March 12, 2022 at Southside Skatepark happening after the Spring Break Street Contest!
We just arrived home from Austin, Texas where at the No Comply 15 Year Anniversary Party two new Texas Pros were created by Roger Skateboards. David Langston and Reese Barton join Ryan Thompson and Max Taylor as Roger’s current Pro Team. This was a proper surprise proing so the night started off innocently enough. Meet and greet dinner at the Yellow Jacket Social Club, then on to the event at Empire Control Room and Garage. Where we were treated to a premiere version of the new Roger video, R11, and a surprise screening of David Langston’s Homage video part.
David Langston and Reese Barton join Ryan Thompson and Max Taylor as Roger Pros!
In the past year, the entire Houston area crew has remained focused on the streets, documenting in preparation for David Langston and Aaron Wilson to make a run at potentially turning Pro for their sponsors. Nothing in skateboarding is guaranteed and you have to earn every bit of it ten times over. After having seen Aaron Wilson’s Homage part and Pro board release on Thrasher for Heroin Skateboards and now David Langston’s Homage part we can not say enough good things about John Danielson new video project. We did some back and forth question answer with John Danielson last week about Homage. We wanted to give him a voice regarding the process of making this video and some of the last-minute hurdles that the entire crew has had to overcome to complete it.
How about we start with some of the basics, who is in the video, and why the name HOMAGE?
The video has 2 main parts from Aaron Wilson and David Langston with a loaded friends section in the middle. There’s also a surprise shared part that I haven’t mentioned anywhere until now in this interview. You will be stoked, I promise. David had come up with the name Homage and by definition means “paying respect towards someone or something you admire.” It will make more sense when you see the intro.
There’s Also a Surprise Shared Part that I Haven’t Mentioned Anywhere Until Now in this Interview
Did you set out initially to film this video or did a bunch of factors sort of push HOMAGE into reality?
I initially set out to create “Captain John 2” to round out the naming scheme I started with my previous videos. “Corridor of Shame,” released in 2009, and “Captain John and his 8 Faithful Seamen” released in 2011. Both of those videos were filmed on the vx1000/mk1 set up. “Corridor of Shame 2,” released in 2015 which was my first HD 16:9 video. So it only made sense to make “Captain John 2” in 4K 16:9 including everyone from the previous videos to really set it off. Reality set in though, filming 8+ dudes with other sponsor obligations while creeping into our early 30s turned out to be an impossible task. Every weekend I was linking up with Aaron and David though, so I knew at the very least they’d each have a full part.
Reality Set In Though, Filming 8+ Dudes with Other Sponsor Obligations While Creeping into Our Early 30s Turned Out to Be an Impossible Task
During the filming of HOMAGE, can you give us a memorable high point? Was there a moment that you knew you had a new video on your hands?
Oh definitely. So Aaron got his ender on that insane wall rail at the old Jones Plaza against the wall then a few days later got the noseslide nollie flip down the 27 stair hubba. With those 2 clips alone I knew his part was going to be insane. Also, when David got one of his tranquility enders which eventually led to the talks of him getting his own Roger board. A few months after David’s news, Aaron got a call from Fos letting him know that he would be going pro for his company Heroin Skateboards as well. I knew at that point they’d both skate their hardest and we’d be making something really sick.
I Knew at that Point they’d Both Skate their Hardest and We’d be Making Something Really Sick
Originally there was a whole complicated situation with David Langston and Aaron Wilson both wanting their Pro surprise to happen at the premiere of HOMAGE. Something that both Heroin Skateboards and Roger Skateboards seemed on board with doing, but then at the 11th-hour plans changed. Naturally, that would be a big motivator for the crew during the filming only to have it change up weeks before HOMAGE was ready. I totally get it, and it’s understandable why companies do things the way they do. You are making the right call with how you are going about allowing those parts to screen at two different events where they were becoming Pros. I guess my question is how did you manage them and the realities that the companies revealed to you? How did you keep everyone’s heads on straight?
We never really had a specific date set, I just knew I needed to have the video done sometime around mid-to-end of March because that was the rough timeline of when boards would be ready. I sort of figured everything would’ve been delayed due to supply chain issues but, then out of nowhere Aaron shot me a text saying Fos secured the Thrasher post for Valentine’s day. I could’ve maybe done a better job at communicating with Sieben and Fos about deadlines but my wife and I had to quickly move out of our place as our lease was ending and our landlord wasn’t going to renew. Luckily, we had a song that we had cleared for use and I got to cutting. All of this kind of happened so fast but it turned out good and the response has been great.
Out of Nowhere Aaron Shot Me a Text Saying Fos Secured the Thrasher Post for Valentine’s Day
Aaron Wilson turned PRO for Heroin Skateboards on Valentine’s Day and the boards immediately sold out in all the shops soon after. David Langston was PRO’ed in Austin due to Roger Skateboards being based there. The full HOMAGE video in its entirety is being screened on March 12, 2022, at Southside Skatepark in its entirety for the first time. This will be followed by David Langston and Aaron Wilson signing for everyone wanting their boards as we should have them back in stock. In a way, this event will circle back to HOMAGE’s original vision and intention, do you feel good about that?
Yeah, I definitely feel good about it. At this point, only the people in Austin at the recent No Comply event were able to see David’s part. David’s part will be brand new to everyone in Houston and Aarons’s part will FEEL brand new since it will be cut to our original song choice. There’s also the friend’s section, secret shared part, intro, and credits to string it all together. Watching the video in full for the first time around all your friends is the best way to watch a video anyway. I’m ready to hear everyone trip out altogether as one at Southside that night.
David’s Part Will be Brand New to Everyone in Houston and Aarons’s Part Will FEEL Brand New Since it Will be Cut to Our Original Song Choice
Luckily for us, you have created a new project to cast the spotlight on Houston’s amazing talent. You know, the name John Danielson is known far and wide? We’ve been hearing about teams with Pros and Ams coming to town and mentioning your videos. Saying that the videos like Corridor of Shame, for example, were their introduction to our scene. What does that feel like to you, to have that name recognition, to know that your videos have made it out there so far?
So the COS stuff is kind of crazy because I rushed that video so fast. It took one day to edit each person’s part and then rushed it out for replication. Whenever I started sharing parts to Youtube it was just around the same timeframe when a lot of other independent filmers were sharing their full-lengths. I think I was thrown into the mix because people were looking for free online skate videos haha. I went on a trip to L.A. in 2014 and met a guy who said he downloaded Corridor of Shame off of Frostwire lol. When Kingpinz was still open, Jason Cowie would tell me all the different places outside of the U.S. that he shipped the DVD to. I think as far as Switzerland someone had purchased one? I have no idea how it reached that far but it’s cool that people, usually older, still like and appreciate it. I’ve been at this for so long I feel like a grandpa in the streets now haha.
Seems like your weekend filming crew is a mix of Houston’s best and all the social stories and posts we see get us siked. With HOMAGE completed are you going to keep the momentum rolling and keep filming and creating? Are there any defined plans you are working on for anyone?
Yeah absolutely. So I’m helping out Max Peterson with an OJ part and Ben Havran with a Zero part coming soon. Hollywood Martinez is working on a solo part and Carter Wood has been coming out with us too. Everything else I film of David and Aaron will go to whatever project is next for them on their plate. As you know yourself, your body just gives out on you over time. Body pains are real. I should’ve eaten better and drank more water in my youth lol.
So as you get older that feeling of every time a filmer makes a skateboarding video, mentally it’s the very last one. When was your last video and what was it called? What made you come back out and start creating again?
Haha we’ll my last video was Corridor of Shame 2 and I really thought it was going to be my last. I needed to take a break and figure out my job situation after college. I started shooting weddings and then worked my way up to being the Senior Media Digital Producer at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Once I figured out my money situation, I really wanted to get out and make another video to sort of prove to myself that I can still film skateboarding after taking such a long break. Homage will be my last video but I’m pretty happy to call it my last.
Congratulations on everything you have accomplished and on recently getting married during all of this madness. Super proud of you and we are honored to screen HOMAGE at Southside Skatepark and consider ourselves blessed that somehow it has worked out that we are able to play host to this event. Southside is very proud of each and every one of you and appreciates the impact that this video will go on to make in skateboarding communities far and wide.
Thanks for everything you’ve done for the Houston Skate Scene and even for me personally throughout the years, bigo. Love you brother.
