VISIONS by Village Psychic

Note: Volume II of VISIONS starts back up on November 16th, but we’re posting today with a ✨SPECIAL✨ edition of the pod :).Today’ guest, Atiba Jefferson, needs no introduction. But we’ll still give him one – we’re stoked to have him as a guest. He’s photographed some of the most recognizable people on the planet, and, as you know, he came up through and remains dedicated to skateboarding. Over more than three decades, he’s moved between skateboarding, basketball, music, art, and comedy without losing the instincts that got him there in the first place. In this episode, we talk about growing up in a music-filled household (did you grow up in a ‘music home’? Listen to understand more), discovering punk and hip-hop through skateboarding, and how a few chance encounters in a small Colorado town helped set the course for his career. We also get into his latest collaboration with Vans, which brings together his photography, Lauren Halsey’s artwork, and longtime friend Flea for a project that feels a lot like his entire life wrapped into one big package.Beyond the photos, Atiba shares his thoughts on creative ambition, social media, and why the internet’s endless appetite for content shouldn’t dictate how (or, more importantly, why) you work. He makes the case for physical magazines, printed photos, and books in a world that increasingly treats everything as disposable, while offering some refreshingly simple advice for anyone trying to make it in a creative field: love what you do, work hard, be cool, and don’t be an a*****e. Also, he co-owns the American Football house. So there’s that.Thanks for stoping by. Volume II of VISONS starts November 16th. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Cephas and Donovan of The Bunt, the Toronto-based skate podcast that started with two friends, a terrible microphone, and an idea to talk about sports and somehow turned into a decade-long institution. We get into how the show started, what they were doing before it, and how two skateboarders ended up building a podcast that brings together skating, sports, friends, and the wider culture around all of it.We talk about the early days of The Bunt, from recording in apartments and working construction to landing their first sponsors and realizing that this thing might actually become something. They break down how their relationships with Vans and other skate brands helped change the trajectory of the show, why they’ve always been selective about sponsors, and how projects like The Bunt Jam (see you there?) and Beamer Beer grew out of the same instinct to keep making weird, fun s**t with their friends.We also get into what 10 years of doing the Bunt has taught them: how they’ve become better interviewers, why they stopped worrying about editing out every mistake, and how getting older has changed the way they see skateboarding, sports, and the community around both. Plus, the unlikely number of skateboarders who are secretly huge sports nerds, the people who have surprised them most at the Bunt Jam basketball tournament, and why sometimes the best thing you can do is make something that’s probably going to suck at first and see where it goes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

Every city of a certain size should have a skate shop, right? So what happens if your city no longer has one? This exact scenario played out in Buffalo, NY, a city who’s metropolitan area encompasses over 1 million people – I mean, come one, they need a skate shop. No one seemed to be doing anything about the situation, so in stepped Dave Eoannou, today’s guest on the pod. We talked to Dave, formerly of Mom’s Skate Shop in Buffalo, NY about what it’s like to be that person, the one holding it down when others won’t, for better or for worse. We got into the current state of skateboarding (and skate shops), unique takes on graphic production, and generational shifts in how people get into skating. We also got into Dave’s new venture, Dauter Skateboards, and how running a sho translated to starting a skate brand, despite being in crowded space when times are changing. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

There’s a specific bond between people that can only be gained through time spent in a car together. I have a feeling that the listeners / readers of this platform have an idea of what I’m referring to – even if a full day of spot hunting with a friend or two is a bust, you each go back home with a better friendship than the one you started the day with.Even if you don’t know what I’m talking about, Jersey Dave and Jon Mecca definitely do. During the filming of JP Blair’s latest (great!) video What Did You Expect?, Dave and Jon logged countless hours together in the car, driving from spot to spot to photograph Dave as he filmed his part with JP.It’s no doubt a unique experience to document someone with a heavy history in skateboarding as they film a part, especially someone who isn’t pro (except in our hearts), is in his 40s, and appears in a video alongside several prominent pros, each of whom are at least several years younger. All this makes for a special type of energy, one that comes through crystal clear in Jon’s photos.On today’s pod, we get into all that. No less importantly, we also talked about how kitty litter can help make a spot skateable, what skate activity warrants a trip to Applebees, and the extreme variations in topography that exist within New Jersey. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

New York or Portland?!? What happens when you get arrested wearing Half Cabs and miss a test at school?!? What the hell is Bosco and why is that your nickname?!? These questions and so many more are answered in today’s installment of This or That™.YouTube link is here for the visual learners among us. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

We like talking to shoe designers (see our past episodes), so it should come as no surprise that today we’re talking to Richard Stickney, the designer behind some of the biggest shoes of the past few years – the Alexis Sablone AS-1 Pro and the Louie Lopez Pro from Converse. Even more exciting is that he’s launching his own shoe brand, HRMNY Footwear.He’s also an amazing manny skater. See for yourself.Today we’re posting our chat with Richard, where we talk all things Boston, getting good at giving feedback, local videos, lesser known Coliseum videos, and how being a size 9 can lead to having a career. Of course, we play a round of This or That™ as well :) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

The academic life - it’s pursuit of many. A lot of days, you get to be the smartest person in the room, and on other days you get to hang out with the other smartest people from other rooms. It seems great.In previous generations, the idea of a university professor who skates would have been out of the question. Isn’t that stuff for kids?More and more, as the dynamic of this whole world we inhabit grows and changes, we know of folks who excel in both academic and skate spaces. Maurice Crandall is one of those people.At top of his field in History, specifically the history of Native American cultures of the Southwest, he’s taught at Dartmouth and Arizona State University, is published plenty, and is active in his community. Also, the dude rips.We talked to Maurice, or, as many know him, Mo, today on the pod about academic life in general, Native American cultures (and what people get wrong about them), working at a casino, how skating entered his life, and what it’s like too exist in both the worlds of academia and skateboarding. We also engaged in a spirited round out This or That :)Additionally, we talk about his involvement in Slow Impact, which is only a couple weeks away. See you there. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

We’re all creative in one way or another (especially the listeners of this pod) – some write, some build, some paint. However, there are times that even the most creative among us are stopped in their tracks by someone who truly creates on a different level.Today’s guest Scott Warneke is one of the rare individuals who could certainly engender such a response. Some kids played with trains, he built the tracks. Some draw shoes, he constructs them from scratch. I talked with Soctt about his journey as a creative person, how it’s been informed by skateboarding, how a pair of Etnies (probably) changed his life, and about how working as a designer of skateboarding footwear for Nike, Vans, Lululemon, and now adidas makes for as niche of a career path as one could imagine. We also play a game of our new favorite game, This or That™. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

Mocean Skateboards of Portland, Maine grabbed our attention simply because their gear looks different (and, let’s be real, better) than what you’d expect from a clothing line based out of a skate shop. Their house brand features thoughtfully designed pieces made from high quality fabrics, made with skaters in mind and clearly referencing something different from the standard streetwear playbook.Today we’re posting our chat with Mocean’s founder Jasper Tripp, who’s been skating since age 6 and spent his 20s riding for Rome Snowboards and filming the Strange Brew video series.We talk life in a vacation town, turning skate stoppers into obstacles for a skate contest, military gear’s surprising influence on clothing (shout out Avery & Articles Of Interest), and why making clothes from plastic is stupid.“The homies in the 40s and 50s really knew how to dress.””…we based it around the arts and community, but then we blew it up with skateboarding.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

It’s not every week that we have the inventor of one of Time Magazine’s Inventions of the Year on the pod - but we do this week, AND he’s a ripping skater. Joe Hollier, co-creator of the Light Phone (check it out, it’s truly amazing and much needed in our current era) talks coming up skating in New Jersey, visiting the Brooklyn Banks back in the day, going from never hearing of art school to getting in to one and forming an art practice, how smart phones have changed the world ,and what he’s doing about it. Heavy inspiration this week!“There’s definitely a DIY attitude ingrained in skateboarding that I resonated with as a kid - from making spots, making your own clothes, to making your own company.”“I felt like from my own experience as a skateboarder, as an artist, all of my time offline, which is so special and different… I found when I brought the smartphone into the mix, I sort of lost myself a bit and lost my motivation in different ways.”“Google had an experimental program and they invited some artists and designers. I think I was chosen as a wild card in the mix. They really encouraged us to make new types of technology companies.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

Today on the pod we’re joined by Leif Hauge, a footwear designer who’s currently making his mark at New Balance Numeric, as well as holding it down with own creative practice. Also, the dude rips. We get into starting with the goal of becoming a footwear designer, how unexpected projects can pave the way for your future, and why sometimes it’s great to just be a sponge.“I told myself I wanted to work in skateboarding. And that was my avenue.” “...this ability to be a sponge right now is so awesome. It’s actually one of the main reasons why I decided to stay in Boston is to be closer to the overall design community here.”“I’m working with my favorite skateboarders. It’s one of the sickest things.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

One of the best things about bringing VP to Substack has been becoming immersed in an entirely new content ecosystem – people are using Substack for so many creative things :) A few months back our attention was caught by The War Report, a hilariously insightful Substack account that chronicles skate and skate adjacent fashion from the perspective of someone who definitely knows what they’re writing about.We reached out to Jamie Carey, founder and author of The War Report to get his takes on blogging(!!!), what makes for a good fit, how dramatically the men’s fashion landscape has changed in the last few years, and what he’s ecited about. Also, some Bravo chat. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

Big one today folks: we’re announcing that VP favorite brand 18 East is (finally) launching a skate team. Since its inception in 2018, the brand has had more references and connections to skating than any non-skate specific brand we can think of, so it’s due time for them to announce a proper entry into the skate world. Today on the podcast we talked talked to Antonio Ciongoli, the brand’s founder (and a sick skater in his own right) about this new phase for the brand, making a photo zine with GOATed GOAT Matt Price, and opening an official store in Los Angeles. Enjoy.Oh, and we’re premiering the 18 East video featuring Marcello Campanello, Brandon Starr, and Ben Tenner TOMORROW. Stay tuned. “...deliberately excluding it [skateboarding] from the conversation is much more difficult, because that’s the thing I’m the most psyched on.”“Matt [Price] put the whole thing together…it’s probably the first time we’ve ever worked with someone where I had no notes, like literally none.”“...you’re not going to be seeing roll-on grinds from 18 East, you’re not going to be seeing a ton of wallrides from 18 East, you’re not going to be seeing pole jams from 18 East.” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe