Erik Ellington CCS Interview

The great Charles Bukowski once wrote that style is…”A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing.” In a time when skateboarding can justly be accused of steady repetition, it is style that will always will bring light to any dimly lit dullness.
Erik Ellington has style, and a ton of it. Whether he’s putting down a flatground nollie flip, jumping down something enormous or simply walking to his car, Ellington’s natural ability to make anything he does look good has set him apart from the masses every single time.
CCS caught up with Erik to talk a bit about Deathwish, the famous Charles Bronson series, his Supra shoes and more

When did you decide to start Deathwish? The idea came about around 2007, about a year before we sold our first stuff in June 2008
How has it been working alongside Greco and Reynolds in a business setting? It’s been fun. The three of us have been close friends for over 10 years, so not much has changed from when we rode for Baker.
Was it a difficult decision to start your own business? What made you want to get fully behind the wheel of your own brand? Not at all. I’ve always worked closely with anything I’ve been involved with, so it was just the next thing to do.
Can you talk about the Deathwish name and symbol? Jim used to call the house Antwuan and some other guys lived at “The Deathwish Compound”, because it was kinda shady like the place the gang stayed at in the the movie. It just stuck and when we were thinkin’ of names that one fit.
How does the experience of running a business differ from the days of just being a professional skateboarder? There’s a lot more responsibility. You’re not just concerned with what has your name on it, you think more as a whole company and what’s best for everyone.
Is it difficult to balance out daily skating and tours with overseeing the Deathwish brand? Yeah, the first couple of years were very difficult. As time passed things got easier and I learned more about how the business works. So it’s become easier to balance which makes things fun like they should be.
Deathwish has some of the best graphics and graphic concepts going these days. How are ideas fleshed out and decided upon? Thanks! Me and Jim have always been really hands on with our graphics throughout the years so that side of it just came naturally. Plus the team and all of the guys here at Bakerboys have a lot of really good ideas too. If a graphic looks cool and the team and crew like it we just run with it, whether it looks like it fits in or not. I guess that mentality makes all the graphics naturally take a certain look.
There are so many kids that fully back Deathwish. Where do you think the sense of Deathwish pride comes from? It’s such a good feeling to see people backing it with so much pride. I think that when people see the team or hang out with us they see that the friendships are real and everyone is just down to skate and have a good time. People want to be a part of that and back that.
What continues to inspire you to learn new tricks and continue to produce as a professional skateboarder? …That I love the feeling I get when I skate. I think that the older I get the more I appreciate skating and want to progress.
How involved are you in the designs of your shoes at Supra? Is the process of getting exactly what you want for your shoe designs extensive? I’ve always liked designing shoes, so I play a major role in the design process. The hard part is the time it takes to wait for a change from the factory. Once it’s done you can just go crazy with colors and materials, which is always exciting.
Where did your inspiration for the EE Avenger come from? How is it different from your past Supra Shoes? Josh Brubaker (Supra Footwear Designer) and Michael Jordan. It’s a bit more tech than my past shoes, and it’s not vulcanized which I think is a breath of fresh air. It reminds me of the shoes I used to skate in when I first started, so to me it’s extra special. It’s probably my favorite shoe I’ve ever had.
Can you talk a bit about the set-up you ride? I’ve been riding an 8 and a half inch board for a couple years now. It just feels more solid, there’s more to land on. I ride thunder Light Titanium’s and some 50 or 51mm Spitfires. I don’t like my trucks too tight. Other than that it’s a pretty stock setup.
How often to you go through boards? I skate a new board about once a week, I mostly change them because I like new grip. I don’t break them much unless I’m skating somethin’ higher. Lately we’ve been filming for the Deathwish video so I set a new one up more often.
Is there any news on when the new Deathwish Video will be out? I would give a date that we’re aiming for but I don’t want to be a liar so I’ll just say 2011 for now…
Have far along are you in filming? I have a pretty good start on my part, I’m happy with what I have so far.
Whose part are you most hyped to see? I’m looking forward to the ams… Jon Dickson, Neen Williams, or Moose. The reason is because none of them have really had full parts in videos so I like that you don’t really know what to expect.