{"id":15615,"date":"2011-04-11T02:52:17","date_gmt":"2011-04-11T00:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/?p=15615"},"modified":"2011-04-11T02:52:17","modified_gmt":"2011-04-11T00:52:17","slug":"skateboard-icons-steve-olson-alex-olson-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebkmag.com\/rebuild\/celebrities\/skateboard-icons-steve-olson-alex-olson-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Skateboard Icons: Steve and Alex Olson interviewed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Steve & Alex Olson \u00a9 D.R.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whenever I take up a new sport or activity, I like to immerse myself in the culture of the people and their lifestyle. Skateboarding has an incredibly different sub-culture to anything I have encountered before, in fact it seemed as though my life was turned upside when I began meeting and interacting with other skaters. I went from deciding what I would order from the Donna Karen AW Collection to deciding which Roxy tees would be most maneuverable in. One aspect of the culture that I could relate to was the strong connection that many skaters have with graphics, art and photography. My teacher, Steve Olson has produced several art exhibitions, with many more in the pipeline, and it is clear that Olson is happiest when he can collaborate with his son.<\/p>\n

Alex Olson, who is currently one of the leading professional skateboarders, also has a talent for art and photography. I was led to his website www.olsonstuff.com<\/a> and was impressed by his work. He posts daily on www.olsonstuff.tumblr.com<\/a> which has garnered quite the devoted following. After spending a week or two looking through the photographs he chooses, as well as the questions he is asked and the answers he offers, I was intrigued to find out what motivated and inspired this young man, who, from an outside perspective at least, appears to have the world at his feet. Alex kindly agreed to be interviewed.<\/p>\n

Kirsten Lea<\/strong>: Why did you start a tumblr page?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alex Olson<\/strong>: I just liked it and wanted to do it.
\nK: Would you like it to lead to anything?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I mean if it got me somewhere that would be amazing and it would be hours well spent looking for images while I\u2019m bored. I was never trying to shoot for something bigger I just like doing it and seeing other people\u2019s stuff.
\nK: I notice a lot of skateboarders get involved in the art world. Why do you think that is?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>It\u2019s another job, like skating, where you\u2019re your own boss.
\nK: Do you think it\u2019s because pro skate boarders design their own boards and get used to drawing graphics?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I would never tell anybody that \u201cI\u2019m an artist\u201d because it\u2019s such an easy thing to say nowadays.\"\"<\/a>
\nAlex designed the board, pictured here, to look like the YSL logo but incorporated his own initials.<\/em>
\nK: Why did you choose YSL?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I always liked that logo and thought it looked good and so I wanted to make it with my name.
\nSteve Olson<\/strong>: Do you think we could get a cease and desist for that? Whatever. It\u2019s cool.
\nK: Alex, I\u2019d like to give you a gift. What would rock your world?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I\u2019m lost on this one.
\nSteve Olson<\/strong>: I don\u2019t think he likes the term \u201crock your world\u201d. Rephrase it.
\nK: I\u2019d like to buy you a present. Money is no object for me and I love buying people gifts. You may not be materialistic, but what could I buy you that would make you really happy and reflect well upon me?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Well, I\u2019d say something that we talked about in the past.\u00a0 You would have to listen to know what I was into.
\nK: Okay, I\u2019ll decide at the end of the interview\u2026.<\/strong>
\nK: You have good style in your skateboarding, but understandably, a career in skateboarding doesn\u2019t seem to fulfill you. What are your ambitions?<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know. I\u2019d like to make a career out of something else. Not just one thing. I don\u2019t feel safe with only one career option and nothing to fall back on.
\nK: Steve mentioned that you might be working with photographer Mario Sorrenti. What would you like to achieve from that collaboration?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Well you make it sound as if we\u2019re going to be working on some project together. I was just trying to assist him but he was never in town so I never got to.
\nK: Do you take photographs to please yourself or for other people?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I do it for myself, mostly, but if I do it for others, I just want them to laugh. I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t try to get too deep with the art thing. Those people bug the shit out of me. If you like it you like it, if you don\u2019t you move on to something else.
\nK: The responses on your blog are very blunt and direct, particularly if you don\u2019t like the question. Have you ever wanted to cultivate an image or on-line persona and if so, is that part of it?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>No, that\u2019s just me being myself
\nK: Do you ever consider how you come across?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Yes, I\u2019m sure I come off as a dick but I\u2019m just being truthful to what I think the Q & A is.
\nK: On your tumblr it says, \u201cask me anything\u201d. So what do you like being asked about most?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I don\u2019t ever think about this type of stuff. I don\u2019t know. Sorry.
\nK: Well, what do you most enjoy thinking about or talking about?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Here we go again\u2026 I really don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t look for conversations. If they happen and they\u2019re good, it\u2019s amazing but I\u2019m not a big talker.
\nK: What kind of person would you like to be?<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong> A good person.
\nK: What style of comedy appeals to you most?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Dry comedy.
\nK: Who is your favorite film director?<\/strong>
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\nA: <\/strong>I don\u2019t have any.
\nK: We\u2019re on a private jet for five hours. What movies do you want to watch?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I\u2019m not the biggest movie guy. Something I haven\u2019t seen?
\nK: Okay, you\u2019re not into movies. Do you like documentaries?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Yes.
\nK: Do you prefer to edit footage yourself or have someone edit for you?<\/strong>
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Doubles! \u00a9 Alex Olson<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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\nA: <\/strong>Depends on what I\u2019m making.
\nK: I like your photography. My favorite is doubles! What is your favorite?<\/strong>
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Lil Monsters \u00a9 Alex Olson<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nA: <\/strong>Lil Monster.
\nK: What compliments do you receive on a regular basis and which mean the most to you?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>When someone really likes a skateboard trick I did or when someone likes my photos. Those don\u2019t happen on a regular basis.
\nK: Are you being sarcastic?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>No, it doesn\u2019t happen everyday.
\nK: What creative outlets have you found to be the most expressive and fulfilling for you?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Photography and music. But I don\u2019t feel that I\u2019m expressing anything by it.
\nK: Do you think that you might be autistic?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I might be. I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t think I am but I\u2019m not sure. I could be.
\nK: Do you find it easy to remember phone numbers?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>You\u2019re just saying that because of my dad.
\nK: Yes, you totally called me out on that\u2026.<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>\u2026. Not anymore. I used to remember the pattern of phone numbers but not the numbers themselves.
\nK: Do you find it difficult to care about other people?<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong> It depends.
\nK: What would someone have to do for you to care about his or her wellbeing?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I\u2019ve never thought about it. If I like the person a lot then I\u2019d care about them.
\nK: Have you ever fallen in love to the point where you put their happiness before you own?<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong> At one point in my life, maybe. That type of love is when you have kids.
\nK: What is the best date you\u2019ve ever been on?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I hate dates. Maybe I should start to like them\u2026
\nK: Yes, they can turn into some of the most special moments of your life\u2026<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>\u2026 I\u2019m not really a talker and that can be hard for the other person on the date.
\nK: That\u2019s very thoughtful of you. The best date, for someone who doesn\u2019t like talking, is going to movies, but you don\u2019t like films. How ironic is that?<\/strong>
\nK: What is the best date you can imagine?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>One that doesn\u2019t feel like date.
\nK: Do you like to dance?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Yes. Mostly drunk.
\nK: What do you like to drink?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Beer or Vodka.
\nK: What is the best thing an ex-lover has ever done for you?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Cook for me.
\nK: What did she cook for you?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>She would cook breakfast. Eggs on toast with tomato.
\nK: What is the most precious thing you have lost?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Friends.
\nK: What or whom do you value most in your life?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Friends, family and food.
\nK: You have two days alone with your lover. How would you like to spend them and whe<\/strong>re?
\nA: <\/strong>I don\u2019t know. Where are we spending this so called \u201calone time\u201d?
\nK: You get to choose where to spend the time and how.<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Well, I\u2019d go to New York because if something happened between us, I wouldn\u2019t be stuck in a place I don\u2019t know.
\nK: How do you settle differences in your relationships?<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong> Talk or write.
\nK: What is your longest grudge?<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong> I\u2019ve never ever though about this.
\nK: Maybe you don\u2019t have any?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I don\u2019t have any.
\nK: What terms of endearment do you use?<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong> I couldn\u2019t tell you.
\nK: Because you don\u2019t use any or because you don\u2019t know me?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>How about I just don\u2019t know. I try to be nice.
\nK: What hurts your feelings?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>HA! I don\u2019t know. It would just have to happen.
\nK: In skateboarding you have to get used to getting hurt. Do you find that prepares you for dealing with emotional pain?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Yes, that\u2019s how people learn. They try a different way.
\nK: How much responsibility do you take for your own problems?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>All.
\nK: What can you guarantee about yourself?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I can guarantee that I\u2019m not going to guarantee.
\nK: What do you like best about yourself: your talent or appearance<\/strong>?
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Alex Olson \u00a9 D.R.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nA: <\/strong>Skip this question
\nK: I\u2019ll rephrase it. What would you most like to be complimented on: your talent or your appearance?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>I hate compliments. I don\u2019t take them well and I think that people throw them around too much and don\u2019t really mean them. They\u2019re not meaningful.
\nK: What qualities have you found in women that you like or respect that you have not found in men?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Taking care of people.
\nK: Do you like girls to take care of you and nurture you or do you prefer to take charge?<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong> I like being cared for and I also like it if they can take charge.
\nK: What makes you feel safe and cared for?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Knowing everything is okay, right there and then.
\nK: Do you find it easy to admit when you\u2019re wrong?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Sometimes.
\nK: What is your favorite vacation resort in the world?<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong> New York City.
\nK: What is your ideal living environment?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>A city with a beach. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever thought about that in my life.
\nK: Do you use nature as a source of inspiration?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>No.
\nK:\u00a0Do you enjoy being surrounded by nature?<\/strong>
\nA: <\/strong>Yes, I really like it. I just don\u2019t do it that much.
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