Photos: Hammeke
Words: Oleynik
What's up Jamie, how are things? What have you been up to recently?
Just trying to get back skating. It's been a really long time. Almost there.

What made you decide to get a place back close to where your from?
Everything is way more mellow. Family and friends close. I miss all my friends in Cali though for sure. Got to get back down there soon.

What are some pros and cons of living in Canada?
Pros: comfort, cheap, good skate parks.
Cons: very expensive booze, freezing weather most of the year, barely any good spots.


Kickflip
You were telling me the other day that Travis Stenger taught you how to kickflip? When was that?
Yeah, it was probably a little after I started. I don’t remember exactly when it was. We were at Ed's Shed skate park in Edmonton and I wanted to buy his board off him so bad, but didn’t get the chance haha.

Did you skate much with Trav back in the day?
Not really at all. Maybe like three times when I was a little guy. I haven’t seen him around for a long ass time. Seen lots of photos though. Trav is so good.

It seems to me like you kind of skipped over the whole Canadian skateboard industry. Like a lot of guys move out to Vancouver, skate for a few years riding for a distro, get lots of photos in the Canadian mags and then try to make the jump to Cali. How did it happen that you just went straight to the American side of things?
I kinda just barged down there paying for my own flights. Little two week trips, then it turned into month long trips. Then they started paying for flights and wanting me to go on trips haha. I don't know, I kinda really lucked out with being in the right place at the right time and really awesome people hooking me up and believing in me.


50/50
I saw on your Twitter a while back that you were sending out love to Japan and letting people know how they could donate money to help people there. Do you normally try to stay up on current events and contribute to good causes?
I don't that often, but I try too. I shaved my head for cancer research a while back. We raised over $13,000, I think it was. I just try to do little things here and there to keep the karma good.

Overall, what do you think of Twitter, Facebook, iPhones and social media? Do you use them often?
Yup, iPhones are great!

I have to ask, when and how did you get your nickname, "lil Fucky"?
The first trip I went on by myself to California, it was in 2005 I think. When they had the second or third Emerica mansion. Leo, Heath, Spanky and Minor lived there at the time. I weaseled my way in there somehow for a week or so. Anyways, I had the great luck of getting bronchitis right before my trip, so I was super sick coughing the whole time. Minor couldn't stand it because I wouldn't stop smoking. Me and Leo got super hammered one night and I think that’s when it happened.

I know you had knee surgery a while back. How did that go? How are you recovering?
Yeah, I had surgery eight months ago. Everything went well, but a while ago I slipped on ice and twisted it. I didn’t tear it again, thank everything that is holy, but I did fracture my tibia, so I have to stay off it for a while till it mends. I also had shoulder surgery a month or so ago to fix some existing problems. It went well.


Nosegrind
Speaking of knee issues, how is Sheldon (Meleshinski) doing? Is he healthy and skating right now?
Yeah, as far as I know he's doing pretty good. He still has to get another surgery though, I think. I hope he gets better. Sheldon is the man. Big fan, huge fan.

Me too. Who are your favorite Canadian skaters overall?
McCrank, DesArmo, Geoff Strelow, Mitch Kurbs.

You turned pro late last year. Has anything changed in your life because of that? Do you feel more pressure because of being pro?
Yeah, not really. I guess a bit of pressure to get back on the board, but nobody wants it more than I do. I turned pro right before I got surgery so I haven't even done a trick as a professional skateboarder. Haha, I feel pointless.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?
Do a fucking tre flip damn it!


Frontnose