Robert Brink - Writer

Tim O'Connor Top Five: Unedited

July 12, 2005 | Skip To The Comments (0)

Tim O'Connor Top Five
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding August 2004

This entire interview didn't make it into TransWorld due to space and a little bit of trash talking. But I have included the full, unedited transcript here.

Top Five:

Comments that have gotten you into predicaments:

1. Telling a bunch of hoods to “fuck you” when I was far away from my friends. I got nice and beat up.
2. Almost everything I say.
3. Yelling at people out of a car window and then hitting a red light. I just lock the doors and laugh hysterically cus' angry people are funny people.
4. Telling a girl I love her and I want to buy her a diet cola. Then finding out I'm standing right next to their boyfriend.
5. Answering my cell phone drunk and saying “This is Tim O'Connor, I'm wasted and at a strip club.” It ended up being my girlfriend that was calling me.

Tricks you like to do:

1. Frontside ollies on ramp.
2. Backside Smith Grinds.
3. Backside Tailslides.
4. Primo slides while bombing hills at top speed.
5. Ollie to cart wheel down handrails.

Skaters of all time

1. Mike Carroll.
2. Guy Mariano.
3. John Cardiel.
4. Natas Kaupas.
5. Danny Way.

Innovators in skateboarding:

1. Guy Mariano.
2. P.J. Ladd.
3. Brian Wenning.
4. Danny Way.
5. Won Ton Animal Chin.

Video “bangers:”

1. Stefan Janoski switch flip 50-50.
2. Danny Way's whole life is a banger.
3. Mike Carroll feeble to back tail.
4. Anyone of Koston's last tricks in a video part.
5. John Holmes last move in Johnny Wadd Part 4.

Videos of all time:

1. Plan B Questionable.
2. Blind Video Days.
3. Alien Workshop Memory Screen.
4. World Industries Rubbish Heap.
5. The Rubber Robbie Insta-party video...only a select few have laid eyes on this one.

Companies of all time:

1. Original Plan B.
2. Original Blind.
3. Alien Workshop.
4. Flip.
5. Girl.
6. I want Anti-hero in here too.

Board graphics of all time:

1. Gonz flower board.
2. Jason Lee Cat in the hat.
3. First Natas board.
4. Mike Vallely Barnyard board.
5. Almost all Joe Castrucci Habitat graphics...shameless plug.

Skaters who should make comebacks:

1. Brian Lotti.
2. Me.
3. Guy Mariano.
4. Joey McSqueeb.
5. Cardiel will make a comeback.

Tricks that shouldn't be done:

1. Stop with the heelflip indys on street. I learned them back before I hit puberty so I reserve the right to diss the shit out of it. If you don't diss it then a big ol' “fuck you” ‘cus your brain is broke.
2. Benihanas in video parts or done with a serious face like you really did something.
3. Salad Grinds suck shit. Stefan don't do frontside ones anymore you geek.
4. Late flips had their time and now they're done...save it for the game of skate or when you're bored and want to hear kids cheer at a demo.
5. On accident stink bug grabs...just grab around the knee. It's not that complicated.

Books:

1. A Massive Swelling by Cintra Wilson...This broad is pro at talking shit.
2. The Dictionary is cool.
3. Books on tape.
4. Most Chuck Palahniuk books.
5. The Bible is well written and hilarious.

Heroes:

1. Aqua man.
2. My reflection.
3. Oprah.
4. David Cross.
5. Bam and his bank account.

Frontside flippers:

1. Mike Carroll.
2. Kerry Getz.
3. Matt Beach.
4. Tom Penny.
5. Eric Koston.

Innovations in skateboarding:

1. Taking rails off of boards
2. Daewon Song.
3. Swiss Bearings.
4. Bondo usage.
5. The bringing back of high tops.

Injuries you've had:

1. Left ankle sprain.
2. Right ankle sprain.
3. Left ankle sprain again.
4. Right ankle sprain again.
5. Etc. I've done it all.

Underrated skaters:

1. Matt Rodriguez should be rich.
2. Marcus McBride should be filthy rich.
3. J.B. Gillet should be rollin' in the euros.
4. Eric Koston. Just kidding.
5. This kid Mike Mancini a.k.a. The Exalted Retard.

Goals for the future:

1. Get fat and rich without ever having a real job.
2. Make fun and offend everyone on Earth at least once including myself.
3. Win the Fields medal like that guy in “A Beautiful Mind.”
4. Invent a new emotion.
5. Do the loop in a handstand.

Hopes/dreams/wishes for the skate world/industry:

1. For skateboarding to look less like TRL.
2. More kids that can skate everything including vert.
3. No more shrink wrapped pants on kids with harsh styles thus amplifying their harsh styles into my eyeballs.
4. More fat kids skating big gaps.
5. For skating to have more pros with better brains for kids to look up to.

Tragedies in skateboarding history:

1. Phil Shao passing away. Anytime someone passes unexpectedly.
2. Cardiel hurting his back.
3. Jim Bates' fall off the roof fall.
4. The first kid and every kid after that did a benihana seriously when it was already way out of style, that trick has been out of style since 1990 or something like that so if you're doing it, I mean you!
5. Savier.