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Mike Vallely hits them where it counts

Who: Mike V and the Rats Where: X-Games Main Stage, base of Whistler When: Saturday, May 17 at 4 p.m. One of the biggest names in Whistler for the Global X-Games wants to hit us between the eyes in more ways than one.
mike_vallely
MIke Vallely Rockin' Out

Who:

Mike V and the Rats

Where:

X-Games Main Stage, base of Whistler

When:

Saturday, May 17 at 4 p.m.

One of the biggest names in Whistler for the Global X-Games wants to hit us between the eyes in more ways than one. He is pro skateboarder, movie-maker and punk rock music-man, Mike Vallely. The legendary street skater may not be competing while he’s here, but he’ll definitely hit the skate park, the stage, the screen, the curb, the hand rails and hopefully our hearts and souls in his quest to keep skating and punk rock music pure and true to its roots.

The outspoken street skater is known as much for his passion and dedication to the sport as he is for his physical and verbal altercations, but his spirit is undeniably contagious. And while the mellowing family man’s lustrous skate career might be slowing down, his music and film career is doing quite the opposite. With his video premiering in Whistler this weekend, a movie soundtrack with Mike V and the Rats in the can, and a tour later this month with legendary Black Flag member Greg Ginn, things are going from strength to strength for Vallely’s creative front.

Mike V and the Rats will deliver fast and furious punk rock rhythms on the X-Games main stage and the GLC is hosting the official world premiere of his highly anticipated and controversial film, Greatest Hits.

Pique

: You’re a pro skateboarder, a family man, a movie maker, a writer, a poet and a musician – what’s the order of priority for you these days?

Mike V:

My family definitely comes first but skateboarding is still paying the rent and has been such a major part of my life for so long now that I value it greatly. I discovered punk rock music and skateboarding at the same time though and they both profoundly affected me. I guess in some ways I could live without skateboarding but I couldn’t imagine a world without music. It’s all encompassing.

Pique

: You’re very outspoken about the way the skateboard industry has changed. Why?

Mike V:

Like with many sports, once they get unearthed and land in the hands of people with money and power rather than a natural love for it, the soul gets lost. Maybe it only means something to me and the generation I skated in but we really had to fight for everything and it meant so much more. We went out on the streets and created this whole new way of seeing things (called street skating). A bench was just a bench, a curb just a curb, but we changed all that and that can’t be understated. I started in 1984 when skating was about total freedom and individuality and not having the pressure from anyone to be the best. Nowadays I see your typical soccer mom or hockey dad yelling at his kid to land his tricks and get better and that’s a freaky thing to see. There are days when kids should go out and not land one trick. That shouldn’t even register, just enjoy getting out there and going for it. I’m afraid that innocence is going to evaporate from the skate community.

Pique

: A lot of people will come to see your band because they know you as a crazy skater. Does that bother you?

Mike V:

I’ve always tried to manage my skate career as an artist, rather than an athlete. I’ve been writing poetry as long as I’ve been skating and my interest in music has always been there. Some people are going to come and see this maniac they’ve heard about but a lot of others will see it as a natural progression for me.

Pique:

What was it about the Rats that made you join?

Mike V:

The right chemistry. These are guys I knew from the industry. They are a little older, they’ve been in a lot of bands previously, they know what they want to sound like, they know the kind of music they want to play and the kind of band they want to be in.

Pique

: What’s your film Greatest Hits all about?

Mike V:

It’s really an unfortunate collection of carnage. Most of the footage is of me in altercations with security guards at different skate events. It’s definitely something that’s been a buzz in the community and I hope people consume it with great joy but the main aim was to tell the truth behind a lot of the stories spread about me. A lot of events are run by promoters who know nothing about skating. They believe skaters are just clowns in their circus but we are the talent, the attraction. We bring the crowds and yet we have security guards coming into our domain and manhandling us. The same issues we’ve had to grow up dealing with on the streets we still get at professional events. This gets my blood boiling. I’ve stood up to these guys and generally they only know how to speak a physical language so one word can escalate into violence. I’ve developed quite a reputation – somewhat deserved and somewhat misunderstood. People see me as this guy who likes to fight when in fact I am just someone who will fight for what I believe in. I learned so much in making this film. I used to think the only way to get your point across was to try and beat the sense into someone but then I realized there’s other ways without using my fists. It’s taken me 32 years to figure it out, which is pretty sad I guess, but I’m still here to tell the tale.

Catch Vallely’s film premiere at the GLC tonight, Friday May 16 at 8 p.m.