The relationship between skateboarding and art is one more thing that sets us apart from the rest of the world. There is no real relationship between art and the ball sports, or track, or whatever else. Skateboarding, however, is inseparable from artwork. Our boards and our wheels are always adorned with the creative contributions of an artist, who almost is always a skater as well. Taking a paint pen to your griptape is almost as much of a right of passage as your first kickflip. Even our trucks get the occasional mural.
Fos is the embodiment of this relationship. He is probably best known for his work with Heroin Skateboards, and more recently Snot wheels. But his involvement in skateboarding graphics extends much farther back. His first run was for Toy Machine, back in the Chris Senn and Mike Mangatanga Maldonado days. He’s done graphics for Zero, Altamont, Baker, hell, he created the Deathwish logo itself! The dude has chops, that’s inarguable. He’s also a helluva nice guy, runs his companies with his heart and soul, and can draw a cabin better than just about anybody. We here at Pops are really stoked to be able to hear from Fos on a regular basis, and we’re extremely grateful that he took the time to lay out a Just The Facts! Thanks Fos!
Name and location: Fos, Eagle Rock, North East Los Angeles, Previously New Cross, South East London, and before that Lancashire, Northern England.
Years on board: 35 or so ever since I saw Eric Dressen do a Demo in my Hometown in the late 80’s.
Top 5 Tricks
1. Layback frontside Hurricanes/and Rocks
2. Wallride Backside Shove it out.
3. Bluntslides
4.Tail Slides
5. Inward Heels (Weirdly)
Top 5 Skaters
1.Dead Dav
2.Howard Cooke
3.Eric Dressen
4.Neil Blender
5.Tim Jackson
Top 5 Meals
1. A nice Rib Eye at Nick and Steffs downtown. Can only afford that a couple of times a year though.
2. Daikokuya Ramen in L.A. better Japanese food than I’ve had in most places in Japan.
3. Howlin Rays Chicken Sandwich (Thank God they deliver now and I don’t have to wait in the line for 2 hours anymore)
4, Chicken Tikka Masala from Baadmash downtown L.A. Found a decent Indian spot after ten years living here
5. Full English Breakfast from Cafe North in Manchester.
If I could meet anyone, alive or dead, it would be: Captain beefheart. I think he’d be an interesting one. I like his art and his music a lot.
If I could change one thing about the world it would be: I’d make it illeagal for millionaires to have jobs in government.
For my next trick I will: Probably Slam a few times before I make it. I was thinking about trying a kickflip frontside layback rock.
I give my thanks to: My Wife, all my friends who have helped with Heroin Skateboards along the way. My mum.
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