From Issue 21.. Ryan Johnson takes on dirty Fresno....
Interview and photos: Joey Young
PIP Sponsors?
R.J. Last time I checked, Scarecrow, Blackflys. Spitfire, Thunder, S1 Helmets, Randoms, SugarHill and Buddha Clothing.
PIP Where was the first place you stepped on a skateboard?
R.J. The first place I stepped on a skateboard was in my garage probably because we got our skateboards for Christmas in '86.
PIP When did you move to Fresno?
Well, Sanger (where I was living) was always the small town and Fresno was the big town so whenever we started to have a car or started to have access to a car, it was like "Go to Fresno, go skate." It became more and more abundant with skate spots over time.
PIP When did you first skate Red Curbs?
R.J. I don't remember what year it was, I was probably almost in high school maybe. They didn't even have insurance. It was in the newspaper and I read about it and he was like, "man, we didn't even want publicity." Then it became SugarHill which was totally legit.
PIP What was your first sponsorship experience?
R.J. From the beginning skating led us to contests, I remember we went
to our first, me and my brother, contest in Oakhurst, and he won his
division and I won my division and the prize was you get one board each
month for a whole year, then I rode for Turlock City Skates, in Turlock
and that was 35% off deals so I still paid for everything, then I got
into skating Red Curbs and SugarHill.
PIP have you been up to the past couple years?
R.J. I had a son and I took the time to get out of debt. I put aside
what I love for who I love and I went from not wanting to work a job
before I had a son, then after I had a son, it's like you're willing to
work on your hands and knees.
PIP What was that job at that factory all about?
R.J. I worked at Pepsi for four months, 12 hour shift, four to four in
the morning. That sucked, I didn't like that so I got another job at a
box factory for a whole year, six days a week, graveyard. You know,
got to work at eleven to seven. That was not fun, I gave that up. It
was a new years resolution to give that up and go back to
skateboarding. I did what I had to do to get all kinds of stuff out of
the way.
Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115! Get Adobe Flash Player here
PIP What are you up to now?
R.J. I'm on a construction crew that builds skateparks. It's called Geocon. They did the parks around here like Orange Cove and the Fresno park. It was just to get into it and help the design of skateparks because they used to be really in trouble, now they are less in trouble, but they are still in trouble. They need a flowcode, people who really skate need to go and say, this isn't gonna work, let's make this better. There is so much red tape, you really need to be there at the right time to change things and you need the right people to OK it. It has to flow so right that you have to be there and be the guy with the shovel working in the dirt, the guy who gets to say, this isn't working.
PIP Taking it into you own hands.
R.J. Ya, and enjoying it, doing it because I love skating, but also because you need to believe in what your doing or else don't do it.
PIP What do you think of the Madera park?
R.J. It was a rough interpretation of our design, but it came out close enough. Like I said, someone manipulated our design towards the end and unless you are the guy telling then, "this is what I meant," or unless you are certified and can get it perfect to your liking, it's hard to get them to interpret it just right all the time. Now my perspective is I want to make better designs, in the end I want to be that guy.
Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115! Get Adobe Flash Player here
PIP What would be your ideal skatepark?
R.J. It can have parts that are separate, but I like to have a lot of it that is blended together where you have street skating and bowl skating together. The original Dreamland parks were along that...almost a hybrid of street and bowl.
PIP What do you like about the skating in Fresno?
R.J. I'm dedicated to it, there's just a good scene. It's cool to be from The Valley. It's cool to set up a foundation where you live, that's why I like it here, it's my home. Fresno's a cool place, network here, go everywhere else.
PIP Anyone you want to thank or anything?
R.J. Everyone, anyone who's doing what they want to do, just believe in it, enjoy yourself. It's important that skating is something that you’re doing for love, but don't let it take you over, share it with your kids, don't do it too much that your not with your kids. I'm enjoying being a skater, sharing it with my son who skates with me like a little monkey in my arms. We already got pulled over one time.
PIP Skating down the street with your kid?
R.J. Ya, on a board with big soft wheels, I go real slow and he wears a helmet.
(Tephanie, Ryan's Wife) Ya right, he does neither of those things.
