Our ex-intern turned in house media clown Hunter, had the opportunity to link up with Sessions team rider Mike Liddle at home in Minnesota. From what we were told it would be a few well-scripted questions for a photo essay/interview to be featured on our website. To be honest, it kinda just seems like they just bummed around Minneapolis, Just to send back a poorly written interview and some half-decent photos. You be the Judge? here's what we got back...
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The winds of change are blowing here in the Mid-west, the leaves on the trees are PEAKING and old man winter is starting to rear his head with resorts blowing snow in the now sub comfortable temps... From what I recall being told in a text from Mike Liddle, was that he would only be able to skate for a few hours that day citing that he had fatherly duties of taking care of his new baby. But turns out... Dad got the day off for a "super important Sessions shoot" HA.
*cut to* We are standing at the top of the quarter pipe at New Hope skatepark looking at a dad pushing around the park with his kid on a scooter at 11 am. I look to Mike and say “ I don’t think I’d give my kid an option to ride a scoot” he replies with a quick laugh and a “that’s what I’m saying” and proceeds to roll into the QP does a lap and hops back up on the deck straight into my line of questioning...
Hunter: How olds the baby?
Mike: a month? 4 weeks? Pretty fresh.
Hunter: Wow that’s super fresh.
Mike: Yea, fragile little thing.
Hunter: Boy or girl?
Mike: Boy
Hunter: Wow that’s super fresh.
Mike: Yea, fragile little thing.
Hunter: Boy or girl?
Mike: Boy
Hunter: Been super busy with that then huh?
Mike: Yeah pretty busy, Kristin is really doing most of the work right now feeding. I’ve still been getting out skating a few nights a week.
We skate a bit more, Mike does some wizardry on this box feature sitting around the park, check it Above... After a few more brief moments at the park and a few texts between a few friends looking to meet up. We hopped in the car, took a moment for safety, buckled up, and headed downtown.
For those of you who don't know Mike personally, he's a very low key guy, doesn't talk much, but when he does everyone's listening. The dude will land an insane trick, all the homies are losing their shit so excited; meanwhile, Mike will just give a quick laugh/smile, dap you up, and act as nothing happened. We call him the "secret agent" but damn... I'm starting to think serial killer. How does he play it so cool?... Questions we may never have answers to.
Anyway, unfortunately for Mike, He was stuck in the car with me and had to answer more questions...
H: Pancheros or piada?
M: Piada for sure, even tho I ate Pancheros last night. (Great question Yelle)
H: Did you do any filming this summer or did you just skate for fun?
M: Just some stuff with Kevin (Kevin Gillespie) for Rame, "Rame 3". I only filmed like 5 clips or something, I haven't had the opportunity to get out as much this year. Everyone is kinda on different work schedules too.
H Yeah, it's probably kind of tough, with Corona season going on too.
Rame consists of Kevin, you, and....?
H Yeah, it's probably kind of tough, with Corona season going on too.
Rame consists of Kevin, you, and....?
M:
Max Ronning, Billy Bottoms, Calvin Green, Kevin, really whoever wants to come skate with us I guess. Kevin’s plan was to film Rame 2 on snow, and then back to skate for Rame 3. But I don't know if he filmed enough and is going through with that. I know they filmed a lot of late-night stuff around Minneapolis.
*Editors rumor mill*
Rame 2 footy is going to be used in a snow video called "Skate shit"
*Don't quote me*
H: Speaking of spots, we got to link up a few times last winter at some heinous street spots. I know you're pretty particular about your spots selection, what do you typically look for?
M: Pretty much anything that is challenging or looks cool. I'd rather see a creative approach to something or a unique spot versus someone doing a 360 or whatever onto a small down rail.
*Confusion bursts out as we are getting to down town... we both figure out that we are directionally inept.*
We proceed to find our destination, park, and wait for our buddy Pat to show up, before summiting the parking garage for some flat ground and a quick bomb down the ramp. Not before I get to ask Mike another question...
H: So how did the nickname secret agent come about??
Pat answers for Mike: we were at mount du lac one day. None of us wanted to pay for tickets, Mike hops out of the car so excited to board. he walks up to rope straps in hops on and starts ripping. No pass, Secret agent style, he’s ripping so hard no ones gonna ask him for a ticket.
After this point, I could tell mike wasn't too excited about the idea of some rag muffin sticking a phone in his face for a recording. So we said f*ck it and just skated. Here are the photos...
*cut to* Its 5 oclock, we're skated out and hungry, and me franticly texting my boss asking if we can put dinner on the card... He said yes.
Thanks for the burritos and Modelo Sessions.
*cut to* Driving back to the skate park to drop off mike at his car, i realize... ive asked mike like 3 questions.... looks like I gotta get this dude talking, we've got 10 min.
H: Allright Mike, Heres another question for you... what are your thoughts on the new age of pro snowboarding? With social media being a major drive for sponsors these days
M: Im not really into it, I struggle with being on there and posting stuff of myself all the time or even sharing anything at all. It's all just a popularity game. I think a rider should be awarded on what they’ve done, not by how many followers they have.
H: in your case, its being insecure about only posting yourself? it's not all about me all the time mentality.
M: Yeah, I don't know, if it wasn’t such a part of snowboarding I might not even have one. I like having it to talk to my homies and stuff, but sometimes id rather not have the anxiety behind all that shit.
H: (I interrupt) Oh shit theres a down flat down spot right there.
M: That spot actually isn't that good, the bottom down elbows to the left pretty hard.
H: Oh well.... anyways. Heres another way to look at it; you're big enough in snowboarding, you have fans. Like there are people who are down for Mike Liddle. There's people that they just want to see you board, whether it be like a clip and like some Instagram clip or even the heavy part, you new clips in El Sueno for example. Those were insane.
M: Yeah, i had a bunch of people say that they like that clip that from that video. I always hit up the person back just trying to be like, more communicative on there. It's pretty funny, a bunch of kids from Canada or the East coast or random places are just like," I was so hyped on the footage" it’s awesome to hear.
H: They're hyped if they're reaching out!
M: Yeah. That's why I was stoked to hit them back. "Yo thanks homie!" to a like a 14 year old kid or whoever
H: That's, that's probably a crazy feeling.
M: Yeah. It makes me like, feel better about this winter about maybe posting some more clips.
H: what' your plans for this winter?
M: Um, actually, I have no idea, right now just living day by day and I don’t know, maybe something will come up or else just film around here. I definitely want to snowboard as much as i can and hope it snows here a bunch this winter. Since travel isn’t much of a thing right now it would be ideal to just stay in Minnesota and film here. Like I did last year, I only took one trip and got to film a bunch of clips from home. Im sure there will a be a new hotspot city everyone will go to this year, I feel like last year it was Minneapolis.
H: It did seem that way... What are your thoughts on like all the crews coming to Minnesota all the time, being a "local" here and is there beef? maybe beef Isn't the right word, but like, you know, people are territorial and some are not.
M: Well you definitely hope someone doesn't go to do a spot you've been eye'n up for years, ya know? That's one thing. And you’ll see them on Instagram at a spot and wonder what they're doing there, yeah. I don't know..... its pretty sick tho, you get to run into different people/crews and everyone's out here doing the same thing... It's like I've been in their position where you go to a city and you want to be treated equally there, you know? Just a snowboarder. It's like not like we own the spots or the idea here. (points out the window) Yeah, this is the Wells Fargo....
*I reach to my phone to kill the recording while pulling back into the skatepark*
M: oh you're recording it?
H: Yeah, no doubt.
M: That's cool. Yeah, probably a good way to do it. Just not like the phone up in your face. No pressure.
H: haha yeah, i mean we're homies, honestly we're just talking.
M: I wanted to be kind of like Low key.
H: Yeah, no doubt.
M: I hate to always be like, emotionless on like Instagram and stuff like that. i just like don't want to like put myself out there.
H: like I said, you have people who are down to or want to hear about your personal life, or the way you think about snowboarding and the way you think in general. Thanks for talking with me. Drive safe, hit you up later boss.
Photos and words: Hunter Murphy
