Interview: Jai Ball
Photos: Geoff Clifford

Darrell Smith interview as seen on Skate New Spot.

Lets back track a little. A few years ago you were living in S.F, riding for Western Edition, what was your mind state towards skating back then?

I was just very excited to be in San Francisco at that point. I’ve wanted to go there ever since I was 14 and watched all my favorite skaters at the Pier. I ended up moving there on my own. I just hopped on a bus one day with $500 in my pocket. I think it was that coming of age point in my life.

You’ve lived in Toronto, S.F and now Montreal. What are you looking for in a city and what finally drew you here?

I really need a street spot that I can skate everyday. When I lived in London I had Victoria Park, San Francisco Pier 7 and I choose Montreal to live next basically for Peace Park and Berri Square. I love skateparks but I really enjoy the atmosphere of street skating.

360 Flip

Skating in Canada is a strange bird; money is scarce, everyone battling for very little return, yet none of us can stop! What’s kept you going all these years?

I don’t think skateboarding owes me anything. I’m 25 years old now and I can make my own money and pay for my own gear. Some people are skate rats and some aren’t. The ones that don’t do it for love will always fizzle out.

You weren’t in the magazines for a while, but you were still skating a bunch, was it a conscience decision to take a break from the coverage side of things?

In a way it was. I left SF on a really bad note. When I got home I found out that my mom had been battling cancer for 8 months and my sponsors were really bummed on me. I was in a really bad headspace and just said ‘fuck it’. I left all my sponsors and skated for fun. I think you see a lot of sponsored skaters lingering in and out of the industry. We are all super young in this industry and sometimes we are still growing up.

Noseblunt

If you could change something in the Canadian skate industry, what would it be?

I don’t think it’s really my place to say. I’d rather try and let my actions speak.

Who inspired your skating growing up?

A lot of people around the London area had a really good mentality for style and trick selection. It really made it feel like a larger city than it was. As far as pros? I think Josh Kalis influenced me the most.

Frontside Flip

What do you ultimately want to get out of skating and Studio?

I just really want to keep pushing the company and myself as far as I can go. I’m skating better now than I ever have and the company is doing great. Life has been very good to me.

How’s it been on the other side of the business and having skaters approaching you to ride for Studio?

I really like watching sponsor me videos. I think it’s so rad when a kid is stoked on what we are doing. I really enjoy being on the team managing side. I treat all my riders and flow riders as more than just numbers. All of them know they can always come to me for anything.

Fakie Frontside Flip

You studied photography early on, did you think of doing it as a job?

Yeah for sure. I’ve been doing more and more film work for Moodlighting. That’s the best thing about running Studio. I can take something like photography and film and apply it to our company.

What are your goals for 2009?

Finishing my video part for Moodlighting. Everything else would be gravey…

Frontside Flip Switch Mannie