Exclusive Interview: PEP WILLIAMS, 3RD GENERATION DOGTOWN!

Name: Pep Williams
Age: 36
Where are you located: Los Angeles, CA
Myspace Page: http://www.myspace.com/pep_williams
Sponsors / Affiliates: I get product from all my bros. Zoo York, Globe Shoes, Independent, Dirty Birds, PepStar, World Industries, D T Board Shop, Rip City Skates, L A.Skate Supply.

First thoughts waking up:
When I’m home my first thoughts when I wake up are time to make a tea,listen to Shen Qi,and skate to the beach.My house is right by the Venice pier so Im just 1 min from the beach.I usualy skate in the morning about 7am in Venice and Santa Monica.I check out the dolphins swiming and watch my bros surf.I mainly skate the basketball courts.It has some really slipery ledges there.

Tell us a little about yourself and where you come from:
Well I’m from L.A. Born and raised.Moved around L.A. allot through out the years but the beach keeps on pulling me back.
My first board was actually my sisters board.This was back in 1975.Thats when I got hooked.

Whats your favorite terrain to skate?
My favorite terrain to skate are banks and ledges. Also I love skating a new school.You can always find new obsticles to skate.

How did you get into the skateboarding scene? What and who motivated you?
As far as getting into the skateboard scene I never looked at it like a scene. It was just something I did. I skated for years before I even met another skater. His name is John Conti. I met him when I was 11. I didnt know people really were into skating. It was looked at more of a toy then a sport or scene. I was in L.A. and no one skated in the inner city. Only near the beach cities. So i didn’t see another skater for 7 years. From 4 to 11. I just skated because I enjoyed it. But once I learned how to make a fake bus pass it all changed.Thats when I went to Venice. That was 1984.

Who’s your favorite skater right now?
My favorite skater right now is who ever skates. I could go skating with any of the top skaters in the world. It would be the same as skating with a kid who just bought a new board and never skated before. Its all skating to me. Dosen’t matter if you can do a switch 360 flip down a 12 stair or you get hung up on a curb doing a ollie. If you skate then your my favorite skater.

What’s your favorite trick? Least favorite?
I like all skate tricks. Its killer watching skateboarding evolve. Like back in the 80′s you had guys like Rodney Mullen,Per Welinder,and others doing Freestyle skateboarding. To be honest back then if you were a freestyle skater you probably get punked. It was all about street skating back in Venice in the 80′s. I always thought it was cool. But then my bros like Natas and Mark Gonzales started adding kickflips and other tricks freestylers would do to the mainstreme then it was all over.So as far as my fav or least fav trick I would have to say I love them all. Because you never know what one small trick can evolve into.

What else are you into besides skating?
Besides skateboarding I run a small clothing line called PepStar clothing. It’s going pretty well. Im starting to branch out in other states now. I actually have a small tour planned late July to mid Aug.Im taking some of my riders and hitting shops and parks in Ca,Arizona,and Nevada.It should be pretty fun.

What would you be doing if you weren’t skating?
What would I be doing if I wasn’t skating?Nothing! Im 36 now I have always had a board in my life for the past 32 years.Its just apart of who I am.Without it there is a huge part of who I am missing.A skateboarder it is what I am.

How do skaters make money skateboarding?
I know skaters from all walks of life.From Doctors,Lawers,Politicians,Celebrities,Members of the Royal Family.To people with a normal 9 to 5 to people doing time.They do what they gotta do to make money.

If you decided to retire from skating, what would be the next thing you
would go after?
Retiring from skating?Thats called death.Skating Isn’t a passing fad for me.Its who I am.Guys like Ray Flores who I’ve known over 20 years is well into his 50′s and still rips on a skateboard.And allot of my older DogTown brothers still kill it on skateboards and surf boards.So retiring from skateboarding isn’t even an option for me where I’m from.

What’s your favorite genre of music? Favorite artist?
My favorite music is just about everything.From Hip Hop,Jazz,R & B Metal,Samba,Classical Chinese Erhu,70′s country,Blues,House,Disco,Bossa Nova,Gospel,Folk,Sulka,Reggae,Doo Wop.Pretty much everything.You name it I probably have it.

What’s the craziest place you’ve ever skated and why?
The craziest place I ever skated was in Bahia ,Brazil.A city called Brumado I beleive it was.It was crazy.I was on tour out there and some friends asked me to come stay with them for a few days.I said sure.It was all dirt road.I didnt think there was any place to skate. It was a very poor area with no streets.We got to his home and I was blown away.Thay had made sort of a mini skate park from dirt.It was insane.It was actually hard.We were riding 52mm wheels and smaller.Those kids were killing it.I asked some kids if they had ever skated a cement park.They said they only saw it in magazines.I was shocked.They were so good.So that was the craziest place I ever skated.

In your opinion what is the best skate spot in the world?
My favorite place to skate in the world.Anyplace where there are Banks,Ledges,Curbs,and a wall.But If I had to choose I have 4 places Venice, San Francisco, Ehime Japan, and Brazil.

What do you do when it’s raining?
Dosen’t rain much here but when it dose I just work inside on my clothing line PepStar.

Where do you see yourself five years from now?
In 5 years I see myself pretty much the same except my company will be huge by then.

What’s your favorite movie? why?
I like movies like I like music.I like all types.From Horror,gangster,Fantasy,Action,and everything else in between.

If you could have any car, what would it be?
Any car i want?No doubt the Phantom Rolls Royce! My hommie bought one about a year ago.I got to drive it for a day.I always thought $500,000 for a car was stupid.Its stupid if you cant afford it.But if you can.It is worth every penny then some.A truely beautiful work of engineering.

What are some of your favorite clothing brands?
Im not really into brands as much as others.Im always in the same thing.Jeans and t’shirt.Or a pendleton and khakis.But Seventh Letter Clothing,RLHDZ,DirtyBirds,and of course PepStar clothing has some pretty cool stuff out this season.

Favorite kicks to wear when you skate?
My favorite shoes when I skate would have to be Globe,Vans,and Chuck Taylors.In chucks you can really feel the board beacuse they are so thin.But they only last a few ollies.So I usually just put a ton of Shoe Goo on them and extra soles inside and that makes a killer skate shoe.

What was your last job or present occupation?
My last job I had was actually running a skateboard wheel company.I use to own Pep Wheels and Slix Wheels.I’ve pretty much have always owned my own thing.I did work at Taco Bell when I was 16 for a month.I made some killer burritos but couldnt stay long I had to skate.Now I just Run PepStar Clothing.

For some people, skating is a passing fad, what keeps you skating no matter what?
Skateboarding is a passing fad for most but for me its not.I’ve been skating so long its just apart of who I am.Can’t change that.

What else besides skateboarding is important to you?
Besides skateboarding whats important to me is Family and friends.My Mom,sisters Coti and Melissa,lil brother Gizzy,and my 2 Nephews Angelo and Maxwell.My friends are my family as well.I have brothers and sisters all over the world and love them all the same.

Some people consider skateboarding a crime and that gives skaters a bad rep, what are your thoughts about that?
To me some of the rules they have across the country are pretty stiff for skateboarders.Even here in California there are cities that have banned skateboarding on streets.It sucks when I hear of someone locked up in county jail for skateboarding tickest.Really sucks.

If WWS Magazine gave you one million dollars right now, what would you do with it?
If WWS Magazine gave me a $1,000,000 I know exactly what I would do.I would use it to make my company grow and then hire and show my friends how to run their own company because one of the best feelings is seeing a friend succeed in life.

*

*
I would like to say thanks to My Mother, WWS Magazine, WhyteHouse Productions,World Industries, Zoo York,Tony Creed, Mike Hill,Globe Shoes,Bod Boyle, Mirko Mangum,DogTown family, Independent,GrindKing,Donald Cassel,Mike Cassel,Steve Rocco,Cessario “Block” Montano,Christian Hosoi,Bagel,Richard Cummings,DirtyBirds Skates,Kareem Campbell,Sal Barbier,DT Board Shop,Rip City,N8,Greg Carrol,L.A. Stake Supply,Heavy Metal Chuck,Jason”WEE MAN”Acuna,E.T. Surf,The House of Steam,Jason Oliva, South Bay Skates, Illtema,SEV,RLHDZ,The Seventh Letter Crew,Guerilla One Marketing,Mischievious Souls,Chase Tafoya,La Coka Nostra,DGR Films,Thrasher Magazine,VK Sports,Madrid,and the rest of my brothers and sisters.Much love.

interview/edited by Theo