Chris Couture
So tell us about moving to San Diego and all that. How’s it been?
The move has been great! Everything went according to plan — getting out here, finding a spot, meeting people, finding a job, etc. It’s truly been an awesome experience, and it really feels like home. A dream come true.
You know it blew my mind when you told me you were the guy at Detroit IMYTA to got my friend Ron Copeland out on the gap round. Fuck you for that!
Is this a question? Ha ha! Thank you though, I appreciate it. I like blowing your mind, ha ha. But yeah, it was kind of a funny story. It was right after prelims, and I think I also got Ben Weis out, so I was like “Shit, what do I do now?” I saw Rob Thompson doing the bike rack to drop, and I checked it out really quick and was like “Screw it, I’m gonna just clear it.” I told Azikiwee Anderson — he didn’t believe me — but it took some assuring that I was actually gonna do it. Fell the first time, landed it the second and broke my wheel bolt… that Josh Petty returned to me. Which was awesome.
As a guy who kinda follows what’s going on in blading, I’d seen your name in comp results lists and on edits for years… but I’d never really met you until the Sunday Sessions. They made us friends. That’s cool!
When moving out here I honestly didn’t think we’d become such good friends, ha ha! Acquaintances, yes, but I wouldn’t have imagined chilling with the frequency we do. I’m glad though — you’re like the big brother I never had, and the mentor I needed.
Did you have a good time on our Sunday drives? Ha ha. We’d spend a lot of time in the car.
Hell yes, it’s been awesome, and it’s something I look forward to every week. I rarely have skated the same spot twice, on top of it being the best shit I’ve ever skated. Coming from the midwest and being shown every amazing spot out here is like being in a video game. If you truly have been skating a long time in your town, you get forced to re-think the same shit, which I’m sure would hypothetically happen out here, but it’s gonna take a while. It seems like there’s endless shit to blade. I think a lot of it is also due to the definition of “spots.” People from SD understandably get jaded on the normal spots, of which there are a ton. But luckily out here in SD we still have a ton of new spots to find, so it’s defiantly interesting. Just on my block I could film a whole section, truth.
During a bunch of clutch times for the Sessions you came through like s champ — #4, #9, and #15 (XV) for example. What kept you motivated to push yourself?
Honestly, a huge amount of respect for what you were trying to accomplish. When you put in effort to better the community, I think people should support it. I myself organized comps for 5 years in Michigan, so I understand the effort in a way. So when I saw that you were trying to do something, I wanted to make sure it worked out, and no matter if nobody else showed up I’d be there having fun, and killing the shit I always dreamed of killin’. Plus, it’s another opportunity to live the dream I’ve had for the past 16 year — to get ill on some cool shit.
You’ve been recovering from an injury and have mentioned that you feel yourself getting stronger every week. How do you want to progress your skating as your strength returns?
It’s really been a lifelong injury, a tear in my knee that was operated on about 13 years ago that has been bugging me recently. But I believe it’s just due to my lack of activity in the past year before moving to SD. I was in my senior year of college, and due to the demanding schedule of work and school — and although I wouldn’t say that skating was on the back burned — I just couldn’t skate with regularity. I think I just got out of shape, ha ha, and a bit older… now that I’m 28. But since moving here I feel stronger every week and more excited due to this, to do anything I really want to… I just have to want to do it, and believe it, stay in the Airrr…
I know you registered for the Blading Cup. What does an event like that represent to you?
In an abstract way it’s like another IMYTA for me — Jon Julio is organizing and I’m competing. I’m super excited, not only to be in a location to be able to easily attend, but excited to see it all come together, especially after not being there last year. But as always it’s just gonna be mad fun, a bunch of peeps doing deals and hopefully sharing some laughs along the way. I’m just gonna groove out, have fun and see what happens. In the end, me registering is just me showing my support, and that I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere…
Who got you most hyped from week to week?
For sure Russel Day, Andrew Dipaolo, Hayden Ball, Louie Zamora, Tim, Carlos, Opi, Oli, Damien Wilson, Nick Wood, and everybody else I bladed with, ha ha. If I forgot to shout you out, I’m sorry…
All right man, thanks again for blading and we look forward to lots more sessions.
