Table Talk | Lance Mountain — Chris Pastras | Monster Children
If ever there was someone qualified to reference skateboarding history, it’s Lance Mountain. Lance has been there for every step of the way, through the industry’s ups and downs, the streets and the contests, and everything in between. But where did it all begin for Lance? How did we end up here? Thankfully, Lance was in his local bike shop when a skateboard magazine caught his eye. Inside was a photo of Steve Monahan doing a wheelie through water. “It was the first time it caught me, skateboarding could be more than just being progressive, just coming out and doing the best trick or the most 360s. It caught me, the imagery, the freedom, the fun.”
Lance Mountain on his earliest memory of street skateboarding.
“It was this emotional whatever. When you skated down the hill and you turned the corner, you’re in a whole other world adventuring.”
Lance Mountain on street skating.
“I met Stacy [Peralta] he came down to Wittier and he was bringing Scott Foss and Steve Caballero from up north. These guys just as amateurs beat pros and everyone wanted to see them, everyone wanted to be a part of it… I thought here was my opportunity… I went to skate with them and they were not feeling me at all. Ask Cab. Cab will tell you: we hated him.”
Lance Mountain on meeting Stacy Peralta and Steve Caballero.
“To me, 1980 to 1985 is one era and that was really finding our place, finding what we are. That’s the 80s.”
__Lance Mountain __on the early 80s.
“We got this opportunity to go to Italy to be on a TV show. We were on this show with a chainsaw juggler and this roller skating group… It wasn’t skateboarding. It was opportunities from skateboarding. We were going to take them; you have to take them when they’re there. It doesn’t beat the memories of finding stuff with your friends.”
Lance Mountain on career opportunities from skateboarding. 
“I like the beginning part [80-85] … You’re skating a ditch or you’re riding backyard pools or you’re going to Nebraska.”
Lance Mountain on comparing the early 80s to the late 80s.
“I still always think I am not really sure what professional skateboarding is, but I always thought it is your job to make more people fall in love with it and want to do it for as long as you can.”
__Lance Mountain __on what is professional skateboarding.
“Great skateboarders are the ones who bring something new that other people and other skateboarders want to be a part of.”
Lance Mountain on the responsibilities of a professional skateboarder.
“Lance is the perfect example of what skateboarding should always be about: Creative, challenging and above all, fun.”
Chris Pastras on Lance Mountain._
_
“To me, you are the skateboarder’s skateboarder. That’s why you’ve been able to last this long.”
_*Chris Pastras* _on Lance Mountain.
“The Bones Brigade is here. By 87-88, you guys were already ours.”
_*Chris Pastras* _on Lance Mountain and the Bones Brigade.
You can watch the full interview on Monster Children’s Vimeo.
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