The Adam Arunski Interview

Interview By: Braiden Foxx

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I'd like to open by expressing immense gratitude to Adam for being my first interviewee. A great pro skater, a down to earth man, a creative mind, and Arizona local took a bit of time out of his week to talk to a kid with a love for skating, and a dream of writing.

Real Balance

Starting his skating journey at 10 years old, Adam Arunski grew up in Mesa, Arizona, hitting street spots in everyone's favorite 100 plus degree hell-scape. It was more than a hobby, it was a lifestyle. It was freedom through thin wood and waxy metal. Here's what the local legend shared with me.

Who got you into skateboarding?

I think my older brother and the other neighborhood kids were getting all sparked on rollerblading and I felt like I wanted to get a skateboard to be different. The 99 x-games were also on t.v. and it just felt like I had this gravitational pull towards skateboarding. 

Do you stick around AZ a lot?  What was it like growing up for you in Mesa? How has the scene changed as you’ve grown?

Yeah, I grew up in East Mesa and it was pretty mellow. It was a good place to roam around somewhat safely as kids. When I started skateboarding, I was pushing farther and farther away from the house. Seeing where it could take me looking for somewhat imaginary spots. Back then a rubber coated bench in a park was like discovering Love Park in my mind. But I enjoyed being able to learn skateboarding fundamentals via sidewalks and schoolyards and eventually skate parks started popping up everywhere around that time. From when I started Arizona was always a good skateboarding destination and just continued to grow. It’s had it’s up’s and down’s with popularity, but ultimately it’s got the same desert rat drive still pushing it along. It takes something a bit more to skate and want to learn tricks in the heat. 

Makings of a Pro

You went pro for Zero Skateboards last year.  What did that feel like, how did you make it happen?

Turning Pro was a dream come true. It’s the story everyone wants to write that very few get published. If that analogy makes any sense. It took just decades of being obsessed with skateboarding during real life’s chaotic scenarios that typically deter someone from pursuing it long term. Like, almost everyone who has skateboarded will love skateboarding forever of course, but to stay with it at a certain level, is almost an act of insanity. I was willing to give up every other path in life to just be able to ride a skateboard the way I wanted to ride a skateboard. So in short, it happened because I never gave up and I felt more obsessed with it enough to take that road less traveled.

I saw you were in that AWH, Liquid death ad.  How does that work?  How, as a skater, does making an ad for a thrasher mag happen?

That’s just based on your sponsors willing to have your back enough to pay for an advertisement to get published with a magazine. It’s almost just dumb Luck really. 

Do you have any favorite local spots? Any that mean a lot to you? I saw that massive bridge you board slid on 21/12 day, LEGENDARY!

Locally in Arizona, I love the Wedge and Apache Junction skate park. Those places mean a lot based on the amount of time I spent there. I also loved skating the ASU campus in Tempe and also the Downtown areas. 

Thanks. Rush rules. That bridge was a random spot on a random day. 

What's the craziest spot/trick you’ve hit, was it scary or what?

I can’t really say anything specific comes to mind. Almost everything is scary to me, but I’m just trying my best and breaking down those fears. When I feel like I can’t do something, I wan’t to prove to myself that I can. 

I re-watched your “Anti Depressants” Part the other night.  It’s clear high speed doesn’t phase you.  Have you always been like that or have you worked hard to be so fearless?

I actually think I skate pretty slow haha. I don’t like to go fast really. Again, I’m afraid of almost everything I do, but I love doing it more than I’m afraid of doing it.

I know you have a lot of amazing moments and feats in skating, but what's the time you felt most proud of where you’ve gotten to.

Being featured in a Magazine is the most special feeling. Meeting my hero’s and gaining their respect makes me the most proud. 

When did you start to realize that skating could be a career for you?

It’s just something I was always going to do. But I’m always going to have to work hard alongside it too. So I guess when I started getting paid, it felt like I was doing something right. 

What's a difficult part of being a pro that most people might not see?

Probably that you don’t get paid enough for what you choose to put your body thru and the time it takes to get things done. 

Struggle and Humility

Whats the biggest struggle throughout your life?  Did it ever affect your skating?

There just isn’t enough time and money in the world for what I wanna do. 

How do you describe your style on the board?  Do you approach skating like an art or a sport?

I guess mostly I think of it as just what I do. It’s like breathing, I don’t think about it, I just do it. It’s an art form but I like the athleticism it requires to better yourself. 

It’s so sick how much you’ve accomplished so quickly.  Last year you went pro for zero and this year you already started your own brand, Sloth Materials.  What is it like being a pro skater AND a CEO?

I wouldn’t say I’m a CEO of anything. Haha. Sloth Materials is a hobby project that I do because I wanted to have a creative outlet to make things I wanted to make without asking anyone’s permission. I think you have to sell stuff to be considered a company… I barely make back what I put into it. But it doesn’t matter to me, because that’s all for fun. 

How are you balancing sponsorships, traveling, contests, and your own brand, all while staying true to the skate culture.

Well, I don’t do contests anymore. They’re mostly for kids starting and trying to make a name for themselves. I was never that great at them. They were too stressful and I could progress in actual street skating more. I just balance everything by moderating time for each task I want to do in life.

What are some things you're passionate about outside of skating? 

Movies, Music, Photography, and being alone while I think about how to make the right choices and better myself.

Where do you think you’d be if you hadn’t gone pro (that would suck)

Most likely just skating around Pheonix and working at a Skateshop probably. 

Something New

Are you working on any new parts or collabs right now?

It never ends. I’m always working towards something.

That’s what we like to hear, I’ll be on the lookout.

Do you think skating is different now that it’s in the Olympics?  How has it changed?

It’s neither different nor the same and It’s cool to see skateboarding on TV. 

What's your favorite part you’ve worked on?  Why was it great?

I liked this project I did with my best friend called ‘Street Trashed’. It was just me and him skating around Mesa.

How picky are you about your set up?

Not that picky at all. 

Do you view skating more as freedom?  Or as Discipline?  Or as something else entirely?

It’s a freedom that discipline’s yourself as someone doing something else entirely than the rest of the world. 

That’s an amazing response man.

Lastly, what is something you would tell young skaters right now?

Try not to think that you deserve anything more than what you put into it.

Do it because you want to do it and not because it’s a point system or a paycheck. Remember Skateboarding is fun, it’s dangerous, it’s time consuming, it’s a never ending life learning experience, it’s a friend maker, it’s beautiful, and sometime’s it’s a dream come true.

I couldn't agree more, skating is an outlet of self expression, we're lucky as a community to have it.

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Asphalt Mirage: Adam Arunski Interview

By: Braydon Foxx