Jedidiah Ambassador: Anthony Johnson

Anthony Johnson Interview

Words and interview by: Matt Green

Anthony is the kind of guy who is always smiling. He emanates a fun and loving vibe. Go up and talk to him for 5 seconds and you will know what I am talking about. I guarantee he will take the time to talk to you. Anthony can make any skate session a good time. He has a way of making everyone laugh while at the same time inspiring everyone he skates with to push their own limits. His skateboarding has a passion and intensity to it that spreads like wild fire.

After a few years of laying low on the radar of the skateboarding industry Anthony is coming back into the lime light at full force with all the skill and creativity he is known for. The following is an interview that will show the readers what I am talking about.

Let’s start with the basics. What are you up to now days?

I am living in Salt Lake City skating as much as possible. My wife and I bought a house here last summer. We’re stoked. There are a lot of good street spots and a few good parks here, plus the snowboarding in the winter.

Didn’t you have a pretty serious snowboarding injury this season?

Yeah. I tore my MCL, ACL and Meniscus. It was bogus. The crazy thing about though is that in my x-ray they found a 3 inch sewing needle embedded in my hamstring. I have no idea how it got there. It is broken into 3 pieces.

That is insane! I would like to see that x-ray. How has that all affected your skating?

If anything it has affected my skating in good way. It lit a fire under my feet to get into the best shape possible. I was on crutches for 6 weeks and I would just sit on my couch and think about skating and everything I want to accomplish with it. As soon as I could I started rehabbing it like mad and skating on it. Right now I’m stronger and more flexible than I was before the injury. And my skating is exactly where I want it. I feel really blessed.

Nice. You have had some pretty major sponsor changes lately. Tell us about that.

(Laughs) Well, I just got to a point where I was seeing so much behind the scenes of companies. How and where products were being made. The people running the companies. A lot of them could care less about skateboarding. I got tired of representing companies that I didn’t really believe in what they were doing and how they were running things. So, I quit pretty much all my sponsors. Now I am starting from scratch. It feels really good. I am only going to skate for companies that are a good fit for me, my skating, and who I am.

Who are you skating for now?

Simple Shoes, Jedidiah Clothing, Viking Helmets, and Ninja Bearings. I have been talking to a couple board companies about doing a pro model, but nothing is set in stone yet. I’m not stressing it, I’m just having a blast skating and focusing on that.

How would you define your skating?

I wouldn’t. I will skate anything. I just love being on my board. I skate street the most, but I am down for it all, pools, parks, bombing hills, or just cruising. Skateboarding should not be defined or cut up into categories. It is such a creative outlet. So many people now do the tricks that everyone else is doing, and they all dress alike. I love going to the park and seeing kids doing their own thing and getting creative.

Are you going to do any contests this year?

No. I haven’t done any contests in a while. This kind of goes back to what I was just saying about skating just being a creative, fun activity. For me skating is my own thing. I can go out and do anything I want. You don’t have a coach telling you what to do. It is complete freedom. It shouldn’t be judged. If a trick is fun and feels good, do it.

What about demos?

Yeah. I am all about doing demos. They’re always fun. You just skate, have fun, talk to kids, skate some more. When the crowd gets hyped up, it makes it all the better. Super motivating. Plus, traveling and checking out new places is always cool.

For sure. What are your plans after skateboarding?

There is no after skateboarding. I will be skating until I am 100 years old. (Laughs) But as far as a career in skateboarding, I’ll be here for a long time to come. I’m having just as much fun as I did when I was 8 years old skating. As long as I am still progressing, having fun and able to represent my sponsors in a positive way. But for real, I will be skating as long as I am on earth, and hopefully after.

Good to hear. Who do you like to skate with?

I have been skating with Hartman Macey and Jeff Pappas a lot lately. They push me and inspire me like mad. Hartman is pure skateboarding. He should be pro. He is the kind of person who has no idea how good he is. And Jeff is just a mad man with how motivated he is. He has the best switch frontside flip on earth. For real! We have been filming a lot lately. It has been a blast.

What do you do besides skateboarding?

Spending time with my wife and my family is the best thing ever. I am so blessed with my siblings and parents. They are all my best friends. We all live in different states, so I always look forward to get-togethers. My wife and I golf a lot. Anytime I’m near the ocean I love to surf and body board. The ocean is so beautiful and amazing. The ocean heals and centers me. At the end of the day I love to chill and drink red wine, listen to old records, have good conversations, laugh a lot.

Sounds like the life.

I am just grateful for what I have been blessed with. Life has a lot of beauty to enjoy. It is all about the present moment. It’s all about love. Live now, love now.

Wow. Those are some good words to go out on.

Anything else you want to say? How about some thank yous. First and foremost God, my strength and guide. My wife, my family. Stephen at Simple, Kahana at Jedidiah, James at Viking. Nate Sherwood just for being an awesome guy to have in my corner. And a huge thank you to everyone who skates for the love of it and adds to the beautiful positive thing that skateboarding is. Peace. Spread the love!

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