“If you’re going to try something wild, then you might as well get wild yourself,” declared Josh Zickert in mismatching shoes (purple and red), laces (neon green and checked), a Mercedes Benz chain, heart sunglasses, and a hand-drawn “New York” tee. Josh, along with Erik Ellington, Majors, and Spencer Fujimoto, are the four skaters that we interviewed for our newest Uniforms video, and each one’s style bonds them to the creative, unbridled expression that’s at the heart of their sport. Whether it’s Eric’s tats honoring his mom and dad, Major’s customizable poncho, Spencer’s floral jersey sweater, or, of course, Josh’s clashing everything, these skaters’ dress discloses their journey. Their stories have taken them from outcasts who were rejected by football players, wrestlers, and the “favorite kids,” to the kind of individuals that we love the most — those who find what they love and it let kill them (well, maybe not “kill them,” but, in Josh’s case, let it “smash their face”).
Eric described skating as “that feeling like nothing else.” For Josh, “It’s the ability, in one moment, to be 100-percent instinctual and not think about anything.” The spiritual, unwavering dedication that these men have for skating reminds us of our prior Uniform features on the Hasids and Buddhist monks — only instead of a Shtreimel, it’s a sideways Padres cap, and in place of robe, it’s s a green polo. As with authentic communities and religious groups, skating isn’t about me-me-me or conforming to false notions of success, it’s about practicing your passion, not giving up in the face of struggle (i.e., falling on your ass in front of everyone and getting right back up), and looking out for one another. As Eric so succinctly put it, “Skating is a brotherhood.”
xo,
Elisa + Lily
Follow Erik Ellington on Twitter
Follow him on Instagram: @erikellington
Check out his brand, Deathwish
Follow Josh Zickert on Twitter
Follow him on Instagram: @jzradical
Find out more about his brand, Natural Koncept
Follow Spencer Fujimoto on Twitter
Visit the website for his jewelry brand, El Señor
Our skaters video was edited by Maximiliano Gaston Longo