Updated 24 September 2023
The years from 2016 onwards can be found here.
1978
Peggy Oki, original member of the Z-Boys (Dogtown), later became vegan [1], photo by Glen E. Friedman, who later also became vegan [12].
1986
Independent, Claus Grabke (not a vegetarian yet?), on the cover of (and interview inside) Thrasher (January 1986)
Adam Yauch used to skate. Mike D and Adam Yauch (MCA) were also vegetarians. But surely not back then. (Mike D was vegan for a few years in the late 90s. MCA seems to have tried a vegan organic diet shortly before his death from cancer in 2012.) Vision board.
It seems that Glen E. Friedman became vegan in 1986. In his Run-DMC & Beastie Boys book "Together Forever", from 2019, Glen describes how he met up with the Beastie Boys in Los Angeles on their tour as support for Madonna - the LA concert dates were in April 1985 - and they went to "Fat Burger" (fast food restaurant). Adam Horovitz (Adrock) describes this event in the "Beastie Boys Book" (from 2018) and writes that Glen was already vegan then: "We’d never been to L.A. before, and somehow we hooked up with a friend of a friend, Glen E. Friedman. Glen kind of grew up in L.A. and decided to be our tour guide. Glen is vegan, but for whatever reason, he took us to Fat Burger our first night in town. I got a fried egg on my burger. Glen kept referring to eggs as liquid flesh. We made fun of him, he made fun of us, he cried from laughter, and we became friends for years. I think punk rock tipped the scale over veganism for Glen because the next night he took us to a grimy outdoor hot-dog place called Oki Dog. It was some kind of L.A. punk rock landmark [...]." [59]
But Glen, in the Together Forever book corrects him, writing: "I also brought them [Beastie Boys] to Fat Burger and Tommy's Chili burger for their first time, contrary to how they remember it and wrote in their own book. I was still a year-and-a-half from becoming vegan, so back then I was all in!" [60]
Dave Bergthold, founder of Blockhead, was/is vegetarian - but probably not back then (?) [22]
1987
Santa Cruz, Claus Grabke (not a vegetarian yet?)
Rob Roskopp, Gotcha ad - not sure what that was about
Thunder ad, Jim Thiebaud is the co-founder of Real (probably not a vegetarian yet)
(Reissue board)
1988
Dave Bergthold, Blockhead (rumoured to have been/be a vegetarian)
In the Mike Vallely episode of the Nine Club (episode 138) Mike recounts how his first pro board graphic was an African elephant because he had seen a TV programme about African elephants being killed for their tusks (ivory) or because of human-animal conflicts. Mike explains that it was this TV programme that first created a "sensitivity" in him for animals. Mike received this graphic on paper at around Christmas 1987 - it was drawn by legendary skateboard graphic artist "VCJ" (Vernon Courtlandt Johnson).
Mike Vallely, Powell Peralta, elephant graphic
Mike Vallely, Powell Peralta (Powell Corp.), original elephant T-shirt from 1988
Powell Peralta (Powell Corp), Mike Vallely, elephant sticker, 1988
Tracker (Tracker Trucks) ad, Mike Vallely
Mike Vallely, Tracker ad, from around 1988 or 1989
Mike Vallely photos (I'm guessing these must be from around 1988 or 1989. Note the Venture shirt in the handplant photo and the Tracker ads above. Probably Venture was first. But in 1991 there a Mike V Venture ad again.)
Natas Kaupas (who I think has never been rumoured to have been vegetarian) and Mike Vallely in 1988. Mike Vallely might already have been a vegetarian in this photo.
1989
The infamous World Industries Mike Vallely barnyard graphic. Mike Vallely was vegetarian then, outspokenly, later vegan, then quit veganism, then vegetarianism (see 1994) [2] Interesting why people stop being vegetarian, [4]
"Please, don't eat my friends" was the graphic on top of the board.
"The Barnyard was my coming out as a vegetarian, in a sense, so the bottom graphic was going to be this funky folk-art piece of animals grazing and the top graphic was going to be a quote in simple bold black Helvetica, 'Please don't eat my friends', I left this idea with Rocco, but while I was on tour he got together with Marc McKee and tweaked things. When I returned they had the entire graphic completed. I hated it. To me it was stupid and childish. Rocco, however, felt strongly about it. He talked about George Orwell's book Animal Farm and how this graphic was a play on that with the animals rebelling and fighting back.He made a good case, and I began to warm up to the design. It definitely looked different than anything I'd ever seen before, and I slowly came around, but I had two demands. One was that the top graphic be a continuation of the bottom scene with the quote worked into it, and the second was what I determined to be a vulgar and pointless image of a horse mounting another horse - the horse that was getting mounted is still on the board, you can see her smiling face peeking out from behind the barn. I wouldn't approve the graphic otherwise. This was easily the best-selling model I've had. Back then I was pulling consistent ten- to thirteen-thousand-dollar checks each month for almost a year, thanks to that board. To this day I have people come up to me and credit the Barnyard for introducing them to the ideologies behind vegetarianism." Mike Vallely [25]
This is a comment by Marc McKee (from Chromeball Incident, 2022) regarding the Barnyard graphic: "We [Steve Rocco and Marc McKee] didn’t even discuss pay. We just talked about this Mike Vallely board, which was the first graphic he needed me to do. The Barnyard. Steve told me about Mike’s idea and how he wanted me to reshape it. How to make it a little less serious and more fun. Because Mike wanted this straight vegetarian statement, meanwhile Rocco’s telling me about how he wants a slaughterhouse in the background and everything... that’s how all that stuff got back there.
I go back home to start working on it. And even in the beginning, I’ve never been one to do preliminary sketches to show people. I just did it.
Two weeks later, I head down to World to show them what I came up with. I just remember Rodney [Mullen] laughing uncontrollably when he first saw the graphic... and I didn’t know Rodney very well back then. I thought he was going to have a seizure or something.
It was inspired by the George Orwell novel, Animal Farm. That’s the storyline I went with, where the anonymous farmer gets killed by the animals.
[Chromeball Incident:] There’s so many little details going on in that thing, even down to the ducks.
[Marc McKee:] A lot of the little details came from Steve [Rocco]. But going back to those early cartoon influences, DuckTales was always one of my favorite after-school shows growing up. And it’s on a farm, so ducks make sense in that setting. I was also listening to a lot of rap music at that time, too… let’s give one of these ducks a gold chain and a radio. Okay, that works.
[Chromball Incident:] Was Mike [Vallely] pissed when he saw it?
[Marc McKee:] He was living in Edison, New Jersey back then, so he really wasn’t around. But from what I heard, he didn’t like it too much at the time. But a few years ago, we did do a 30-year anniversary version of the barnyard together, so he must be okay with it now. It did sell extremely well. [...]" [63]
Mike Vallely also mentions (in 2019 [64]) that the barnyard graphic was Mark McKee's very first graphic he did in the skateboard industry.
Mike Vallely barnyard stickers by World Industries
[L missing]
World Industries ad for the Barnyard board featuring Mike Vallely, Chris Pastras (Dune), and Jason Lee
Mike Vallely Poweredge interview by Christian Kline ... Even though they were both vegetarians - nothing about vegetarianism in this interview.
Sean Sheffey, Venture ad, 1989. Sheffey was probably a vegetarian at this time (see 1991 below).
Mike Vallely and Ed Templeton, screenshot from the Mike Vallely part (last part) in the 1989 World Industries video "Rubbish Heap"
From a 2012 interview in Jenkem Magazine we can deduce that Ed Templeton has been a vegetarian since the age of 18, i.e., he stopped eating meat at some point between summer 1990 and summer 1991 [39].
Thrasher Ed Templeton cover, February 1990
Powell Peralta ad with Mike Vallely, Lance Mountain and Steve Caballero (from Thrasher, April 1989)
Santa Monica Airlines (SMA) ad with Jim Thiebaud (I don't know if he is or ever was a vegetarian, but there was a rumour that he was.)
Another Santa Monica Airlines ad with Jim Thiebaud (from around 1989)
Thunder ad, Ed templeton, around 1988 or 1989
Ed Templeton "Check out" in Transworld (?), written by Mike vallely (from around 1989; it says Ed Templton is an amateur, indicating that this is from before 1990 when he became really famous.)
Claus Grabke, Santa Cruz, one of the many "clock" graphics. Claus Grabke seems to already have been a vegetarian in 1989 (see Santa Cruz ad below).
Claus Grabke, Santa Cruz ad that says "vegetarian", from 1989.
Claus Grabke in Transworld magazine (I don't know which issue), 1989
This is Daryl Taberski, the singer of Snapcase, who is a vegan, although I'm not sure he was already vegan in 1989 (could be but probably not). The band Snapcase also only started in 1990 (I think). He could also do street plants!
1990
PETA writing about Mike Vallely (photo stolen from Vegan Skate Blog)
Thrasher Ed Templeton cover, February 1990
Ed Templeton, around 1990
Transworld, April 1990, Ed Templeton cover
Schmitt Stix ad, Ed Templeton
New Deal, Ed Templeton, pre-vegan shoes
From an Italian skate mag. Ed Templeton won the "Münster Monster Mastership" in Germany in 1990.
I'm guessing this photo is also from 1990.
Ed Templeton in a Thunder ad in Thrasher (December 1990 issue)
Ed Templeton interview in Thrasher (nothing about vegetarianism in the interview)
Mike Vallely, Santa Cruz Speed Wheels
Mike Vallely, Santa Cruz Speed Wheels
Mike Vallely, around 1989 or 1990 (Note the World Industries "barnyard" deck and Tracker stickers in the pool photo. Note the Converse canvas chucks in the boardslide photo. )
Thunder ad (from Thrasher, 1990, not sure which month)
World Industries ad (from Thrasher, November 1990)
("Bald vegetarians" alluding to Mike Vallely)
World Industries Mike Vallely (even though it does not explicitly state his name) elephant sticker
(I'm guessing this sticker must be from 1989 or 1990.)
Sean Sheffey, Venture ad (from Thrasher, November 1990)
Matt Hensley, A-1 Meats (A1 Meats) ad (from Transworld, August 1990)
I've been told that A-1 Meats were one of the companies owned by Larry Balmar - these companies included Tracker (trucks) and House of Kasai.
A-1 Meats, Matt Hensley, "mefrostbite" wheels (from Transworld, September 1990)
A-1 Meats, Chuck Dinkins, "ollie" wheels ad (must be from 1990)
Check out Laban Pheidias skating in the Blockhead video "Adventures in Cheese" (at ~16:18 min), which I think is from 1990. It is rumoured that Laban is a lifelong vegetarian and has never eaten meat/fish.
1991
World Industries, Jason Lee (the non-vegetarian Ed Templeton - no offence to either of them). In 2019 (see here) Prime produced an Ed Templeton "Veggie burger" version of this board graphic. The ad for it states that Ed Templeton has been a vegan since 1991.
In a 2019 interview Ed Templeton states that it was Mike Vallely who got him into vegetarianism and veganism: "He’s the one who actually got me into veganism. He’d ask me out to dinner and offer to pay if I ate vegetarian. I’d be like, “Oh my God! What am I going to eat? But if it’s your treat, I guess I’ll eat some broccoli or something.” (laughs)" [37]
World Industries' Jason Lee burger board and the "cease and desist" letter by Burger King
Marc McKee (who did both the Jason Lee burger and the Vallely barnyard graphics):
"I originally made the Jason Lee Burger King board for Mike V, and that did not go over well. I guess it goes without saying that Mike would not be down with having that kind of graphic, even though the intention was for it to be ironic since it was well known that he was a vegan. In hindsight I think he was right to turn down the graphic since it’s clearly a salute to cow-eating…. Then, when the ad came out with Jason eating a Whopper in front of Burger King—with a shaved head like Mike had at the time—that definitely came across as a vibe. Not cool." [8]
"The Burger graphic came out after I had quit World Industries. Rocco may have tried to persuade me to use this graphic before I quite - I do vaguely remember that being discussed - but I flat-out denied him. I really could have cared less about it except for the ad that Rocco ran advertising the board. It featured Jason Less with his head shaved, wearing a buttoned-up flannel - as I did at the time - holding a burger. Being the hardcore vegetarian I was, I definitely took this personal. So when I saw Jason next I confronted him about it. He played ignorant, and in some ways perhaps he was but I still gave him a tongue-lashing for being a pawn in Rocco's petty attacks. Jason apologized, and I let him off the hook. I didn't really have nor did I want to have a problem with Jason, but I was definitely hurt by the fact he participated in this obvious attack." Mike Vallely [25]
World Industries, Jason Lee
World Industries "out with the old, in with the new" ad,
from around the same time as the Jason Lee burger graphic
World Industries Jason Lee burger graphic
(at skateboard exhibition I visited in Vancouver, Canada, in 2004)
Also see Blind's answer with the vegetarian Laban Pheidias (vegan burger ad) below (1993).
But there's more:
World Industries - Mike Vallely & an unfinished drawing for a Jason Lee graphic
A-1 Meats What did it all mean? Laban Pheidias ad
I don't think Bo Ikeda was a vegetarian. (He was in Vision's Alphabet Soup video by the way...)
Two A-1 Meats "cult follower" ads with Kris Markovich (from around 1991) ... I think, Kris Markovich was/is a vegetarian (not sure if at this time though).
A-1 Meats, Jason Dill "cult" ad (from around 1991)
A-1 Meats Young Riders (Ben Chibee, Anthony Ogolsby, Mike Carrol, Jason Dill, J.D. Gibson)
Zero Two - The All Vegetarian Skate Shoe - Thank You For Not Killing Me.
I remember a Zero Two ad on the back of a Thrasher, that showed a skater walking away, wearing Airwalk NTS (Not The Same), leaving behind bloody footprints, with the slogan "Zero Two - There are no souls in our soles." I was not vegetarian then - and funny enough I had a pair of green NTS.
Zero Two ad from Thrasher (July 1991) - I don't know who the skater in this ad is.
Was Sean Sheffey vegetarian during this time? ...
From the Sean Sheffey interview in Big Brother, issue 2:
"You’re a vegetarian right?
I don’t like meat. I think, it’s too heavy for me, it weighs me down I feel. I haven’t eaten a piece of red meat in two years now, so… I like pastas, salads but salads are kinda nasty sometimes especially at restaurants some of them aren’t too good. Soups, good black bean soup, good bread, I like rice.”
I don’t like meat. I think, it’s too heavy for me, it weighs me down I feel. I haven’t eaten a piece of red meat in two years now, so… I like pastas, salads but salads are kinda nasty sometimes especially at restaurants some of them aren’t too good. Soups, good black bean soup, good bread, I like rice.”
The skateboard company Life had a pro-vegetarian ad featuring Sean Sheffey
"P.S. I value my friends please don't eat them" (1991) [see below]
In an interview with Mackenzie Eisenhour for Transworld (2012) Sean Sheffey mentioned being vegan for a while:
"What about the Life ad with the backside lipslide on that high rail? [the ad below]
Yeah. The “Don’t Eat My Friends” ad.
[...]
Was it weird when the pressure flip stuff started coming in too? It seemed like all that stuff was a different style than what you had been skating.
I actually liked the whole method of it. It was what my teammates were doing so I enjoyed it. At the same time I was a little removed from it too because I was married and had a kid so young. I wasn’t always with the guys. Up to that time too I had been vegan, so I never wore leather shoes and all that.
There was the Zero Two Shoes and all that right?
Exactly. But it was only a matter of time until I got influenced by the team and started wearing Vans Half Cabs and Adidas. Just changing shoes made it a lot easier to learn a lot of the technical stuff." [31]
So it seems that Sheffey was vegan or something of the kind until around 1991.
The Life "Don't eat my friends" ad (1991)
Life, Sean Sheffey, sticker (by all means necessary)
New Deal, Andrew Morrison ("hand bird", "sex", "cow burger" graphics)
A then ~15-year-old and vegetarian Geoff Rowley on the cover of UK skate mag Skateboard! ("new year 1992" issue, so the photo is probably from 1991)."What about the Life ad with the backside lipslide on that high rail? [the ad below]
Yeah. The “Don’t Eat My Friends” ad.
[...]
Was it weird when the pressure flip stuff started coming in too? It seemed like all that stuff was a different style than what you had been skating.
I actually liked the whole method of it. It was what my teammates were doing so I enjoyed it. At the same time I was a little removed from it too because I was married and had a kid so young. I wasn’t always with the guys. Up to that time too I had been vegan, so I never wore leather shoes and all that.
There was the Zero Two Shoes and all that right?
Exactly. But it was only a matter of time until I got influenced by the team and started wearing Vans Half Cabs and Adidas. Just changing shoes made it a lot easier to learn a lot of the technical stuff." [31]
So it seems that Sheffey was vegan or something of the kind until around 1991.
The Life "Don't eat my friends" ad (1991)
On this photo from around 1989/90 Sean Sheffey is wearing leather Vision shoes.
In this Speedwheels ad (which I had on my wall for years) he's wearing canvas Converse All Stars. (This ad is from around 1990.)
Life ad (from Thrasher, January 1991), Sean Sheffey
Sean Sheffey, Venture ad (from Thrasher, August 1991)
Sean Sheffey, 1991
In the February 2018 Jason Dill episode of "The Nine Club with Chris Roberts" (episode 83) Jason Dill says "I had the Sean in front of me that listened to REM and was a vegan" referring to the time when Sean Sheffey was already riding for Plan B. This must have been 1991.
You can see the 1991 Sean Sheffey (17 years old) in Life's "A soldier's story" video.
Still from the Life video "A solider's story"
Mike Vallely, Venture ad (from Thrasher, February 1991)
Mike Vallely New Deal mammoth sticker, 1991
Ed Templeton
New Deal, Ed Templeton
Ed Templeton, impossible noseblunt slide to fakie, in Transworld (I think), 1991 (You can also see Ed Templeton impossible noseblunt in the 1991 New Deal video "1281" - at around 38:09 min.)
Ed Templeton, Thunder ad, Thrasher, October 1991
New Deal, Ed Templeton deck, 1991 (drawing by Ed Templeton)
Ed Templeton, New Deal hoodie (with "New Deal" in Iron Maiden lettering as a back print; 1991)
New Deal, Ed Templeton, sticker
Around 1991, or maybe more towards 1992 or 1993 (?), Ethan Fowler seems to have had "a stint of veganism" as he recounted in the 2013 Ethan Fowler episode of Epicly Later'd. This must have been before or at the latest in 1994 when Toy Machine's video "Live!" came out. But he seems to say that it was when he was about 14 years old. If he was born in 1977 that would have been 1991. He also seems to have been vegetarian (not vegan) for a while.
Ethan Fowler (Epicly Later'd, 2013)
Andrew Morrison, a pro skater from Auckland, New Zealand, who rode for New Deal during the Useless Wooden Toys (1990) and 1281 (1991) time had a "cow burger" deck graphic that I had never come across. Note the crying cow.
His "sex" board graphic was quite widely known at the time. At least that's what I think, the "sex graphic" likely being a much more popular board and T-shirt graphic than the pro-vegetarian burger graphic.
Rumours are that Andrew Morrison later started eating fish, i.e. turned pescatarian from vegetarian.
New Deal, Andrew Morrison board graphic
New Deal, Andrew Morrison shirt, around 1991
front of the T-shirt
back of the T-Shirt (Andrew Morrison, New Deal)
In the 1991 New Deal video "1281" one can see Ron Knigge and Rene Matthyssen wearing the Andrew Morrison "cow burger" shirt.
Ron Knigge (skating at EMB), stills from "1281"
Rene Matthyssen, stills from "1281"
New Deal Andrew Morrison "sex graphic"
Andrew Morrison, New Deal, "sex graphic"
Andrew Morrison, New Deal, "hand bird graphic"
Gordon & Smith, Kris Markovich sticker ... I think, Kris Markovich was/is a vegetarian (probably not back in 1991 though).
Also check out Brian Lotti's part in Planet Earth's "Now 'n' Later" video in which he's wearing a "The Smiths" T-shirt (with the "Meat is Murder" album cover). Brian Lotti was a vegetarian at the time [70].
Brian Lotti, Planet Earth's "Now 'n' Later" video
1992
Plan B, Sean Sheffey
Sean Sheffey, Thrasher cover, August 1992 (I can't clearly see what shoes he is wearing. Might be Vans canvas shoes. Sean Sheffey was probably vegetarian at this time. You can see the 1992 Sean Sheffey in the 1992 Plan B video "Questionable".)
Still from Plan B "Questionable"
Powell & Peralta, Pat Brennen Meat Slick
Zero Two ad, Thrasher, December 1992 (from the Thrasher website)
Blindfolded rabbit, carrot & trap graphic (World Industries)
Ed Templeton (TV "man eats cow" deck; the shoes seem to be Converse canvas chucks. Note the "human racist" shirt - see another photo further down.)
Zero Two ad, Thrasher, May 1992
Zero Two ad, Thrasher back cover, September 1992 (my photo of my old mag)
Zero Two ad, Thrasher back cover, September 1992 (from the Thrasher website)
Brian Lotti was a vegetarian at the time and had board graphic on Blind called "caring consumer" (see below). This was his first board on Blind (after leaving Planet Earth) [66]. From the Strangelove website (2023): "The Blind Brian Lotti 'Caring Consumer' deck [...]" which apparently came with an "[...] ironic (and apparently hated by Brian) lucky rabbit's foot keyring [...]" [61]. Presumably, the rabbit foot was plastic, not a real one. The top graphic says: "This product required no use of animal testing and does not contain any animal-derived ingredients".
Brian Lotti says that "[...] [Steve] Rocco snuck a lucky rabbit's foot into [the] shrink wrap [around the board], so it's kind of like [...].That was his kind of like punk rock move, I guess, for that board [...]. That was maybe my fucked up graphic 'cause it was ostensibly an animal-free board, but then you look on the other side and there's a dyed rabbit's foot. So that was, that was like it's a joke on me, you know." [66]. Brian Lotti: "The 'caring consumer' graphic] was his [Marc McKee's] idea. Yeah, he came up with the idea, we talked about it, and then he did it, and that was such a fun board. That was my first Blind board." [67]
It seems that Brian Lotti was already vegetarian back when he was riding for H-Street (he was put on H-Street by Ron Allen) and when Planet Earth started and he joined Planet Earth. Brian Lotti says (in 2019): "[...] H-Street started selling more boards and then ... soon after, like 'Alright, we wanna start a new company [...]. We're gonna start a new company with Chris Miller.' They were like, [..], they were like 'Brian, you're vegetarian, you're into like the Earth and shit. Why, maybe you should meet Chris Miller." [70]
From the Bobshirt interview (unknown year):
[Bobshirt:] "Were you vegetarian back then?"
[Brian Lotti:] "Yeah, yeah, I would think I was, I was definitely vegetarian. I think I was vegan for a couple of years." [i.e., around 1992 ... note that, apart from his short stint with Zero Two he always seems to have worn leather shoes, including in the "caring consumer" ad (see below)]
[Bobshirt:] I guess that would've been a pre-requisite to get on a vegan shoe brand..."
[Brian Lotti:] "It might have been. It's funny 'cause I think that Ed and Mike left. They went to meet with the owner of Zero Two, and they went to his house, and they're hanging out, and Mike was like 'Hey, do you mind if I ... I'm hungry, can I get a snack or something? And he went and opened up his fridge, and there was like a bunch of like sliced lunchmeat in there, like ham and roast beef. They were just like 'What? What the fuck? We can't do shoes with a guy that's got like deli meat in his fridge'." [68]
From the Chromeball Incident blog (2010):
"chrome ball sits down with the caring consumer for conversation. [...]
[...]
[Eric Swisher, Chromeball Incident:] Wild Things, Hunt Humans, Caring Consumer, Blind Rider, Light Cycles, Mondrian steez… you’ve definitely had some classic graphics. Which one of yours sticks out as a personal favorite?
[Brian Lotti:] Dang! The caring consumer by [Sean] Cliver is definitely one of my favorite graphics, but I really like the TRON tank that [Chris] Miller separated. He’s a great graphic artist.
But Cliver’s Caring Consumer board… that was poetry." [62]
[Brian Lotti:] Dang! The caring consumer by [Sean] Cliver is definitely one of my favorite graphics, but I really like the TRON tank that [Chris] Miller separated. He’s a great graphic artist.
But Cliver’s Caring Consumer board… that was poetry." [62]
I do remember once seeing an anti-hunting graphic on a Brian Lotti deck. So, this comment (above) about a "Hunt Humans" graphic seems to confirm this. Unfortunately; I don't have a picture of it at the moment.
There was a kind of non-vegetarian version of the "caring consumer" board graphic out as a Brian Lotti guest board on Almost in ~2016. Rumour has it that Brian Lotti went back to eating meat in the late 1990s.
Side note: Brian Lotti says he skated with Kris Markovich a lot during the summer of 1992 [65].
Brian Lotti "Caring Consumer" deck on Blind, graphic by Sean Cliver
Brian Lotti "Caring Consumer" Blind ad (note the suede Adidas)
Brian Lotti holding the magazine ad (the mag is Big Brother issue 2, with Daniel Castillo's face, photo by Spike Jonze, on the cover)
[67]
[67]At around the same time ... Brian Lotti on the cover of Transworld (October 1992 issue), doing a backside 180 fakie nosegrind
Brian Lotti, Zero Two ad (1992) ... Brian Lotti's comment: "[...] [Zero Two shoes] was like the leather-less shoe company. Ed Templeton and [Mike] Vallely skated, skted them for a little bit. But they were really strange 'cause they were like velcro. Your griptape would stick to the shoe. So, you go to ollie, and your board would like stick to the shoe. It was like, they were really, really hard to skate in. They were a little suspect." [68]
The Zero Two shoes had a velcro upper (!), even though it may look a bit like suede in the pictures. If you look closely, you can see that the Zero Two shoe had a cheap synthetic leather lining like the one Vans uses still today. The "ollie guard" that one could stick to the outside of the Zero Two shoe was made from the smooth side of velcro. Before Zero Two ended, the owner is reported to have been working on a shoe with a Kevlar upper shoe.
From the book "Made for Skate"
Zero Two mocking the "cut your shoes" trend
Zero Two "freedom of choice" ad, Thrasher August 1992
A Transworld poster of Ed Templeton (from the Transworld Poster Book 1992). He's wearing a TV hat and (vegan) Zero Two shoes.
Salvage ad, Thrasher August 1992
Ed Templeton and Mike Vallely had a company called TV (Templeton/Vallely), which was later briefly called Television. I still regret not buying the Ed Templeton "man eats cow" board (right) (When I saw that board in a shop, maybe my subconscious mind already knew I would become vegan (ha).) The top graphic says “Eat me I’m probably delicious.” [7]
TV, (I think all three may be) Ed Templeton decks
From Big Brother, issue 3
Ed Templeton, around 1992 (TV "man eats cow" deck; the shoes seem to be Zero Two.)
Laban Pheidias, Blockhead
TV, stickers
TV stickers (These must be from around 1992.)
This is an Ed Templeton sticker by TV or Television
TV, Ed Templeton sticker (from around 1992) [Stolen from skateboardstickeraddict]
TV, Mike Vallely ("Dear Rodney" [Mullen]; probably in response to the "out with the old, in with the new" World Industries ad; see 1991)
TV, Templeton and Vallely
Ed Templeton with a T-shirt that says "Human Racist"
Television
Jim Thiebaud "Vegetarian, Writer, Coffee Achiever", interview (by Thomas Campbell), Transworld, September 1992. Thomas Campbell was probably vegetarian at that time too.
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The first Thrasher video (The Truth Hurts) had a short interview with Salman Agah and they asked him "Are you vegetarian?", and he said "No. N-O. I think it's stupid. Well I guess it's not stupid but..." [That's what Agah said.]
Around 2005 a vegan skateboarder friend of mine from Australia told me that the owner of Zero Two had actually been a meat eater. He had pretended to be a vegan but Ed Templeton and Mike Vallely at some point found meat in his fridge - and that was the end of Zero Two ... that's how the story went if I remember right. This story was now confirmed by in a Chrome Ball Incident interview with Ed Templeton (from 2019) [37] It seems to me that this must have occurred in 1993:
From the Mike Vallely interview in Big Brother, issue 14:
A-1 Meats - the logo in this ad says "environmentally alert".
There was even a Jamie Thomas "High plains drifter" (probably referring to the Beastie Boys song) shirt by Invisible.
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Sean Sheffey interview in Thrasher, May 1994 (interview by Bryce Kanights)
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Menace T-shirt back print. I'm guessing this must be from around 1996. Menace was later renamed as MNC, then All City, then City Stars (I think that was the order).
Magazine "check out" of Sergei Trudnowski ... This must be from 1996, and the text was written by Vernon Laird (which magazine?). Zoo York is included as his board sponsor - so this is before Illuminati started, and it says five years after the Blind video (Video days; 1991) - that means: 1996. The text says: "[...] Sergei is a vegan and straight edge."
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Acme, cow and hamburger graphic
So, Jamie Thomas went back to eating meat (unnecessarily so, I'm sure, because the human body requires nutrients - in this case B12 - not certain types of specific foods.)
In this same interview Ed Templeton mentions that Mike Vallely found veganism too constricting. Ed Templeton: "After a bunch of years went by, I went on a trip to South Africa with Mike V. and I knew he was starting to eat meat. One night, in the hotel, he felt like he wanted to talk to me about it. So he was like, “I’m sick of it. I feel like it’s running my life. I only live once and I don’t want to live by this set of rules.” He found it constricting. He felt like there’s always a different level. Veganism and then raw and then airitarian. [He said], “I don’t know where it ends when you’re trying to live by a strict code so fuck it.” And that was his thing. I didn’t agree with him but I thought it was interesting to discuss it. That’s the fun part of knowing someone for a long time, having these discussions and not turning it into an enemy thing or a fight. And it’s cool if that’s what you want to do. We’re adults." [30]
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Rumours confirmed: Sergei Trudnowski was and is a vegan.
Sergei Trudnowski, First Division ad
TV, Jerry Fowler, Ed Templeton, Mike Vallely
TV ad, Ed Templeton
TV, Arm Chair Adventure Tour 1992
Ed Templeton with a T-shirt that says "Human Racist"
Television
Television, Ryan Fabry (btw, Steve Berra rode for Television.)
Jim Thiebaud "Vegetarian, Writer, Coffee Achiever", interview (by Thomas Campbell), Transworld, September 1992. Thomas Campbell was probably vegetarian at that time too.
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John Montesi, New Deal board graphic "farmer". I don't know what the story behind this graphic is.
101, Adam McNatt, hamburger woman
(from around 1992; not the only disturbing 101 Adam McNatt graphic)
1993
World Industries had the infamous Jason Lee with shaved head burger ad (to mock the vegetarian Mike Vallely) in 1991 (see above). This was a not very well-known response by Blind (like World Industries one of Steve Rocco's companies) with Laban Pheidias (vegetarian, maybe already vegan [?], not looking his best here though.) I'm not sure if there was a Laban Pheidias vegan burger board.
A-1 Meats ad, note the 43mm wheels are called "meat is murder". Paul Luna ad.
A-1 Meats "meat is murder" cap
(I would guess, it's also from around 1993. There also seem to have been A-1 Meats "meat is murder" shirts.)
A-1 Meats "meat is murder" sticker
("Our wheels contain no animal bi-products [!] A1"; the sticker is about 1 1/2 inches high.)
Ed Templeton, Salvage (Salvage was a clothing company by Zero Two)
Mike Vallely (from Thrasher March 1993; it looks like he is wearing cut off Zero Two shoes.)
Mike Vallely (from Thrasher March 1993; nothing about vegetarianism in this interview; but this must have been when he was still vegan, shortly before or shortly after giving up veganism.
Mike V says: "[...] life is confusion and that's where I am.")
This is a Mike Vallely interview in an Italian skateboard magazine (SKATE, No 40, 1993) ... Again, Mike V doesn't say anything about vegetarianism in the interview, but this must be from the same time as above, i.e. he was either still vegan or had just stopped being vegan (but was still vegetarian). But the photos are a little older than the interview. The first, second, third, and fifth photo are from the TV era, and he seems to be wearing Zero Two shoes (vegan). The fourth photo (fast plant) is older, and he's wearing (non-vegan) Converse basketball shoes. The sixth picture also seems to be quite a bit older (street plant). The last photo may be slightly older than the TV era photos, and he's wearing canvas Converse "Chucks" (vegan).
Around 2005 a vegan skateboarder friend of mine from Australia told me that the owner of Zero Two had actually been a meat eater. He had pretended to be a vegan but Ed Templeton and Mike Vallely at some point found meat in his fridge - and that was the end of Zero Two ... that's how the story went if I remember right. This story was now confirmed by in a Chrome Ball Incident interview with Ed Templeton (from 2019) [37] It seems to me that this must have occurred in 1993:
"[Chrome Ball Incident] What was the story with Zero-Two shoes? Didn’t you guys end up finding meat in the guy’s refrigerator or something?
[Ed Templeton] That’s a weird story, but yes. Zero-Two was ran by this guy named Dean, who was an inventor and businessman. He was always looking for a new marketing opportunity, that was kind of his schtick. He had invented what was essentially a Velcro shoe for kids. It came with a sheet of Velcro artwork where you can stick whatever your mood was for that day onto your shoes. “I’m happy today, I’ll put a happy face or a rainbow on my shoe.” He ends up taking this invention to the Action Sports Tradeshow. Totally clueless about skateboarding, he’s basically there to sell his business venture. Sean Sheffey [my highlighting] comes walking through, who’s vegetarian at the time, and he picks up the shoe, which kinda looks like a Vision Street Wear. “Dude, are these vegetarian?” Dean immediately answers, “Yes, they are”. That’s the kind of person Dean is. He saw the angle immediately. “Are you guys sponsoring? These shoes are cool. They’d probably be good for skating.” So Dean, on the spot, decides that it’s now a skate shoe and that he’s going to start sponsoring skaters. He actually had no stake in vegetarianism, veganism or skateboarding at all. But like I said, he’s quick. Him and Rocco actually got along really well, because he was such a huckster… like the Salvage [my highlighting] brand he did? Buying thrift store clothes and ironing on a Salvage patch so he could resell them at a higher price? What a scam! So Dean decided that a vegetarian skate shoe was going to be his thing. He starts doing ads, which are all super over-the-top with a skinned cow and bloody footprints. And, of course, Mike [Valleley; my highlighting] and I being vegans, we got sucked in. I can’t remember if Mike reached out or what, but we somehow got sponsored by him. We start working so much together that the 2nd iteration of our company, Television [my highlighting], was actually distributed through Dean.
[Ed Templeton] That’s a weird story, but yes. Zero-Two was ran by this guy named Dean, who was an inventor and businessman. He was always looking for a new marketing opportunity, that was kind of his schtick. He had invented what was essentially a Velcro shoe for kids. It came with a sheet of Velcro artwork where you can stick whatever your mood was for that day onto your shoes. “I’m happy today, I’ll put a happy face or a rainbow on my shoe.” He ends up taking this invention to the Action Sports Tradeshow. Totally clueless about skateboarding, he’s basically there to sell his business venture. Sean Sheffey [my highlighting] comes walking through, who’s vegetarian at the time, and he picks up the shoe, which kinda looks like a Vision Street Wear. “Dude, are these vegetarian?” Dean immediately answers, “Yes, they are”. That’s the kind of person Dean is. He saw the angle immediately. “Are you guys sponsoring? These shoes are cool. They’d probably be good for skating.” So Dean, on the spot, decides that it’s now a skate shoe and that he’s going to start sponsoring skaters. He actually had no stake in vegetarianism, veganism or skateboarding at all. But like I said, he’s quick. Him and Rocco actually got along really well, because he was such a huckster… like the Salvage [my highlighting] brand he did? Buying thrift store clothes and ironing on a Salvage patch so he could resell them at a higher price? What a scam! So Dean decided that a vegetarian skate shoe was going to be his thing. He starts doing ads, which are all super over-the-top with a skinned cow and bloody footprints. And, of course, Mike [Valleley; my highlighting] and I being vegans, we got sucked in. I can’t remember if Mike reached out or what, but we somehow got sponsored by him. We start working so much together that the 2nd iteration of our company, Television [my highlighting], was actually distributed through Dean.
[Chrome Ball Incident] I didn’t know that.
[Ed Templeton] Yeah, that was the difference. Our company TV [my highlighting] was Brad Dorfman and when we left, we switched it to Television [my highlighting] with Dean. But that’s when things started to get weird on the business side and we broke up. And it’s also around this time that we found out about Dean. I got a call from Mike V [my highlighting] one night. “Dude, I’m up in Santa Barbara at Dean’s house and when I go to look in his fridge, there’s a fucking turkey in there.” Not that I was ever some super dogmatic vegan but Dean had been claiming to be this vegan crusader the whole time. And leading up to that night, Mike and I had both started to notice little things about him that didn’t add up. “Dude, there’s a turkey in there. I asked him about it and he said it was for his employees but I don’t believe him. There’s no employees here. I think it’s his turkey!” He’d totally pulled the wool over our eyes. Because all this stuff, I remember putting it all together with Mike after the fact. He was just some business guy who capitalized on us." [37]
[Ed Templeton] Yeah, that was the difference. Our company TV [my highlighting] was Brad Dorfman and when we left, we switched it to Television [my highlighting] with Dean. But that’s when things started to get weird on the business side and we broke up. And it’s also around this time that we found out about Dean. I got a call from Mike V [my highlighting] one night. “Dude, I’m up in Santa Barbara at Dean’s house and when I go to look in his fridge, there’s a fucking turkey in there.” Not that I was ever some super dogmatic vegan but Dean had been claiming to be this vegan crusader the whole time. And leading up to that night, Mike and I had both started to notice little things about him that didn’t add up. “Dude, there’s a turkey in there. I asked him about it and he said it was for his employees but I don’t believe him. There’s no employees here. I think it’s his turkey!” He’d totally pulled the wool over our eyes. Because all this stuff, I remember putting it all together with Mike after the fact. He was just some business guy who capitalized on us." [37]
Another version of the story (or just another story which has been said to come from Ed Templeton) is that (presumably) Mike V and Ed Templeton walked into the Zero Two office one day and caught the owner eating meat (something from the California burger chain "In-N-Out Burger").
Ed Templeton and Mike Vallely, Television ad, Thrasher, January 1993
Television
Steve Berra, Television ad, Thrasher, March 1993 ... Steve Berra may have been - or still may be - a vegetarian at some point, if I remember right.
Moses Itkonen, Real ad, back cover of Slap, September 1993
Sergei Trudnowski skating in Philadelphia, 411 Video Magazine issue 3 (1993)
[From what I understand, Sergei Trudnowski is vegan. I don't know when he became vegan; it seems at least since 1996. Not sure if he was already vegan in 1993.]
Tim Gavin puppy graphic sticker by Blind
1994
Ed Templeton on the cover of 411 Video Magazine issue 4 (January/February 1994). It looks like he's wearing Vans (?).
Toy Machine, Ed Templeton (graphic by Thomas Campbell)
Powell, Mike Vallely (a re-release of the World Industries graphic on Powell - who knew?)
From the Mike Vallely interview in Big Brother, issue 14:
“Are you
still vegan? [first question]
No, and I
probably never was by some people’s definition. But yes, I eat dairy products
and wear leather shoes now. I had a pretty strict diet for about two years that
I took very seriously, too seriously. It got to the point where my diet and the
standards I set for myself were negatively affecting the way I looked at and
interacted with others. After a while I didn’t feel like I was doing it for me
anymore, that I was doing it for my friends or to maintain an image. It was
very uncomfortable. After our daughter was born my wife started eating dairy
products again and bringing them into the house and I was jealous. So I broke
to some extent. But I don’t feel bad about it. I feel very secure about myself –
more so now then when I was vegan. The hardest part now is dealing with the
people who can’t deal with it. I’ve had people come up to me on tour and hassle
me because I’m not vegan anymore, and they give me this guilt trip about how I
turned them on to it and how it’s changed their lives. And now they see me
wearing leather shoes and eating dairy products and they don’t know what to do.
Should they continue to subscribe to my every move or get their own lives? The
answer is obvious.
Are you
still vegetarian then?
I really don’t
use those words anymore. I’m not a slogan, I’m me. Mike Vallely doesn’t an [!]
never could eat the flesh of another living creature, that’s just part of who I
am. I don’t feel I need to make a stink about it. When I first came out and
said I was vegetarian it was a radical statement; these days it’s not, and I
don’t really care. It’s hard to break your own mold, you know? If you don’t,
you don’t grow. My biggest problem in my life was that I’ve always mistaken my
politics for my spirituality. Because I got into vegetarianism, I took that on
as my religion. And that’s just worldly politics. I know I could never eat
meat, at the same time, I pretty much consider dairy products meat, but I’m
willing to eat them. So I’m probably one of the biggest walking contradictions
there is. I’m a lover and a fighter."
[…]
“A long time
ago, Julio de la Cruz was talking some shit to Ed Templeton about, ‘Oh Ed, let’s
go eat a turkey dinner.’ Something stupid like that and Ed can not defend
himself, so he just let Julio walk all over him. So when I was in the San
Francisco contest last September Julio was [there] and I said, ‘Hey Julio, lets
go get a turkey dinner, man.’ And he’s like. ‘What? Oh, I heard you were sick,
are you all right?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m all right. Let’s go get a turkey
dinner.’ And he was like. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ So I just
said, ‘Yeah, you’re a pussy, dude.’ And Paulo Diaz was sitting right next to
him and he was laughing, and I go, ‘What the fuck you laughing at, scarecrow?’
That was it. Then one day, I’m skating in LA, and Paulo was with the whole LA
crew hanging out, and he comes up to me and goes. ‘Hey, let’s go get a turkey
dinner.’ So I was like, ‘Dude, you better just sit down.’ The he said, ‘Come
one!’ So I kicked him in the chest.
Karate kick?
Yeah.” [...] [typos in the original]
You can see a vegetarian, non-vegan Mike V in his video part in the 1994 Powell video "Suburban Diners".
You can see a vegetarian, non-vegan Mike V in his video part in the 1994 Powell video "Suburban Diners".
Still photo from "Suburban Diners" video (1994).
Mike Vallely, from around 1994 or 1995 (Note the Airwalk T-shirt. At this time he was wearing leather Airwalk shoes - see the Big Brother interview above: "wear leather shoes now").
For your convenience: an approximate timeline of Mike Vallely's vegetarianism:
Before 1988: ate meat
1988 to ~1990: vegetarian (as in lacto-oco-vegetarian)
~1990/1991 to 1992/1993: vegan
~1993/1994 to 1998: vegetarian
1999 to ~2015: ate meat
Since ~2015 to ~2022: vegan or mostly vegan
Since ~2022: eats meat again [as of January 2022]
Note the "environmentally alert - friends of animals" below.
A-1 Meats, Bobby Kuhns "contains no animal bi-products [!]" in the stag logo circle
A-1 Meats, John Reeves (aka JTMR, John "The Man" Reeves)
Invisible, Jamie Thomas on a horse! (from horse rider to vegan to meat eater for Christ)
Another Invisible ad: Laban Pheidias - the "healthy" alluding to his vegetarianism?
This sticker must be from around this time (no later than 1997): Laban Pheidias, Invisible
TWS, January 1994, Laban Pheidias interview
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In Defense of Animals (IDA) ad, TWS, January 1994
The Beastie Boys/Spike Jonze/Girl connection, at around this time Mike D and MCA were already vegetarians (Ill Communication era). The Beastie Boys tour DVD "Awesome: I Fuckin' Shot That!" from 2006 includes a BBQ contest of their tour manager vs. some other guys. Mike D was the vegetarian/vegan referee. The tour manager had also cooked some brown rice and beans for Mike D though.
More recently (2009) Yauch was diagnosed with cancer (of the parotid gland - in the mouth) and wrote in the e-newsletter "i'm taking tibetan medicine and at the recommendation of the tibetan doctors i've been eating a vegan/organic diet ". [5, 6] There were some rumors in 2011 that Yauch had overcome the cancer, which Yauch quickly called "exaggerated".
UPDATE: Sadly Adam Yauch passed away on 4th May 2012.
Beastie Boys, Ill Communication, Girl, team deck
Sean Sheffey interview in Thrasher, May 1994 (interview by Bryce Kanights)
Sean Sheffey was a vegetarian at the time:
"[Kanights:] Knowing that you're a vegetarian, ar you environmentally conscious as well?
[Sheffey:] Yes for myself basically but I don't go out of my way to express my views on someone else. I don't really like to speak upon [!] it, at least not at this point of my life." [43]
A vegetarian (as far as I know) Sean Sheffey in the classic Girl skate video "Golfish". A Rick Howard in "Beastie Boys Sabotage-esque" disguise pursuing him in a car. (Both "Sabotage" and "Goldfish" were directed by Spike Jonze, of course, and both videos came out in 1994).
At the start of "Goldfish"
At the end of the video. It looks a bit like the goldfish here was either fake (which would be commendable) or dead. Does anyone know?
Sergei Trudnowski spotlight in Thrasher (October 1994)
You can see a 1994 Moses Itkonen in his part in the Mad Circle video "Let the horns blow" (1994).
In the Rick McCrank episode (episode 24) of "The Nine Club with Chris Roberts" from November 2016 Rick McCrank mentions that when he went to California, started skating for Plan B, and regularly stayed at Pat Channita's parents' house he was already a vegetarian. This must have been around 1994, 1995, or 1996.
Moses Itkonen
A then vegetarian (not vegan) Geoff Rowley on the cover of Transworld (December 1994, special 12 year anniversary issue), wearing leather Etnies shoes.
1995
Ed Templeton went through a "skating canvas Vans" phase ... (Toy Machine ad) ... and I wasn't the only one to notic (see below)
This photo of Ed Templeton noseblunting Los Angeles is from the August 2001 issue of Slap, but the photo is from 1995.
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Real deck, Jim Thiebaud (I'm wildly guessing this board is from around 1995.)
And this Real Jim Thiebaud bunny sticker may be from the same time (?).
Real ad with Jim Thiebaud dressed as a rabbit/bunny with carrots
(also in the ad: Salma Agah, Tommy Guerrero, and Rob "Sluggo" Boyce.)
Real ad with Tommy Guerrero (?) riding Jim Thiebaud's "bunny" deck.
Sergei Trudnowski - rumoured to be vegan (Sub Zero ad)
Photo of Sergei Trudnowski with a Sub Zero sweatshirt and what looks like Simple shoes (i.e. these were probably leather shoes.)
Mike Vallely on the back cover of 411 Video Magazine issue 11 (May/June 1995). Tony Hawk is on the front cover, and they were both (Hawk and Vallely) wearing the same Airwalk (leather) shoes. Mike Vallely was a vegetarian at this time (as far as I know) but not vegan anymore.
Jamie Thomas on the cover of 411 Video Magazine number 12 (July/August 1995). I would guess, Jamie Thomas was a vegetarian (probably not vegan) at the time. Toy Machine board, leather éS Sal Barbier shoes.
Big Brother, number 20, with Jamie Thomas on the cover (I'm guessing this is from around 1995)
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Moses Itkonen interview, Big Brother
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Thrasher Moses Itkonen cover, September 1995
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Thrasher Moses Itkonen cover, September 1995
Mad Circle ad, a gthen vegan (I think) Moses Itkonen, 1995 (from a German skateboard magazine)
A then vegetarian (not vegan) Geoff Rowley, Flip ad, 1995 (from a German skateboard magazine)
Real ad (from Thrasher, September 1995)
Steve Olson on the cover of Big Brother (issue 15, around 1995). Not sure if he already was a vegetarian then.
1996
Is this a joke by Foundation? Or was Alyoop an actual company? Note Ed Templeton saying, "I respect them because they're vegans."
CSS, canvas Vans and Dickies (Ed Templeton was sponsored by Vans for a while, I think.)
Sheep, the mystery (solved)
Sheep was a shoe company by Sole Tech (Etnies etc.). Sheep existed from 1996 to 1998. Several times I have read that Sheep only made "vegetarian" (leather-free) shoes, but I'm pretty sure this isn't true ... and this has been confirmed in a 2021 interview with Don Brown (see 2021 [44]): Sheep also made some leather/real suede shoes, at least at the beginning.
Check out the Sheep Shoes video "Life of Leisure".
Don Brown explains: "[...] the name [Sheep] actually came from Pierre [André Senizergues, owner of Sole Tech], when he was talking to a [sales] rep, saying that “We should call it Cheap and Chic!” and sometimes Pierre’s translation [pronunciation?] of things is a bit off… There was that really awkward silence, so I suggested we call it Sheep, because we were just going to be following everything else [non-skate-shoe companies making exact copies of skate shoes] and sell it out. So when it became Sheep it kinda moved forward.
We’d always sold canvas shoes cheap, so we made canvas shoes for Sheep, but Pierre hadn’t calculated that the duty on canvas shoes is actually way more than what the suede was… The idea of having a cheap shoe kinda fell apart when the shoes weren’t going to be cheap anymore!
Rick McCrank had come down, I think he was visiting a distributor or whatever, and we ended up working something out with Rick to have Rick on Sheep. Ed Templeton was one of the first people I called because he was someone I’d known forever, and he was riding for Vans at the time, so I asked if he wanted to ride for Sheep and he was super down for it, so that made sense." [44] (See 2021 for more info on Sheep from that same interview.)
We’d always sold canvas shoes cheap, so we made canvas shoes for Sheep, but Pierre hadn’t calculated that the duty on canvas shoes is actually way more than what the suede was… The idea of having a cheap shoe kinda fell apart when the shoes weren’t going to be cheap anymore!
Rick McCrank had come down, I think he was visiting a distributor or whatever, and we ended up working something out with Rick to have Rick on Sheep. Ed Templeton was one of the first people I called because he was someone I’d known forever, and he was riding for Vans at the time, so I asked if he wanted to ride for Sheep and he was super down for it, so that made sense." [44] (See 2021 for more info on Sheep from that same interview.)
Ed Templeton, Sheep ad, "Pick Sheep", very likely from 1996
Ed Templeton, Sheep ad, Transworld, June 1996
Vegan shoes? (Frank Hirata)
Vegan or leather? (Mike Manzoori)
Laban Pheidias probably skating in leather-free shoes (?)
It says "these shoes are either canvas or suede".
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Birdhouse, Team
Big Brother, issue 23, Laban Pheidias on the cover (So this is apparently from 1996.)
Late 1980s Santa Cruz pro Claus Grabke and his band Thumb (all vegetarians I assume) pose for PETA Germany. The earliest mention on the internet of Claus Grabke being a vegetarian is from July 1991 (in a despicable [my opinion] pseudo-left-wing daily newspaper with a long history of anti-vegetarian polemics).
Ed Templeton, "programming injection", Transworld, June 1996
Ed Templeton, "programming injection", Transworld, October 1996
WARP magazine, June 1996, Ed Templeton interview
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Note: Below the painting it says "Ron Cameron enjoying a frozen vegetarian meal."
In 1996, Brian Anderson - he was a vegetarian at the time - front blunted Hubba Hideout in San Francisco, made famous in Toy Machine's "Welcome to Hell". One of the most iconic tricks in the history of skateboarding. In a Brian Anderson interview by Ed Templeton (Big Brother, December 1998), Ed says: "I remember the video where you f/s bluntslid Hubba Hideout. I showed it to Jamie [Thomas], and we were like, "What the hell? This guy looks like he just escaped from prison, and he just f/s bluntslid Hubba Hideout like it was the easiest thing in the world."
In 1996, Brian Anderson - he was a vegetarian at the time - front blunted Hubba Hideout in San Francisco, made famous in Toy Machine's "Welcome to Hell". One of the most iconic tricks in the history of skateboarding. In a Brian Anderson interview by Ed Templeton (Big Brother, December 1998), Ed says: "I remember the video where you f/s bluntslid Hubba Hideout. I showed it to Jamie [Thomas], and we were like, "What the hell? This guy looks like he just escaped from prison, and he just f/s bluntslid Hubba Hideout like it was the easiest thing in the world."
Brian Anderson
Moses Itkonen
John "The Man" Reeves (JTMR) interview in Transworld (TWS), June 1996 .. From the interview:
"[TWS:] Do you eat healthy?
[JTMR:] I try to, but I like too much junk food, like fried chicken. I like veggie burgers, but I can't stop [eating] the beef burgers, too. I don't know if it's the drugs they put in them or what, but it's good. I also like Japanese, and pasta." [48]
Mike Vallely, Airwalk ad (wearing leather shoes but still vegetarian)
Sean Sheffey, Thrasher cover, December 1996
Sean Sheffey was probably not vegetarian anymore at this point (?).
Etnies ad, Jamies Thomas (probably wearing leather shoes) - this was just before Emerica started. The name "Emerica" came from "Etnies America" [44].
Jamie Thomas, Shorty's (hardware) ad, Transworld, June 1996
The Toy Machine video "Welcome to Hell" came out in 1996. Ed Templeton (vegan since ~1991) on the cover and Jamie Thomas (probably vegan at the time on the back cover), and both of them on the top flap.
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Flyer for the Welcome To Hell premiere. (Chad Muska is on this flyer, but Chad Muska was kicked off Toy Machine before Welcome to Hell came out and is not in the video.)
Geoff Rowley ad for Flip, wearing an Orion trucks shirt. Geoff Rowley was a vegetarian, (not vegan) at the time (the ad is from a German skateboard magazine).
1997
Jamie Thomas (Transworld, February 1997)
Note about Mike Vallely and his spoken words performances (Mike V seems to have been a vegetarian then - but not vegan) and about Thomas Campbell's documentary film about Ed Templeton (Transworld, February 1997).
Standard Truck Co ad, Mike Vallely (then a dietary vegetarian, it seems, not vegan, and also wearing leather Airwalk shoes, I think; Transworld, February 1997; see 1999 - when Mike V started to eat meat again; and see 2015 - when Mike V started to be vegan again, at least a dietary vegan ... or near-vegan)
Ed Templeton, "programming injection" (Transworld, February 1997) ... This rant includes a small note about chemical companies infiltrating PeTA with spies.
Ed Templeton (Transworld, February 1997)
This shoe ("Clocker 3") was interesting. It came with a "100% synthetic - no animal products" tag and it came in different kinds of vegan materials. (But Scott Johnston or anyone else on DC, except Moses Itkonen, wasn't vegetarian, I think.)
Tag from a pair of DC Clocker 3
Sheep. Brian Anderson, still meat-free in 1997, but he started eating meat again during an Anti-Hero Australia tour (?) (mid 2000s?) - might also have been the "Destroy Australia" tour in 2001.
Already vegetarian back then? Rick McCrank Vegan Shoes?
Vegan shoes and blunt slides: Ed Templeton (You know it's true.)
Ed Templeton's vegan signature shoe on Sheep, that was just about to come out, when Sheep closed down (I'm not sure if it was ever produced.).
Another photo of the Sheep Ed Templeton signature shoe that never came out (photo from a the Canadian magazine Concrete Skateboarding - don't know which issue).
A Sheep Ed Templeton tag - was this the tag that came with the Ed Templeton pro shoe? (see above)
Sheep ads and shoes, from the book "Made for Skate"
Sheep ad, Mike Manzoori (1997)
Sheep ad, Matt Field (around 1997)
And Laban Pheidias had a vegan signature shoe on Reef. (There were NO non-vegan colourways of this shoe, I think.)
Note it says "vegan leather" (red section, first bullet point).
Tag from Laban Pheidias shoe
The Adil Dyani shoe (the black one below, the white one is the Laban Pheidias) by Reef was also vegan.
This Jamie Thomas Toy Machine "free as a bird" ad may also be from 1996, but somehow, I don't think that it was from that early. I clearly remember this ad. I'm guessing it's from 1997. Note that he is wearing Etnies and no Zero (which started as a clothing company) hoodie. Maybe the photos are from 1996.
Jamie Thomas' heyday - before the fall
Emerica ad "I'm gonna skate barefoot until you guys make a canvas shoe."
This shoe was available in real (animal) suede (black or white) or in vegan (navy canvas with rubber ollie pad). The rubber cap and sole looked slightly different than in the ad.
He was vegan then.
In the 2017 "Jamie Thomas | The Nine Club With Chris Roberts - Episode 68" (~02:59:00) Jamie Thomas says that he became vegan the time around filming Welcome To Hell - so that must have been around 1995 or 1996. Jamie Thomas adds that the first batch of the Emerica Jamie Thomas shoes were suede and the second batch were canvas and synthetic. ... But this is not how I remember it. Also note that the add says "also available in suede".
Emerica, Jamie Thomas (1997; this ad appeared, for example, in the Transworld February 1997 issue - but many other issues and magazines around the world surely.)
You have to check out this 2013 Ed Templeton interview with Vegan Skate Blog. Apparently, Jamie Thomas experienced blurry vision (which can be a sign of vitamoin B12 deficiency) and wasn't feeling well physical, and a doctor (medical doctor, presumably) then recommended that he eat meat. Ed Templeton:
"With Jamie Thomas it was a similar thing [as with Mike Vallely, see below]. He was doing Zero and we didn’t have as much time to talk. I got this call from Jamie, and he said, “I just got this call from my doctor and he said I should eat meat. What should I do?” For him, it was a health thing. He felt like he was having blurred vision and having problems skating. In clutch situations, when he was skating a rail, he said his body would change. He went to a doctor about this problem and his doctor suggested that he should eat meat. So he called me with this dilemma, like, “What would people think? I’ve been so outspoken about this.” I think I helped him because I asked, “What’s more important to you? Your veganism or skateboarding? I think it’s skateboarding. It’s your career. I think it takes precedent here. It’s most important to keep your health to make your skating work. That’s more important. Who can complain about that? It’s your life and I’m not going to be pissed at you.” I’d say, “You know how the meat’s made. You make enough money. You can afford free range beef or whatever.You know all this stuff so you can minimize the impact.” Of course I know he eats at McDonald’s and all that stuff now." [30]So, Jamie Thomas went back to eating meat (unnecessarily so, I'm sure, because the human body requires nutrients - in this case B12 - not certain types of specific foods.)
In this same interview Ed Templeton mentions that Mike Vallely found veganism too constricting. Ed Templeton: "After a bunch of years went by, I went on a trip to South Africa with Mike V. and I knew he was starting to eat meat. One night, in the hotel, he felt like he wanted to talk to me about it. So he was like, “I’m sick of it. I feel like it’s running my life. I only live once and I don’t want to live by this set of rules.” He found it constricting. He felt like there’s always a different level. Veganism and then raw and then airitarian. [He said], “I don’t know where it ends when you’re trying to live by a strict code so fuck it.” And that was his thing. I didn’t agree with him but I thought it was interesting to discuss it. That’s the fun part of knowing someone for a long time, having these discussions and not turning it into an enemy thing or a fight. And it’s cool if that’s what you want to do. We’re adults." [30]
Then, a similar story with Thomas Campbell. Ed Templeton says: "I think people need to live their lives. I’m not the vegan police. For me, I can’t go back. Let me put this on the table, too. I had this talk with Thomas Campbell, he’s an artist, and he read this book about blood types. He’s been vegetarian since birth and had health problems like being lethargic. He started eating fish and meat and his body instantly changed. I feel like we’re omnivores, humans are. Like dogs, we can eat meat and vegetables and it won’t necessarily affect us. Maybe over the long term it might depending on how bad you eat but I think there is some truth to the whole blood type thing. I think in the human realm some can adapt better than others." [30]
The book Thomas Campbell read is probably "Eat right for your type", which falsely claims that your blood type is connected to what diet you should eat. The book is based on fantasy, not science. Many vegans are blood type O (the "meat eater blood type"), including me. If he has been vegetarian since birth, even if he was never vegan, it is quite possible that he was also deficient in vitamin B12. Ed Templeton saying that he thinks "there is some truth to the blood type thing" is a bit shocking (shocking because Ed Templeton is arguably one of the most intelligent pros out there, and also likely the most famous vegan skateboard pro).
Stolen from the "Made for Skate" book
Invisible, Laban Pheidias
Moses Itkonen, Independent
Moses Itkonen
Moses Itkonen (who is vegan) during the DC (DC Shoe Co) supertour in Europe
(from Big Brother, October 1997)
(The then vegan) Moses Itkonen rode for Platinum (Slap, September 1997)
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... and he rode for Platinum with (if you don't mind me saying) violent drug fiend Tas Pappas (but that was later, maybe then Tas Pappas was just "raw and full of passion") and Tas' younger brother Ben Pappas (who strangled his girlfriend to death - "Gator" style before committing suicide; Slap July 1997). Moses is the second from the right (with the wristwatch).
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Kastel, Steve Olson (vegan shoes)
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Shorty's, Steve Olson (the younger Steve Olson with glasses) was/is a vegetarian.
Rumours confirmed: Sergei Trudnowski was and is a vegan.
Sergei Trudnowski, First Division ad
Sergei Trudnowski, First Division ad (from around 1997)
Sergei Trudnowski, Illuminati ad
Photo of Sergei Trudnowski (from around 1997, very roughly)
Sergei Trudnowski (bottom centre), Illuminati ad (from around 1997, very roughly; with Tim O'Connor, Ricky Oyola, [Greg?] Harris, and Matt Reason) ... Illuminati was a board company owned by Zoo York. When a card game company who had the trademarked the name "Illuminati" threatened to sue Zoo York, Illuminati the skate company ended but was recreated under a new name: Silverstar (see ads below) [45]. While being on Illuminati, Sergei Trudnowski also rode for Sheep shoes (and Etnies after Sheep ended)[45]. First Division was a wheel company [45].
Sergei Trudnowski, Silverstar ad (from 1997; the one on the right from Slap, July 1997)
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Sergei Trudnowski, Silverstar ad (from around 1997)
Sergei Trudnowski, Silverstar ad (from around 1997)
Pig Wheels
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Geoff Rowley's vegetarian, pre-vegan, pre-ex-vegan era, skating for Airwalk. I thought (then) Geoff Rowley was French.
Rowley actually had a pro (made from leather) on Airwalk ... section of an Airwalk ad in Slap (February 1998) with Rowley's pro shoe. .jpg)
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Transit ad with Mike Vallely (then still vegetarian, it seems). The ad was a two-page ad, but the pages were not next to each other in the magazine (from Slap, May 1998)
Scott Bourne (from Slap, May 1998) ... Scott Bourne seems to have been (or is?) a dietary vegan (?). In this photo he's wearing Vans (quite probably leather; I don't think Vans had vegan shoes that looked like this at the time or ever).
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Steve Olson's vegan signature model on Kastel (ad from Transworld December 1998)
There was (unless I'm mistaken) another colourway (apart from blue canvas and the two non-vegan ones: balck and white) of the Emerica Jamie Thomas "I'm gonna skate barefoot until you guys make a canvas shoe" shoe: a brownish colour (and unless I'm mistaken, this too was a canvas shoe, i.e. vegan). Tim O'Connor is here wearing it in an Element ad from 1998 (from a German skateboard magazine).
Toy Machine, Mike Frazier, "fishing line" graphic
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Zero, Jamie Thomas
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Zero, team decks
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Zero, Jamie Thomas
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Zero, team decks
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A then vegan Jamie Thomas (I'm guessing) on the back cover of "Thrill of it all" (the first Zero video).
Pig Wheels
A then vegetarian Brian Anderson on the cover of Thrasher (December 1997 issue)
Invisible's skate video "Mission Invisible: Days of Plunder" starring a vegetarian Laban Pheidias
1998
Ed Templeton's most popular shoe ever (probably). This shoe was literally everywhere you went. Emerica Templeton (all vegan)
Ed Templeton interview (by Sean Cliver) in Big Brother magazine (March 1998 issue; see photos below) ...
From the interview: "[Sean Cliver:] How do you feel about the militant/in-your-face vegan faction?
[Ed Templeton] I think it does a lot of bad stuff. I mean, I'm totally into showing people how good it is to eat this way - it's healthy, compassionate, all these things. But there's these hard-liners guys, straight edge/vegan power dudes, and their mode of action is like a skinhead. Like, "If you don't do what we're doing, we're gonna kick your ass." The best influence you can ever have is by example. That's the only way you can do anything. Maybe some kids see me at a skate park, and they see me skating all day long; other people might get tired out, youcbut I'm still going. They may go, "Hey, how come you have all this energy, Ed?" I go, "Oh, I eat healthy and stuff like that," and maybe they get interested in it. I'm not going, "Hey, don't eat meat or you're stupid" because then they'd do the opposite. I don't think being a hard-liner with no bending whatsoever is the way to do it. [...] Influence and by example is the only way you can ever do anything. [...]
[Sean Cliver:] Has anyone ever slipped you a "meat mickey"?
[Ed Templeton:] No one ever did it on purpose. Maybe someone has and I ate it, but I don't think so. That would be pretty dumb 'cause I wouldn't even care. I could eat a steak right now, and it's not gonna affect me at all. I just choose not to. I'm not gonna die, so there's no real advantage in slipping me a "meat mickey" 'cause I wouldn't, like, spin off or somethin'.
[Sean Cliver:] Okay, you're in a plane to Chile, you crash in the Andes, and you don't have your little bag of vegan vittles. Do you starve or start eating teammates?
[Ed Templeton:] What are we, like up above the timberline?
[Sean Cliver:] You're fucked.
[Ed Templeton:] So there's no berries or anything. Well, yeah, I would eat meat. Survival is survival. I'm not gonna just die. You know what, this is the classic "catch the vegan admitting he'll eat meat." People love to get a vegan to say, "Yes, I would eat meat." Like, "He's one of us deep down inside. He's a carnivore!" So yeah, whatever.
[Sean Cliver:] Who would you eat first?
[Ed Templeton:] It would have to be Brian Anderson 'cause he's the biggest. He'd have to take one for the team 'cause he could feed a lot of people. The reason I'm even vegetarian is because we live in a place where you can get right to the corner and get food of any type. You don't have to choose animal products. I just think that with all the options, I'd rather choose those products. I've driven across the country. I've been in Butt-fuck, Texas, and you can still find a place that has nonmeat food. It's easy if you're compassionate. I'm not saying you're an uncompassionate fool if you eat meat. I mean, you have to know about it first. If you read some of the things I've read or see some of the things I've seen, then maybe you would change your mind. Aside from killing things. Aside from killing things unnecessarily, it's just the health of it. I think it's definitely something in this time and age - with all the meat poisoning and diseases floating around in meat products and how the system is so unclean - that everyone should be interested in." [46] If you look at the shoes Ed Templeton is wearing in the skate photos, they look like they might be his Sheep pro model shoe (see 1997).
From the same issue of Big Brother (March 1998): the "subscribe page" with Ed Templeton (Note the "Colonel Sanders and bird" T-shirt graphic)
Toy Machine, Ed Templeton shirt (I'm not sure what year this is from, but I'm guessing 1997 to 1999.)
One of the most popular vegan shoes at the time. DC "Syntax" (always vegan)
I didn't know then that Moses Itkonen was vegan.
DC "Syntax", Moses Itkonen (Thrasher, April 1998) ... All colourways of the original DC Syntax were vegan. It was called "Syntax" because it was all synthetic (i.e. non-leather). This is NOT true for the current (as of 2022) rehash of "DC Shoes" and their current "Syntax" - which is made from animal skin.
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Intentionally vegan? All colourways of the "Clocker 3" shoe by DC might have been vegan (I think so). The shoes came with a plastic DC tag that said "no animal products" and "100% synthetic" (ad from Slap, February 1998)
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... and Rowley wearing his Airwalk pro shoe in a CSS ad (Thrasher, August 1998)
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Geoff Rowley (wearing Converse canvas chucks), three page Flip ad (Big Brother March 1998 issue; Rowley might already have been vegan at the time, at least vegetarian - see Airwalk ad above.)
Steve Olson's vegan signature shoe on Kastel
Even Duffs came out with a vegan shoe in 1998 (called "Veggie Sub"). They even made a T-shirt promoting the shoe (I don't have a photo at the moment).
Duffs "Veggie Sub" ad (Big Brother March 1998 issue; it says "approved by militant vegans"; I'm not sure who the skater is.)
Sheep ad
Rick McCrank, éS ad for the "Quattro" shoe (100% synthetic upper and a popular vegan skate shoe at the time; I'm not sure if there were non-vegan colourways of the Quattro.)
Rick McCrank, XYZ (clothing company) ad (Big Brother March 1998 issue) ... Rick McCrank was already vegetarian at this time. Note that Ed Templeton in this same issue of Big Brother mentions that XYZ used to have a T-shit (around this time) with an anti-gay rainbow flag with bullet holes graphic.
A vegetarian Rick McCrank ... rode for Birdhouse and was on "The End" (!). McCrank is also on the back cover (but a very tiny picture)
Rick McCrank ad for Plan B (September 1998)
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Sergei Trudnowski (who is vegan - I don't know since when exactly) ad for Silverstar
(Slap, February 1998)
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Sergei Trudnowski on the cover of Slap (March 1998)
Matt Rodriguez (Slap, February 1998)
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In 1998, Brian Anderson was Thrasher's "Rookie of the year", apparently (Thrasher, April 1998)
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Geoff Rowley on the cover of Big Brother (June 1998 issue).
This issue (Big Brother, June 1998) also has a Geoff Rowley interview (by Jeff Tremaine and Ed Templeton) which has some interesting info about the start of Geoff's vegan phase:
"[...]
JT [Jeff Tremaine]: Are you vegan?
[Geoff Rowley:] No, not really. I haven't eaten any animal parts for about two or three years; before then I went through phases of eating dairy and whatnot, but I'm not, like, a strict vegan. Look, I've got suede shoes on. The next shoe I have out will be all synthetic, but until then I'm going to be wearing suede, so you could say I'm heading that way, but without the label attachment. I just want to do what feels right to me.
JT: So you'll skin the cow and just leave the meat to rot.
[Geoff Rowley:] It's not really like that. I don't eat animal products not because I don't like the death involved with eating meat. I do it for health reasons, really. I have no problem with somone shooting a cow in the head and eating it. How elese would the masses be happily fed? There's nothing wrong with eating meat, but there's also other routes. You don't have to be like that.
[...]"
Brian Anderson (vegetarian at the time, wearing leather Axion shoes), Big Brother cover (December 1998)
In this issue of Big Brother (December 1998), Ed Templeton interviews Brian Anderson, and Brian says: "I've been a vegetarian since I was 15. I'm 22 now. [...] I was used to seeing it [vegetarianism]. One of my sisters was a vegetarian so I know everything about it. Then I read this book called A Diet for a New America [by John Robbins, a popular book in the 1990s; Jamie Thomas had it too]. It had a lot of raw facts about slaughterhouses an certain situations involving the government and meatI just learned a lot from reading that book, and I decided that I was over it [eating meat] after reading it."
From the Brian Anderson interview in Big Brother (December 1998)
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Adio ad with Jamie Thomas (who was vegan at the time and had only vegan pro model shoes on Adio; with Jeremy Wray and Steve Berra; Steve Berra may also have been vegetarian at the time (?); Slap, May 1998)
Mike Vallely, then still vegetarian but not vegan, on the contents page of Slap (February 1998 issue)
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Ricky Oyola ad for Kastel (from the May 1998 issue of Slap); I don't think Ricky Oyola ever was anything like a vegetarian, but the shoes in this ad are vegan (100% synthetic upper). It says "all synthetic materials". The shoe seems to be called "Ricky Oyola V.2".
Scott Bourne (from Slap, May 1998) ... Scott Bourne seems to have been (or is?) a dietary vegan (?). In this photo he's wearing Vans (quite probably leather; I don't think Vans had vegan shoes that looked like this at the time or ever).
Scott Bourne, Thunder ad (Slap, August 1998)
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Steve Olson's vegan signature model on Kastel (ad from Transworld December 1998)
Jamie Thomas cover, Transworld cover, October 1998
(I'm assuming that Jamie Thomas was vegan then.)
1999
In response to a "Got Milk?" ad with Tony Hawk promoting dairy (see 2000), photographer Glen E. Friedman - who is vegan and and who shot many iconic skate photos (including of Tony Hawk in the 1980s) and many iconic record covers too (including the Beastie Boys' "Check Your Head" cover) - wrote a heartfelt letter to Tony Hawk. The letter and the ensuing exchange between Tony and Glen was mockingly published in Big Brother magazine (surely without Glen's permission), under the headline "Got Militant Vegan Attitude?". Even though Big Brother was a magazine dedicated to being a bit insane and as offensive as possible and shouldn't be taken to serious (maybe), the use of the word "militant" - which is often used in the context of armed militias/guerrillas - is overdoing it a bit in the case of someone trying to make a point in a sort of polite letter ... but calling vegans who talk about veganism "militant" is still frequently done to this day, even by people who do not otherwise attempt to be as "politically incorrect" as possible.
Glen E. Friedman's letter in Big Brother (January 1999)
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Ed Templeton 1 ad (Emerica)
Ed Templeton, Münster, Germany, July 1999
In a 2009
interview, Mike Vallely says: "I've been eating meat since 1999. I
would say I have a pretty well balanced diet at this point in my life and that
although I eat animal products I'm still a very conscientious eater, maybe even
more so then when I was a vegetarian. I was a vegetarian since 1988 and a vegan
for several years but those dietary choices were more like religious
subscriptions than dietary or health decisions. When the hold of the cult of
vegetarianism got old for me my diet changed and I think and feel in many ways
it's personally for the better. The vegetarian diet never actually agreed with
me physically so it was a very hard thing to maintain for nearly 11
years." [2, 4]
Small comment: If you feel
the same way and think a vegan diet doesn't agree with you in terms of health, please
know that you do not have to give up veganism. There are several experienced
longtime vegan dietitians who can tweak a vegan diet to suit you. VeganHealth.org (by Jack Norris, RD) is
probably the most complete source of vegan nutrition info. Animal products do
not contain "magical" nutrients - it seems all essential nutrients
can be obtained from non-animal sources, luckily.
And I thought (then) Mike Vallely was still vegan - his very popular shoe on Etnies was vegan.
Etnies, Mike Vallely signature shoe (vegan) while Mike Valley himself was a "meat eater" again.
Etnies, Mike Vallely's vegan signature shoe ("Vallely 1"; Thrasher, August 1999)
Again: Etnies, Mike Vallely signature shoe, the "Vallely 1" (vegan) - this ad is from March 1999 issue of Big Brother, but surely it appeared in many other magazines worldwide. This shoe was very popular and quite popular too among vegans in the hardcore (punk music) scene.
An ad promoting vegetarianism by PCRM (Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine) with Ed Templeton and Jamie Thomas - both vegan at the time. There was a note in Transworld about this ad (see 2000).
Jamie Thomas then had a few all vegan models on Adio. Adio was Chris Miller's (?) company, but it was owned by the K2 Corporation (the ski and rollerblade company).
... just like Jeremy Wray (but Jeremy Wray was never vegetarian as far as I know)
Geoff Rowley (both pictures from Thrasher, August 1999)
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“Geoff leads a vegan lifestyle and
likes hiking in order to see wild animals in their own environment. As a
result, Geoff’s signature shoe, which will be available in Spring 2000, will be
comprised of all synthetic materials.“ [20]
Geoff Rowley in Transworld:
“My bail was set for 1,400 dollars, and
I had real problems contacting anyone. All in all, I was held for about 36
hours with no food (I’m a vegan) or water (the sink had been pissed in). After
24 hours I was given a change of clothes. I had to walk up to the officer
completely naked and hand him all my old clothes before I was given new ones.
Meanwhile, everyone sat and watched.” [21].jpg)
Anti Hero,
Geoff Rowley, Flip ad (Thrasher, September 1999)
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Toy Machine, Ed Templeton
Anti Hero,
Julien Stranger
Slap Jamie Thomas cover, May 1999
(I think, Jamie Thomas was vegan at this time.)
Thrasher Jamie Thomas cover, August 1999
Skateboarder Jamie Thomas cover, September 1999
Jamie Thomas (then vegan) on the cover of 411 Video Magazine number 35 (July/August 1999)
A then vegan Jamie Thomas on the front (second from left, with the Zero skull longsleeve) and back cover of "Misled Youth" (the second Zero video)
Jamie Thomas (Thrasher, August 1999)
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Although this is from the February 2003 issue of Slap (and in 2003, Jamie Thomas had gone back to "munching of animals", I think), the photo is from 1999 - looks like around the same time as the "Misled Youth" cover (see above) - and in 1999 JT was vegan. Oh, and the cut off face on the right is a (then) vegan Geoff Rowley in a Volcom ad on the next page.
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The vegetarian Steve Olson (again, the younger Steve Olson who used to skate for Shorty's and Foundation before that) on the cover of Transworld (April 1999), wearing his vegan Kastel pro shoe (see above, under 1998)
Moses Itkonen with his signature frontside noseslide on the cover of the Transworld photo issue
(May 1999)
Photo of (the vegetarian) Steve Olson (Shorty's Steve Olson), wearing a "Fulfill the dream" shirt. I can't identify the shoes he's wearing on this kickflip sequence - but maybe his own (vegan) signature model on Kastel (photo from Big Brother, March 1999).
A Transworld article dated 19 July 1999, about the release of Geoff Rowley's first Vans signature pro shoe, states: "Twenty-three year old Geoff Rowley is known worldwide for his technical mastery of street skating. Born in Liverpool, England and currently residing in Huntington Beach, California, Geoff enjoys listening to bands like Fugazi and The Jam. Geoff leads a vegan lifestyle and likes hiking in order to see wild animals in their own environment. As a result, Geoff’s signature shoe, which will be available in Spring 2000, will be comprised of all synthetic materials." [49]
There is a short interview with Scott Bourne (who was a pro for Consolidated at the time) in Transworld (August 1999), but it does not mention vegetarianism [53].
Scott Bourne wearing non-vegan Vans, Consolidated ad (Thrasher, August 1999)
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Ed Templeton on the back cover of the video "The Four Corners Tour" (which came out at the end of 1999, October or later), by Overboard Enterprises.
A vegetarian (I think) Rick McCrank on the back cover of 411's "Brazilian Vacation" (1999)
Rick McCrank (first place Slam City Jam) Thunder ad (Thrasher, August 1999)
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Rick McCrank, the only vegetarian in the village? The only vegetarian ever on Girl? (apart from Sean Sheffey around 1994, and maybe Jereme Rogers, and maybe Brian Anderson) ... perfect hardflip and switch (Thrasher, September 1999)
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The vegetarian (and leather-wearing and non-vegan) Rick McCrank here in an éS as for a vegan shoe: the éS "Eperon" (Slap, June 1999).
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(The non-vegetarian) Tom Penny in an éS ad for a vegan shoe: the éS "Quattro" (Slap, March 1999)
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Another accidentally vegan éS shoe: the éS "Cyprus" (Thrasher, December 1999)
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This was an iconic and (accidentally?) vegan shoe: the Circa "Muska" (Chad Muska pro shoe; Thrasher, August 1999)
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A then (probably still) vegetarian Brian Anderson (wearing a Toy Machine T-shirt and non-vegan Axion shoes) on the cover of 411's Tampa 1999" video ... Brian Andreson was Thrasher's SOTY in 1999 (see Thrasher cover in 2000).
A then vegetarian (I think) Brad Staba (I think) on the cover of the Foundation video "Nervous breakdown" (1999) - wearing the vegan Ed Templeton shoes ("Templeton 1" by Emerica)
Two accidentally vegan Osiris shoes ... left: the "Defcon" (Thrasher, December 1999), right: the "Olson Classic", refrring to Tyrone Olson (Big Brother, January 1999)
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An accidentally vegan shoe by DC: the "Substance" (Thrasher, left: August 1999; right: September 1999)
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Thrasher "Hall of Meat" video ad (with several vegetarians in the video; Thrasher, August 1999)
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Brian Sumner, TSA Clothing ad (Thrasher, August 1999)
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411 video magazine "best of, volume 6": on the cover a then vegan Geoff Rowley, on the back cover a then maybe still vegetarian Brian Anderson (top right, doing a backside feeble to boardslide), a then vegan Jamie Thomas (bottom left, with the yellow T-shirt, doing a frontside lipslide), and a vegetarian Steve Olson (bottom middle, doing a kickflip noseslide maybe) ... this video also has footage of a then vegan Moses Itkonen on the DC European super tour.
2000
There is a note in Transworld (January 2000) about the PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) ad (see 1999) of Jamie Thomas and Ed Templeton promoting a vegetarian diet. The note in Transworld says:
"Jamie Thomas and Ed Templeton recently appeared in a print ad for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The ad which appeared in the animal rights magazine PETA, promotes the vegetarian lifestyle in which they lead.
In the ad they state “Street skating tests your body’s physical limits. That’s why we protect our bodies, both outside and inside. Food can be powerful medicine. The more vegetarian meals you eat, the longer your body will stick around and the better you’ll perform. So why play games with your health? Live longer! Live better! Make it vegetarian.”
For more information, write to:
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 404
Washington, DC 20016" [52]
In the ad they state “Street skating tests your body’s physical limits. That’s why we protect our bodies, both outside and inside. Food can be powerful medicine. The more vegetarian meals you eat, the longer your body will stick around and the better you’ll perform. So why play games with your health? Live longer! Live better! Make it vegetarian.”
For more information, write to:
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 404
Washington, DC 20016" [52]
"Firing Line" with Ed Templeton (Thrasher, June 2000): "Last Hot Dog: 1989"
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From Transworld ... "The Complete and Uncut Geoff Rowley Interview" by Ed Templeton:
“Do you eat at McDonald’s?
No. I
haven’t eaten at McDonald’s since I was twelve.
Tell me about your eating habits. I mean I
know you’re a vegan …
Well, I’ve
been a vegetarian since my thirteenth birthday, so ten years.
What started it?
My friend
Martin gave me all these really exaggerated leaflets, probably about McDonald’s
meat processing, and how they kill the chickens, and slaughterhouses. So I
stopped eating meat, and since then it’s been a gradual road to being a vegan.
Probably from hanging out with you, too, I suppose. It wasn’t particularly
about animals, because I’d already been a vegetarian, but the rest of it -the
dairy products - was just a progression for my health. I don’t like to buy animal
products, but I’m not 100-percent strict. I don’t base my whole life around it.
I’m not your vegan police who’s gonna throw it in your face.” [18]
Vans ad of the original (vegan) Geoff Rowley pro model ("Rowley classics", "Rowley 1", or "66/99") with Bastien Salabanzi (I'm assuming that Bastien Salabanzi was never vegetarian; from Slap, December 2000).
Rowley Vans ad and Rowley in Japan (both from Thrasher, June 2000)
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A sort of unusual (and food-related - with the food not visible) Volcom ad with the then vegan Geoff Rowley (and Pancho Moler and Jaya Bonderov - I'm assuming they were never vegetarian; Big Brother, October 2000)
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Brian Anderson, Thrasher's SOTY for 1999, on the cover of the April 2000 issue ... He probably still was a vegetarian when he became SOTY and when this picture was taken and probably even when this issue came out (I'm speculating).
I once read that all Savier shoes were synthetic. I don't think this is true. I'm actually almost 100% sure this is not true.
From a Moses Itkonen interview in Transworld:
“If you ever get the chance to spend any
amount of time talking with Vancouver, British Columbia’s Moses Itkonen about
who he is, you’ll quickly discover his formula for identifying himself: He is
what he eats.
Being a vegan at home is rough, being a
vegan on the road is a whole other story. Once you’re 30 miles from either
coast or a major metropolitan city, the statement, “I’m a vegan,” often draws
the response, “Welcome to our country.” Finding animal-free products in the
Midwest is like finding a particular needle in a 50-foot-tall stack of needles.
So with all the traveling involved in being a top professional skateboarder,
Moses’ complicated eating situation becomes exponentially more complicated. But
he’s not complaining.
He makes the occasional slip in his
vegandom, but only to save the time and patience of those he’s sharing the
uncomfortable seat of some tour van with [What he's referring to here is I think that Moses said he eats things like bread on tour without asking for every little potential ingredient, in restaurants for example]. In his decade of skate-related
travel, he’s learned that not only are we a product of our decisions, a sum
total of our actions, what we pretend to be, and what we eat. We are also only
human, and to err is the ultimate expression of humanity.”
“So, in the place of a formal religion,
what has your belief system become?
I believe in
action and reaction - that the things you do will come back to you one day. If
you try to be positive, positive things will come to you; if you’re negative,
negative things will come. If you live a really fast life, then your life will
be over fast. If you consume a whole bunch of crap, you’ll start looking like
crap. If you eat a lot of foods that take a long time to digest in your body,
you’re gonna be slow. If you’re gonna go vandalize everything, your car’s gonna
get smashed some day. You’re not going to be able to do anything about it.” [19]
“How does vegetarianism fit into the picture?
I started
out being really into animal rights, not killing or mistreating animals, and I
feel strongly about that now, but there’s way more that I’ve learned through
personal experiences that keep me into it. I’ve been a vegetarian for ten years
now, nine years a vegan. I’ve found that what I consume comes out in a whole
bunch of different ways. If you eat a bunch of meat, it’s gonna take a long
time to digest, and you’re going to end up with all these problems. I’ve
noticed that when people eat a lot of meat and fat they sleep longer, they’re
negative, they’re unmotivated, and they don’t have energy. When an animal’s
killed it has a lot of adrenaline running through its body, and I honestly
believe that comes back in people who consume a lot of meat - they get really
aggressive. When you go to Japan you notice that people eat less big, fleshy
animals; they eat seafood and rice, and they’re just not as aggressive, or big,
or angry.
When you were eating meat did it ever make
you do something crazy and aggressive?
Like what?
Like, did you ever eat a four-pound steak
and go rob a bank?
Moses laughs Um, I don’t think so …
Colin McKay: He got fired from Dairy
Queen for stealing hamburgers. Colin
laughs
Just before
I became a vegetarian, I had a job at Dairy Queen for six months, and I got
fired for stealing hamburgers. Colin laughs again. I guess the quest for the
meat made me break the law. They were gonna throw the burgers out anyway, so I
didn’t see any harm in throwing a couple extra patties in my bag. Colin laughs even harder.
You make a living on the road, going town
to town, crappy restaurant to crappy restaurant; does that make it hard to be a
vegan?
I have to
make small exceptions, like I know the white bread they serve me in restaurants
might have some kind of animal products, a small amount of processed lard. I
can’t go around asking every waiter to show me the ingredients in everything I
eat, and I can’t inconvenience the team or whoever I’m traveling with to search
the town for a proper place for me to eat, it could really get in the way of my
job and my life. I don’t want being a vegan to be my life, it’s just the way I
eat. At home I can pull it off, but on the road I’m sure I consume a certain
amount of animal products. I’m not really militant about it, because being a
vegan it will eventually affect my life in a negative way.
At what point did you realize how seriously
your eating affected who you are and how you act?
These are
things I’ve been learning more recently. I’ve slowed down eating refined sugar,
and it’s helped me feel a lot better after skating. I’m not sore, my joints
don’t ache. Sugar has a lot to do with arthritis, it’s a pretty powerful drug.
Try not eating it for a week - you’ll realize how much you crave it. And you’ll
probably start feeling better after a week. I sure did. I was smoking pretty
heavy, and that made me feel pretty negative. I’ve got a bit of a temper, and
smoking made my fuse really short. I’ve blown up a few times, and it’s gotten
me in trouble. I grew up finding myself in situations where I was getting
punched by grown men. I was just a little kid, and security guards would give
me cheap shots. When you’ve gotten pushed long enough, you want to push back.
If someone treats me with disrespect or violence, I’m gonna react violently.
I’ve realized that being healthier and quitting smoking makes that fuse a
little longer, so hopefully I won’t blow up so easily and hurt myself, or cause
myself legal problems. Shit happens, you just need to be able to look back on
things and learn from the past, and try not to make the same mistakes again.” [19]
Tony Hawk promoting the "got milk?" pro-dairy campaign. Glen E. Friedman sent him a truly idealistic letter (that was much too long ... see 1999) urging him to withdraw his support for such a cruel industry. Tony Hawk, of course, didn't care. Tony Hawk is wearing Jamie Thomas' vegan signature shoe (on Adio) in the ad.
Bob Burnquist, a vegetarian (then? now?), also supported the "got milk?" campaign.
Flip, Arto Saari ... Arto Saari was eating a somehow semi-vegan diet at some point, probably around this time, probably under some heavy influence of Ed Templeton and maybe Geoff Rowley. Isn't Rowley something like the co-owner of Flip?
Arto Saari was never (as far as I know) a complete vegetarian, but at the time (around 2000) he was under some heavy influence of Ed Templeton (I'm assuming) as well as Geoaff Rowley and Jamie Thomas (who both were vegan at the time but now eat meat). So, Arto was what now could be called mostly plant-based.
Arto Saari on the cover of Thrasher, July 2000
A Transworld check out of Chris Jones (written by Ken Lewis) states: "His favorite food is vegan chorizo from Pokez." [50]
An article from Transworld dated 14 August 2000, about the skate shoe company Vita, states: "Back in 1998, Vita began with a vision shared by head honcho Mark Oblow, pro skateboarder Natas Kaupas, and private investor Lance Theis [...]. [...] one version of the Dill shoe is made of vegan-friendly synthetic materials." [51]
An article from Transworld dated 14 August 2000, about the skate shoe company Vita, states: "Back in 1998, Vita began with a vision shared by head honcho Mark Oblow, pro skateboarder Natas Kaupas, and private investor Lance Theis [...]. [...] one version of the Dill shoe is made of vegan-friendly synthetic materials." [51]
Osiris ad of a vegan shoe - the "Centron" - with Chris Dobstaff (who, I'm assuming, never was vegetarian). Osiris had many (almost only) 100% synthetic shoes at the time.
Two other accidentally vegan Osiris shoes from 2000 ... left: the "Cassius" (Josh Kasper pro model), right: the "Graff"
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Jamie Thomas Transworld cover, September 2000
(I think, Jamie Thomas was vegan at that time, skating his own vegan Circa pro shoe.)
Kenny Anderson (was he already vegetarian at this point?) on the cover of 411 issue 40 (May/June 2000)
2001
Brad Staba was a non-flesh-eater. Savier ad
Stolen from the "Made for Skate book (Note that the pictured pair Savier isn't vegan, I think.)
Near the beginning of the vegan Rowley shoes era (all vegan). Rowley was vegan then. These shoes came out in early 2000, but the ad is from 2001.
Another ad (by Vans and CCS combined) for the same shoes (Thrasher, January 2001). later known as "Geoff Rowley classics" but later, around 2010, made from leather.
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Vans, Geoff Rowley, XLT, all vegan, his second pro model shoe on Vans (as seen, for example, in Thrasher, September 2001)
Another Rowley XLT ad (Thrasher, April 2001)
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Geoff Rowly, 4-page Fury trucks ad (Thrasher, September 2001) ... same trick as the Vans ad above
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The then vegan Geoff Rowley was SOTY (Thrasher's skater of the year) in 2001.
From Thrasher (March 2001 issue)
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Rowley on the cover of Thrasher (April 2001 issue)
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Geoff Rowley, Ricta ad (Thrasher, April 2001)
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Emerica, Ed Templeton 2
Rusty ad, Ed Templeton (Thrasher, April 2001)
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Another accolade, Ed Templeton "decade of destruction" (Thrasher, April 2001)
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Rusty ad with Ed Templeton (Thrasher, September 2001).jpg)
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A short interview with Diego Bucchieri who was a vegetarian at the time (Thrasher, January 2001) ... The interviewer (called Schmitty) asks Diego: "Do you eat meat?"
Diego replies: "No, I haven't eaten meat for almost two years." (i.e., since around 1999)
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So, the vegetarian Diego Bucchieri rode for Think, apparently (Thrasher, March 2001)
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Diego Bucchieri in a Reef ad ... the shoe advertised is probably leather (Thrasher, March 2001)
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Three more accidentally vegan Osiris shoes: the "Grimz" (Thrasher, January 2001) and the "Graff" (middle: Thrasher, April 2001; right: Slap, August 2001)
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And lest we forget, the legendary (original) Osiris Dave Mayhew "D3" shoe was vegan (Thrasher, March 2001) ... But I don't think Dave Mayhew was already vegan back then.
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Scott Pommier - vegan, photographer, Canadian - reports in Transworld: “We go to a
trendy little noodle place, and after ordering, but before eating, I ask about
the ingredients in the pasta. The chef tells me that there are eggs in the
pasta. Being that I’m vegan, I don’t eat eggs. I pay for my meal, but I hurl a
roll into the street.
After
everyone has eaten, I seek out another restaurant and this time I’m presented
with a cheese-covered dish. After I complain, another meal is prepared for me.
By now I’m so hungry I’m tempted to gnaw my own leg off, but my leg is chock
full of animal ingredients. The chef assures me that the replacement meal is
100-percent free of animal ingredients, but during the course of the meal I
begin to have my doubts. An hour later I begin vomiting. Is the upset stomach
dairy-induced or psychosomatic? I’ll never know. Either way, I feel much better
after purging. Perhaps I’ll
make it a lifestyle.” [This photo of Scott Pommier, stolen from Ed Templeton, is from 2007, though.] [16]
Steve Olson on the cover of Thrasher (February 2001). Not sure what shoes he's wearing on this photo.
A vegetarian Steve Olson on the cover and back cover of "Guilty" (the second Shorty's - as a board company - video, 2001)
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Steve Olson in a Shorty's team ad for the "Guilty" video (Thrasher, March 2001)
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Transworld, March 2001, Jamie Thomas, "Last Words":
"Last time you ate meat: A long time ago. My doctor is telling me I have to start or I'm in bad shape." [Next time you meet a vegan who thinks they need to start eating meat, tell them to take a B12 supplement and check out veganhealth.org - there are no magical nutrients in animal products that you cannot get from vegan sources.]
"Last time you ate meat: A long time ago. My doctor is telling me I have to start or I'm in bad shape." [Next time you meet a vegan who thinks they need to start eating meat, tell them to take a B12 supplement and check out veganhealth.org - there are no magical nutrients in animal products that you cannot get from vegan sources.]
Circa, Jamie Thomas (vegan pro model)
(Thrasher, March 2001)
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Jamie Thomas ad (2001) for the "Dying to live" Zero video (which came out in 2002). It seems that Jamie Thomas was still vegan at the time (but not much longer than this).
From a short Jamie Thomas interview in Thrasher (January 2001 issue) ... There's nothing about vegetarianism in the interview.
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Duffs, Moses Itkonen (vegan pro model)
Another Duffs ad featuring (Ricky Oyola skating in city traffic and) the vegan Moses Itkonen pro shoe (next to two non-vegan shoes; Slap, August 2001)
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Epik, vegan shoes?
Epik Footwear ads (left: Laban Pheidias, Slap, August 2001; right: Thrasher, September 2001) ... Where some/all of these vegan/non-vegan?
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A Transworld article (written by Skin) dated 7 August 2001 about a Flip tour in the south of France mentions: "We ended up getting to Bordeaux a mere nine hours late, by which time Arto, Geoff, and Fred (who had flown into Bordeaux) had already booked into a hotel. That night we ate at a restaurant that was a vegan’s nightmare called Buffalo’s, where two small flies came free with our complimentary salads. Isn’t that a bonus? Boulala considered eating one in a green bean, but managed to control himself [...]."
Another Transworld article (written by Ryan Kingman) also dated 7 August 2001, about an Element tour in Japan, states: "Mike took us out for our first Japanese dinner. Down the street from our hotel was a very nice place that served raw everything, and when I say “raw,” I mean completely uncooked, fish heads with eyeballs, and that sort of stuff. To our fickle-dieted vegans Jake Rupp and [filmer] Vern Laird (who would shortly realize a different kind of misery), this presented a problem, but to me it was heaven. I’ll eat anything, and fortunately so will most of our crew, but poor old Jake and Vern met despair in the food department."
Another Transworld article (written by Geoff Rowley) also dated 7 August 2001 - this is likely just the date these articles were posted online - about a Flip tour in Japan, ends with Rowley writing: "I want to thank Mr. Hasco for organizing the best tour I’ve ever been on, Yoshi for his help with my ever-awkward vegan diet and for his translation assistance for everyone on the team, and lastly all the Japanese skaters who attended our demos [...]."
The "Destroy Australia" tour might have been the beginning of Brian Anderson's post-vegetarian era. He seems to be grilling meat, his close friend Brad Staba (with the Toy Machine T-shirt) looking on (Thrasher, March 2001).
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Brain Anderson's last vegetarian big spin kickflip? Or already a meat eater? Fourstar ad (Thrasher, March 2001)
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Brain Anderson's last vegetarian haircut? Subscription card (Thrasher, March 2001)
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For your convenience: an approximate timeline of Brian Anderson's vegetarianism:
Before ~1991: ate meat (he was born in 1976)
~1991: became a vegetarian (when he was 15 years old), used leather
~2001 (maybe, no earlier than late 1998): started eating meat again
The skater named Jub was vegan (see 2003) in his Black Label "Label Kills" video part.
A meat-eating Mike Vallely's 2001 "Stand Strong" video by 411.
2002
Emerica, Ed Templeton 2
Emerica Ed Templeton 2
Ed Templeton in southern South America: Chile and Argentina ... wearing the Templeton 2 shoes (Thrasher, March 2002)
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Ed Templeton (with Erik Ellington and a sitting Heath Kirchart), from an Emerica team ad
(Thrasher, March 2002)
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Ed Templeton backside feebling with the Templeton 2 (Slap, April 2002)
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A then vegan skater named Jub (see 2003) wearing the Templeton 2 (Thrasher, February 2002)
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The presumably vegetarian (and Rowley's fellow Liverpudlian) Brian Sumner in a Volcom ad
(Thrasher, February 2002)
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Girl ad with (the non-vegan vegetarian) Rick McCrank (Thrasher, January 2002)
Rick McCrank in a Royal trucks ad (Thrasher, February 2002)
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Rick McCrank filming Arto Saari for the éS video "Menikmati" (Thrasher, March 2002)
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Duffs, Moses Itkonen (vegan pro model)
You can see Moses Itkonen wear his (vegan) Duffs signature shoe in the RDS (Red Dragon) video "RDS/SFU/2002".
Moses Itkonen, Rad Dragon video "RDS/SFU/2002" (2002)
Three photos of Moses Itkonen (who was still vegan then) from a Canadian Red Dragon (RDS) tour, taken by Scott Pommier (who is also vegan). Scott Pommier also spells out Moses' real name: Joosef Itkonen. Oh, and apparently, RDS stands for Red Dragon Society. Oh well. It looks like Moses is wearing his vegan pro shoe on Duffs (see above).
Vans, Geoff Rowley (vegan pro model)
Rowley wearing a typically English orange-on-the-inside, scruffy fake fur-lined parka - I had the same (Slap, April 2002)
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Rowley (left: with Arto Saari, SOTY 2002, and Jake Phelps; right: frontside 180 in Australia)
(Thrasher, March 2002)
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Vans Rowley XLT ad with not sure who (Slap, March 2002)
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Vans Rowley XLT ad with Rowley himself (Thrasher, April 2002)
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Short Geoff Rowley interview about feeling stressed out (Thrasher, April 2002)
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Epik Footwear (vegan shoes? maybe not), Laban Pheidias (2002 ad)
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Another Epik Footwear ad with Laban Pheidas (fom Thrasher, January 2002)
Circa, Jamie Thomas (vegan pro model shoe)
Jamie Thomas interview from Thrasher, January 2002. There is nothing about vegetarianism in this interview. But I would assume that Jamie Thomas was still vegan at this point (or when the pictures were taken). It looks like he is wearing (vegan) Circa shoes still, not (non-vegan) Fallen.
Jamie Thomas in a Zero team ad for the "Dying to live" video (Thrasher, March 2002)
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Jamie Thomas Slap cover, January 2002
(I'm assuming, Jamie Thomas was still vegan in this photo.
He appears to be wearing his vegan Circa pro shoe - see above.)
Thrasher, Jamie Thomas cover, July 2002
Jamie Thomas Skateboarder cover, December 2002
Jamie Thomas may or may not have been vegan anymore at this time - see Corey Duffels's andecdote below. Jamie might also have still been vegan when the photos of these two covers, above, where taken. This, i.e. 2002, appears to have been the time, more or less, when he stopped being vegan though.
Jamie Thomas - still vegan in this photo? (maybe not) Thinking about Jesus? (or bicycle locks?)
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In episode 113 of The Nine Club Corey Duffel recounts a weird story about Jamie Thomas stealing Corey's home-made (and presumably non-vegan) cookies out of his car, leaving a Reese's (the non-vegan candy bar) behind, and telling Corey how the cookies sucked and how he (Jamie) preferred Reese's. As this was supposed to have happened on the day the 411 issue 50 cover (Jamie Thomas on the cover, see below) was shot, this must have been in 2002 (or at least no later than 2002), and Corey in fact mentions that this happened "around 2002".
Corey Duffel, The Nine Club, episode 113
411 Video Magazine, issue 50, Jamie Thomas cover (maybe still vegan in this photo)
For your convenience: an approximate timeline of Jamie Thomas's vegetarianism:
Born in 1974 and became vegetarian: unknown (to me)
~1997 to ~2002: vegan
Since ~2002: eats meat, uses leather, has leather pro shoes [as of 2022]
An article from Transworld about a Foundation tour in Europe in 2002, which included Ed Templeton, reported that in Berlin on 24 June 2002: "We skated and then ate at this vegan Chinese restaurant with Ed and Deanna Templeton [both vegans] and Rick McCrank [vegetarian] and his Canadian posse every night at 10:30 p.m. ’cause Germans eat late [not true, I think] and the sun is just setting at that time, so it feels like it’s six o’clock." The tour also included Foundation team manager Charlie Thomas who is vegan (and has been vegan since 1999 [56]).
A Transworld article dated 8 October 2002 about the skate shoe company I Path states:
"Uyehara [Kent Uyehara, manager of FTC in San Francisco] says. “I get the urban kids, and then the Marin County vegetarian dudes come in to buy them. I Path is able to cross the typical boundaries.” [...] One of I Path’s most dedicated consumers is the strict vegan. The company uses a variety of uncommon materials, like hemp and denim, as well as pebbled leather and suede. It’s hard enough to find a vegan shoe, and every little aspect matters. Uyehara recalls how a run of vegan shoes were mislabeled as using leather. Customers would come in, read the label, and immediately put the shoe back down. “I Path definitely brings in vegan customers,” he says."Rick McCrank noseblunting (270 out) in 2002
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Steve Olson, Supernatural Clothing ad (Thrasher, February 2002)
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Steve Olson, Shorty's ad in Slap, 2002
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Scott Bourne (both pictures from Slap, April 2002) ... Halos (bearings and hardware) was quite an obscure company, I think.
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Matt Rodriguez (Slap, April 2002)
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Brad Staba, Savier ad (Slap, April 2002) ... If Staba was vegetarian at this point or whether most of the Savier shoes were vegan, I can't tell ya (unfortunately).
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Although Mike Vallely was a meat eater (and bulky boy) at the time, he had a vegan (if I remember correctly) shoe on Etnies (at the time). This is the second Vallely - surely less popular as the hugely omnipresent Vallely 1 (which was vegan for sure). The Vallely 3 shoe was NOT vegan though.
(This ad is from Slap, March 2002)
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A meat-eating Mike Vallely's 2022 "Drive" video
2003
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Scott Bourne (Slap, January 2003)
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Scott Bourne on the cover of Slap (February 2003 issue)
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Scott Bourne ... right: The Unbelievers ad (Slap, December 2003)
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Laban Pheidias' peta2 ad:
Laban Pheidias and his friend "Dave Bergthold—TV producer, owner of Blockhead Skateboards and
Smash Technologies, and also a vegetarian—is getting a big-time national debut,
thanks to Fusion TV, a nonstop action show that runs on Fox Sports. Although
PETA originally planned to pay to run the spot a limited number of times on
Fusion TV, the show’s producers were so impressed with it that they are running
it—for free—through the end of the year." from Transworld [22]
Optimists would say that the vegetarian ratio here is not bad (at least for 2003) ... one vegetarian Rick McCrank, one potentially vegetarian (?) Bob Burnquist, one probably heavily plant-based (at the time) Arto Saari (éS ad from Slap, January 2003) .jpg)
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An interview in Big Brother (February 2003) with a skater called Jub (full name not given, but, I think, it's Jason Taylor - he used to ride for Black Label and then Consolidated, apparently) tells us that this Jub was vegan for five or six years but that prior to this interview he started eating animal products again (whether that means vegetarian or meat eater he doesn't say):
Chris Nieratko (the interviewer): "I hear you just quit team vegan."
Jub: "Yeah, dude, I was over it."
Nieratko: "How long were you one of those?"
Jub: "Probably like five or six years. You go on tour and shit, and there's not even one dude on Black Label that's vegetarian. You got Gilly [he means Ben Gilley, probably], he'll eat a fuckin' live cow. Everybody's like, 'Let's go to Steak King and Denny's.' And I'm sitting there with a bowl of rice that I got at a Chinese joint down the street. I'd just be all bummed. So that's one reason when I go out and about on tours and shit. When I go home to eat, I'm like, yeah, I'll have a Boca burger [which are vegan]. I just got sick of eating the same shit. I ate pizza for the first time [again, since not being vegan anymore] the other night."
That means, we might infer from this that Jub was vegan from around 1998 to around the end of 2002. I saw a Jub ad for Consolidated (on their website), but this must be from after 2002 (he was in the 2003 Black Label video "Black Out"), i.e., he wasn't vegan anymore when he rode for Consolidated.
Laban Pheidias, Epik shoes ad (from Thrasher, March 2003). Where these vegan shoes? I'm guessing no ... although almost all of the Epik ads I've seen were with Laban Pheidias.
Jamie Thomas Transworld cover, January 2003
(Although, I suspect that Jamie Tomas was not vegan anymore in 2003, he might still have been vegan in this photo. And the shoes he's wearing look like Circa - not Fallen - to me. So, these probably were vegan Circa shoes.)
Jamie Thomas had probably already gone back to eating meat at this point.
(Thrasher, photo issue, summer 2003)
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Emerica, Ed Templeton 2 (vegan)
CSS shop ad with Ed Templeton and the Templeton 2 shoe (see above; ad from Thrasher, March 2003)
Ed Templeton noseblunting (Slap, May 2003)
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Ed Templeton and a probably still vegetarian Diego Bucchieri, and non-veg Caswell Berry (Thrasher, photo issue, summer 2003)
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Ed Templeton on the contents page of Slap (December 2003 issue)
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A then vegetarian probably (but now turned real-life butcher) Diego Bucchieri (with the toy gun) on the cover of the 2003 Toy Machine tour video "Sucking the Life"
“I can count the number of times an airline has gotten my special-meal request right on one hand. So I was delighted to have some kind of vegan breakfast after a long night of traveling-although tomatoes and canned mushrooms on toast was a little unorthodox.” [14]
Canada's finest, Scott Pommier writing about his brother Andrew Pommier (both vegans), "Canvas" in Thrasher (March 2003 issue):
In Transworld (or Transworld Business [?]) in 2003 there was an article titled "Soles Without Souls" shedding light on the economical aspect of leather vs. synthetic skate shoes. It's interesting to see how many people in this article actually consider the factor of killing animals at all. Some quotes from this article:
"“It’s a money issue, of course,” shares Dylan Raasch, a
footwear designer at DC Shoe Co. Virtually all skate shoes are manufactured in
Asia. Considering that, import taxes in the U.S. play a big role in the shoe’s
material makeup. Raasch explains that the shoe has to be approximately
70-percent leather. “If it doesn’t meet that you have to pay a duty fee, that
puts the shoe up another eight dollars at retail,” he says.
Justin Regan, the Emerica team manager, seems to agree with
Raasch: “Synthetic shoes become more expensive down the line than their leather
or suede counterparts due to international materials duties. From a
manufacturer’s standpoint, it means we’re less likely to use synthetics than
leathers in order to keep our shoes priced competitively. Sucks for the cows.”
To a pro demanding a synthetic shoe, there is a price to
pay. “A pro rider would lose a lot of money,” Raasch says. So for some pros
debating synthetic versus leather and suede for their pro shoe, the potential
loss of income could be a major deciding factor.
However, some companies have managed to make it work. Mark
McGarry handles public relations at Portland-based Savier shoes, which offers
an entirely synthetic line of shoes that are priced competitively with other
major shoe brands. “Synthetic material itself is cheaper, but the
(international) tax on synthetic material is three times as expensive as on
non-synthetic material,” he says. But McGarry notes that by paying less for
synthetic materials, the end cost to them and to the end consumer isn’t really
affected: “It comes out about the same regarding margins.”
For many companies it seems that synthetic materials just
aren’t worth paying extra money in taxes, and moreover, that skaters in the
U.S. who desire vegan footwear are in a sense victims of geography. DC’s Raasch
explains that over 50 percent of the company’s shoes in Japan are synthetic
bause [because] there is no duty on synthetic shoes there: “So it’s cheaper to make them
(synthetic shoes).” Kelly Bird is team manager at Lakai shoes, where only ten
percent of its line is synthetic: “We pretty much make that ten percent
specifically for Japan.”"
“[…] Savier
seems to be pushing the envelope of synthetic-shoe development the farthest.
“We focus heavily on creating the ultimate in synthetic skateboard shoes,” says
McGarry. “Water-soluble glues and solvents are used in all of our
synthetic shoes, and all the materials are PVC free. We’re currently working
with a material vender with a new synthetic leather called Green-Pro. It’s even
better than the PVC-free synthetic leather we’ve been using in the past.”"
“You’d
think I Path or Savier would be the skate-shoe companies with the largest
percentage of synthetic shoes in their lines, but surprisingly, it’s Osiris. Almost
the entire team requests it, and Head Designer Brian Reid says, “I make these
type of shoes because they’re more durable, look better, and because of the
obvious reason-animal cruelty.”
On the appearance front, RP Bess, team manager at DuFFS,
echoes this sentiment. “The way it (synthetic material) cuts and folds-it works
better, it looks nicer,” he says. “That was basically why our designer uses it.
We’re going to be moving into more synthetics in the future.” Durability is a
critical factor to consider. “Synthetic shoes are more durable, the split suede
that we use in our shoes is the only material that’s just as durable as synthetic
material,” says McGarry. But then again there’s the aesthetic variable that
can’t be quantified. “Suedes are cool, though,” comments Bess. “Everyone seems
to be doing more and more suedes this year.”
The grip and flex factor of leathers and suedes have long
been the standard in skateboarding footwear, and for many skaters and companies
it’s still the main concern. “Most of our skaters request suede,” says Lakai’s
Bird. Kelley Peery, who handles public relations at Globe, echoes Bird: “Suede
and nubuck have been the most requested materials.” It boils down to the
skater, what works best for them, what will help them skate the best. Some
skaters see the sacrifice of animal products as a fair trade for a more
functional pair of shoes.
Skaters can support vegan footwear, get a long-lasting pair
of shoes, and not have to pay an exorbitant amount of money. True environment-friendly footwear will be void
of animal products and PVC plastic: natural materials like hemp and denim seem
to be leading this trend already.” [24]
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Emerica, Ed Templeton 3
Brian Sumner, Analog ad - As far as I know Brian Sumner is or was a vegetarian. The photos are like The Smiths' "Meat is Murder" cover but the helmet says "Analog is Murder".
Ed Templeton's sticker for PeTA2
Geoff Rowley was still vegan at this time. Even though the Rowley "Classics" came out in 2000 (vegan), they were being rehashed in 2003 (Vans ad from Thrasher, March 2003), apparently. And these shoes were still vegan at the time. A few years later Geoff became a meat eater, and Vans started making the Rowley "Classics" from leather (real animal-source suede).
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Another Vans Rowley XL2 ad (Slap, December 2003) ... Even though the slogan "XTRALIGHT GRIP" doesn't make too much sense, this shoe was really light and grippy too.
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Adelmo Jr. somewhere in Brazil ... I'm not sure he was already vegan in 2003 (photos from Big Brother, May 2003)
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Geoff Rowley, 2003 ... in the left picture (with Ali Boulala) he's wearing black "Shams", which were vegan and which were his inofficial pro shoe on Vans (both photos from Thrasher, photo issue, summer 2003)
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Somewhere in 2003 (Thrasher, March 2003): Jim Thiebaud may be or may have been vegetarian. Rowley was vegan at the time, Jake Phelps surely not. BA (Brian Anderson) was probably not a vegetarian anymore at this time. Bob Burnquist might have been vegetarian at this time.
Brad Staba (still meat-free?), Savier ad (Slap, May 2003)
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Steve Olson in Barcelona, "Olson por vida" Shorty's ad (Slap, December 2003)
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A meat-eating Mike Vallely's 2003 "Mike V's Greatest Hits" video. Etnies was involved in this, but it says by "Mike V. Incorporated" (which might not be a joke).
In a Big Brother interview, Jake Stewart (who for a while lived in Winnipeg, the town that Propagandhi come from) says he was vegetarian/vegan for "four or five years" but now eats meat and likes to go fishing..jpg)
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2004
Ed Templeton, the Templeton 3 pro shoe (Thrasher, January 2004)
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Ed Templeton, CCS (some American mailorder) ad (Thrasher, January 2004)
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[Ed Templeton:] It was pretty hard! I remember going vegan and the soy milk tasted like shit. Vegan ice cream? No way, it didn’t exist. Those early years were pretty rough. I ate a lot of Taco Bell bean burritos, and shitty iceberg lettuce salads from restaurants. We would bring a cooler in the van. When we did find a health food store we would stock up on veggie burgers and stuff. When the team was eating at Red Lobster, I would be in the van making a sandwich.
[Confusion Mag:] Who or what made you consider veganism in the first place? Do you consider yourself a role model for the kids? You’re a “famous vegetarian” and all that stuff…
[Ed Templeton:] My friends Mike Vallely and Christian Kline got me interested in Veganism. Since then Mike V has reverted to being a carnivore. I started off doing it for animal rights. Once I read the literature on the subject I couldn’t go back. And now, over a lifetime of eating this way and learning, it is as much about being healthy as it is for animal rights. Again, I don’t advertise my Veganism, and it does not define who I am. To me it is just the only logical and compassionate way to eat, but it is just food choices. Having said that, I get asked about it all the time in interviews, so I am always talking about it. If I am a role model, that is fine. I am happy to be a role model toward something I see as a positive way to eat for your health and the planets’." [47]
Ed Templeton noseblunting and Ed Templeton pretending to drink alcohol (Thrasher, October 2004)
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Beastie Boys "To the Five Boroughs" deck by 5Boro (Mike D and Adam Yauch - not Adrock - seem to have been vegetarian at the time.)
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From an exhibition in Vancouver (April 2004). The Moses Itkonen Mad Circle boards must be from the mid-90s.
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Vans, Slims (all vegan), Geoff Rowley
Another Vans ad for Rowley Slims (Thrasher, October 2004)
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Flip ad (Slap, April 2004) with a then vegan Geoff Rowley (and his English parka) ... The photo must be from 2003.
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Skull Skates, Moses Itkonen, T-shirt
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This said "Moses meets security"
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Skull Skates, Moses Itkonen board graphic
Mad Circle, Moses Itkonen McDonald's farm graphic
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Mad Circle, Moses Itkonen
Consolidated graphics as usual (from an interview with Todd Bratrud, the designer - In the interview he says his favorite food is tofu.)
An article from Transworld dated 27 January 2004 which discusses Italian companies mentions the vegan straight edge clothing company Eblood and a shoe company (must have been vegan) named D.Mon: "Turin’s Fabio Raffaeli is the CEO of two such companies-Eblood Clothing and D.Mon Shoes, the first all-Italian skate-shoe company.
Raffaeli began his entrepreneurship in 1998, when skateboarding in Italy was just breaking out of its slump. Although he had a rough start, Raffaeli persevered, using his companies to promote independent skateboarding in Italy and his personal beliefs, as well: “My purpose was to create an alternative to American brands that were way too expensive back then for the average kid. Plus, I wanted to push my concept through my designs related to veganism, critical thinking, and drug-free living.”"
A Transworld Last Words with Atiba Jefferson includes the following: "Last food that you ate: I would like to say Roscoe’s but it’s Newsroom I love them vegan chicken sticks."
Jamie Thomas Thrasher cover, August 2004 ... Jamie Thomas was not vegan anymore at this point (it seems). He's wearing the Fallen shirt and (presumably) non-vegan Fallen shoes.
In the Slap issue from August 2004, there is a Circa ad (with Peter Ramondetta) featuring a shoe that looks almost exactly like an earlier Jamie Thomas Circa pro shoe (the JT204), now de-Thomas-ized and renamed "CX205" (but these shoes were still vegan, I think).
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The then still vegetarian (maybe) Diego Bucchieri in a Consolidated blanket team ad (Slap, May 2004)
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Diego Bucchieri (Thrasher, January 2004)
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Scott Bourne (both pictures from Thrasher, January 2004), top: Sessions ad, wearing (probably non-vegan) Puma shoes
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Scott Bourne living the Henry Miller-esque life (Slap, September 2004)
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Rick McCrank, éS ad (non-vegan McCrank shoes) and Slap subscription page
(both from Slap, April 2004)
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Matt Rodriguez (both photos from Slap, May 2004)
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2005
Girl Rick Mac Crank ad. Rick McCrank said (on the éS website at the time) he's vegetarian, for health reasons, not vegan, but some of his shoes are available in vegan colourways [10]
An article from Transworld dated 11 October 2005 (written by Andy Henrie) about a skate trip in New Zealand mentions a "a Bonn Scott-looking vegan skate-shop proprietor" in (probably) Tauranga, NZ. (Neither the man nor the skate shop is named.)
Note 1: Bon Scott was an Australian singer. The correct spelling is "Bon" with one "n".
Note 2: The unnamed skate shop owner is called Chris O'Donnell, and the skate shop was called "The Garden" (which existed from 1996 to 2012).
Another Rick McCrank Girl ad , wearing non-vegan éS shoes (Thrasher, July 2005)
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A then vegan Geoff Rowley on the cover of Thrasher (April 2005 issue)
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From an Element team photo ad: a (then) meat-eating Mike Vallely and a (then) vegan (dietary), approximately 11-year-old Nyjah Huston (Thrasher, July 2005)
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There seems to have been a Slap cover with Nyjah Huston on it around this time, but I do not have a photo or more info.
Rowley and Templeton, back when Rowley was vegan (Thrasher, July 2005)
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2006
“Best Things About Being A Vegan:
1. I am not killing things, but I’m pro-choice.
2. Hopefully I will live a longer and healthier life. Mix that with skateboarding and I will live the same amount of time as everyone else.
3. I am contributing to helping the environment. Man, that sounds like hippie-sh-t and I hate hippies.
4. It makes me think about food in more ways than normal. I read ingredients and make purchasing choices based on that reading.
5. All the vegan treats they make now—soy ice cream and beyond.
2. Hopefully I will live a longer and healthier life. Mix that with skateboarding and I will live the same amount of time as everyone else.
3. I am contributing to helping the environment. Man, that sounds like hippie-sh-t and I hate hippies.
4. It makes me think about food in more ways than normal. I read ingredients and make purchasing choices based on that reading.
5. All the vegan treats they make now—soy ice cream and beyond.
Most Difficult Things About Being A
Vegan:
1. Certain places in the world can’t even begin to get the idea of not eating meat in their heads. So if I have to visit those areas, eating becomes a real bitch—unsalted peanuts, applesauce, iceberg lettuce with vinegar.
2. Bumming out your non-vegan friends by only being able to go to two restaurants in town. “Oh, Ed’s with us, so it looks like we’re eating at Veggie-Heaven tonight…
3. Seeing an epic dessert case at a restaurant filled with decadent desserts you can’t eat.
4. Smelling hot dogs. Yeah, I said it. I used to love hot dogs as a kid, and although I am opposed to them on every level now, that smell brings back a certain nostalgia.
5. People thinking you’re some kind of freak or that you’re gonna preach to them. Yes, I’m a freak. No, I’m not gonna preach to you.” [17]
1. Certain places in the world can’t even begin to get the idea of not eating meat in their heads. So if I have to visit those areas, eating becomes a real bitch—unsalted peanuts, applesauce, iceberg lettuce with vinegar.
2. Bumming out your non-vegan friends by only being able to go to two restaurants in town. “Oh, Ed’s with us, so it looks like we’re eating at Veggie-Heaven tonight…
3. Seeing an epic dessert case at a restaurant filled with decadent desserts you can’t eat.
4. Smelling hot dogs. Yeah, I said it. I used to love hot dogs as a kid, and although I am opposed to them on every level now, that smell brings back a certain nostalgia.
5. People thinking you’re some kind of freak or that you’re gonna preach to them. Yes, I’m a freak. No, I’m not gonna preach to you.” [17]
Charlie Thomas, a longtime, but not extremely well-known pro (he skated for H-Street ... and Hollywood - don't know for who else), had this graphic (sorry, I have no better picture) on Hollywood. PeTA says he is vegan. And so do Transworld [15] and Skateboarder Magazine [28].
And he says so too: in an interview with Charlie Thomas (from September 2006) on the Skatepark of Tampa website, the interviewer asks: "How long have you been a vegan?" And Charlie responds: "I’ve been a vegan for like seven years [i.e., since around 1999]. I just gave up eating meat one year for Lent and then didn’t crave the taste. I felt physically better, so I just stuck with it and read up on it and like the principles of it. It physically makes me feel better and I like the benefits of being vegan." [56]
RE: Sheep
“Sole
Technology used to have a brand called Sheep. The brand was created to offer a
cheaper skate shoe to compete the influx of mall store brands. Unfortunately,
the import duty for the canvas and rubber shoes was actually more costly than
suede models. Sole Tech hyped the brand by appealing to a niche market: the
vegan skater. Rider Ed Templeton signed on other vegan and eco-friendly riders.
The company didn’t last, but Sheep paved the way for a multitude of synthetic
kicks available today.” (Skateboarder Magazine) [26]
RE: Mike Vallely
"Vallely was
known as a longtime vegetarian and vegan through the ’90s. According to Jason
Rothmeyer Vallely broke from his strict diet while on the last day of a Black
Label tour in 1999. He didn’t want everyone to make a big deal about him
chowing down on some meat, so he had Kristian Svitak go inside a Wendy’s and
buy him two chicken sandwiches which he devoured in the van." (Skateboarder Magazine) [27]
Geoff Rowley ad for Vans Squares - his sixth, I think, pro shoe on Vans (Slap, September 2006)
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The vegetarian Matt Rodriguez in an ad for a vegan I-Path shoe, or at least a vegan "colourway" of his own I-Path signature shoe available in hemp (pictured) or (animal-source) suede (Slap, September 2006)
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A Karl Watson ad for Satori Movement (wheel company) ... Karl Watson was vegan, apparently, at some point in his life, but I can't (currently) tell you when. And he was certainly not the only person at Satori to be open towards vegetarianism (I remember the Satori website having a link to the PeTA website)
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Nyjah Huston was a (dietary) vegan at the time - and no less, his father (pictured) too (both pictures from Slap, September 2006)
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Jamie Thomas who had by then long gone back to eating meat - but here apparently also went back to skating barefoot (see 1997) - on the cover of Thrasher (December 2006 issue)
2007
Emerica, Ed Templeton Transist (all vegan)
Truly Fallen (say the kids) ... Jamie Thomas, flagged and Chick-fil-A eating ... Some of his signature shoes, somewhere, are sometimes available in synthetic at least (this one, too - but the shoe pictured is leather probably).
An Argentinian vegetarian would have been cool. Now an ex-vegetarian: Diego Bucchieri (Toy Machine ad).
... From a Thrasher interview with Diego Bucchieri (2009): "So are you still the vegetarian butcher, or are you eating meat now?
Fuck no, it's been so long since I started eating meat again. I'm actually into trying all kind of different meats. Argentinean asado; that's still my favorite one. I even slaughtered three lambs and a pig. They taste so much better if you do it yourself. I'm not into killing them, but I love butchering them." [13]For your convenience: When was Diego Bucchieri a vegetarian?
Since 1999: vegetarian (or at least non-meat eater ... maybe he ate fish
which some people do not define as "meat")
Since at some point between 2001 and 2007: meat eater
Michael Sieben's anti-vivisection T-Shirt (Michael Sieben has something to do with skateboarding.)
Scott Bourne's PETA2 poster. He said in an interview with PETA2 that he's vegan.
Were his signature Puma shoes vegan? Probably not.
Nyjah Huston (2006): "I've been a vegan my whole life, and eating right in these times is important." Not sure if he wore/wears leather (I think he did always wear leather shoes). These (below) look like they could be vegan though (éS ad from 2007) [9].
As reported in Transworld, in 2007 Vans released a "Vans x Circle Jerks Old Skool" that "was based on the cover of Group Sex, the band’s 1980 debut album [...] and they personally requested that the typically suede and leather Old Skool be produced in all-over canvas in consideration for their vegan fans." [54] A vegan Rise Against" Vans "Slip-On" is also mentioned [54].
2008
The end of Rowley's vegan Vans era. These shoes are leather (but there sometimes might be some colourways that might be vegan.)
For your convenience: an approximate timeline of Geoff Rowley's vegetarianism:
Before 1989: ate meat (he was born in 1976)
1989 (13 years old) to ~1996: vegetarian (as in lacto-oco-vegetarian) who used leather
~1996 to ~1999: dietary vegan or near-vegan ("for health reasons") who used leather
~1999 to ~2007: vegan
Since ~2007/2008: eats meat, uses leather, has leather pro shoes on Vans (and hunts and kills animals as a hobby) [as of 2022]
Glen E Friedman, vegan since 1988 [13], with his son and wife.
"Park ranger" drawing by skateboard graphic artist Todd Francis
According to a Vegan Skate Blog interview from 2016 Dave Mayhew - of the Osiris D3 shoe fame - has been a vegan since around 2008. And still is vegan as of 2018 according to his Instagram page.
2002 enjoi ad with Dave Mayhew and Marc Johnson
2009
From a Transworld Karl Watson interview:
"How did a guy who loved cheeseburgers so much as a kid become a vegan?
Man, I used
to live on Carl’s Jr. and McDonalds, but in that first year when I moved out of
the house I also thought about a lot of other things like how animals are
basically enslaved. I started feeling compassion for them and just had to cut
it all out. At nineteen, I became a vegan and was vegan for nine years until I
went on a trip to Japan. We were out in the middle of nowhere and there was
nothing for me to eat, so I gave in and ate some eggs. Then on the same trip I
ate salmon and since then I’ve been a pescetarian, so I eat fish and eggs, but
not red meat." [23]
Transworld: this picture with the line: “Stone and Charlie Thomas. Guess which one is vegan.” [15]
LAST animal you stalked?
"Mountain lion... we killed it." (see this photo from 2008)
Enjoi Cairo Foster "dog meat" (artwork by Winston Tseng)
2010
An eco-friendly skateboard company? Shred for Life, Laban Pheidias [3]
Matt Rodriguez (2010): "I have been vegetarian for 15 years. I prefer not to wear leather shoes. However, until people stop eating meat, there is no use in letting the rest of the animals resources go to waste that could be used to its fullness, such as shoes. Unfortunately, most of the time when manufacturing synthetic leather and suede, it creates more harm to the environment than just using the natural hide that would otherwise go to waste if not used." [11]
I can see why maybe Matt Rodriguez would want to believe this, not using leather would make his job much harder. The main reason for farmed animals being killed is the production of eggs, meat and dairy. Fish and other sea dwelling animals are often caught in the wild (still) and killed in unimaginable numbers - with a huge percentage of "by-catch". The most animals are probably killed for fish, eggs, and chicken.
I agree with him that the more something is a by-product, the less important it is to consider (e.g. casein in glue/car tyres/bike tyres/condoms/rubber gloves). Leather, however, is either one of the most profitable by-products - you could also call liver, brain, heart, or stomach by-products. They are all products making raising and killing animals profitable. Leather often comes from India, where cattle are killed specifically for leather, not for meat.
Third, the idea of leather as "natural hide" is romanticized. The tanning of leather is extremely toxic - a health disaster for the workers and for the environment - and all life in it.
There are synthetic materials and plant fibres, that are more environmentally friendly than others, like rubber, plant leather (made from rubber), PVC-free microfibers, etc.
Consolidated, unsurprising
(nothing to do with the band Consolidated - just to make sure you know)
$lave Jon Allie (artwork by Ben Horton)
Peggy Oki around 2010, vegan environmentalist
In a Crailtap "Top
5" which seems to be from around 2010 Sean Sheffey (see 1991) lists his
top 5 foods.
"Top 5 things to eat:
1. Burritos
2. Veggie soups
3. Subs
4. Snacks!
5. Pretty much anything" [32]
"Top 5 things to eat:
1. Burritos
2. Veggie soups
3. Subs
4. Snacks!
5. Pretty much anything" [32]
As reported in Transworld, in 2010 Vans released a "Rise Against Classic Slip-On which was the second project between Rise Against and Vans after the huge success of the first partnership in 2007. The Classic Slip-On showcases the artwork from the band's 2008 album Appeal to Reason. It was, as the prior release, entirely free of animal-related materials in consideration of the band’s vegan sensibilities as well as their fans."
2011
In the June 2011 issue (edição 159, ano 16) of Brazilian skate mag Cemporcento SKATE, there is a short article about Adelmo Jr being vegan [55]. The article starts with " 'Many people don't know that I'm vegan [...]', says Adelmo". He describes that it can be a difficult being vegan when on tour but that in Brazil he finds it easier. He also recounts a story of travelling to New Zealand for a skate tour, going straight to the hotel (presumably from the airport) and not having eaten anything for 18 hours, going for a tour around the surrounding area to look for a restaurant that would serve vegan food, which he did find eventually (after not having eaten for more than 20 hours, he says) [55].
Adelmo Jr (in Cemporcento SKATE, June 2011)
In a Kerry Getz interview in Jenkem Magazine from September 2011 Kerry Getz - he must be referring to the late 1990s (around 1996 to 1999, roughly) - makes the following comment about Ed Templeton: "He’s a rad guy he was one of the best guys to travel with, other then [!] his whole vegan and healthy food kick. That always frustrated us [Toy Machine team, probably he is referring to Bam Margera, Mike Maldonado, himself, and maybe Elissa Steamer, Donny Barley, Chris Seen, and Brian Anderson - though Brian Anderson was a vegetarian at the time] cause he would go miles out of the way to find some health food store in every different state we would drive thru. He would stop at Mcdonalds [!] for us as well, but he would always just come in and shoot photos of us eating. He would never touch anything from there." [40]
Black Label , Salman Agah, how high can you ollie? Switchstance?
Regarding Steve Berra: “A lot of vegan restaurants don’t feel as bright as Café Gratitude [in Los Angeles],” said Steve Berra, a pro skateboarder, who swears that he lunched on I Am Fortified (sautéed vegetables and kale with quinoa or brown rice) every day for a month.” (New York Times) [29]
Don Brown (Sole Tech) skating on the motorway on Orange County (Californa) in 2011 (photo by Skin Phillips). The four cars that are standing are probably skaters/friends that stopped traffic in this way. Don Brown is a vegetarian (I think), but he probably was not a vegetarian yet in this photo (see 2012).
A "vegetable shredder" interview on the vegan skate blog website from October 2011 reveals that the pro skater called "deer man of dark woods", from Vancouver, Canada, is a vegetarian:
"[Vegan skate blog:] Why did you go Veg?
[Deer man of dark woods:] OUT OF RESPECT FOR ALL ANIMAL LIFE. ALSO, IT IS STAND AGAINST OLD CHRISTIAN WAYS AND TRADITIONS – THE CHRISTIAN ACT OF ‘HARVESTING’ NATURE IS WASTEFUL AND DISRESPECTFUL AND THESE ACTS MUST BE FOUGHT AGAINST. VEGETARIANISM IS STRONG STATEMENT AGAINST THE MISTREATMENT OF ANIMALS.
[...][Vegan skate blog:] What shoe are you skating in now?
[Deer man of dark woods:] THE EMERICA SIGNATURE BARRIER KULT SHOE. 100% SYNTHETIC SUEDE AND CANVAS. EMERICA IS THE TRUEST OF ALL SKATE SHOE BRANDS. PURELY DESIGN FOR SKATEBOARDING BY SKATEBOARDERS.
[Vegan skate blog:] Or just say whatever you want about skating Veg…
[Vegan skate blog:] Or just say whatever you want about skating Veg…
[Deer man of dark woods:] THE DEER MAN OF DARK WOODS MANDATE IS TO EDUCATE YOUTH CULTURE REGARDING THE MISTREATMENT OF ANIMALS (THAT OCCURS DAILY). I STRIVE TO USE MY INFLUENCE IN PERSUADING SKATEBOARDERS TO STAND STRONG AGAINST THIS ANIMAL AND WILDLIFE ABUSE/MISTREATMENT." [57]
2012
In an article in Jenkem Magazine from January 2012 titled "SEX AND SKATEBOARD TOURS WITH ED TEMPLETON" [39] Ed Templeton is asked, somewhat predictably, about drugs and meat:[Ed Templeton:] I don’t know. Maybe. It wouldn’t cause a reaction from me. I’m not one of these vegans that treats meat like Kryptonite. It’s just a dead animal. And if I ate it I wouldn’t get get [!] sick. Humans are omnivores. I ate meat for 18 years before I went vegan. I was eating Weinerschnitzel [!], Arby’s, or McDonalds every day. I think that’s disgusting now, but I wouldn’t vomit like many vegans claim. So I’m not sure if anyone tried to do that to me. I get all the jokes about eating twigs, or being a pussy for not eating a burger. I love a good vegan joke. Many of us are quite ridiculous.
[Jenkem:] What about Drugs?
[Ed Templeton:] Not to my knowledge either. I for sure got contact highs from all the weed smoke in the van. We have a stoner van and a non-stoner van on tour now. But I’ve never been slipped LSD or anything. I think I would remember that. I have always offered my team that if they make me a vegan pot brownie I will eat one. But of course they’re always way too lazy to actually make a batch of brownies much less vegan ones. So though the offer has been on the table for years, I still have never eaten one." [39]
If you are a historian, from this you (and we) can deduce that Ed Templeton has been a vegetarian (meat-free) since 1990 or 1991, i.e. that he stopped eating meat when he was 18 years old, i.e. at some point between 28 July 1990 (his 18th birthday) and 28 July 1991 (I would guess it was in 1990.
Note for grammarians: This is how you spell "Wiener Schnitzel". "Wien" is the German name for Vienna.
There's a note in Skateboarder Magazine (July 2021) regarding Charlie Thomas: "Things about
World Industries TM Charlie Thomas: Vegan, awesome and kills it on a skateboard." [28]
In the Anthony Pappalardo episode (don't remember which part of it) of Epicly Later'd you can see a vegetarian cookbook - "How to cook everything vegetarian" by Mark Bittman (who isn't a vegetarian as far as I know).
Mike Vallely has a skateboard company named Elephant Brand from around 2011 to 2014. These graphics are from 2012 (all pictured in the 2012 Elephant Brand product catalogue).
Check out the amazing box art work on Vegan Skate Blog.
Two more colours now, and these are coated, shiny looking canvas.
In the Anthony Pappalardo episode (don't remember which part of it) of Epicly Later'd you can see a vegetarian cookbook - "How to cook everything vegetarian" by Mark Bittman (who isn't a vegetarian as far as I know).
Mike Vallely has a skateboard company named Elephant Brand from around 2011 to 2014. These graphics are from 2012 (all pictured in the 2012 Elephant Brand product catalogue).
Ryan Lay seems to have been a dietary vegan since around 2012. In his vegan skate blog interview (2015) Ran Lay states: "[How long have you been vegan?]
Somewhere around three or four years, I lose track. I took two months off around when I was getting knee surgery a year and a half ago. I had a torn meniscus at the time and was about fifteen pounds underweight. I was able to get some ethically sourced meat from this amish [!] farm in Arizona as well as from the Coalatree guys, but it didn’t end up making me feel any better. After getting knee surgery, I realized that eating meat was weighing heavy on my conscience, so I decided to go back to being vegan.
[Was that doctor recommended?] My myopractor and chiropractor both recommended that I do it, but ultimately it was my decision."
Don't listen to the wrong people, kids!
Don Brown, the brand manager, overlord or something of the kind at éS shoes, seems to have been a vegetarian since around 2012. (In 2015 Ryan Lay stated that Don Brown has been a vegetarian for 3 years.)
Check out this 2012 Q&A with Peggy Oki, where she says: "I like my Vans Rowley XLT’s and I’m disappointed to hear that he (Geoff Rowley) isn’t Vegan anymore." And she says: "I’m Vegan for Ethical reasons." [41]
Somewhere around three or four years, I lose track. I took two months off around when I was getting knee surgery a year and a half ago. I had a torn meniscus at the time and was about fifteen pounds underweight. I was able to get some ethically sourced meat from this amish [!] farm in Arizona as well as from the Coalatree guys, but it didn’t end up making me feel any better. After getting knee surgery, I realized that eating meat was weighing heavy on my conscience, so I decided to go back to being vegan.
[Was that doctor recommended?] My myopractor and chiropractor both recommended that I do it, but ultimately it was my decision."
Don't listen to the wrong people, kids!
Ryan Lay (around 2012)
Don Brown, the brand manager, overlord or something of the kind at éS shoes, seems to have been a vegetarian since around 2012. (In 2015 Ryan Lay stated that Don Brown has been a vegetarian for 3 years.)
Don Brown (The photo is probably from around 2016)
2013
Emerica "Tempster" all vegan (two colourways)Check out the amazing box art work on Vegan Skate Blog.
In a Q & A with Laban Pheidias on Vegan Skate Blog (from March 2013) Laban Pheidas says:
[...]
[What shoe are you skating in now?] Right now I’m skating in these hemp Ipath Reeds." [42] He also mentions that skateboarding Chris Lambert is "another fellow vegan" [42].
Note: there were quite a few different vegan Kenny Reed hemp Ipath shoes over the years, I think.
Real, Happy Hunting UV graphic (exposure to UV light makes the background graphic appear)
Real, Clubbin' Time UV graphic (exposure to UV light makes the background graphic appear)
Assault Skateboards, Greg Harbour, "Butcher" (8.5 inches)
Bacon Skateboards, Vegan 9.0 (Limited Edition).
Real, Happy Hunting UV graphic (exposure to UV light makes the background graphic appear)
Real, Clubbin' Time UV graphic (exposure to UV light makes the background graphic appear)
Assault Skateboards, Greg Harbour, "Butcher" (8.5 inches)
Bacon Skateboards, Vegan 9.0 (Limited Edition).
Chris Klich on the Bacon team is apparently vegan.
Toy Machine, Ed Templeton, Elephant Party 8.25 ("bringing shame onto my species" says the elephant)
Interesting how repeatedly some young men feel like they have to make the statement that animals are nothing but meat. Enjoi, Meat Market R7
Polar, Pontus Alv, Seagull Nuggets
Skate Mental, Brad Staba, Seagulls
Servant Footwear: Dagon (all vegan) - the most durable vegan skateboard shoe in the history of the world
From a 2013 (August 14) interview with Spencer Hamilton on the Red Bull Skateboarding website:
"[Mike Munzenrider:] Hamilton has a three year plan for life and is sure of his convictions about food, though he doesn’t want to preach. He’s lived vegan and vegetarian, though has accepted the fact that if a friend orders a very proper steak at a restaurant, he’ll at least ask for a bite, if not order his own. “It’s more of a treat,” Hamilton says.
[...]
[Mike Munzenrider:] You pay attention to what you eat, try to eat local and as organic as possible…
[Spencer Hamilton:] Yeah, it’s not about being perfect. Everyone’s got their little things that are important to them. There are easy things that you can do as far as food is concerned, that make a large impact on a whole lot of things."
I tried to go vegetarian five months ago--just jump into it for no reason and it only lasted one week because I wasn't educated in it. My girl recently went vegan. She was watching a bunch of shit, and she got into it. She told me to watch some stuff, and I learned more about it. I've been vegan for the last four months.
Do you feel healthier?
I feel like a lot of people do it and get weak because they don't know what they're doing. It happens to a lot of people. I feel good; I have a lot of energy. If you just keep eating all your normal foods and eat what you need to stay on point, it's perfect. I feel good."
2014
Ed Templeton drawing that's also on the shoe box of Emerica's "The Heritic Ed Templeton"
Emerica, The Heritic Ed Templeton, Black Brown (more pictures)
In an interview with Nyjah Huston's mother, Kelle Huston, she recalls living with the then Huston family on the "Huston farm" in Puerto Rico, living a Rastafarian lifestyle, in the 1990s (the exact year/s are not stated). When asked "What was a typical day like living on the Huston farm?", Kelle Huston replies: "Woke up when we wanted to, ate three strict vegan meals a day together as a family, fed all the animals, cleaned up lots of animal poop, helped Pop with whatever the current project was at the time, carried water up to the house to fill our plumbing fixtures, picked coconuts, mangos & passion fruit, cooled off in the river, went to town to skate or shop, watched lots of skate videos, rode dirt-bikes around the farm, played lots of board games and listened to reggae music on blast constantly." [38] It's interesting/curious that, even though they had a (completely?) vegan diet, they also raised farm animals (?). She may also be referring to dogs or other rescued animals.
Vernon Laird who is the team manager for Bones Bearings and who has been vegan since 1992 [34] got a guest board on Surprise Skateboards in 2004 [35]. Check out his interview in vegan skate blog in which he says: "[Why did you go Veg?] A combination of things. A lot of the hardcore bands in the late 80’s and early 90’s had songs about vegetarianism and animal rights. " [36] Writes Anthony Pappalardo:
"Before you could get a veggie burger at McDonald's or soy milk at every coffee shop in the United States, being vegetarian or vegan was actually challenging. Locating skate spots in new cities without the aid of the Internet was hard enough; finding meatless food other than French fries was a treasure hunt without a map.
When I met current Bones Bearings Team Manager Vern Laird in the mid-'90s, I quickly dubbed him "The Connoisseur." Laird, a vegan since 1992, not only knew every corner of his home city of Philadelphia, but he also possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of vegan food.
Through years of skating, filming and traveling, Laird's truly earned his nickname. His favorite destination for all things vegan is New York City, a place he started skating in 1990. We linked up with Laird in Brooklyn, NY, on the last day of 2012 to skate and to visit some of his favorite places to eat. While we were able to pack in a lot in a short time, there's a list of places Laird praised that we didn't get a chance to visit. Longtime staple stops include Vegetarian's Paradise 2, Red Bamboo and Bagel on the Square, as well as new favorites Blossom, BabyCakes, Wild Ginger, Dun-Well Doughnuts, Papacito's and Hana Foods." [34]
"Before you could get a veggie burger at McDonald's or soy milk at every coffee shop in the United States, being vegetarian or vegan was actually challenging. Locating skate spots in new cities without the aid of the Internet was hard enough; finding meatless food other than French fries was a treasure hunt without a map.
When I met current Bones Bearings Team Manager Vern Laird in the mid-'90s, I quickly dubbed him "The Connoisseur." Laird, a vegan since 1992, not only knew every corner of his home city of Philadelphia, but he also possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of vegan food.
Through years of skating, filming and traveling, Laird's truly earned his nickname. His favorite destination for all things vegan is New York City, a place he started skating in 1990. We linked up with Laird in Brooklyn, NY, on the last day of 2012 to skate and to visit some of his favorite places to eat. While we were able to pack in a lot in a short time, there's a list of places Laird praised that we didn't get a chance to visit. Longtime staple stops include Vegetarian's Paradise 2, Red Bamboo and Bagel on the Square, as well as new favorites Blossom, BabyCakes, Wild Ginger, Dun-Well Doughnuts, Papacito's and Hana Foods." [34]
In the October 2014 issue of Thrasher there's a Miles Silvas interview - he is also on the cover - and this is from the interview:
"I heard you're a vegetarian. How long has that been going on? I tried to go vegetarian five months ago--just jump into it for no reason and it only lasted one week because I wasn't educated in it. My girl recently went vegan. She was watching a bunch of shit, and she got into it. She told me to watch some stuff, and I learned more about it. I've been vegan for the last four months.
Do you feel healthier?
I feel like a lot of people do it and get weak because they don't know what they're doing. It happens to a lot of people. I feel good; I have a lot of energy. If you just keep eating all your normal foods and eat what you need to stay on point, it's perfect. I feel good."
Thrasher cover, October 2014, Miles Silvas
Burger graphic boards and a burger graphic T-shirt by 917 (Alex Olson's company). The burger shirt uses the Buger King logo, of course, and seems to be a nod to Jason Lee's infamous (and anti-vegetarian) burger graphic on World Industries in 1991. Alex Olson seems to be a dietary vegan - I don't know any more about the background of this shirt.
2015
In an article about Ryan Lay on the Jenkem Mag website (November 2015) it says that "He enjoys learning, eating vegan, and meshing skateboarding with school, but he doesn’t define himself by those or any other singular hobbies, even skating."
Ryan Lay 2015
In a Geoff Rowley interview on the Jenkem Mag website (October 2015), Rowley denies that his first shoes Vans pro model shoes (1999) being leather-free had nothing to do with him being vegan. A questionable claim.
"What about being vegan? I remember hearing you were vegan for a while?
I wasn’t ever vegan in the ‘real’ sense of the word. I had leather in my car, had leather boots. What really was tough was when vegan started getting labeled on shoes and stuff like that. My initial first shoe used synthetic fabrics because it was more consistent and durable than suede, the material always wore out evenly. That’s why I used that material, because it was better at that point, not because I was vegan."
Servant and Street Plant: Barnyard Loiter (vegan, only one colourway)
Nyjah Huston who grew up as a vegan is not vegan or
vegetarian anymore, as reported by GQ Magazine in
2015:
"December 1, 2015 11:08 am [...]
He grew up in a family of skateboarders, and they had a lot of time to practice together, living on an isolated farm in Puerto Rico, where his rigorously Rastafarian father moved them in 2006.
"My dad didn’t allow me or any of my siblings to eat any meat, no cheese, no candy even. He was super strict about that sort of stuff. I think that’s one of the reasons I manage to be so healthy and take all these gnarly slams without breaking any bones."
“I grew up very strict vegan,” he says. “My dad didn’t allow me or any of my siblings to eat any meat, no cheese, no candy even. He was super strict about that sort of stuff. I think that’s one of the reasons I manage to be so healthy and take all these gnarly slams without breaking any bones: I think the main thing is being raised without drinking any soda. Every one of my friends who skates has broken a ton of bones before.”
But veganism doesn’t have to be ascetic. A cheese-less life can be just as satisfying and savory. “Anything you think of that isn’t vegan, my mom would make vegan.” He continues: “When a lot of people think about eating vegan, they think of it as not being healthy because it’s hard to get protein. I think I managed to be even healthier than someone with a non-vegan diet. It’s helped me out too now that I’m on my own and living by myself—I’m careful about what I eat and I want to eat healthy.”
Today Huston is a reformed vegan, but he believes that his diet (growing up and now) give him a competitive edge.
“Once I had the freedom to be able to eat whatever I wanted it took about a year or two before I tried meat. To this day I don’t eat red meat—it’s something that was so foreign and weird to me that I couldn’t get used to it. I stick with turkey and chicken and fish. I don’t like eggs because I couldn’t get used to it after not growing up with them. I still drink soy milk instead of regular milk, and that’s about it. I’m used to everything else now.”
[...]
Breakfast, pre-workout
Protein shake with coffee-flavored protein powder, banana, and soy milk
Post-workout
Fruit shake with banana, mango, pineapple, papaya, and berries
Lunch
Turkey sandwich with avocado
Dinner
Chow mein with chicken and vegetables" [33]
"December 1, 2015 11:08 am [...]
He grew up in a family of skateboarders, and they had a lot of time to practice together, living on an isolated farm in Puerto Rico, where his rigorously Rastafarian father moved them in 2006.
"My dad didn’t allow me or any of my siblings to eat any meat, no cheese, no candy even. He was super strict about that sort of stuff. I think that’s one of the reasons I manage to be so healthy and take all these gnarly slams without breaking any bones."
“I grew up very strict vegan,” he says. “My dad didn’t allow me or any of my siblings to eat any meat, no cheese, no candy even. He was super strict about that sort of stuff. I think that’s one of the reasons I manage to be so healthy and take all these gnarly slams without breaking any bones: I think the main thing is being raised without drinking any soda. Every one of my friends who skates has broken a ton of bones before.”
But veganism doesn’t have to be ascetic. A cheese-less life can be just as satisfying and savory. “Anything you think of that isn’t vegan, my mom would make vegan.” He continues: “When a lot of people think about eating vegan, they think of it as not being healthy because it’s hard to get protein. I think I managed to be even healthier than someone with a non-vegan diet. It’s helped me out too now that I’m on my own and living by myself—I’m careful about what I eat and I want to eat healthy.”
Today Huston is a reformed vegan, but he believes that his diet (growing up and now) give him a competitive edge.
“Once I had the freedom to be able to eat whatever I wanted it took about a year or two before I tried meat. To this day I don’t eat red meat—it’s something that was so foreign and weird to me that I couldn’t get used to it. I stick with turkey and chicken and fish. I don’t like eggs because I couldn’t get used to it after not growing up with them. I still drink soy milk instead of regular milk, and that’s about it. I’m used to everything else now.”
[...]
Breakfast, pre-workout
Protein shake with coffee-flavored protein powder, banana, and soy milk
Post-workout
Fruit shake with banana, mango, pineapple, papaya, and berries
Lunch
Turkey sandwich with avocado
Dinner
Chow mein with chicken and vegetables" [33]
For your convenience: an approximate timeline of Nyjah Huston's vegetarianism:
Birth (1994) to ~2009/2010 (15 years old): vegan (dietary), used leather shoes
Since ~2009/2010: eats meat and uses leather
(He had a leather, i.e., animal-source suede, signature pro shoe on DC Shoes in 2013. His three pro shoes so far on Nike have been - accidentaly (?) - leather-free, however.) [as of September 2023]
Deathwish deck series and sticker set with farm animals eating the farmer. The graphics are by Dylan Goldberger (see here and here).
The 2019 book "Skateboarding and Religion" briefly mentions veganism. It mentions the "20 Questions: Manny Santiago" in an issue of Transworld Skateboarding from 2015 and the book makes this statement: "In a similar way skateboarding, long associated with rebellion and anarchy, has incorporated an embrace of healthy lifestyles. In one of the leading skateboard magazines professional skateboarder Manny Santiago speaks of his vegan [near-vegan] diet as a way to maintain and prolong his career (Transworld Skateboarding, [December] 2015, p. 88 [see below]). Santiago explains that he changed his diet after being influenced by other skateboarders and speaks of the ills of chemically altered food, yet stops short of criticising the energy drinks that sponsor him and other skateboarders." (Paul O’Connor: Skateboarding and Religion, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24857-4)
The author of this book, Paul O'Connor, was kind enough to contact me and send me the original pages from this Transworld issue. Here's the full original quote (question + Manny Santiago's reply):
"You're a vegetarian, almost vegan? What makes you choose that?"
"Yeah, I've been vegetarian for close to six years. I'm not trying to put any more muscle tissue in my body. Felix [Arguelles] went vegetarian around 2010, and I saw what it did for him. Body-wise he was just more active; he lost some weight just eating healthier. So I figured if it's doing that much for Felix in his forties, imagine what it could do for me now in my twenties. Even just health-wise there's so much junk pumped into food nowadays, why would you want to put that in your body? Half the 12-year-old-girls out there look like they're 22. Just eating all this infected food."
(Thanks, Paul!!)
Continued here from 2016 onwards
References
1. Santa Barbara Independent, Local Heroes 2010 (24 November 2010)2. Interview with Mike Vallely by Mystery Babylon blog.
3. Interview with Laban Pheidias by The Discerning Brute (10 January 2009)
4. Why Do Most Vegetarians Go Back To Eating Meat?, Hai Herzog (20 June 2011)
5. "Post India Update", Beastie Boys e-newsletter (7 Oct 2009)
6. The Guardian, Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch 'strong and hopeful' at beating cancer (8 Oct 2009)
7. Ed Templeton interview, Memory Screened blog, Seb Carayol, Ed Templeton : “We were into Fugazi and everything political” (6 Dec 2008)
8. Marc McKee and Sean Cliver interview, Memory Screened blog, Seb Carayol,
Two World Industries Men: the full-length Marc McKee / Sean Cliver interview (29 March 2011)
9) éS Web site, Nyjah Huston Answers Your Questions! (checked 14 September 2006) https://esskateboarding.com/blog/2006/09/14/nyjah-huston-answers-your-questions/ (does not exist anymore; checked 12 July 2021)
10. és Web site, McCrank Answers More of Your Questions! (11 Oct 2005)
11. Huck Magazine, Matt Rodriguez interview (13 April 2010)
12. Glen E Friedman's Web site burningflags.com
12. Glen E Friedman interview with Herbivore Magazine, issue 2, Fall 2003
13. Thrasher Website, Diego Bucchieri interview (22 Oct 2009)
14. Transworld, Apr 17 2003, C’est PasVrais, Story and photos by Scott Pommier
15. Transworld, JOHNNY ROMANO SKATE JAM2009, by Blair Alley, Nov 9 2009
16. Transworld, NORTHERN EXPOSURE:CANADIANS TOUR CANADA … CHEAPLY, Aug 20 2001, by Scott Pommier
17. Transworld, TOP FIVE: ED TEMPLETON, Sep 15 2006
18. Transworld, THE COMPLETE AND UNCUTGEOFF ROWLEY INTERVIEW, by Ed Templeton, Jan 11 2000
19. Transworld, PROSPOTLIGHT: MOSES ITKONEN, Jan 21 2000
20. Transworld, VANS TO RELEASE GEOFFROWLEY AND ALAN PETERSEN SIGNATURE MODELS, Jul 19 1999
21. Transworld, SIN CITY DESERTS, Sep 8 1999, Breaking The Law by Geoff Rowley
22. Transworld, PHEIDIAS IN PETA TV AD, Oct 9 2003
23. Transworld, VICE VERSA: KARL WATSON, by Dave Chami, Dec 15 2009
24. Transworld, SOLES WITHOUT SOULS, Feb 18 2003
25. Disposable, A History of Skateboard Art, Sean Cliver, Concrete Wave Editions, 2004
26. Skateboarder Magazine, Adam Salo, 15 Things: Shoes, Jan 5, 2006
27. Skateboarder Magazine, Adam Salo, 15 Things Mike Vallely, June 16, 2006
28. Skateboarder Magazine, Aaron Smith, The Tuesday 25 with Timmy Knuth, July 30, 2012
29. New York Times, Deborah Schoeneman, Power Lunch with a Side of Homilies, July 20, 2011
30. Vegan Skate Blog, Ed Templeton interview pt. 2, February 1, 2013
31. Transworld, Pioneer: Sean Sheffey, Full Interview—Power From The East, by Mackenzie Eisenhour, published online March 27, 2013 (full interview text from Sean’s Pioneer Column in our October 2012 Issue)
32. Crailtap, Top 5 with Sean Sheffey, 2010 (?)
33. GQ, The real-life diet of pro skater Nyjah Huston, reformed vegan. Dec 1, 2015 http://www.gq.com/story/the-real-life-diet-of-nyjah-huston (7 December 2016)
34. X-Games, ESPN: My spots: Vern Laird's vegan NYC. By Anthony Pappalardo. Jan 12, 2013 http://xgames.espn.com/xgames/scene/article/8847842/my-spots-vegan-restaurants-skate-spots-nyc-vern-laird (23 December 2016)
35) Jenkem Mag: Vern Laird filmed a part for his 40th birthday. By Anthony Pappalardo. May 21, 2014 http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2014/05/21/vern-laird-filmed-a-part-for-his-40th-birthday/ (23 December 2016)
36) Vegan Skate Blog, Kerry Weber: Vegetable Shredder Vernon Laird February 21, 2014 http://veganskateblog.com/vegshred/vegetable-shredder-vernon-laird (23 December 2016)
37) Chrome Ball Incident: Chrome Ball Interview #128: Ed Templeton (24 April 2019) https://chromeballincident.blogspot.com/2019/04/chrome-ball-interview-128-ed-templeton.html
38) Jenkem Magazine: AN INTERVIEW WITH NYJAH HUSTON’S MOM, by Ian Michna, 28 April 2014, http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2014/04/28/an-interview-with-nyjah-hustons-mom/ (checked 23 May 2021)
39) Jenkem Magazine: SEX AND SKATEBOARD TOURS WITH ED TEMPLETON, by Jenkem Staff, 16 January 2012, http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2012/01/16/sex-and-skateboard-tours-with-ed-templeton/ (checked 23 May 2021)
40) Jenkem Magazine: INTERVIEW WITH KERRY HOCKEY TEMPER GETZ, by Ian Michna, 28 September 2011, http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2011/09/28/interview-with-kerry-hockey-temper-getz/ (checked 23 May 2021)
41) Vegan Skate Blog: Vegetable Shredder – Peggy Oki, by Kerry Weber, 3 July 2012, https://veganskateblog.com/vegshred/vegetable-shredder-peggy-oki (checked 9 June 2021)
42) Vegan Skate Blog: Vegetable Shredder – Laban Pheidias, by Kerry Weber, 3 March 2013, https://veganskateblog.com/vegshred/vegetable-shredder-laban-pheidias (checked 9 June 2021)
43) Thrasher: Sean Sheffey interview, by Bryce Kanights, May 1994, https://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/magazine/may-1994/ (checked 8 July 2021)
44) Slam City Skates: Don Brown interview, by Neil MacDonald, 12 February 2021, https://blog.slamcity.com/don-brown-interview/ (checked 10 July 2021)
45) The City Wide Show: The City Wide Show - Sergei Trudnowski, 3 November 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTSGhZx-qMU (checked 11 July 2021)
46) Big Brother: Ed Templeton interview, by Sean Cliver, photos by Rick Kosick, Issue 34, March 1998
47) Confusion Magazine: The Ed Templeton Interview, by Thomas Reitmayer, 9 February 2012, http://www.confuzine.com/2012/02/09/the-ed-templeton-interview/ (checked 11 July 2021)
48) Transworld: John Reeves pro spotlight, June 1996 (page 146)
49) Transworld: Vans To Release Geoff Rowley and Alan Petersen Signature Models, 19 July 1999, https://skateboarding.transworld.net/news/vans-to-release-geoff-rowley-and-alan-petersen-signature-models/ (checked 12 July 2021)
50) Transworld: Check Outs, 14 March 2000, https://skateboarding.transworld.net/news/check-outs/ (checked 12 July 2021)
51) Transworld: Vita Manufacturing, 14 August 2000, https://skateboarding.transworld.net/news/vita-manufacturing/ (checked 12 July 2021)
51) Transworld: Vita Manufacturing, 14 August 2000, https://skateboarding.transworld.net/news/vita-manufacturing/ (checked 12 July 2021)
52) Transworld: Jamie Thomas and Ed Templeton Appear In Print Ad To Promote Vegetarianism, 11 January 2000, https://skateboarding.transworld.net/news/jamie-thomas-and-ed-templeton-appear-in-print-ad-to-promote-vegetarianism/ (checked 12 July 2021)
53) Transworld: Fifteen Minutes with: Scott Bourne, 24 August 1999, https://skateboarding.transworld.net/features/fifteen-minutes-with-scott-bourne/ (checked 12 July 2021)
53) Transworld: Fifteen Minutes with: Scott Bourne, 24 August 1999, https://skateboarding.transworld.net/features/fifteen-minutes-with-scott-bourne/ (checked 12 July 2021)
54) Transworld: Vans’ Past Favorite Band Collaborations at SXSW, 27 February 2014, https://skateboarding.transworld.net/gear/vans-past-favorite-band-collaborations-sxsw/ (checked 12 July 2021)
55) Cemporcento SKATE: Você sabia que Adelmo Jr. é vegan?, issue 159 (June 2011), year 16, https://cemporcentoskate.com.br/revista/edicao-159-ano-16/ (checked 19 October 2021) [Note: I haven't seen the original issue. But the article is supposed to be in that issue.]
56) Skatepark of Tampa: Charlie Thomas Interview, by Ryan, 23 September 2006 https://skateparkoftampa.com/article/641/Charlie_Thomas_Interview (checked 19 September 2022)
57) Vegan skate blog: Vegetable Shredder – Deer Man of Dark Woods, 31 October 2011, by Kerry Weber, https://veganskateblog.com/vegshred/vegetable-shredder-deer-man-of-dark-woods (checked 13 December 2022)
58) NZ Herald: Dogged Advocate, by Rosie Kelway, 2 April 2015, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/viva/culture/dogged-advocate/CU5KN3BYZYR6VVRZ3YVDFDUVZE/ (checked 10 April 2023)
59) Michael Diamond, Adama Horovitz: Beastie Boys Book, New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2018
60) Glen E. Friedman: Together Forever, The Run-DMC and Beastie Boys Photographs, New York: Rizzoli, 2019 (page 24)
61) Strangelove Skateboards: a rabbit's tale: caring consumer, 6 June 2023, https://strangeloveskateboards.com/blogs/strangelove/a-rabbits-tale-caring-consumer (checked 17 September 2023)
62) The Chromeball Incident: chrome ball interview #11: brian lotti, 5 August 2010, https://chromeballincident.blogspot.com/2010/08/chrome-ball-interview-11-brian-lotti.html (checked 17 September 2023)
63) The Chromeball Incident: chrome ball interview #157: marc mckee, https://chromeballincident.blogspot.com/2022/07/chrome-ball-interview-157-marc-mckee.html (checked 17 September 2023)
64) X Games: MIKE VALLELY: Skaters In Cars l X Games, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY2h7116IRM&t=51s [at ~0:51 min] (checked 17 September 2023)
65) Bobshirt: Brian Lotti Bobshirt interview - originally aired on Transworld [when?], interview by Mike Regan and Tim Anderson, 26 March 2019, https://youtu.be/KP4WXWrw-Rc?t=88 [at ~1:29 min] (checked 17 September 2023)
66) Bobshirt: Brian Lotti Bobshirt interview - originally aired on Transworld [when?], interview by Mike Regan and Tim Anderson, 26 March 2019, https://youtu.be/KP4WXWrw-Rc?t=1053 (checked 17 September 2023)
67) Bobshirt: Brian Lotti Bobshirt interview - originally aired on Transworld [when?], interview by Mike Regan and Tim Anderson, 26 March 2019, https://youtu.be/KP4WXWrw-Rc?t=1323 [at ~22:05 min] (checked 17 September 2023)
68) Bobshirt: Brian Lotti Bobshirt interview - originally aired on Transworld [when?], interview by Mike Regan and Tim Anderson, 26 March 2019, https://youtu.be/KP4WXWrw-Rc?t=2065 [at ~34:25 min] (checked 17 September 2023)
69) Bobshirt: Brian Lotti Bobshirt interview - originally aired on Transworld [when?], interview by Mike Regan and Tim Anderson, 26 March 2019, https://youtu.be/KP4WXWrw-Rc?t=2092 [at ~34:52 min] (checked 17 September 2023)
70) Mission Statement [Lee Smith's podcast]: Mission Statement Episode 10: Brian Lotti, 16 April 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmhr3ONjPl4&t=840s [at ~14:00 min] (checked 17 September 2023)