Robert Brink - Writer

Jack Curtin

July 2, 2005 | Skip To The Comments (1)

Jack Curtin
By Rob Brink
Strength August 2003

Despite the fact that San Francisco doesn't seem to be the “Skate Mecca” it used to be (the demolition and skate proofing of many famous spots and all), it remains a city that skaters from all over the world can go to and gain acceptance, land sponsors, hone their skills, and get famous.

Jack Curtain is a Dirty Ghetto Kid from Washington DC who has done all of these things. On top of that, he is one of those kids who lands such impressive maneuvers that word spreads through the skate industry grapevine just as fast as a retirement announcement or your favorite pro quitting his long-time sponsor. Not too shabby for a 19-year old who started skating in Indonesia, transplanted to San Francisco to go to college full time, and is trying to squeeze in nights at the bar and a few games of basketball.

Current sponsors?
19. DGK skateboards, Gold wheels, LRG clothing, DC shoes, Black Magic, and Diamond.

Who were your first sponsors?
Before Lucky, when I lived in Indonesia, I was sponsored by a distributor for Girl, Chocolate, and Fourstar there. So I got some free product here and there, but nothing serious.

How do your early sponsors differ than your sponsors now?
I am just learning about the business aspects and getting paid. You have to look out for yourself in this game. I've made some errors. Lucky was a good first sponsor, but I didn't know about that whole family aspect they have at Deluxe and I pissed a lot of people off when I didn't mean to.

Do people categorize you as “homie, dope, hip hop” skater because of your sponsors?
(Laughs) Probably. DGK and Gold is definitely in that category. I just try to stick to stuff that I get inspired by, or that I feel comfortable wearing and I want to wear it. Shit that I want to represent because I believe in it.

There are plenty of people that will never wear a shirt of their sponsors or never ride the trucks or whatever.
Yeah, you could sell out and just ride for a big company, but then you aren't excited to ride the stuff.

Why did your family decide to move to Indonesia?
My mom worked for the American embassy, so we moved around quite a bit.

Do you have any gnarly stories or secret info you could tell us about?
She goes off to foreign countries with her co-workers, and they go to remote-ass parts of the country and talk to people about protection and family planning. She goes to like, Zimbabwe and all types of shit in Africa.

Oh, like giving them rubbers and shit?
Yeah. Talking to them about family planning and craziness.

Were you upset to leave America or excited?
I was worried, and kind of scarred, but I am so stoked that I did. Once I got out there, it was such a culture shock. It was awesome.

How do you think living there shaped your skateboarding and your personality?
It definitely opened my mind up. If I hadn't moved I would have just grown up in Virginia or something. So I am super appreciative of my experiences. I got to see all of Southeast Asia. I went to Singapore, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong…

Some people never even get out of our country.
Exactly.

What's it like having Stevie Williams as your boss?
It's chill, dude. We don't really talk about the business parts of things. I usually talk to the owner. Stevie is just down; he's a homie to me really—friend and a leader. I look up to him.

Is he the reason you got on DGK and Gold?
Actually no, it was Henry Sanchez. He helped me out. We were both on Lucky. But he brought me over to DGK and was super amped on me. And the guy Victor who films for DGK and Gold is good friends with the owner, so he talked to them for me as well.

And Henry isn't even there anymore.
Yeah, that's some shit between Stevie and Henry. He's still skating though. He's such a major figure in skateboarding.

With all the companies closing their doors or going out of business lately, how do you feel about the future of DGK? Will they be around for a while?
I definitely do because of the idea behind DGK. It grew from just the homies skateboarding in Philly. But there's DGKs in every city. The idea behind DGK is for the kids, man. It's for anyone trying to come up and anyone being themselves. But I think it's that aspect and that people love the ideas and the graphics—it's pretty different and a lot of people can relate to it. So I hope it stays around for a while.

You still in school? Where? What for?
Yeah, I go to University of San Francisco for graphic design. I am just for my Bachelor's degree. Just taking it slow, trying to skate. Next semester I am only going to take a couple classes so I can skate more.

Do you know what kind of job you want to get after school as far as graphic design goes?
No, not yet.

What made you want to go to school for that?
I have always been into art. Skateboarding kind of got me into that. You know, all the tee shirts and logos and shit. It got me really interested in typography and logos or the way colors look together and shit like that.

Which artists inspire you?
Ryan McGuiness, Andy Jenikins, Doze Green—a lot of graffiti artists. Basically urban designers that incorporate design and graffiti and art and life in the city all into their artwork. That's cool.

How do skateboarding and art benefit one another for you?
Definitely, and that's why I dig Strength a lot too, because they have articles about artists who are really influential in skateboarding.

Pier 7 or Third and Army?
Ewww. Pier 7.

Hubbas or Rails?
Hubba ledges. Well, I don't know man, actually I have been feeling rails lately.

I hear you just nollie noseblunted Clipper? How did that feel?
It was a dream come true. But I filmed that shit under pressure last minute.

I saw in an interview that your dream Hubba tricks are nollie b/s noseblunt, switch front blunt and nollie flip crooks, how far away from those are you?
A while. (Laughs.)

I don't know man, nollie noseblunt Clipper?
But backside is some other shit.

Who in skateboarding inspires you?
A lot of people. A lot of the ams, because they make me step it up. The Girl and Chocolate dudes, The Alien guys. Stevie and Marcus McBride.

Do you ever feel like it is a battle with the other ams? Competition.
Yeah, sometimes man, but I just try not to think of it. But everybody does their own thing, so you just have to focus on your own thing.

Who bums you out?
A lot of people. Yeah. I'll just leave it at that (laughs).

Who had the best part in the Girl Yeah Right video?
Aww shit. It would be Marc Johnson, Biebel, Paul Rodriguez. That kid just puts it in the right state of mind. Like that's the prefect way to do it. It helps me skate. Gino for sure.

Favorite video of all time?
Probably Trilogy.

Favorite part of all time?
Gino in Trilogy, Gino in Chocolate Tour and Paul Rodriguez in In Bloom is sick too.

When you pop in a new skate video to watch, what is a pet peeve of yours?
Too many commercials.

What do you do besides skating?
I go to school, go out at night to a lot of bars here. I play basketball.

And if you had to pick one thing, besides skating, to do for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Art probably. Try to do it as a profession.

What's one thing a lot of people don't know about you?
My history and my interest in other subjects. I like to edit videos. I am always working on something. I like to paint. I go to school. I am on some other shit all the time. Keeping busy.

Name your biggest fear/phobia?
I don't know man, probably AIDS.

What's the best thing about skateboarding?
Style, and that feeling when you land a hard ass trick that you have been trying for a long time—when you conquer it, it feels great.

What's the worst?
People kicking you out of spots, posers, cops, and jocks at the skate parks.

Any talk of you going pro soon or is that far away?
I am trying to blow up first. I want to win a contest or something, and come out with a bangin' video part. Just have fools be like “When are you going to go pro?” Rather than “Boom!” being pro.

What's your favorite trick to do?
Probably nollie heelflips.

How about a trick you can't do or suck at?
Regular hardflips.

But you can do them switch?
Yeah.

Is it weird to learn a trick switch before regular?
Yeah it is man, because you are unbalanced. But I like being able to do things both ways. When I go to the Pier sometimes I just do regular tricks and then do them switch—back and forth.

Training?
Yeah.

I don't understand why so many people can learn certain tricks switch before regular.
Yeah, like a lot of tricks I can do switch better than regular. Like heelflips dude—no one really does regular heelflips, but everyone does switch heelflips. I can do a switch one off like a ten-stair way before I can do a regular one off of a ten-stair.

What else have you been up to skating wise? Filming for anything? Travel?
We are waiting for the DC Video to drop before we think about filming the DGK video. Stevie's been filming for the DC Video, so he's been thinking about that. I should have a few tricks in the DC Video too.

DGK will be doing some summer tours on the West Coast, and I will probably be going back to DC and be skating on the East Coast. Hitting New York and Boston.

Who do you skate with?
My boy Alex Hansen, Sam Wienzten, basically all the Grey Market (ERIC is this the spelling for Grey/Gray Market?) guys, the company out of DC. John Igei, Adam Graham, and anybody at Pulaski.

Is San Francisco a better or worse skate city than it used to be?
Worse, much worse. Reminiscing on when Union Square was poppin'. We used to be able to skate Union Square all night. We used to skate Pier and EMB all day and then skate Union all night.

What's your favorite spot in SF?
Fuck man, I'd have to go with DC spots.

How about favorite non-SF spot?
Probably Singapore. That place is some other shit man. Marble heaven.

You go back to DC to skate at all?
Summertime and holidays usually to chill with my family and skate.

You plan on staying in SF or you going to leave after school?
I don't know. I have been thinking of finishing my major in an art school down south. But I also want to live in Spain for a minute too. I am taking Spanish right now so I am trying to go live there for a semester.

Well, I guess that's a hot spot for skating now right?
Yeah, I was there for three days once and I loved it.

How do you want people in the skate world to remember you?
As someone with original tricks, not falling into any category. I just want people to be motivated from my tricks and I just want to come original but throw down the bangers too.

Anything else you want to talk about?
I have a “Wheels of Fortune” coming out in 411.

Which one is that?
Number 59. Why, what was the last one you watched? (Laughter)

I just watched the new one actually.
Yeah, it was really good with Paul Rodriguez and shit. I just want to give a big “thank you” to all the people who have helped me out. I am just stoked that people and magazines even recognize my skills or my tricks. People show me a lot of love and I am really appreciative of it. Don't let skater haters keep you down. Keep skating. Unknob those spots, take off the knobs and keep the spots alive.