Who is Kenny Reed?
You know when skaters are talking about what it must be like to be a pro, claiming that all you do is skate, hang out with your mates, party and travel around the world? Well, Kenny Reed definitely took the travelling around the world part extra seriously. Not only is he one of the most stylish skaters to have graced our screens, but he is also, hands down, one of the most well-travelled skateboarders there has ever been. Ever since I can remember, Kenny has been the guy you would see in the mags skating a spot in a country that, as a child reading them, sounded totally made up.
Kenny is, of course, known for his extensive travelling and beautiful skating; however, something that is slightly less known is the fact that he is incredibly tuned into the industry itself, especially nowadays, being the brand manager for the recently rebooted IPATH shoes. So, what do you ask a skater who has travelled the world, been a part of some of the most well-loved brands and videos, and now works within the industry? Scroll down and find out!
Banter
What are you doing at the moment?
Right now I’m on my way back home from Thailand. I have an 11-hour layover in Shanghai… I saw a super cheap flight and couldn’t help myself.. Sometimes you just want to get the good deal, you know… But now I’m paying the price…
Favourite song used in a part of yours?
I think it’s the Snuggie Otis song from my New Deal part… It was a song that was new to us, and we’d been listening to it a lot in the van on trips, so at that moment it felt like a good pick, and I think it still fits well. He was relatively undiscovered at the time.
Favourite hat in your collection?
Ohh man, I have a few.. I’ve collected many over the years, and there are some I’ve never worn. I once got a high priest, Cardinal-type hat in Moldova. I really like that one. They didn’t want to sell it to me, but a local told them it was for a relative who was in the perish and eventually they did. I won’t ever wear that one…
Where was your first trip outside of America?
My first skate trip outside the US was to South America, where we hit like 4-5 countries. It really opened up my mind to what’s out there. It really changed how I saw the world and helped shape my perspective.
Who are some of your favourite current skaters?
Some of my fav current skaters are Josh Wilson, Ben Raybourne, Tiago Lemos, and Heitor Desilva
You said in your Bunt interview that your favourite sporting moment was watching Messi play football. Who would you say is the equivalent of Messi in skateboarding?
Hmm, that’s a good one… I might go with Carlos Ribeiro… He’s got it like that.
You had only been skating for a couple of years by the time you were on Dogtown. What was your skating like at that point? Obviously, you were ripping, but do you remember certain tricks you were doing?
At the time, I was doing all the tricks we saw in videos, I guess. Impossibles, front foot impossibles, big spins, 360 flips… I was just a younger kid in our crew who was lucky to be skating with older kids all the time, and I guess I was able to pick up some tricks quickly.
How was it being on Dogtown at such a young age on the East Coast?
It was pretty surreal, really. I think I got lucky, as I’m from a really small town. There were a few other guys on at the time that I knew. Ivan Perez, Ben Liversedge, and Richie Rojas were all in the city, and sometimes I’d skate with them.
You spent a lot of time skating with Ricky Oyola back in the day. Have any of his opinions really stuck with you since then?
Yeah, Rick was a big influence on my skating, and when I got to meet him and go on trips, I got to know him well, and we still chat sometimes… He does have all those kinda opinions about what’s proper, what’s not, and I do agree with some of it, but it’s also just skateboarding, and things sometimes get a pass depending on who’s doing it. But yeah, it’s funny, and I’m not sure there are many people out there with those same “opinions” about how things should be done nowadays. I think that’s ok too.
I only ask as I remember seeing an interview with him saying that fakie pivots mid-line are a big no-no, and I think about that often…
Yeah, but Van Wastell and Gonz have good ones.
It’s a bit of a played-out question nowadays, but what is your take on skateboarding being in the Olympics?
I think it’s hard to get used to… To be honest, I’m conflicted, but also it’s cool because it’s skateboarding and the act of skateboarding is still there… I met a kid recently who started skating because he watched the Tokyo Olympics. The more the better, I think. I’m mostly ok with it.
How similar is coaching skateboarders to teaching kindergarten kids?
It’s pretty different; both have challenges, and some of those are similar. Deal with Parents, for example, with Olympic “athlete’ types… That takes some work.
Travel
Obviously, you’ve been on a lot of international trips throughout your career. Did most of them come about through your request, or did your sponsors come to you and ask where you would like to go?
Most of the trips I went on in terms of homie trips were thought up and organized by a group of friends. Some were tours, but most of the exotic locations were thought up half-cooked and cobbled together. Those are always the fun ones, though. A lot less pressure, and the people who were there were people who wanted to be there.
There is a bit of a stereotype that people who have grown up in and around New York are quite abrasive. You seem to be the total opposite of that.
I’m from Upstate NY. While it is where the state capital resides, it is quite rural on the outskirts. So it’s a big difference to growing up in faster paced a faster-paced big city. I was often fortunate to get to travel there while I was quite young and got to experience life outside my small-town upbringing. I’m very thankful for that. It dismissed a lot of prejudice and fear I may have had, not having had that experience at a young age. And I can thank skateboarding for that. As we know. We take care of our own.
Have you always been that way, or has the amount of travelling you have done in your time helped you become more mellow?
I think I’ve always been pretty mellow. I try to look at the big picture and not let the small stuff take too much space. It’s not always easy… but I try to keep that in mind. Nothing’s guaranteed… and life can be tricky.
If you could only skate San Fran or New York ever again, which are you picking?
Hmm, that’s a tough one.. Prob Sf just cause its a little more skate friendly.
Is there a country/city you’re yet to skate?
Ashkhabad, Tajikistan. Trying to get there this year with the crew.
Favourite spot in England?
I liked skating around Edinburgh, Scotland. I really enjoyed Belfast. I know that’s not England, but is that cool to say? For England, I guess it would be skating around London, and those little street gaps are fun. Finding little smooth patches here and there is tough, but it feels great when you get into it.
Do you still keep in touch with Paul Shier?
Yeah, we do. We chat from time to time, and I’ll see him at some of the big events. He’s still moving around quite a bit, and occasionally we get to hang out there in the world.
I was reading Oliver Barton’s write-up on a Euro Popwar trip from 2004. Amongst all the chaos he described, he adds at the end that at the time of him writing, you were jumped in Mongolia two days before. Was the risk of this happening common when travelling the road less travelled? Can you remember what happened in Mongolia?
Ohh man. A lot happened in Mongolia… I would have to guess this was my first trip tagging along with Carhartt Europe. A friend and I proposed a trip there after seeing an ancient skeleton of a skatepark from the 80s, and we wanted to investigate.
It turned into an all-out tour with mostly Euro riders, Scott Bourne, and I. Scott and I would take the train from there back through Russia to Moscow (5 days, I believe) we shared a sleeping car. It was one of the best trips of my life. Many other things happened while in Mongolia. Too many to mention, and may have to be for another time. But that was def the best part of that first trip. They made a cool book of it.
Do you still own a lot of your old boards or mementoes from trips, etc?
Not too many boards, but def some momentos. Photos are often the best, especially while we were still shooting film.
Was there a specific point in your career when filming video parts lost their appeal and travelling took priority?
Definitely. It’s hard to pinpoint the moment, but I could guess somewhere between 2008-2010.
IPATH
After IPATH was sold the second time, you’ve said in the past that it totally lost its core values as a brand. What’s changed to make you back it again?
I reconnected with the original owner. He always understood the brand and that it should be driven by skateboarding and skateboarders. He is a big part of the brand, but also trusts us and allows us to make decisions and play a big role in brand identity and marketing.
Was the Reed brought back due to you being part of the rebirth, or because it is just such a classic style from IPATH?
I think it’s a little bit of both… for the new generation, it’s just a cool-looking shoe, and for the people who remember from the past, there is some recognition and they have good memories of the shoe.
Considering the IPATH promo only really had two full parts, why do you think it was so popular?
I think it was edited well and came together at a good time in skateboarding. There was a great space for us to share what our team was all about and what we represented. It was good timing, great skateboarding and a crew that just all looked good together.
If IPATH were to make another promo video, would you do a Barker Barrett-esque part?
Yes, I would.
Barker said in his Chromeball interview that Matt Field would pick out samples for IPATH products and think he was crazy (although it would more often than not work). Did you ever look at certain IPATH designs and question if skaters would be hyped on them?
Yes, all the time. We’re def looking at some unconventional style. We’re always keeping an eye out for something unorthodox.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever used the stash pocket for?
Keys, coins, anything that you want out of your pockets. Sucks skating with things in your pockets.
Favourite Fred Gall story?
Meeting his mom and grandma, having a BBQ at their house. Sorry, that’s not a long one, but I have good memories camping out in his backyard.
Have you tried to get Puleo back on the team?
Yes, all the time. Still workin’ on it.
If you could take the whole team on a trip, which country/city would you head to first?
New Jersey.
How has the brand dealt with the recent Chinese tariff nightmare?
It’s been really difficult for us. We don’t have a big backer, so we’re doing our best. Thanks to the core community were able to keep going.
I know you have spent time modernising the classic silhouettes whilst keeping the aesthetic generally similar. How difficult was that?
It’s been tricky to get it right and have them look the same. For the most part, they all skate way better than before, and everyone’s hyped on them.
There is an interview between Tim O’Connor and Danny Renaud where they discuss needing to wear two pairs of socks in the cupsole IPATH models and generally having issues with how they fit/blowing out. Was this something that was knowingly addressed?
Yeah, this has been resolved. Cup sole 20 years ago were a lot different.
What skate shoe technology seems vital nowadays compared to tech featured in shoes released in the 90s/early 2000s?
I think it’s important to have a good vulcanised shoe in the line… There are some out there that will only skate in vulc. And I’m one of them sometimes.
Favourite feature that’s been added to the classic styles?
Slimmed down, softer suede, more sustainable materials.
What silhouette do you skate the most/your favourite to skate?
I like the Reeds and Grasshoppers the best. Always have.
Team’s favourite model?
Prob’ Reeds, and Grasshoppers.
Rumours of pro-shoes coming out in the future?
Fred has the Derelict, and Evan has the Poet.
Plans for an IPATH video?
Yes! Coming in Spring!
Anything you would like to add before we wrap this up?
Thank you, guys, for believing in us and supporting the comeback. We would love to do a UK tour at some point and get a UK team together.
Thanks Kenny!
Thank you Mate.