So we've all read your Color and SBC interviews. We know you grew up in Calgary, moved to Vancouver to stay with Cooper and did your time at both The Chateau and Chatwo. You have spent an excessive amount of time in Barcelona, know every Tupac lyric, but still love Biggie, and now live at the Fuck Shop with Wherry, Trav and Joey. So tell us what's new in the life of one Ian Twa?
Well man, not a whole lot, missing you since you moved to NY. I've been working, skating whenever it's dry. Me and Wherry get some night time sessions in at Georgia Banks or underground art gal, but just stacking dough getting ready for Spain.

So you're heading back to Barcelona at the end of the month. Of all the places to go, why Barcelona again?
Hmm no reason in particular other than the city is the shit. haha. This year were gonna travel around go to Italy and southern Spain. But yah man, the Spanish got it right; cheap alcohol, food and ill spots.


Switch Backside Nosegrind Revert.
What happened to the video you were making "Chateau Fever"?
I’m not making it. It was gonna be sick, I gave all Trav and Joey's footage away. We were just filming each other and getting shit done not having to wait for anyone. But I suck at filming anyways, so maybe it's for the better.

Are you filming for anything right now?
Yah, definitely. I’m hoping to have a couple clips in Strange Brew, Kurt’s new vid. And I’m gonna film a full part for Mark Brownlee's vid and I don't even know what he's gonna call it.


Ollie up, 360 flip.
Do you still skate the plaza as much as you use to?
Yah I skate the plaza as much as I can. I know it's bad and you get trapped there, but Vancouver is lacking in ledge spots. So unless I’m trying to film, working on ledge tricks is how I spend my time.

Who gives you free shit?
Royal and Matix through Supra distribution, DC, and The Circle Skateshop.

I know you were in New York this past summer, how was it?
New York is so sick. I was only there for like 8 days. I stayed uptown Manhattan just a few blocks from Time Square. The city is crazy I know I could spend some time there just trying to take it all in.


Switch Ollie.
Are you actually going to come visit while I'm here?
Definitely brah. This summer, maybe Coops will roll too.

What skaters are you feeling in Canada?
Lots of good ones in Canada. In Van, I saw Joey Williams tear it up all summer. Joey knows how to shralp the streets and he always gets me stoked to skate. Spence Hamilton, Trepanier and Wherry are like machines guys, always hammering some crazy shit every day. Then there's the young bucks; Magnus, Decenzos, Desmond, there are good skaters in Van. And Wherry talks non stop about how good the East is, but I won't get into names.


Click picture to watch footage.
What do you think of the Canada skateboard industry altogether?
Man, honestly I feel lucky to get shit. There's so many people in Canada getting slept on. There's been some progress in the last few years, but still it's almost embarrassing how many good people here skate for gear and the American industry has MTV shows of Sheckler taking limousines to win another contest. Real skaters are a dying breed and they’re almost extinct.

What do you do in a normal day?
Not that anyone gives a shit but, I wake up at around ten, hopefully with a curly haired blonde around. Make lattes or any espresso based drink. Then I usually call some people and get a skate on. If I go out at night I usually holler at 1278 crew and go down to Granville street.


Backside Nosegrind.
Out of the Chateau, Chatwo and Fuck Shop, which place did you like living at the most. Explain what each place was like.
The original Chateau is the only Chateau. If you got to crash or hang there then you saw a piece of Van skate History. Good fucking times. The Fuck shop is ill. We’re right were we want to be. No driving to spots or cabbing home from the bar. It's Wherry, Joey, Trav and me. And Joey, Trav and I have lived together almost four years running. We don't fuck with each other and we’re all on different programs. Wherry moved west and we made it happen and now we’re full, so find somewhere else to crash haha.

Thank yous?
I wanna thank all my sponsors; Royal and Matix through Supra distribution, DC, The Circle, everyone that's helped me out with boards, all the homies and Ben for doing this interview.


Switch Backtail Shuv.