Washington State Skateboarding

Brett Hamil is really cool. He is a cartoonist with a penchant for skewering our local hypocritical politicians and pearl clutching cults. He also published Sk8 Dad Summer, a lovely reflection on the summer in which Brett first built a mini ramp in his yard. Brett is also a stand up comic, currently hosting a comedy show called Joke Tellers Union at the Clock-Out Lounge every second and fourth Wednesday of each month. He’s a busy guy, but still blessed us with a JTF. Thanks Brett!

Name and location: Brett Hamil, South Seattle

Years on board: Since I was 12…with some significant gaps in my 20s and 30s, but now I skate my mini ramp every damn day that it’s not raining

Top 5 Tricks

(these are all on mini ramp)

1. pivot fakie (these took me an embarrassing amount of time to dial in)

2. fakie bigspin to fs 5050

3. feeble fakie 

4. bs nosepick

5. fs nollie to tail

Top 5 Skaters

1. Natas Kaupas (childhood hero)

2. Daewon Song

3. Ben Koppl (@rollersurfer)

4. Gonz

5. anyone over 35 who still skates

Top 5 Meals

1. Lil Woody’s burger and onion rings

2. some cheap ramen with chicken and spicy kim chee in a big ol’ bowl

3. biscuits and gravy

4. fried chicken and fried okra

5. pizza

Top 5 Books

(these are all graphic novels and comics)

1. been getting back into the cartoon collections of Lynda Barry

2. the “Wendy” books by Walter Scott

3. Groo the Wanderer (I own the entire run)

4. Portrait of a Drunk by Schrauwen, Ruppert & Mulot

5. The Death of the Master by Patrick Kyle

My current obsession is: Any and all switch tricks on mini ramp–it’s Switch Stance Summer!

If I could change one thing about the world it would be: Guillotine All Billionaires Now

Choose one: Being able to fly or being able to read minds: Flying, sometimes you really don’t want or need to know what people are thinking

Whoever is reading this should try: Doing at least 20 minutes of yoga a day. Not to be preachy about it, but yoga has definitely made my life better

For my next trick I will: Finish my 3rd graphic novel and find a publisher for the 2nd one

I give my thanks to: Pops Skateshop for being rad!