Braydon Szafranski’s first skateboarding expertise at age seven resulted in 30 head staples, a traumatized teenage babysitter, and a confiscated board by Mother. The place most would think about that the fruits of their skateboarding endeavors, it was merely the beginning for younger Szafranski, unphased by the entire ordeal.
Ten years later, he fled his hometown of Las Vegas to settle within the debatable trade mecca of skateboarding, Los Angeles. By a stroke of destiny, he bumped into Chad Muska, certainly one of skateboarding’s largest skills and personalities, in entrance of Brooklyn Tasks skate store on Melrose Avenue. Having mutual mates from Sin Metropolis, the pair struck up a dialog, which led to watching a footage tape that Szafranski had with him. Blown away after seeing the primary trick, Muska sponsored him on the spot. From that time on, Szafranski’s profession took off, finally incomes himself coveted spots on the Baker skateboards and Emerica footwear groups earlier than turning skilled in 2006.
As a lot as skateboarding is integral to Szafranski’s existence, so is similar with marijuana. For the reason that early days of his profession, he has been a steadfast proponent of the plant, as is most evident within the introduction of his Baker 3 video part. In our interview, we focus on how legalization has modified Nevada, the key to reaching Zen-like readability whereas making an attempt a trick, and why the skateboarding tradition has at all times been so carefully related to weed.
Do you keep in mind the primary time you smoked weed?
At school I do not forget that the D.A.R.E program affected individuals otherwise. There was a cop there explaining marijuana, that it’s the “gateway drug” that “adjustments you and makes your persona loopy.” I keep in mind my neighbor—my finest pal since age three—and I checked out one another and we have been like, Oh my god, we have to do this!
My neighbor’s older sister, who was in highschool, was having a celebration. She came to visit, grabbed me, and mentioned, “Hey, I need you to return to the facet of the home with me.” In fact it was two highschool dudes who have been smoking her out and requested if we needed to hit it. We each smoked and realized, Wait a minute, this isn’t something like what the cop mentioned—that is very mellow and informal and we don’t really feel like psychos! We’ve actually been smoking ever since.
In earlier interviews you talked about that you just and your dad have weed tattoos. How did these come about?
My dad knew that I smoked since I used to be youthful, however he wouldn’t speak about it or something as a result of [he] was simply smarter than that. After I turned 18, he came to visit and gave me a 12-pack of beer and an eighth of weed. He mentioned, “If you’re sufficiently old to die for this nation you’re sufficiently old to do both of those on this nation—fuck what they are saying.”
The subsequent factor that got here out of his mouth was: “But when it was as much as me, I might throw away that 12-pack and smoke this the remainder of your life. I’ve by no means heard of anybody smoking a joint and doing a mass homicide, however I see drunk individuals doing dumb shit each day,” he mentioned.
He then supplied to purchase me a tattoo. He needed to get some weed leaves with some handcuffs, so we each acquired that, with “Legalize” beneath. He at all times made this joke that if it ever turned authorized that we’d add the “D.”
He by no means registered to vote in his life, however when legalization was on the ballet, we each registered and voted. When it handed and weed turned authorized, we went to a tattoo parlor the identical day and added the “D.” He was leaping up and down, screaming, “It’s fucking authorized!”
Nevada is developing on six years of being marijuana-friendly. How has Las Vegas, as a microcosm of the state, modified since then?
To let you know the reality, it’s one thing that ought to have occurred a very long time in the past out right here. Individuals come to Vegas to expertise all of their needs—all the pieces they’ll’t do of their regular day-to-day life.
I don’t assume that it’s modified; I simply assume that nobody is paranoid anymore. When you have an oz. within the trunk of your automotive and it doesn’t reek, you possibly can drive to a pal’s home with out wanting over your shoulder, pondering that it might be the top of all the pieces.
I feel the unique argument is that individuals could be going loopy if weed was legalized; however clearly it’s not like that.
If something, it calmed down the town. I’ve talked about it with those who have regulation enforcement of their households which have mentioned that because it turned authorized, the quantity of DUIs and DUI deaths have gone down as a result of extra persons are smoking. Take into consideration all these those who have been tremendous shitfaced, wasted, however as an alternative took two hits from a joint and thought, Ah, I’m simply gonna sit on the sofa tonight. I don’t even care about going out.
How, if in any respect, has smoking helped your skating?
It 1000% helps. Anybody that is aware of skateboarding understands that it’s as a lot, if no more, of a psychological recreation than it’s a bodily one. The psychological recreation is the strongest a part of skateboarding, the toughest half.
I feel Jon Miner [Emerica footwear videographer] defined it completely to me. He mentioned, “Your ADHD would at all times come up with you, the place you’ll get shut on the primary attempt, however then get so excited and mentally in your head that you just may attempt the trick for 4 hours and never make it.”
If I’m in the midst of making an attempt a trick [that is becoming a battle], and I take successful or two, suddenly my thoughts goes from What was I shedding? to What can I achieve? I immediately focus in: Okay, gradual it down. You recognize what you’re doing. You know the way to make this occur. You wouldn’t be making an attempt this if it wasn’t for you figuring out that you are able to do this. And inside a attempt or two I often trip away. It has all the pieces to do with not simply taking that strategy from the start.
It looks like what you’re describing is one thing involving being current, nearly a Zen state.
I feel lots of people who use it as drugs in the correct manner can get right into a Zen second and it might truthfully change your perspective of what you’re doing by way of skating, and a whole lot of various things, as an entire.
Why is skateboarding and weed so carefully related to one another?
I feel that weed is in each tradition. Nevertheless, skate boarders, earlier than this new period, have been bandits. All the things got here from an outlaw perspective. Skateboarding, from the start, is against the law. It ought to at all times be an outlawed factor as a result of, , it’s what we do. We do the funnest issues in locations that you’re not speculated to, and that’s what makes it so spectacular.
Regardless of weed being thought-about an outlaw factor previously, most skaters weren’t scared to cover it. Athletes in any class that needed to be within the Olympics have been fearful of blowing sponsors in the event that they acquired caught, regardless that they smoked weed of their off time! Skateboarding didn’t have drug testing and never having the ability to be on a workforce in the event you smoke. Skateboarding is about being who you’re. I feel that’s why skaters have proven the world that we smoke weed and could be open about it.
You talked about the Olympics. What are your ideas on skateboarding being concerned since Tokyo 2020?
I don’t care. Similar to Jake Phelps (RIP) mentioned, “One week each 4 years, after which it’s achieved and nobody appears to offer a shit once more till the subsequent 4 years.”
It’s the identical fifteen, elite skaters that truly care over the tens of millions of skate boarders which might be on the market. If you wish to be a part of that world, that’s superior. I feel that it’s fantastic that it’s going to be within the Olympics if that’s what skateboarding needs to be. I’m nonetheless not, to this present day, going to say if skateboarding is a sport whether or not it’s or isn’t thought-about one now. It’s nonetheless at all times what it was to me.
What are you most all in favour of today?
Skateboarding. I nonetheless attempt to get out as a lot as I can. I’ve damaged each bone in my physique so many instances, so it’s no matter. I’m 39 years outdated, so once I’m not sore from the final session, it’s time to get again on the market.
Now I’ve days in between skating once I’m sore as shit, so I began fascinated with different issues that impressed me in my life. I at all times beloved artwork, drawing, and tattoos. It fell into my lap when a pal who had a store mentioned, “Why don’t you simply begin apprenticing beneath me?” I believed it sounded enjoyable. Now it’s turn out to be an dependancy, similar to skating. It may be nerve-racking to assume, If I fuck up, that is one thing that’s there for this particular person’s life. I get this identical feeling of rush when I’m tattooing that I do once I’m doing the rest.
In addition to that, my pursuits embody portray, facet initiatives, and woodshop stuff. Something that may maintain me transferring and going ahead.
Now for a very powerful query of the interview: Does weed save lives?
Weed does save lives. I’ve been saying this for the reason that starting of time and now the fucking world is beginning to see it.
What number of instances have you ever talked about that with skaters?
It doesn’t matter what nation, metropolis, restaurant, or no matter. If a skater acknowledges me, it’s at all times, “Weed saves lives! All proper, Braydon, woo!”
Comply with together with Braydon’s skateboarding and tattooing here.