Skateboarding
Presenting, Kris Vile's Damn Strong New Edit
Watch England's own set tricky combos ablaze from Birmingham, Alabama, to Puerto Rico.
3 min
Bringing you Kris Vile’s new video part
Kris Viles is setting the skate agenda from Birmingham to Puerto Rico.
Kris Vile, it's fair to say, is one of the best skateboarders ever to come out of the UK. Like Ross McGouran and Chris Oliver, he's made his way into the skateboarding world on his own terms.
A product of the vibrant, hardworking Birmingham skate scene so capably served by Ideal Skateshop where Vile was known to lurk for a good section of his youth, he's remarkably as good on ramps as he more obviously is on the street. Rare indeed.
He's used his talent for all the right things — travel the world and rip the shit out of streets both far flung and at home. We're delighted to have the opportunity to share this interview and full video part from the man himself. Watch above and read below, why don't ya?
RedBull.com: How long have you been skating, Kris? Who do you get bits off these days?
Kris Vile: I've been skating for 16 years, and fortunately been sponsored for 14 of those. I'm currently representing my oldest sponsor Vans shoes, as well as Almost Skateboards, Skate Pharmacy, Melon Optics, Theeve trucks and Get Lesta.
We talked a bit in the past about how important Ideal Skateshop has been for generations of skaters around Birmingham. What has that place meant to you, personally?
The impact that Ideal skateshop and the people that work there had is massive. Not all cities are lucky enough to have a skate shop, but Birmingham has been blessed to have one like Ideal.
They helped me — Bob Sanderson, especially — to secure my first sponsor in local board company and manufacturer A Third Foot. They also put me forward for a spot on the junior UK Vans team and helped me to get the exposure that led to skating being my career for the past 10 years.
To this day, they continue to give that support to the next generation, and are the reason that the Birmingham skate scene is flourishing again.
Get Lesta has been the big news in independent UK video production lately, what do you make of that new focus?
It just shows that hard work pays off! Callun Loomes has, and continues to bring, a massive variety of skaters together from all over the country, and then channel their skating energy into making mostly Midlands-based skate vids. We've been making them for a few years now, this being the third project I've been involved in.
At this point in time, Callun is receiving a massive amount of recognition for the work he puts in, which has led to collabs with Primitive Skateboards, Footprint Innersoles, and so on. We've just released the newest installment, so go grab yourself a copy of "GET 420" and check it out!
Kris Vile
© Julien Deniau
Kris Vile – Gap to Tailslide
© Jamie Harold
Kris Vile – Frontside 180 Fakie Nosegrind
© Jamie Harold
Kris Vile – Backside Lipslide
© Jamie Harold
The other great skate institution of Birmingham, as you mentioned, are the board manufacturers A Third Foot. Can you explain just how rad what they are doing is?
A Third Foot was my first sponsor 14 years ago and they continue to bring up the up-and-coming skaters from around the Midlands. ATF is run by two guys who manufacture, design and market the company and the skateboards themselves, as well as bring in independent artists and friends along the way.
They don't just make their own brand boards, they also manufacture boards for other companies in the UK and for shops that stock their boards, too. They're still currently the only company that manufactures boards in the country. Those guys have put their heart and soul into that company and I feel lucky to have been a part of their journey.
Pink long sleeves: Do we dare?
(Laughs) I was never really a pink T-shirt or long sleeve kind of guy — if I'm honest, I never thought about owning one. Now I own three and wear them all the time, thanks to Get Lesta. I think every male skateboarder should have one on standby.
Anything you want to say as last words?
I'd like to say thanks to all of my sponsors for the continued support. All my family, friends and everyone that's made my life any little bit brighter over the years: Much love to you all.
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