Interview With Chris Miller

April 24th, 2008 Posted in Interviews

Chris Miller is one of the most stylish and naturally talented skateboarders ever. Starting out a local at the famed Upland Skatepark, Chris rose to stardom during the 80’s, riding for G&S, Schmitt Stix and others. He then went on to found Planet Earth and, later, Adio footwear. Chris now lives in Solana Beach, California and his skating is still turning heads to this day.

“As far as I am concerned, Chris Miller should be given the throne to the kingdom. He is the best skater of any generation and a hell of a human! If you don’t agree, you will have to fight me and my family.” Grant Brittain, legendary skateboarding photographer and founder of The Skateboard Mag.

RF: Where did you grow up?
Chris: I grew up in Santa Monica and then Claremont, CA via Tallahassee, Fl.

RF: When did you start skateboarding?
Chris: I started skating in Santa Monica, in 1977 and then got more into it while living in Tallahassee. Later when we moved to Claremont, I went to the Pipeline skatepark for the first time and after that it was all I wanted to do. The skatepark became my second home.

RF: What was your first set-up?
Chris: G&S fibreflex, Bennett trucks and Road Rider wheels.

RF: What was the skate scene like back then?
Chris: In Santa Monica it was the peak of the Dog Town era maybe 77-78. Skateboarding was cool and everyone wanted to be Tony Alva or Jay Adams. But when I went to Tallahassee I disconnected from that influence for a year. I hardly saw another skateboarder the whole time I was there. I just skated the hills around the neighborhood by myself. The when I moved back to California in 1980 and lived near Upland, it was the skatepark era. All the parks had teams and they would go compete against each other at the different parks around Southern California. I wasn’t on the Upland park team, but I would go to the events and enter the unsponsored division.

RF: What was the first video you were ever in?
Chris: I guess the contest videos that Vision used to produce. It could have been the Upland video that shows me hang up in the corner. The first video I was featured in was probably the Gullwing video “Inside Out” and then my first (and only) actual part would have been “Now and Later” in 1990.

RF: Which sponsors have you had throughout your skateboarding career?
Chris: Santa Cruz and Indy, G&S and Gullwing, Schmitt Stix, Airwalk and Billabong, Then Planet Earth and Adio.

RF: When did you start Planet Earth?
Chris: In 1990 when I was 22 years old.

RF: Where in the world has skateboarding taken you?
Chris: Skateboarding has allowed me to travel to a lot of great places. All over the US and Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong and Japan.

RF: What are your favorite skateboarding videos of all time?
Chris: Stacy Peralta’s Dogtown documentary, most of the Girl and Chocolate videos, the original Plan B videos, The Rhythm video Genesis, The End, Adio’s One Step Beyond, Jake Brown’s part in Blind video, The DC video…particularly Danny Way’s part.

RF: Are there any contests that are the most memorable for you?
Chris: My first pro win in Arizona in 1987, in 89 to 91 Le Grand Bornand in France and Melbourne Australia, North Shore bowl Jam in 2006 and the recent Pro Tec Pool Party events in the Vans combi.

RF: You skate with your sons Zach and Lukas all the time, what’s it like to share this experience with them?
Chris: I love my kids and skating with them is just the best. It’s so great to have a connection and deep passion that you share with your kids. It’s pretty rare, and I am thankful to have it.

RF: You’ve done a great deal of TV presenting, Hollywood stunt work and you also did a car commercial for Brazil. This must have been a good gig for you?
Chris: The TV stuff can be pretty fun sometimes, I enjoy doing the commentary for skateboarding at the X Games and have been doing it for about 7 years. If nothing else, it’s been interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes and the dynamics of that kind of a production.

RF: What else do you do for fun outside of skateboarding?
Chris: Surfing, Snowboarding and art.

RF: Describe a typical Chris Miller day:
Chris: Well an ideal day might involve surfing in the morning before work, spend the day designing shoes or outerwear, a skate session at Encinitas after work, and hanging out with Jennifer and the boys in the evening.

RF: What is next for 2008?
Chris: Designing the next phase of my life, focus on people and things I love.

RF: Shout outs?
Chris: Mirko and Tim, Gamez, Sal, the whole crew at Adio, Jose Gomez, Weldon, Grant and the Skateboard Mag crew.