In our current issue’s Interview, pro skateboarder and surfer Chris Miller (
@owlcat ) speaks about the balance of style and progression, skating and surfing’s influence on each other, the need for creativity in the industry, and more. Hit the link in our bio, or pick up TSJ 35.1, to read “Make It Look Easy,” by Elliott Wright (
@leftwrightcenter ).
“I learned how to skate in a pool that was designed to be difficult—double-black-diamond, experts-only type of terrain,” Miller says. “To do well, you had to have skill, and you had to pay your dues. The goal was to ride the heaviest stuff but make it look easy. I did it, but I’ve had so many injuries, broken bones, and concussions. I think about all these things today—what did this teach me about life? Talent is important, but so is grace under pressure. You don’t succeed without dedication and sacrifice. At the same time, my motivation didn’t come from goal setting or success—it came from the feeling of doing it. I didn’t know I was learning those things at the time, of course, but now the lessons are clear. In hindsight, I think, ‘Wow, I’m grateful I grew up in an era when it was smaller and more humble.’ It was almost innocent and pure compared to now.”
Photos by J. Grant Brittain (
@jgrantbrittain ) and Jason Blanchard (
@miniblanchard ). Illustration by Russ Pope (
@russpope ).
