-a-half months, but I couldn’t skate that well, so it got to a point where I didn’t want to skate. I just needed to get healthy again because I was half-injured, which is sometimes worse. I’m glad that’s over, it’s just skating, though, you go in stages.
Thanks for making time for this. Any last words?
Thanks for your time, thanks for interviewing me, and thanks to Slam for supplying me with griptape when I’m in town. I love Slam, it’s a great shop, and it needs to exist.
We would like to thank Gabriel for his time, his selection, his insights, and his kind words. As always, we would also like to thank Neil Macdonald (Science Vs. Life) for the mag scans.
Shop with us now for all of the latest hardware from THAMES. The inaugural Gabbers pro model will be joining this selection very soon.
Follow Gabriel Summers on Instagram for further updates and also his new family at THAMES for new footage. The THAMES MMXX Vision channel is also a good space to enter a skateboarding rabbit hole.
Previous Visuals Interviews: Mark Suciu , Hayley Wilson , Mike Sinclair , Tom Delion , Sam Narvaez , Tyler Bledsoe , Daniel Wheatley , Braden Hoban , Jaime Owens , Charlie Munro , Lev Tanju , Jack Curtin , Ted Barrow , Dave Mackey , Jack Brooks , Korahn Gayle , Will Miles , Kevin Marks , Joe Gavin , Chewy Cannon