Lucas Puig Interview – "I’m just a regular skater"

How is the premiere tour going so far?

It’s good. We all are pretty psyched and feel like we’re superstars. [laughs] It’s really crazy and we start to get all tired, cause it’s the third premiere. We already had two parties and I don’t know how many beers. We’re getting a bit tired but are still excited about the video.

You were at the Bahamas right before the premiere tour. Did you have to chill a bit after filming?

I hurt my knee and have to get surgery and because of all this premieres I couldn’t get it before, because I wanted to be there and decided to have it after. So I was bored, because I couldn’t skate while everybody was on tour, filming last minute tricks. It was the birthday of my girlfriend too, so we decided to go to the Bahamas to chill and get some tan.

Are you good at relaxing or do you get bored quite easy at holidays?

When I can skate, for sure after two days I start to be over it, but at this point I couldn’t skate so I really enjoyed the vacation. Enjoyed doing nothing, just go fishing, do a BBQ, vacation stuff.

I think it’s good after filming for a video like "Away Days". How long did you film for it?

Three years, but it didn’t feel like it. You go on trips every two months, stack some clips and at the end for sure you have some pressure.

How do you film your videoparts? Do you make tricklists and know what to do on what spot or do you just go with the flow?

I just go out and look what’s coming. For sure I have some tricks in mind that I wanna do, but it’s really hard, cause you always come to different spots and so I just take what comes.

"I already filmed a lot of tricks and my goal is not to redo the same tricks on just a different spot"

I read that you said, your "Bon Appetit" and your "French Fries" part are the most significant you filmed. How does filming a part nowadays differ from these parts?

I filmed already around ten parts, so it’s harder because I already filmed a lot of tricks and my goal is not to redo the same tricks on just a different spot. I don’t wanna do those tricks anymore, I wanna do some new stuff and that’s why it’s hard. I didn’t film anything before "Bon Appetit", and everybody was like "Wow!" but if I’d do the same tricks now people would be: „He already did that ten years ago". That’s the hardest part, to keep the level up.

But it seems that you don’t have a problem with keeping the level up. What you put out on instagram is insane.

That is what keeps me motivated. Even when I just skate with friends my goal is to learn a new trick. I’m not going to the park to show off my skills, I wanna learn new tricks. Just to have that feeling that I’m stepping up.

Was that your goal for the adidas part as well, to learn new tricks? Or what did you want your part to be?

I wanted it really different and shit, but unfortunatelly I couldn’t really make it, because we’re going on trips with a lot of persons and it’s not like I live in L.A. and have a filmer every day. I go on trips and film whatever. I am super happy with my part but I always want some NBD’s or more stylish lines.

You’re one of the guys that come around with cool stuff anyway and people always love it. What’s the secret of getting that much street cred?

I don’t know, you just have to skate. I turn 30 next year and have been skating for 20 years. I’m always doing the same shit and never give up what I’m doing. Maybe the people can see themselve in me. I’m a streetskater and I’m not on Street League or living the american dream with a Cadillac. People see me and see that I’m the same as them. I’m just a regular skater. I don’t take myself as a superstar.

You always skated spots average skaters can skate too. Nowadays more and more people skate those spots, but do wallies and slappys there, while you always did high-tech stuff. Now people start to criticize, that this slappy stuff is not real skating and people should start to try harder tricks again. What’s your take on that?

When people have fun, I don’t care. If he only does wallies, he maybe only can do wallies, but if he has fun it’s good, I’m not gonna talk shit. But for sure you see some people step it up. No matter if you’re doing wallies or if you’re on the megaramp. Now the wallies get crazy, people do wallie nollie flip and whatever. That’s what I like to see. People take wallies on another level. That’s good. There are guys that do twenty lipslides in the skateparks and there are other guys that do wallride nollies, that’s skateboarding, you have a lot of different styles and different ways to think. Some people just want to chill on the board and don’t get hurt and have fun.

What are you looking for, when you’re on your board?

I think like every skater, to have board control. Every day is different. Some day you step on your board and don’t miss a trick like a robot and the next day you miss a kickflip. I’m looking to not have those days. Even if I’m not doing crazy tricks I wanna feel comfortable. I wanna have the control of my board and my body.

"It’s skateboarding, we’re still kids, no matter how old we are – just look at Mark Gonzales"

Do you feel like you got more and more boardcontrol over the years or do you feel like loosing a bit the older you get?

It’s different. Some days I miss my tricks and think: „Fuck I‘m turning 30“ and some days I’m feeling like 15 and don’t really think about anything and just skate. For sure after 30 your body starts to get tired, but if you take care of it, have good breakfast and good lunch before skating, you’re fine. For sure you can have a party, wake up, have a coffee and go skate, but I would feel like shit then now. Before it was easier to party, wake up and just go skate. Today if I party, the next day I have cramps. But when I'm fine it’s the same as with 15. Same spots, same warmup. It’s skateboarding, we’re still kids, no matter how old we are – just look at Mark Gonzales.

How is it to hang with the young guys in the team? I heard Miles Silvas is a big fan of you.

It’s always good to have fresh juice. All the kids on adidas are super psyched to be on the team and on the tour. I’m really happy to see that. They’re not cocky or think that’s normal. They’re so happy to learn, cause you open your mind a lot more on trips as in your hometown. They’re learning all this and they’re doing super great, like they’ve been here forever. They skate good, they’re professional already.

Kids grow up fast nowadays.

They grow up way more faster than before. It was different back then. Now it’s normal to do so well. Sometimes I forget that they’re 18 or 16. Tyshawn is 16 and sometimes I hang with him on a trip for two weeks and he thinks about if he got enough handrail tricks for his part and I think: „Damn, he’s really smart!“

It wasn’t the same when you were their age?

No it was not the same. It was just like vacation. We went on tour and thought about having fun. You didn’t think: „It’s my job, I have to have a full part. I have to do different tricks.“ If I felt good I skated just whatever and when I didn’t feel good I didn’t skate. Now skating is so big and everybody want’s to have a sponsor. And if they made it they think: „Now I have to do this and that“. I think that’s good, maybe better for them, because they will be even better. If you don’t care sometimes you miss some stuff to do in your life. If you‘re on point you get shit done.

Do they ask you for tips or do they already know what they want?

I think they know what they want, which is pretty crazy. They never ask questions. I thik they have good examples and follow them.

The Hélas mixtape came out recently. Was it different to film for this then filming for „Away Days"?

Yeah, it’s different. When filming for Hélas I don’t wanna put myself in the limelight, like give me the best part and stuff. I’m pretty happy to see everybody so hyped on trips, it’s all homie trips. When I’m on tour with them I try to skate the best I can for sure, but I’m stepping back a bit and look at the others. When I’m on an adidas trip it’s all for myself. I have to prove them that they’re right to put me on the team and give me a pro model. So I have to give my best. With Hélas I give my best too, but more for the people around me and not for myself. I think of everybody.

Seems like Hélas is doing quite well. Did you expect that it would work out like this?

No, when we started, skateboarding was not that big fashion. Now if you wanna look good, you have to dress like a skater. Four or five years ago it was not like this, but it was our baby and we wanted to do something and everything went really well. It went slow but it went well finally and we learnt how to make good clothes, better hats. We do some tours, have the Mixtape on Thrasher. Now we’re even more motivated to continue.

Is it a lot of work?

We’re three guys and honestly I’m not doing much because I had to do the adidas video. My two friends deal with everything. I’m just doing some desings and on the phone we talk about the next line, I give ideas, some colorways. I’m like the backup man and they ask me about stuff. We make the decisions all together but they have to work a lot, nine to five. My job is to skate and they want me to skate and I was pretty focused on the adidas video. And now that it’s out there is a lot more stuff to do. For Hélas we have to do a lot more stuff, cause it’s getting bigger and we have to do some tours.

Now that you’re injured you have time.

Yeah, it’s a bad for good. I’m really bummed cause it sucks to hurt your knee. But when you’ve done 15 years of just skating, maybe it’s good for you to have eight months of not skating. You can take care of your life and not just be a skater. Do some paperwork and stuff.