Jade Ryan talks skating

 

Interview with Jade Ryan

I spent a few years in Wollongong studying at Uni there in the nineties, so an opportunity to have a chat with one of the young rippers from the Gong was a good enough reason for me to check out this young lady’s  style.  Made me keen to do another trip up there later this year to see what’s crackin’ these days. Jade Ryan has a pretty refreshing mix of old school and tech street skills and really makes skating look fun. She will be featured in the upcoming Skate for Nothin’ documentary out of Sydney with RJ Barbaro and Nathan Trew and Adam Haydec.

Hi Jade. When did u start skating and who gave you your first board?

I didn’t start skating until i was almost 19, i had surfed a lot before but once i got on a skate deck i haven’t looked back. I brought my 1st deck for myself after thrashing my friends. He let me borrow it and i gave it back a little worse for wear lol.

What other creative outlets do u have besides skating?

Other creative outlets i have are music, i love playing the Bass and dabbling with the guitar. I’m not that good but i sure have a good time.

If you were asked to design your own board graphic, how would you like it to look?

If i was asked to design my own board i think it would be a really Old School design, a homage to the Dogtown style.

Where has skating taken you recently. Tell me about the last 6 or 12 months…

Skating is something that has taken me to random places and helped me meet some of the most awesome people ever. In the past 12 months or so skating has pushed me on a personal level and it may sound weird but it has helped me develop so much more confidence within myself and has given me the ability to push myself harder then i ever thought possible in all areas of my life.

What sort of music do u like listening to when you skate?

I listen to a lot of different tunes when skating, if i’m in a mellow mood and just rolling around trying new tricks i will put on some Janis Joplin or Tegan and Sara. If i’m going to charge some stairs it will be System Of A Down, Dayglo Abortions or some Slipknot to get me pumped.

Who do you skate with the most?

I skate with a couple of mates fairly regularly Zac and Bryce but love to just rock up to parks by myself and see who i can meet and roll with. I really like skating with different people because everyone sees a spot in their own way and will attack it with different tricks.

What trick you learnt recently are you most stoked on?
I recently learnt blunts on Tranny which i’m stoked on. I’m trying to learn to skate bowls/vert lately coz i have always just skated street. I’m not very good at it but i’m having a lot of fun trying new stuff.

Where are you from?
I’m from Wollongong but i’m always in Sydney coz i have skated pretty much everything around here and it gets a bit repetitive after a while. Warilla is near Wollongong it’s a bit ghetto lol

I studied in Wollongong. Probably before u started school. Only for 2 years though, at UOW in the nineties. I would like to go back to the gong too cos its been a long time.
Yeah i’m 25, went to Warilla high till year 10. What did you study at Uni?

Mainly i just studied the beer coasters at the bar and practiced moshing and stage diving.
Sometimes I went to class and learned a few things, like Japanese. I studied in Townsville too and have a wedding up there soon to go to.
Hahah nice, well at least you are well versed in the art of moshing now.
Yeah the Gong is alright sometimes, depends on who you hang with i guess. Townsville should be killer i have never been. If you do come down to the Gong i would love to roll with you.
I just checked out the Blog on the Transword site that you linked, it looks awesome.
I learnt a little Japanese at Primary school but all i can say is “i’m hungry” “hello” and i can count to 3 lol. I don’t think that would get me very far, i know a lot more Spanish but it’s mostly swearing coz that what my friend taught me.

Haha hilarious I wanna know some of the slang what have u got?
Yeah the 1st thing he taught me was Besa mi culo, puto “kiss my ass bitch” lol