Erik Ellington stood out with the combination of tech and gnar already in his first video part for Zero’s “Thrill of it all”. He’s throwing down hammers with ease and in spite of known distractions, he was able to film his follow up part for “Misled Youth” basically in a month. Ellington went through some changes, became part of the Supra Team and co-founded Deathwish as a sister company of Baker.

What are you up to Erik? How do you usually start your day? ⇋ I’m doing good, just working on some Deathwish graphics. I’ve been talking to a few different artists today for an upcoming series we’re doing. 
I usually wake up around 6.45am, and make an intention to think about how good my day is gonna be, then I make some coffee and take on whatever the day brings me. I’ve been hurt for the last month so I’ve been going into Bakerboys pretty much everyday (Deathwish, Baker, Shake Junt), working on graphics and kickin’ it with the crew.

What do you do to stay fit and not feel too sore after skating? ⇋ I stretch and use a foam roller to help me not get as sore. Other than that, I try and drink a lot of water and eat well so that my muscles don’t wear down as easy. When they do, I try and ice them immediately. Oh, and lots of advil, hahaha!

What was your first contact with skateboarding? ⇋ I got a Variflex shortly after seeing the movie Back to the Future. My first real set-up was a Rob Roskopp with Gullwing trucks and Slime Ball Wheels.

Your latest Supra Signature shoe - the Ellington Vulc is coming out soon. What was the design process like, how did your influences shape it, and how did this one evolve from the Ellington? ⇋ Well, this one was unique in the way that it’s basically a slimmed down vulcanized version of my original cup-sole Ellington. There were a few design changes, but nothing major, we slimmed down some of the foam, lowered it a slight bit and changed a few of the small details. It feels like a totally different shoe though, which is amazing, I think it’s pretty rad when you can change something as simple as the sole and have it feel like a whole different shoe, I’m really proud of the way it turned out.

Favorite Charles Bronson quote & movie? ⇋ The first Deathwish, for sure. My dad used to really like Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson. In the original trailer, the movie voice-over dude says, “never make a deathwish... because a deathwish always comes true,” I liked that one, haha!!!
 
Who is killing it on Deathwish right now? Who’s always hyped for a session? ⇋ Right now, Taylor Kirby is fucking killing it -  he’s unstoppable! And Jon Dickson came back from an injury about eight months ago and he’s on fire too. Lizard is back as well, he always gets the crew sparked!! For about a year, everyone was off and or injured and now everyone’s back so I’m hyped!!! 

Favourite boss (of course Andrew Reynolds, not Bruce) quote? ⇋ Don’t drink, it’s a better way to live.

What does life mean to you? ⇋ Happiness.

How have your kids changed your outlook on life? ⇋ The biggest change I think is that I think about the future more now. 

What gets you hyped? Which 3 songs are on heavy rotation? ⇋ I’ve been listening to Metallica lately, every song on the albums, “kill ‘em all” and “ride the lightning”. 

What’s your favorite European skate spot & memory? ⇋ I had such a good time on the last SUPRA trip last year, we went to Bristol and Manchester. It was my first major trip that I’ve been on since I stopped drinking and it seemed like every spot was sick. The people were super friendly, we had a good crew, and Go Skate Day was fun as hell... I just had an amazing time overall. 

How do you motivate yourself for a demo/tour? ⇋ I usually just get comfortable talking to kids, and then start skating, and it ends up motivating me. Sometimes I’ll put some music in my headphones and just zone out, that way I’m not as concerned with fallin’ all over the place.
 
What are your travel essentials? ⇋ Passport, court ordered travel permit, socks, a pen, iphone charger, cash.

If you had superpowers, what would they be? ⇋ ...to heal like wolverine.

Which architect or architectural piece is thrilling you? ⇋ I just went to the Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney concert hall downtown (Los Angeles), and I was completely mesmerized by the design and sound of the hall. I don’t know who designed the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart, but that was intense to see. I’m also inspired by old churches all over Europe, there’s been so many old, beautiful structures I’ve seen over the years… Budapest recently was incredible!!!
 
What other projects are you working on? What’s next? ⇋ Right now, Jon Dickson and Taylor Kirby are filming for a short Deathwish video, the rest of the team will have a few tricks but it’s mainly those two. After that, we’re gonna start on Deathwish 2. I’d like to start working on a second SUPRA Ellington soon. Other than that, I’m just trying to make Bakerboys the best place to work at, maybe build a new skatepark there for us. 

Famous last words? ⇋ Remain humble and never forget where you came from.

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