Sobriety, Skate Culture & Second Chances

Mike Blabac3:07

Yeah. So, it was like they didn't want him not being able to do it. So, they didn't want him to skate the ramp before, but he was like, "Fuck, I got to test this thing out. Like, I got to [ __ ] try this thing." And so, you know, I remember Danny coming up to me the day before and he's like, "Dude, I I can't shake these dudes. Like, we got to get rid of these dudes. like I got to [ __ ] skate this ramp.

And I'm like, let's just take a bunch of photos with him. Like, let's just make him feel like hella important and take photos with him and let's maybe we'll get him the [ __ ] out of here, you know? And so we did and it worked. And he like took photos with him. And I remember like, hey, like there's another one like [ __ ] let's get a photo with him. And we got photos with these dudes and they bounced and and it was like the end of the day and he was like, all right, I got to roll in on this thing.

Because it was so not scientific. It was insane. Like he was just like, "Yeah, I don't know. Like that looks right."

Mike Blabac4:10

Absolutely no. Like no, no dude with a computer. No, nothing. Like it was just like a hairbrain like whatever. Like this looks right. Which was insane because you know he's rolling in. I think it was like a 70 foot roll in. It was on the edge of the Great Wall. So if you went off the side of the ramp, which was only eight feet wide. Yeah.

Which at 70 plus feet high is pretty narrow.

And so he rolled in and as soon as he took off, I knew it was bad. Like I knew it wasn't. And I was like right next to his son who was I think like nine at the time. It was gnarly. And he like ran through the air. Uh no skateboard and like I think it was his right foot first and just exploded his foot and kind of tumbled down the ramp. I I was like, "Okay, we're I'm we're going home." Like, "I hope he's alive." Because I was like pretty far away.

Yeah. And I was like sitting there with his with his kid riding and I was like, "Hey, bud. Like, he's good. Like, I've I've seen him slam so much. Like, he's he's all right, you know, even though I didn't truly know that." Um, but by the time I got back over to where the ramp was, where he slammed, it was clear his foot was broken like in several places. And we we had brought a doctor with us, this maniac who was like handing out pills to everyone on the flight over.

I didn't know what it was. He gave me Xanax. He gave me two Xanax.

Mike Blabac5:41

I left um left LAX and like he gave me two Xanax and I woke up like in China and I was like, "Cool." Like when are we taking off?

Mike Blabac6:13

For planes it's cool like when you're flying to China for example. But so he had this guy uh with him and uh they went to aos some Chinese hospital and the dude started rifling through like when the nurse left the room and found a bunch of [ __ ] to like numb Danny's foot and like tape it up and basically like put it together enough to where he could hopefully skate the next day.

Mike Blabac6:42

Well, there's no practice day cuz we weren't allowed to skate the

Mike Blabac6:53

Yeah. Yeah. So,

This guy's a savage.

Mike Blabac6:54

I'm going to do it again." Well, he knew that, you know, we'd been through a lot filming and stuff before and I've seen him take some really bad slams and so I I I had no doubt that he would do it. Um, but the Chinese officials were pissed. Like they were snapped and they almost shut the entire thing down. And I don't know the politics behind it or what went on, but they there was a lot of talking that evening and the next morning we woke up and they were like, "They're going to let you do it." And so we were like, "Fuck, okay." Like cuz the whole thing costs like a million dollars and like it was insane.

And so, you know, it's funny is I remember Danny like came into our hotel room and he was like, "Fuck, I guess there's a lot of pressure." And I was like, "Yeah, it's only a few billion people watching you. You got a broken foot. like it's no big deal. So yeah, he he he made it he he he made it over the gap. Um he didn't make a backside air on the ramp says you you go over the he made it over the wall which was like the whole point

And then there was a huge quarter pipe

And he couldn't land that because it was too sketchy on a broken foot cuz if you slam going that fat you're you're [ __ ]

Um so yeah, the the whole the whole experience was incredible. Like it was insane. At the time I didn't think it was as crazy because my whole life had been crazy. So I was just like whatever. It's just another thing. Um you know the the only bummer was that I didn't get to celebrate and see him afterwards cuz I had a car waiting to pick me up as soon as we photographed or as soon as I photographed it. Um, I I got taken to like a press an associated press room because at the time, you know, it was in 2005.

There was no like airdropping photos to your phone.

Mike Blabac8:53

No, not at all.

Mike Blabac8:56

I had to go to a room and I had to edit it and there's some dude over my shoulder waiting for me to like finish editing everything to upload onto the internet. And like the day after it was like one of the most viewed photos like on the internet at the time, whatever that meant. Yeah. It was it was crazy.

So, you know, it's funny because like I wanted to shoot film and um they wouldn't let me. Like DC wouldn't let me because they're they're footing the bill for the whole thing. And well, because they wanted me to upload the photos and I was like, "Fuck that. Like, I'll process the film like right then and there in a bathroom like in China." like it's and and they're like, "No, you can't do that." So, yeah, it was there's a little bit of push back for that. But

Mike Blabac9:39

Yeah.

Mike Blabac10:48

Uh well, I was born in Ohio.

Mike Blabac10:50

Yeah. In rural Ohio.

Mike Blabac10:54

Yes.

Mike Blabac10:55

Um until I was uh I think like 10 10 years old. What was that like?

Uh, you know, I had no reference, so I thought it was cool. I was just a kid like [ __ ] running around in the woods like with a shotgun and like chewing tobacco. And I was just a feral kid like running around and like being a maniac. And I didn't have any siblings, so I only hung out with like older kids. And they didn't let me smoke weed, thankfully,

But they let me like they were chewing tobacco. And they were like, "If you really want to try it, like try it." So I did. And I like I liked it.

Mike Blabac11:32

And I, you know, I was like, "Fuck, I was probably like seven."

Mike Blabac11:37

You know, so I was like a kid on a quad with like chewing tobacco and a shotgun and like going out into the woods and blowing stuff up.

Mike Blabac11:45

Uh, my parents were um, you know, they weren't into a lot. Um, you know, my mom was very sweet, but they they partied a lot when I was a kid.

You know, I remember thinking when I was a child, like

It was a little insane. Um, just because there was always a lot of drinking, like a lot, you know, and I mean like kegs and like just blackouts and cops coming and just blowing stuff up. Like my dad was really into guns and so like, you know,

Mike Blabac12:25

Guns and drinking and explosives, like quarter sticks of dynamite, just blowing [ __ ] up. And I, you know, it was like my normal that was like normal for me.

And I didn't really I didn't think much of it, but that was my my childhood growing up, like hanging out with older kids that were just like drinking and smoking weed and partying. And when I was at home, my parents were drinking. And you know, my mom did stop drinking when I was 10. And I remember a significant shift in her behavior after that point. And I think that she felt guilty like thinking back on it and thinking in my own experience as a parent.

Um but yeah, like it, you know, it was I remember feeling like I was the responsible one in the mix. Even though I was a kid, you know, I didn't know what the [ __ ] was going on, but it was like it was it was [ __ ] crazy.

Mike Blabac15:04

No you know exactly the same with me I remember I did I didn't even know what therapy was, you know, when I first did see a therapist, same [ __ ] you know, it's like kind of one of the first things they ask you, like what was your childhood? And I kind of like gave her like super 30,000 foot view, cliffnotes version of it. And she was like, whoa. And I was like, what do you mean? And she was just like, well, that's not like that's not normal.

And I was like, really? Like, you know, cuz it was it was it was like to me that was, you know, you know, my parents didn't like kick the [ __ ] out of me. They didn't like hit me with anything, you know what I mean? It was like, so I was like, "Cool. I had a good childhood." Like, it was solid. Like, I'm I'm here. Like, I'm alive. Like, I'm doing well. Like, I'm fine. I never put it into perspective that I'm doing well despite everything that was around me when I was growing up, not because of.

So, same thing. But my kids, you know, I I I had my son when I was very young. So, it took me a while. I was 20, just turned 24 and I was still like, you know, I I started drinking and like partying and I didn't figure [ __ ] out until I was like much older. So when I was around when my kid was young, Noah, my son, you know, I was like, "Cool, he's like breathing, he's good, like he's good, you you know. So, it's like the same I kind of raised him unfortunately the same way that I was and figured out later in life through like trying to work on myself and getting healthier and like just trying to be a better person trying to like write the ship so to speak.

Now we're good, you know, now and I are like solid and you know, so it's it's good. But yeah, I never I definitely didn't think of it as like bad at the time. But yes, no, I I wouldn't want my I wouldn't want my son or my daughter for that, you know. I wouldn't get her a tin of skull bandits and hand her a 12 gauge and be like, "Cool, later, Ty." Like, "See you tonight. Try and be home by dark." Like

Mike Blabac18:46

No, I never saw a skateboard until I moved to Michigan. Like, I didn't even know what it was cuz we lived in rural ass Ohio. Like, I mean, I had like towels in my backyard and

We lived near the woods and I I looked it up recently and the town I grew up in,

I think the population's 400 maybe. You know, when I was a kid, there was no stoplight. There was

Nothing. There was, you know, so I didn't I was somehow always interested in photography. I don't know like my parents had a 110 camera

And I remember when I was a kid and I was fascinated that like you could put film in this thing and images came out of it. It was just fascinating.

Mike Blabac19:30

Yeah. Yeah, I mean we didn't you know it's funny like it's a very like fuzzy like most of my childhood like pretty fuzzy memory of it but like I I remember being always very interested in photography and my my uncle my dad's brother had a dark room and I remember seeing it when I was a kid tripping out that you could like make like like photos. It was like magic, you know, seeing it to me. So I was like always very interested in it. So by the time that my folks moved to Michigan when I was a kid, I you know they they did support me in like kind of whatever I wanted to do and they were like yeah sure like you want to you want to take photos and I remember getting a used camera when I was 10 years old.

Um I still have to this day and I had a dark room and that's when I started printing photos and learning how to process film and there was no internet at the time but I would just get any magazine books anything I can get my hands on and just learn everything I could about photography and I remember like just loving like learning like there's a Ansel Adams series and it's called the camera the negative and the print and it goes into all the mechanics of cameras and how they work and how apertures and shutter speeds And I remember reading that book like five times and then I bought the negative and it talked about like how to process film and just all the different chemicals that you can use and why and how film works and like just figuring all that stuff out.

And so

Mike Blabac21:02

Uh started at like 11, you know, and then just kind of like I just always kept it going, you know, like I always just was very interested in photography.

Mike Blabac21:28

No, I truly love it, you know, and I, you know, it wasn't when I was a kid, I didn't really think, it wasn't like, oh, I'm going to like this is not going to be my job and I'm going to make this much money.

I just felt like that's what I wanted to do. And that's

Thankfully how I've sort of lived my life. Like I, you know, I I I knew that early on I wanted to get the [ __ ] out of my parents house. So, I moved before I moved out before I graduated from high school. And I, you know, I worked at a camera store. I assisted a guy taking photos with him. And I knew that I wanted to get out of Michigan. I was like, I can't live in Lansing, Michigan. Like, this place is depressing. And I got to and I just went to San Francisco for the summer to skateboard.

And as soon as I drove over the Bay Bridge, I was like, I I I'm like not leaving here. Like, I'm going to do whatever I can to stay here.

Mike Blabac22:34

You know, if I consciously thought about it, it felt like too lofty of a goal at the time. I just knew that I was going to do whatever it took to not go back to Lansing, Michigan, whatever that meant. I didn't know what that meant. Um, when I when I first got there, it meant working at the Gap. And then, you know, I I just kind of met everyone in the city and

Mike Blabac23:07

Yes. They well because I'd go to a place that everyone skated at called Embarcadero and you know I was a kid from Michigan was shy like I was you know and these were like people that I'd seen in magazines and like tore tore the pages out and taped them to my wall when I was a kid

And you know I looked up to all these people and but it was also kind of a feral and very like violent scene. I'd seen like tourists come from like Europe and they had their video cameras and getting robbed and like it was [ __ ] up. Like it was not it was a bunch of kids, you know, like and they were all like, you know, they if you if you showed up and you like took something expensive out of your bag and they didn't know you, like you were getting robbed.

Mike Blabac23:50

So I I knew to like

Not bring my camera.

Mike Blabac23:55

Somehow. Yeah. I went there and I just skated and I kept to myself. And finally a couple dudes from the scene came over and they're like, "Hey, what's up with you?" Like,

Mike Blabac24:04

And I'm like, I don't know. Like,

I'm just [ __ ] trying to mind my own business. Like, are we cool? Like, and you know, they were like, yeah, like, let me introduce you to some of these guys. And so, I became friends with a lot of the people that that that were skaters there.

Mike Blabac24:21

No. You know, I I think I worked for the Gap for about 3 months.

Yeah. And um which is funny cuz like even that was insane. And like it it ended up being the dude that I bought weed from was my manager at the gap and I would like come in cuz I was worked in the stock room and you know we worked at like 4:30 in the morning

And I was like

Super hung over and so I'd crawl into the back and like sleep I would sleep in the shelves in the back and like wake up and then I'd do a little work and then I'd get off work and then I'd go skate with all my friends. But then once I

Mike Blabac25:04

No, I was 16 when I moved down to my parents house until I graduated from high school. I was 19 when I moved to San Francisco.

Mike Blabac25:11

I drove across the country with a friend.

Mike Blabac25:17

Another skate homie.

Yep. Um, we slept like on his couch and you know like stayed there until we all found a place together and and it it's I mean like you know they very naive and I I did have some semblance of street smarts but like I remember leaving like I left a blanket on my uh backseat of my car and the first night in SF my car got broken into to steal the like I had a convertible and they like cut the back window and took the blanket out and whatever.

I just taped it closed. I didn't give a [ __ ] You know,

Mike Blabac25:56

Oh, no. I had like, you know, I when I was a kid, I I I thought I was going to go to school for photography. And so when I graduated from high school, I went to Lansing Community College

And because there was a very there was a famous photography school in Santa Barbara called Brooks. Yeah. and and um the the credits from LCC transferred to Brooks. And so I thought, you know, my like plan when I was in high school was like, oh, I'm going to go to school for photography and then I'll eventually make my way to Brooks and then I'll be a professional photographer. And I'm like, that's like that's my plan.

Mike Blabac26:47

You know a newspaper photographer I don't know you know what I mean

Mike Blabac27:25

You know, when I was a kid, I looked I I read in addition to skateboarding magazines, I looked at a lot of like fashion magazines. But again, just like when I drove over the Bay Bridge, I never envisioned myself being able to like shoot covers of the same magazines that I used to tear pages out of when I was a kid because I was like, "Fuck, I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to do that. I just love photography and I just wanted to learn it.

So like that's that was what my dream was was just to go to school for photography which was quickly as soon as I showed up at LCC I and I'm sure I had a bad teacher and probably had a bad experience you know it was a very rudimentary like course and it was like

Mike Blabac28:06

You could have taught it yourself. He was like, "This is how a camera works and this is" and I was like, "Okay, you know, like I I'm like, I don't know if this class is right for me." And he was like, "Well, this is how you have to learn here."

And I was like, "What?" Like, and I was probably a dick cuz I was a kid. And I went to the counselor's office and I was like,

"Is there any way I can test past these courses? I've had a dark room since I was a kid." Like, you know, and I again, I probably didn't frame it correctly to her. I was probably dick because I was a kid. But I knew that I I I my knowledge was well past where I was sitting in that classroom. I remember the counselor being like, "No, this is your only this is how you have you have to follow like in our program." And I was like, "Cool.

I want my money back." Like, and so I got my money back and that's how I moved to San Francisco and I had like 800 bucks and I remember thinking I was like rich. You know what I mean? I I had a red I think it was a 91 Pontiac Sunbird convertible and like drove. Yeah, it was the worst car ever.

Mike Blabac29:14

I had a Nikon F3. Okay.

I was solid there.

Mike Blabac29:17

And I had a Nikon F3 50mm lens, an off-brand fisheye lens because I bought a fisheye lens knowing that if I wanted to shoot skateboarding um that I, you know, I I needed one. But I I ended up getting that replaced thanks to Grant Brittain, who we'll get into. But when I moved to the city and I became friends with everyone, I just uh you know, eventually they were like, "You take photos. Like, why don't you take photos of us?"

Mike Blabac29:46

And I was like, "I don't know. I guess I will." So, I did. I shot a photo of my friend Scott Johnston and it got used um for an ad, and the company paid me 500 bucks. And my mind was blown. And I was like, "This is more than I make at 2 weeks." Like folding shirts like hung over in the morning. So I like

Literally as soon as I got the money in my hand, I got paid cash, which was probably sketchy.

And I went straight to the gap and I quit.

I gave my two weeks and my manager like I, you know, I had a despite sleeping the shelves, you know, like I I did I showed up at work on time and like I you know, whatever. I only did that because I was told I could.

Mike Blabac30:29

He actually pointed it out to me. But like, you know, I I like I I quit and that's I knew that's what I wanted to do and I started taking photos of my friends.

Mike Blabac31:45

Well, thanks.

Mike Blabac32:04

I was aware of Grant uh because I remember when I was a kid like looking at skateboarding magazines for the first time, you know, cuz I' I'd read Ansel Adams books and a lot of photo magazines. I was blown away by like the creativity of the photography and it was like a lot of super like crazy fisheye lenses and cool lighting and just everything about it was magical to me and one of the names that stood out more than any others was Grant Brittain's name and he was a photo editor of a magazine that I loved at the time called Transworld and I just loved his work because I studied a a lot of fashion photographers and their work and Grant's in a weird way kind of aligned with that, the perfection of it and just how he framed everything and how much thought was put into the, you know, everything that went into the frame.

And so for a writing project in English class in 8th grade, I wrote him a letter and just like, hey, like how do you take skateboarding pictures? and he like actually wrote me back and I was like blown away.

Mike Blabac33:19

So I like I I there was a demo at my local skate shop in Lansing, Michigan and I, you know, I took my camera I had and I shot some photos of the demo and I sent them to him and he gave me like honest feedback. He's like, "Your horizon lines off. You do this, do that." And I was like, "Okay." Like, you know, he told me they were [ __ ] in the nicest way possible. Uh, but he he knew that he saw there was something in there.

So, you know, I think I wrote him I sent him photos maybe one other time and he wrote me back.

Mike Blabac33:57

Yes. him slides and then him filling out a form saying, you know, what was wrong with him and what I could do better and putting it back in an envelope and mailing it back to me in Michigan and, you know, like I'm a kid in Lansing, Michigan. Like this is like one of my like is incredible. It's like now you have Instagram and a guy like Steve McCurry will like, you know, drop a shotgun on a photo of mine and my mind's like blown, you know.

But the same thing then, you know, like getting having Grant write me back when I was a kid. So when I got to San Francisco and I became friends with all these pro skaters, I was like, "Fuck it. Like, I'll call him." And so I called Transworld, like called the front desk, like the number in the magazine

And I was like, "Is Grant Brittain there?" And they transferred me to his desk and he picked up.

Mike Blabac34:50

No, it's crazy.

Mike Blabac35:20

I mean, you know, with anything, you have to if you love it, you keep persevering and you get to a place to where like, you know, I I think naturally you become successful if you keep trying and you have a singular focus and you keep doing that same thing again and again. So, I called Grant. I was like, "Hey, what's up? Like, I've I've written you a couple letters." He's like, "Yeah, I know who you are." And uh I was like, "Well, hey, I'm I'm in SF now." and he's like, "What are you doing here or there?"

Mike Blabac35:50

He's in San Diego.

Mike Blabac35:52

He was uh Transworld at the time was in Oceanside. He lived in Encinitas, California at the time.

Mike Blabac35:59

He was like, you know, basically, what are you doing there? And I'm like, I uh I live here now.

And I'm like, yeah, I'm friends with all these guys. And he was like, cool. He's like, I'll send you some film. And I'm like, okay. And he's like, "The only thing I ask is that you send the photos to back to us." He's like, "Don't give him the slap or Thrasher." I was like, "Okay." Like, "Yeah, no problem." Cuz it was like a thing like San Francisco, they had like SF like on lock and that was like their territory and their dudes. And I remember the editor at the time, this guy Jake Phelps, who was a maniac.

Mike Blabac36:36

And you know, deep inside he was a sweet dude, but he was insane. Yeah.

And he used to when I would like after I got a retainer for the magazine, um I remember him yelling at me and calling me Grant cuz Grant was the photo editor. And I took it as a compliment and he'd be like, "Fuck you, Grant." Like, and I'd be like, "Fuck you, Jake." And like that was our like cadence for years. Um, but you know, Grant gave me film and I sent him back and I remember how the first batch of photos I sent to him.

Two things got used. One had a calendar that they printed and another was a full page and I was I was like, "Holy shit." I [ __ ] stared at that page for so long. And I was blown away because I was like, man, this is the same magazine that like not long ago in high school, I literally like I stared at for hours, tore the pages out. Like now I get to make the same images that other people can tear out.

Mike Blabac37:36

can't believe it." It was amazing, you know, and so, you know, I remember I got paid I think it was like 150 bucks a page,

Mike Blabac37:58

Yeah. No, and also 150 bucks was like a lot of money. I was stoked. I was still living off the 500 that I had, you know, a couple months prior from like selling that one photo.

Yeah. And um you know I I sent him another batch of film and I remember more photos getting printed and he was like well do you want a retainer? And I was like what does that mean? And he was like well we'll pay you 750 bucks a month and my rent at the time was like 350 bucks. And so my mind was blown. I was like oh cool like I got weed money. I got like I got I'm cool. I'm

Mike Blabac38:34

Oh I could retire basically. And he was like, "If we use more than that per month, you we'll pay you on top of that. So if you get like 10 pages in the magazine, you know, 1,500 bucks, then we'll give you the extra 750." And I was just like, "Are you serious?" Like, and you know, even when he sent me film, I remember opening the box and it was just like roll like it must have been like 70 rolls of film or something and I was just like, "Oh my god." Like again, like thinking I was like rich.

And so, you know, so he he gave me a retainer and I remember in addition to that, some of the guys that I was friends with at the time worked for the skateboard company called Mad Circle.

Mike Blabac39:17

And I was always very interested in marketing and the aesthetics of things and, you know, how things looked. And I remember Scott Johnston was like, "Hey, you know, I think Justin, the guy that owned Mad Circle at the time, I'm like, I think he needs help. Like, do you want to help him?" And I was like, "Yeah." And he's like, and I met Justin. And coincidentally, he needed a roommate, too. So, and I didn't like my roommates from Michigan. And so, I moved out and he lived like, I don't know, a block away.

So, I put all my [ __ ] on skateboards and like pushed it down the street into Justin's house. And I started to learn Photoshop and I started to learn, you know, how to lay out things and just the aesthetics of like ads and and how things were received. And so it was like a very early interest in like marketing as well. Yeah.

So, you know, I'd been in the city like not even 6 months and like I had a job at a skateboard company, had a retainer at a magazine. I was like stoked, you know, and so my job was to literally like go skating with my friends, but instead of just skating with them, I now carried a backpack and it was the same backpack I used for high school, but I now like wrapped my camera in a hoodie and like just piled everything in there and like went skating with my friends and just when they were doing something I thought would be a cool photo, I took it and you know, it got used and and it it was just I remember thinking like, "Wow, this is crazy.

This is my job.

Mike Blabac41:18

Yeah.

Mike Blabac41:39

It is dope. It's cool to to to experience that.

Mike Blabac41:42

you know, we corresponded um for for years. And I think the first time I met him, I was hammered at a trade show and I remember being like legit embarrassed cuz I was like pretty drunk at in a trade show at the time. It was just like a giant party and it was like where all the skateboard companies came together and I you know he comes from the same industry of dealing with maniacs so he did I he didn't think anything of it but I remember meeting him in person and him being just super cool and when the next time I came down to Southern California I went to Orange County but I made the extra trip down to Oceanside and went into his office and I remember just sitting in his office and like looking around and it was in I think probably about 1996.

So I you know a couple years of correspondence uh until I actually met him in person.

That's cool. And does he live near you now? Well, so it's funny because, you know, that was when I still lived in San Francisco and then I moved to LA. And when I moved to LA, I got a job uh working for DC Shoes and had to remove myself from retainer because Ken wanted me to shoot photos for everyone. And but I I stayed in touch with Grant,

You know, we we were close friends and you know was nerd out talking about cameras

And then I moved to San Diego because that's where DC Shoes was. So I I moved from, you know, Michigan writing him letters in 8th grade, then to San Francisco when he gave me film and put me on retainer, then like to LA, and then I moved to San Diego, and then a year ago, um, my girlfriend and I moved in together and she sent me a listing and I knew Grant's address cuz I've been to his house countless times over the last like 25 years

And it was literally on the same street that Grant lives in. So, yes, we I live five doors down from Grant, which is crazy.

Mike Blabac44:02

You know, it's weird like going from, you know, literally, you know, some a mentor, someone that I looked up to and just through, you know, perseverance and luck, like I, you know, I I went and had

Mike Blabac44:19

Yeah. It's crazy how that works.

But yeah, it's cool. It's, you know, I went out to coffee with him yesterday and Grant just turned 70 and he still takes photos and and we just sit around and talk about cameras and had coffee for a couple hours and it's amazing. You know, I've been friends with him. Yeah. Yeah.

Mike Blabac46:12

You know, go through kind of like the the through line of all the people that I've got to photograph and then yeah, I'll share this story about Colin.

Perfect. Um, so when I was a, you know, when I was a kid, you know, moving to San Francisco, Carl Watson was one of the first people that came up to me and he introduced me uh to everyone that lived in the city. Javvante Turner, Mike Carroll, Chico Bren, and a lot of those guys. there was um kind of an internet bubble in the late 90s

Where things became very expensive in San Francisco. So when I found out that my kid's mom and I were having our son Noah

Um was pretty much like I I'm not going to be able to afford to live here. So, we moved to LA and um I remember moving to LA and at the same time Scott Johnston, Mike, Carol, Chico Brenz, all the same dudes that I knew in San Francisco moved to LA. So, I was like, cool. Like, I'll just keep shooting photos of these guys. And then I got a job working for this company called Girl and Chocolate Skateboard Company. And it was owned by Spike Jones.

Uh Mike Carroll and Rick Howard and which is another guy I looked up to was Spike. I loved all his work since I was a kid and music videos that he'd done and movies now and

Uh so it was cool getting to work,

You know, for the same company that he owned and at times with him and but you know how I grew up through all the chaos of just partying and drinking and it sort of dovetailed right into my job with skateboarding.

It felt very comfortable. I was like, "Yeah, this makes total sense." Like, "These people make perfect sense." Just like how I made like [ __ ] choices and partners for a long time in the women that I was with because chaos equaled like it felt comfortable. It felt like my childhood. Like I was like, "Cool, this makes total sense." So, with skateboarding, I would go on trips and I remember like now it seems insane to me, but I didn't think anything of it.

Mike Blabac49:07

Well, it felt through and through.

It felt comfortable to me and I was comfortable being in it.

Mike Blabac49:13

Um I'm pretty anxious person on the inside, but you can't see it on the outside.

Mike Blabac49:20

Very anxious. Well, it's funny. First time I went and saw a therapist, she was like, "You have a lot of anxiety." And I was like, "Fuck, is that what that is?" That like constant humming inside of me to do [ __ ]

Mike Blabac49:58

Well, ignorance is bless. But you know I again I didn't think anything of it. But I worked in when I worked for girl I worked for girl for one year and they literally paid me $1,000 a month. So, was cool when I was a kid and had to pay $350 a month and like the only other bill I had was was weed

Uh money.

But then when I had a kid, a light bulb went on and I was like, "Okay, like I I need to make money." Like I got a I got a mouth to feed,

You know? I didn't know much for being a parent, but I [ __ ] knew that.

So, I was like, "Shit." So, I kind of wrote it out and I worked all the time. Like I I sometimes would go out sessions like you go out with like skaters and you go to a spot and you're not meant to be there. So like hopefully everything works out and you don't get kicked out and you get a photo and you get away, you know, and like hopefully it comes out because I was shooting film at the time cuz that's all there was. And I would go out on three, four sessions a day.

So, I was working like 12 hours a day, like I was grinding. And I was in 1998, I remember I shot nine covers of magazines. And I even though I was making $1,000 a month at Girl, I knew I needed to make like a lot of money. So, I made I got paid for editorial on top of working for Girl, and I got paid for ads on top of working for Girl. So, I was like all over the place. And I remember Rick Howard being like, "Dude, like why are you giving photos to all these other companies?" And I'm like, "But I'm still working for you.

I'm doing all the [ __ ] you're asking me for, too. Like, I'm just doing all of it." And he was like, "Okay."

But I remember I remember, you know, like asking for a raise cuz I'm like, I'm getting like $800 a month after taxes or probably less actually at that point. And I was like, that doesn't even cover my gas for how much I'm working. And so I remember, you know, and it was skateboarding like, and I I'm still friends with all those dudes. Um, and they just couldn't afford to pay me more. And I was like, "Okay, I quit." And I remember giving a six-month notice.

And then in 3 months, I checked in later at 9 months, literally to the day I started. And then a year to when I I I started I I went in and and uh I was like hey like you know what I'm going to ask like what's up with the raise and he was like they were starting another shoe company at the time. They they couldn't they couldn't disclose that to me because it was a big secret and they were like we can't afford to pay you more.

And I was like okay well I quit. And I'm like I'll still do you know like I can just sell you photos like freelance like it's all good you I I didn't want there skateboarding is a very small thing. I didn't want there to be and I they gave me a chance like I was like so happy and thankful to like be able to photograph all the guys that worked for them. So I remember literally the day I quit, Ken Block called me who started DC Shoes and he was like, "Hey, you know," and I remember he had kind of a whole spiel.

He's like, "Hey, you know, we've been working with this other guy and he's kind of hard to deal with and we don't really like his, you know, just there's there's just some [ __ ] It wasn't working out."

Mike Blabac53:28

And he was like, "We would like to hire you." And I was like, "Okay." And he's like, "Well, we could talk to girl and figure out." And I was like, "Well, that's not going to be an issue." And he's like, "Why?" And I'm like, "Cuz I literally quit today."

I was like, "You didn't hear?" And he was like, "No." you know, and this was before like Instagram and cell phones and texting. Well, actually I had cell phone at the time, but you know, it was before information spread so quickly.

And I was like, perfect. I'm like, when can I start?

And I drove down the next day. I drove down to Vista from LA. Yeah. and I was living with uh my kids or my kids mom's parents in Calabasas and I drove down to Vista where DC Shoes was at the time

And met with him and and got hired and that's how I started

That's when I really started traveling and really started like um kind of the lunacy started where we were filming uh DC video and it was a three-year project and you we would go I I mean, I think in those three years, I went to Barcelona probably like 10 times and we were all over the place.

Mike Blabac54:35

In Barcelona, the architecture of the city kind of lent itself to skateboarding and also they don't have liability laws. And so there you don't get kicked out of places the same way. And it was kind of like a little bit freer back then, you know, it was 25 years ago. And so they were just like you could do whatever you wanted. So it was like a dream.

Yeah. But you're going to Spain with all these dudes that are all making like six figures

Mike Blabac55:06

And you know cuz they had shoes with their names on it and they're getting royalties and

Mike Blabac55:14

He was a snowboarder but he met Damon Way, Danny's brother in Palomar College. Coincidentally my son goes to school there now. and he met him at at art school at Palomar College and they became friends and they started a brand called Eightball and that turned into Droors clothing and then Droors clothing turned into DC shoes and that's what DC stood for or stands for I guess. Um, but yeah, Ken Ken hired me when when I was a kid and basically saw something in me that he kind of just let me do whatever I wanted to do and it was amazing.

And I remember him telling me like what he wanted, but he one of his gifts was bringing people into the fold, seeing their their potential and letting them just do their thing. And I learned so much from him. Like it's incredible. You know, he's he like taught me so much about marketing and about building a brand. And he probably didn't think I was paying as much of attention cuz my nickname was Blaze. I smoked weed all the time. But I remember I would stay at his house, you know, cuz I didn't have a place to stay.

I'd like drive down the state. He had this big pad in Carlsbad. And I remember like sitting in his house like uh you know, playing video games and like smoking weed. I'm like, "Dude, why are you working all the time? Like, this is insane." And uh, you know, he he was just like, "This is just what I have to do." And now it makes so much sense. But still, I knew I recognized what a smart person he was and how successful he was. So, I paid attention, literally hung on every word and whether he thought so or not, and like just really was thankful to have the opportunity to work with someone like him and see him build and sell DC in 2004.

I started in 1999, so for 5 years, sell the company. And he he was obligated to stay with DC for a number of years afterwards, I think like four. Um, but then after he sold DC, that's when he started the race car thing. Yeah. I didn't think much of it at the time. I just remember thinking it was some like rich guy [ __ ] because he had a bunch of property in Utah and he was learn he went to rally school. Yeah. Like learning how to drive and that's kind of how he

Mike Blabac57:50

Yes.

Mike Blabac58:00

Um,

Mike Blabac58:05

Yeah. It was called Gymkhana. Gymkhana. Yeah.

All right. Give it to me.

Well, it was funny because, you know, I'm not clear when the first Gymkhana was, but you know, like I said, after he sold DC in 2004, shortly thereafter, he started driving. But he was a marketing genius. like he knew that's how he became one of the bigger figures in motorsports through a very unconventional way because he was so good at marketing. I remember him kind of telling me about the concept of Gymkhana, which is just a name that he picked out of I don't even know what it clearly what it means, but he was like, "It would be so cool to film a skateboard part in a car." And I was like, "What does that even mean?" And at the time it was like YouTube was in its infancy and cars, you know, like people were filming themselves like sliding in like parallel parking into a spot.

And he showed me a video and he was like this but like seven minutes of it and like edited together the same way a skateboard part is.

And I'm like well [ __ ] that would be insane.

And he he did it. He went to like an airirst strip and filmed what is now the first Gymkhana and it went off like it exploded.

Mike Blabac59:21

He did two and three and I remember just thinking like ah I don't know that's crazy. And I remember watching it thinking like this is pretty crazy.

Yeah. But the first one that I actually saw in person, by that time they had grown and he invited me to go to Universal Studios and we or he had basically shut down the whole backlot of Universal Studios and it was a gigantic production and I showed up and I was like, "What the fuck?" Like this is the same guy I used to argue with like what a skateboard ad looked like or if that was cool or not.

Yeah. And this, you know, this guy was my boss. And now he's like sliding. He's doing donuts around some dude, you know, riding a bicycle. Like he's just doing crazy [ __ ] And I just I photographed it the first day and I drove home because I had to go on a trip the next day. I had to go on a skateboard trip. And I sent him the photos and he was like, "You're coming back." And I was like, "I can't. and I'm going on a trip tomorrow.

Like I have to. And he was like, "You can't go on the trip. You're not." And I was like, "Well, cool. What better person

To make me not go on a trip than you,

You know?" So he basically was like, "Cool." Like, "You're like told everyone at DC that I wasn't going on the trip."

And I shot the rest of the shoot. And I think it was three more days of like, you know, they were gnarly like 12-hour days, you know, because we got up, you know, first light. But I remember how much fun it was photographing that and how insane it was like going through and like just I don't know framing things the same way, you know, like making a curb or a ledge look cool in skateboarding. Like here's this guy like sliding around like the Back to the Future car the gas station was across the street from the Back to the Future tower like just doing like the craziest [ __ ] And so it was like fun.

And so I photographed every single one of those including San Francisco.

Mike Blabac1:01:24

No, San Francisco was incredible. It was an amazing experience.

Mike Blabac1:01:36

We were up very early in the morning.

Okay. Um, it happened because the same production company that was working on the back end of Gymkhana was doing Iron Man. I forget which one. Um, but so they had already pulled all the permits for Bay Bridge, Russian Hill, all these spots around San Francisco.

Mike Blabac1:02:05

The movie Iron Man.

Mike Blabac1:02:07

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The Robert Downey Jr. ship. Okay.

Yeah. So, they moved locations from San Francisco to Miami

And Ken went to scout um they had an old military base that that was going to be the location for Gymkhana 5.

Yep.

And you know, Ford, he was sponsored by Ford at the time and they would always have a car waiting for him, like a little Focus RS that he could rip around the city. And they went and looked at the location and it kind of sucked. Like it was just boring. Yeah. And he was like,

You know, like ripping around in this car and like doing crazy [ __ ] in the car. And he's like, "Man, I wish we could do something like streets of San Francisco style and just kind of like rip through the city." And he they asked the production company and the production company was like, "Well, as a matter of fact, we already have the permits pulled for the Bay Bridge, Russian Hill, and you know, all these spots around downtown San Francisco, and the city doesn't care whether you're filming Iron Man or whether you're filming like a YouTube video with a Ford Focus.

They don't give a [ __ ] like what you're doing. You have the permits pulled, you're good. And as long as you have all the police there, you have everyone that you need to keep the public safe, you're good.

Mike Blabac1:03:29

You know, the only [ __ ] themselves that was done was uh I think it was the second day was when we had the Bay Bridge and we had it shut down for four 4minute intervals and got we were staged on Treasure Island and it was a little chaotic, you know, and it was funny because Ken was like, "We're going to have the Bay Bridge shut down.

You should shoot a photo of someone like pushing down the Bay Bridge." And I'm like, "Fuck, yeah, I should." Like, and he and I knew well enough not to tell anyone. So, it was a conversation that Ken and I had with one another. So, I went and my friend Josh Kis was in San Francisco at the time, and I was like, "Hey, we're going to have a chance to maybe do this."

Mike Blabac1:04:20

So, please come with me, but you're going to have to wake up at 4:30 in the morning. And he was like, "Okay, cool. I'm down." And so, I went up and I checked the whole spot. basically like I was in charge of shooting all the action. Yep.

And there was another guy in charge of shooting the car

And that shot on the bridge was the car just taking off. So it was just,

You know, I did it everything I needed to do the first time.

So I told Josh, I called him on the way back to Treasure Island after our first, you know, stint on the bridge. I was like, "Hey, we're going to have a chance like just get in the last passenger van and if anyone asks why you're why you have a skateboard, just tell them that you're there to help me." but nothing more. Yeah.

And he was like, "Okay." So, I got in the last pass van with him and everyone went one way and we started running the other direction and I remember the first ad, this guy Jeremy losing his [ __ ] mind. He was just like, "What are you doing?" And he had he he was like losing his [ __ ] But we only we were only there for 4 minutes and Ken, I remember seeing him like talking to him and he told him to like chill out.

Like he was like, "It's okay. Like fine." and we went and I shot a photo of my friend Josh like pushing down the Bay Bridge.

Mike Blabac1:05:31

Skating. Yes. Sorry. Yeah. I forget I'm not on a skateboard podcast here. Um but yes, pushing down the Bay Bridge. And so it was like, you know, it was it was an incredible like thing. It was so much fun to like be able to create something, you know, literally the bridge I drove across going into the city. Now I got to shoot photos of my friend Josh like pushing down the Bay Bridge. But the next time up, Ken, you know, in the same spirit was like, "Fuck it.

I'm going to do donuts on the Bay Bridge." And, you know, he had known that they kind of got all their shots and did everything. So, he took off in the car, this crazy little rally car that we're filming the video in, and he started doing donuts. And they the city thought that there was a terrorist attack because there was all this smoke coming from the Bay Bridge and the CHP were like they [ __ ] they were like [ __ ] you're done. Like they shut us down after the third try.

Mike Blabac1:06:34

Yeah, I kind of didn't I kind of skipped over that. Yes. Well, you know, a lot of my friends and Colin at the time was in a little bit of a rough spot. And again, I had a lot of patience from traveling with these dudes and dealing with them and all their [ __ ] chaos. And I remember picking up Colin in Carl'sbad, which is 2 hours south of LAX. And we were going to Paris for I think it was like a day and a half because I had curated a book that was basically like the 20-y year anniversary of DC and it was we were going to Paris and they had we were doing a photo show and they wanted one of the like legends from DC to come but I knew at the time Colin was in kind of like a bad spot you know on drugs and I was like [ __ ] I don't know like And and I I remember

Calling Colin. He's like, "I'm good. Like [ __ ] I'm solid. Like, I'm good." And I was like, "Okay, dude." And I remember picking him up and I got to his house and he's like, "Come inside." And I'm like, "Dude, we got to go to the airport." And then we like he he like I get him to get all his [ __ ] in my car. And he's like literally we're on the freeway for a mile and he's like, "Pull over at that gas station." I'm like, "What the fuck?" like he's like, "I need cigarettes." And I'm like, "Well, first of all, you can't [ __ ] smoke in my car."

Mike Blabac1:08:00

And he's like, "I just need a cigarette." And I'm like, "Oh, god damn it.

Tickets were already bought. Everything was already done." Like

I'm like, "Fuck it." Like, I'm going to see this through. Yeah.

And I'm going to take this [ __ ] to the the airport

And I'm going to fly to Paris with him.

And dude, we we we get to the airport and literally like we were fighting the whole way up cuz I was like, "Dude, like [ __ ] you. Like you're being a dick. like whatever. And we get we get to the airport and we're both flying business because I I we were only there for a short period of time. So, we were at least comfortable flying there. And by the time we got to the airport, I was so sick of a [ __ ] And we kind of went our separate ways.

And I was just like, "Fuck you. I'm going to do my thing. I need some peace and quiet. Yeah, I'll see you on the plane." And I I remember sitting on the plane and I had my window seat and he's sitting next to me. unfortunately. And I remember two flight attendants like basically throwing him into a seat and I was like, "What the fuck?" Like, "What is going on?" And they could tell like they were pissed and he was like, "Fuck them." [ __ ]

Mike Blabac1:09:09

This was before we were took off.

Mike Blabac1:09:12

And he was like causing [ __ ] already.

Mike Blabac1:09:17

No, I have no idea how they allowed any of this.

Mike Blabac1:09:21

He still to this day doesn't know what he was on, but he was drinking like incessantly and they cut him off like right away. Like I don't even know again I don't know why they allowed him to drink because they we started

Mike Blabac1:09:38

Exactly. Okay. I was pissed.

Mike Blabac1:09:41

And so they cut him off and so he starts like running around the plane to like get more booze cuz we're in business and so he's running.

Mike Blabac1:09:51

Well, as we were flying. Oh, okay.

Shortly into the flight. Okay. Okay.

Like an hour into the flight, they cut him off.

And then he starts running around to get booze.

And I'm like, "Dude, like," and he's like, "Here, just take this. Can you ask for booze?" And I'm like, "Can you ask for vodka?" And I'm like, "No, [ __ ] you." Like, "I'm not asking for [ __ ] no." And I I remember cuz I, you know, I still drank at the time. And I was just like, "Fucking all right." Like I I ordered a beer and he's like trying to take it and he's like running around the plane and he's like starting to start [ __ ] with people.

Like the people behind us were like it was an older couple, you know, and these people probably saved up to go on vacation. And I remember he like straight up was like trying to fight these people and he was like completely out of his mind. And I'm like dude, what the [ __ ] your problem? Like stop like stop starting [ __ ] with everyone on this plane. Like just running around and

Mike Blabac1:10:45

Fullown adult. Okay, now we were I mean [ __ ] let's see uh this 2014. Yeah, I'm 51. Well, I was 40. He was in his late 30s.

Mike Blabac1:10:55

You know, and at this point like they were like I think they gave us gave him a snack and he would like threw it someplace in the plane and I'm like dude what the [ __ ] like and then they brought him food and cuz they asked him what he wanted and I remember tripping like that that they were even feeding this guy and he like he was like a this food sucks like [ __ ] this and he like stood up and threw his tray down the aisle of the airplane.

What? And I was just like, "Fuck." Like, and you know, it kept escalating and I remember going to like the flight attendants and I was like, "Hey, who's in charge here?" And they were like, "Well, here's the head cursor, whatever the name of the main flight." And I was like, "Hey, do you have an air marshal on this plane?" And he was like, "Well, no." And like basically would gave me like a not straight answer. And I was like, "Well, if you do, like, can you [ __ ] zip tie this guy and like put him in a bathroom or do something cuz like I like and I was like, "Hey, like if you see that our flights are booked together, like I'm not co-signing this guy's behavior, just to be clear.

Like I want to get to Paris and I want to do what I have to do and I want to come home."

Mike Blabac1:12:15

Okay. And he was like, "Yeah, sure. But like we don't we can't do anything about it." And I was like, "What do you mean you can't do anything about it?" And I'm like, "Can you move me?" Cuz like I don't want to deal with this guy. Like [ __ ] this guy. And they were like, "No, we can't move move you. The flight is full." And so he keeps like starting more [ __ ] Like he's like throwing food at people. Like everyone in the plane wants to kill him.

And I remember I remember the flight attendants like repeatedly talking to him. And they were like, "Hey, like you're going to get arrested." And he's like, "No, I'm not." like and and they brought him a note from the pilot and the pilot like wrote him a note basically saying like you're going to be arrested if you know when we get in when we get to Paris like I'm going to notify authorities and he was like and he's such a funny dude um and it's funny now in hindsight he looks at the flight attendant he's like may I borrow your pen please and he asked for the you know they're like okay and he takes the note and he flips it over and he just writes, "Fuck you." And he like hands it back and he's like, "Can you please give this to the pilot?"

Mike Blabac1:13:31

No, for 14 hours like just complete chaos.

Mike Blabac1:13:36

He didn't sleep. Not Not a wink. I tried to sleep because I was only on the ground for like literally 36 hours. I was in Paris. I was, you know, and I had like interviews to do and like, you know, I was like, [ __ ] I was working, you know, like I was like there for a photo show, but I was there to like do stuff, you know? They didn't, DC didn't send me to Paris for no reason at all. They didn't send me to like get blacked out on drugs and to cause problems on a airplane.

And so it was so crazy cuz we land in Paris and there was like a SWAT team like waiting for him.

Mike Blabac1:14:09

That's what I thought. I was like, dope. Like this guy like [ __ ] this guy.

Get it. Oh, he's, you know, and I was like, I remember getting up and we like were not cool with each other by this point. So I like kind I brushed past him and I like got my [ __ ] and I got got off the plane and

I was like, you know, whatever pushed past all the SWAT team dudes and I remember going through customs and you know doing everything you have to do to get through customs and he's this guy's [ __ ] waiting for me on the other side and he's covered with like jelly and [ __ ] from throwing food and just being a maniac. But by this point, he was like pretty sober and he but he was still like on drugs. So he was just like,

Mike Blabac1:15:01

I didn't say anything to him.

Mike Blabac1:15:04

I didn't want to say [ __ ] to him. Okay. No. After a while, I was like, "Dude, don't talk to me." Like, I put headphones in and I was like, "Do not [ __ ] talk to like I'm going to [ __ ] punch you. Like, stop it. Like, don't don't [ __ ] I don't want to deal with your [ __ ] So, it's funny because he and I was like, "How are you here?" Like, yeah. And he was like, "Oh, well, they just like checked to see if I was sober and I am because they cut me off and I couldn't drink.

So, here I am." And I was like, "That's it. They let you into the country." And he's like, "Yeah, I'm totally sober." He's like, "Fuck those people." And I was like, "Oh my god." And like we kind of had we didn't really talk the whole time until like we were flying back and we were waiting in the airport because our tickets were booked together and I I changed my seat cuz I'm like I'm not sitting next to you and he's like so we're not friends now and I'm like not right now like we're not cool.

Um, but you know, like it was just another example of like I had a lot of bandwidth for chaos. Yeah. you know, again, like just uh traveling with these dudes and just the chaos. Like when we would go to Barcelona, you know, these guys were making hella money and they would go out and party until like the sun came up and they, you know, they like coke, hookers, like you name it. So I would just gravitate towards the ones that were more sober or that could function that day.

And you know, each day we would wake up at like noon or 1 coffee and we would venture out into a different part of the city and we' just skate and I would just photograph these guys doing stuff and that was my job and it was just chaos. Like it was complete chaos. So, you know, it's funny because like I just I looked at every photograph I took

And I wanted it to be a cover. I wanted everything to be as good.

Mike Blabac1:17:08

As it could be. So no matter what was going on around me, I was like, "Cool." Like, I didn't care. I was doing what I love doing. I didn't care. I was like, "Fuck, if you want to go off and do blow, yeah,

Mike Blabac1:17:22

Of course,

Good and fine with me." I knew because I love drinking so much and I loved smoking weed. So, I I never did drugs thankfully because I knew if I did, I'd be in the ground. So I never went off with those guys.

Mike Blabac1:17:36

And you know,

There was some semblance inside of me that was like I went to the edge, but I never went over the edge of the cliff.

Mike Blabac1:17:46

You know, I never I never went into the dark depths of places that those guys went.

But I was fine being around it. Like it was totally fine with me. So when Colin was like running around on the plane being a maniac, I was like cool with it. Which, by the way, I I feel comfortable sharing his name and telling the story because we're friends now.

Mike Blabac1:18:08

He's not on drugs anymore. Like, he's totally got his [ __ ] together. And out of so many people that I've traveled the world with and I've been around, you know, we're still friends and we live close to one another and, you know, it's it's it's awesome, you know. So, I like hopefully he's cool with me sharing that story of him [ __ ] running around the airplane and being a maniac.

Yes. But like, you know, again, I I I didn't think it was crazy. I didn't think it was crazy until now looking back on it and having some space from it. I think like anything in your life, you know, just probably like you knew your childhood was crazy. But having space from it and being an adult, looking back on it, you're like, "Fuck, it really was crazy." Like,

Mike Blabac1:18:54

Yes.

Mike Blabac1:21:09

So he's seeing if you're going to

Mike Blabac1:23:19

Yeah.

Mike Blabac1:23:40

Yeah. You know, it's funny. It's crazy that nothing happened like they they let him.

Mike Blabac1:23:46

I think if it were the other way and he had done that coming into the US. Oh,

Mike Blabac1:23:51

Yeah. There there would have been problems cuz it was a US crew going into Paris. So there's something that where it he like just skated through and got got going into the country. Yeah. Yeah.

Mike Blabac1:25:16

Well, you know, years of, you know, my whole life, like ever since I was a kid, I was able to do whatever I wanted to do for work. Like, I loved what I was doing. Um, so I was able to I was able to be successful in it because I truly loved it. But at the same time, you know, I love drinking.

Like I was like a I was around, you know, and I was it was like almost encouraged in like in skateboarding, you know, because I would I had a very good rapport with all the dudes. Even when they went off to do blow, I was like, "Cool, you guys have fun. I'm going to stay right here." And we were cool. I wasn't like, "No, don't do that." Or like, I was just like fine with it. And so, you know, I drinking for me like kind of became like more and more of a thing.

And I remember when early on I checked myself when I was like in 2004, I was like at a point where I was drinking like 20 beers a day because it was like I could hang out. I could, you know, shoot photos of people. I was like I was fine like you know what I mean like if as long as I wasn't driving you know like I wasn't like swerving all over the road or anything but like when I was like out or with people or whatever like that's was not a problem and so I stopped but then I started again like two years later and you know it was just a thing where like I would go out to lunch you know have a couple beers and then I would drink during the day and smoke weed and then at night I would have like [ __ ] cocktails at dinner or whiskey and you know I drank everything all day every day.

Mike Blabac1:27:12

I became very good at drinking you know and that's was like I say that because my career you know I I decided to do commercial photography because at a certain point shooting skateboarding I was like [ __ ] I can't I can't climb over fences and I can't run away from cops for the rest of my life. you know, I have kids and like I want to be able to support them and I want to be able to pay for their college and like this ain't it.

It became pretty clear that like I was going to have to do other things. And so I started doing commercial work and I had done a job very early on in in my skateboarding photo career. When I first moved to LA, I got a call from an ad agency called Chiat/Day and they it was for a Sony campaign and I remember thinking like, man, you know, like this is I was like, sure, I'll do it. Like, whatever. I didn't I had no idea what any of it meant.

I didn't know that commercial photography was like a thing. I I didn't know what it was. So, they were like, "How are you going to do this?" I told him like exactly how I planned on it was shooting skating photos for a PlayStation game. And I was like, "Cool, right up my alley. No problem." And I think Grant actually gave them my number cuz Grant's funny cuz he's like, "I don't want to deal with these cooks." Where I was like, you know, I was like, "Sure, I'll I'll do that."

Yeah. And I remember a producer picked me up and went to the set the first day and I remember seeing like tons of [ __ ] people. And I was like, "What's going on here?" And she's like, "This is your shoot. This this is all your people." And I'm like, "What do you mean? Like I'm used to climbing over a fence and I'm used to like doing [ __ ] myself." And she's like, "Well, these two are your assistants and this is like this is catering and this is your RV." And I'm like, "What do you mean my RV?

Like what are you [ __ ] talking about? Like I don't get an RV." And she's like, "Yeah, like and it's catered." And I like look over and there's like little shrimp and [ __ ] Like and I'm just like, "What the [ __ ] is this?" So anyways, like I remember thinking like it was so crazy. And I remember like doing the job and at the end of the job like thinking like like [ __ ] like I you know I knew I was getting paid like 5gs.

Mike Blabac1:29:40

And I remember like like them telling me, you know, it was a three-day shoot.

Mike Blabac1:29:47

And they're like, "No, you get paid like five grand a day." And I remember my mind being blown. Like I was like [ __ ] blown. Like it was like crazy because I was like, "Wow, I just made like 15 grand and that's how I have this watch." Like I literally went out that day like and bought a watch like as soon as I got paid. But it's funny because I didn't like it. I didn't like being around the people

And I didn't like

Mike Blabac1:30:15

I didn't like it. I was like, I want to travel the world with my friends and I want to shoot skateboarding. So not until like years later where I tried to like really lean in to doing that type of work again. And I really wanted to like try and like have a career like and make make money, you know what I mean?

But and I started doing that. And I and I remember my work with Ken kind of led to doing work with Ford cuz my friend Jacob, who that's how I met Andrew, um he was directing a shoot for Ford, a commercial. And I came to visit him and he told the creative director, he was like, "Yeah, he's shot photos of Ken Block." And he was like, "Really?" And I'm like, "Yeah, you know, [ __ ] whatever." Like I did. Then I'm like, "Yeah, you know, like Ry's Donuts, like

Mike Blabac1:31:11

What?" And he's like, "You took that photo?" And I was like, "Yeah." And he's like, "I totally know all that." He's like, "Do you want to work?"

And I was like, "What do you mean?" Like, and he's like, "Well, do you want to come to set and shoot photos?" And I was like, "Yeah." And it led to me doing like automotive work. And I started like I got I had a good work ethic and I started working a lot and I started really leaning into doing commercial work yet still I had a I had a retainer at um DC Shoes

And I was still traveling the world with these guys and I was like you know traveling with these dudes trying to do as much freelance work on the side as humanly possible cuz I'm like, "Fuck, this is incredible. I'm making like the same money that I made, you know, like that I made when I was a kid, like doing that Sony thing."

Mike Blabac1:32:05

But, you know, I was doing all of this while drinking all day every day.

And I'm like, and you know, I started working. I I'd published a book and I was publishing another book. And it was it was a book of portraits. And I remember trying to like make this book of portraits, doing all the work in skateboarding that I had to do, doing commercial photography, and I was getting hammered all day, every day. And like, and I mean like drinking a lot, you know? I was drinking 10, 20 beers a day. I could finish like an entire like bottle of Johnny Walker a night.

Like drinking like a lot, you know, and not, you know, but like waking up,

Slamming coffee, being a normal human being. I was always on time. My work never suffered.

Mike Blabac1:32:58

Just hustling for work. So I was on my feet 14 hours a day. Like I was grinding, but I was drinking too.

Mike Blabac1:33:14

Um, no. I shot I photographed Klay Thompson, different Splash Brother.

Uh, but you know, LeBron was for a GMC commercial, so automotive work. Usher was for State Farm, random thing. Uh, but you know, I I had a good reputation with these ad agencies and these production companies and I didn't have an agent. So, I had to grind extra hard cuz I didn't have someone out there

Farming work out for me, but they also take 20% of your income. So, I was like, "Fuck that. I don't want that." And I just I was like becoming a successful commercial photographer and still like pushing and I remember kind of the straw that broke the camel's back was trying to make this book because it was on top of everything else in between everything else.

And I was just like the the dim a very dim light bulb went off and was like I should probably stop drinking. And you know, when you're at a point where you should stop drinking drugs or you should stop drinking, you know, you're you're kind of like, you probably should have stopped a long [ __ ] time ago. And you know, I went to New York with my girlfriend at the time and it rained the whole time. And I remember just like getting hammered all day.

Here I am [ __ ] this professional guy with my [ __ ] phone on. That's Grant Brittain.

Mike Blabac1:34:44

Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, Grand.

Mike Blabac1:34:47

You know, I should have speaker phoned it, but I'm put it down. He's going to be confused. Um, so I remember where was I at? Sorry. When Grant called,

Mike Blabac1:34:59

Yes. So, at this time, I went on a trip to New York with my my girlfriend at the time and she she and I were kind of like she she drank, too. Not nearly as much as I did. She actually didn't necessarily love how much I drank, but I I kept even how much I drank from her too because she would like pass out and I would just stay up and keep drinking [ __ ] by myself in my house like I'm [ __ ] making myself [ __ ] pizzas and eating at 2:00 in the morning and just so I could keep drinking.

And I remember coming back from New York and you know it rained every day and I was having like 10 oldfashions a day and like drinking like beer on top of that and like I came home and I just remember thinking like [ __ ] I got to stop this. Like I have to like this is like this isn't I'm gonna kill myself, you know? And I probably was going to kill my I probably would be dead by now if I hadn't [ __ ] shifted course.

The next day I went to LA and I, you know, I remember waking up like feeling like [ __ ] and I was like, "Fuck it, I'm going to go to my friend Jacob." He was having a birthday party and he is Jacob is all about introducing his friends to one another.

Yeah. and he and Andrew were were skate homies growing up. And I remember meeting Andrew and I remember also making conscious decision that day to not drink at Jacob's party. And I remember thinking like I probably shouldn't drink. But I met Andrew and we were talking and I was like, you know, how do I get healthy? And he's like, what do you mean? I'm like, well, [ __ ] I'm a pile. Like I I I [ __ ] I drink all the time and you know I was I was pretty overweight.

I didn't think that I was overweight but I was. I weighed like what 235 lbs and you know I'm 6'2 but it was spread out but not a healthy weight. He was like so you drink? And I'm like yeah. He's like how much? And I'm like enough. Like I I'm I'm like I drink a lot. And he's like well you need to stop doing that. And I was like okay.

Mike Blabac1:37:16

Yes. Okay. after chatting with him for I mean probably 20 30 minutes because I asked him well I you know something

He wasn't drinking

And you know he's like a fit dude and I remember thinking like [ __ ] this dude looks pretty healthy

And I remember him telling me like

Hey well you know when I asked him kind of like almost for help like I you know like I was like hey like how do I get healthy and I remember him kind of lighting up and just he was like, "Well, you know, you definitely need to stop drinking and you know, you should you should eat within an 8 hour window." And I remember him kind of going off like going off telling me like, "Well, this is, you know, eat within an 8 hour window. It's called inter intermittent fasting and this is what it does for your cells, but I don't even call it that because this these are the health benefits of it." And like just [ __ ] laying it all out for me.

And I remember being like, "Wow, like this is amazing. Like this dude's incredible." And we hung out and talked about skateboarding and he gave me some health advice. And literally like later that night, he sent me like he's like, "Let me get your number." Sent me like a shitload of information. Like sent me like pages long texts of like how to exercise, how to eat, what to eat.

Mike Blabac1:38:41

Oh yeah. like before I had the podcast and I just, you know, I just saw it took it as a sign. I kind of lived my whole life doing what felt right and it always worked out for me and I was like, I have to do this. Like, I have to. And so literally the next morning after meeting him and having all this information from Andrew in my phone, I I went to like I remember going to an LA fitness and it was dark and there was old people in there and I was like, "Fuck this place." Like I went to an Equinox and I signed up for a membership and they're like, "Well, what are your goals?" And I'm like, "I don't know.

Like I'm just going to try and get healthy like you know cuz I I didn't want their help." the whole spiel like trying to send me trainers and I did some of what Andrew told me to do. And I remember him texting me this. He was like, "Run for a few minutes and then every few minutes, run for a short period of time like someone's chasing you with a needle filled with poison." And I was like, "Okay, like I picture painted like I I could do that."

And so I got an elliptical machine cuz I don't know how to run. I'm not like you or Rob. And like I [ __ ] I go on elliptical machine for like an hour and a half every day. Like six, seven days a week.

Mike Blabac1:40:00

And not drinking, eating within an 8 hour window. And I just started doing it. I remember the first like [ __ ] probably couple months I would sleep like 10 12 hours because your body like gets [ __ ] sleep when you're hammered. And but I was like waking up at 5:00 in the morning. I was first person in the gym and I would just I was just doing it. I didn't tell him. I didn't tell my kids. I didn't tell anyone. I just [ __ ] did it.

And I remember seeing Andrew for the first time, you know, because he was at Stanford and he was in the process of moving to LA. And I went to his house in Topanga Canyon when he lived there at the time. And he was like, "Whoa." Cuz I dropped like 40 pounds. Yeah,

I dropped like 20 in the first two weeks.

Mike Blabac1:40:54

Because I was like filled with beer and like [ __ ] pizza and like, you know, and he's like, "Dude, like what's up with you?" And I'm like, "I stopped drinking. I started eating within an 8 hour window." He's like, "No one ever listens to me.

No one ever [ __ ] listens." And I just I just knew it was the right thing to do, you know? I knew it was like it just again it felt right. It felt like the right thing to do. And I'm so thankful that I didn't, you know, everyone has their own [ __ ] process like but for me going to the gym every day and running like a maniac and just feeling better. But all that, you know, me trying to cram 10 pounds of [ __ ] in a five pound bag, it like the clouds broke and I was like, "Oh my god, like I can really finish this book and I could do all this work." And like I could do all everything, you know?

I had time to do everything. I was like my mind was blown.

Yeah. And so it was funny because I I so that made it easy for me to like not drink,

You know, and I just kept that momentum going. And so I think through that, you know, Andrew and I became friends, you know, cuz it was like we had a camaraderie of skateboarding, but also I think that he was stoked on seeing me taking and like, you know, like turning my life around and like actually following the advice that he had given and, you know, really pushing ahead. So we became, you know, pretty close friends. Um, you know, this was in like late 2019. Um, you know, when I when I stopped Well, I stopped drinking July 2nd, 2019.

Mike Blabac1:43:06

Never drank again. Never had another drop of booze.

Mike Blabac1:43:40

Again, I I knew I knew that everything my career was at a place that I couldn't imagine it ever being when I was a kid

In Michigan when I was writing grant letters. Like I didn't think that I'd ever get to not only like being being able to like photograph like covers of magazines, but like getting to photograph like I was super into basketball, like getting to photograph like LeBron James or Clay or like getting to shoot dudes like Usher or getting to like

Do stuff either way, whatever it was, automotive work, getting to do stuff that I truly love doing. And when I drove over the Bay Bridge when I was a kid, I was like, don't [ __ ] this up. Like I got to I I don't want to go back to Lansing, Michigan. Like that place sucked. Like

I kind of started to dimly see a picture of me [ __ ] it up.

Like not taking advantage and not walking through every door that opened up for me.

And when I met Andrew, I was like, "Fuck." Like I met this dude for a reason. And I'm not some hippie. Yeah.

That like But I was like,

You know, again, like Andrew, I was like, it's not some kid that works at GNC. like this is a Stanford professor giving you solid ass. And I was like, I met this dude for a reason and I'm just gonna [ __ ] follow his advice and I'm just gonna like

I'm going to be as good at being healthy as I was getting [ __ ] up. And I felt like immediately felt so much better.

Mike Blabac1:45:09

And as I remember my daughter, she was 12 at the time.

Mike Blabac1:45:12

Oh, I mean drastically, you know, uh, you know, like when you're getting when you're drinking that much, when you're building a Lego set and you're passing out or you're [ __ ] you know, it's funny. I mean, but it's like it's true.

Mike Blabac1:45:33

Your kids see everything you do and they model everything you do. So when you're not getting [ __ ] up and you are being like a solid human being and you're being present,

Um they notice. And it was like four or five months into not drinking and uh going to the gym and uh that hurt. Sorry. Um, I remember my kid uh thought I was like, "Papa, you're not you're not drinking anymore." And um sorry, I'll quit balling here. Um and I was like, "Nope, I'm not." And uh that was like a huge, you know, light bulb for me where I was like, okay, like she sees me not getting hammered all the time. So like, you know, I guess the reason why I'm crying is like all the times that I was not present and not getting [ __ ] up and or I was getting [ __ ] up and not being present, you know.

Um that that is like um that's what shifted you know me like being a parent and that also felt very good just like it felt very good having a lot of energy you know being present for work I was being you know I was able I was able to you know be uh you know as good of a parent as I was working, you know, cuz my work exploded when I like stopped drinking. I started I was like, "Fuck, I you know, you need me to be in Chicago tomorrow?" Like, I'm there.

Like, I can be there. I I know I'm not going to be hung over. I 100% present when I'm on set. Like, I'm good. And so, my relationships through ad agencies and production companies grew from there. and I was like, you know, killing it until the pandemic happened. Um, and then all my work stopped. But like as to answer your question, like to my being a parent was like insane. You know, I had a [ __ ] relationship with my kid, my son Noah, not my daughter.

My daughter was always this sweet, malleable little person. But my son, you know, when when I left, his mom, you know, and I wasn't around, I wasn't present. And, you know, I was like traveling the world sometimes 6 months out of the year with the maniacs, but it was my job, you know, and I was gone. I was doing everything I could to support my kids. I wasn't I wasn't there for him. And he went off the rails when he was a kid. You know, he started doing drugs.

He was in rehab twice. um you know, two different three-month stints in rehab. And you know, we had a [ __ ] really bad relationship cuz I wasn't there for him, you know, and I knew like admittedly like I you know, I parented him the same way that I was raised cuz I didn't know any different. You know, someone recently gave me the analogy if someone came up to you and started speaking Arabic, would you beat yourself up for not being able to reply to them?

Mike Blabac1:49:00

And the answer, of course, is no. And this person was like, "Well, you can't do that to yourself for being a parent either." And so when I became sober and I started working out and I started getting my [ __ ] together, my relationship with my son like improved drastically. I mean, it changed so much. And there was still a lot of tension and there was still a lot of [ __ ] And I think just with my friends, like Colin for example, after that flight, I was like, "Fuck you.

I don't want to have anything to do with your ass." It took like six years.

Mike Blabac1:49:36

And he was on drugs and he got sober. And it took me a while to believe that he was like sober. I think the same thing with my kid, you know. I think it took him a while to believe that I was actually

Like somewhat starting to become a solid human being. Yeah.

And a better parent. not a good parent, but I was like learning to be better. So my my relationship with my kids was like a full 180. But I remember, you know, when I was getting choked up, my daughter asking me, she's like, "Papa, you don't drink anymore." And I was like, "Nope." And she was like, "Really? Why?" And I'm like, "Well, you know, like I just I knew I couldn't be there for you like the same way that I should be." And she was like, "Ah, okay." And I remember like her through the course of, you know, she was 12 at the time, over the next few years, like putting it together like how much I was drinking.

And I remember seeing this thing called as a thing called Bcraft and it was like kombucha,

But it was like has like [ __ ] like 8% alcohol

And they were like 32, you know, big tall and I would drink like three of those in addition to all the beers and all the whiskey and everything. And I was and she's like, "Those have booze in them?" And I'm like, "Yeah." She's like, "You used to drink a lot of those." And I was like, "Fuck." Yeah, I did. You know, so my relationship with my kids is like night and day different. So I think that because with work, with everything, just being a full 180 in my life, that momentum allowed me to stay sober.

Mike Blabac1:53:02

Well, thanks. It's I mean, it's all a process of learning, you know, just like you are being a parent. I am, too. You know, I'm still figuring it everything out. So,

Mike Blabac1:53:47

Awesome. Thanks, Ken.