Canadian Roll Spotlight

Richie Eisler approached me sometime before Winterclash to do another interview and of course I was excited, especially because our first interview came out so well. The first interview took place over a year ago, and at that point a lot in Richie’s life was changing, he was getting ready to leave school, constantly seeing new places through travel, getting a new frame. This interview shows how that change has progressed, Richie is now out of school and thinking of what to do in the future, is not only getting another pro frame, but a complete pro-set up from the Conference ( Richie is the first Canadian to get a pro skate), and is still traveling all around and enjoying life. I hope everyone enjoys reading the interview as much as I enjoyed putting it together. I also hope people realize that Richie’s attitude and personality are exactly what the rolling industry needs to thrive.

Travel

Canadian Roll (C.R): From what you have been telling me, you have traveled a lot of places this year, do any in particular stand out in your mind, and if so, why?

Richie Eisler (R.E): Yeah it was a great year for travel. All of it was incredible, but China was probably the most unique. I was there with school, so we got to see a lot of amazing things that you don’t see on a normal trip. We toured government palaces, power plants, businesses, sweatshops, factories, the Great Wall, etc. The pace of change in China is staggering - that’s probably what stood out most to me. It was inspiring.

C.R: What inspires you and drives you to continually travel to new destinations?

R.E: I’m addicted. I want to make the most of my time and experience as much as possible. I have been lucky to have the opportunities to do it, but I have also made a point of not passing any of them up.

C.R: How do your family and friends react to you leaving so often?

R.E: Everyone is really supportive.

C.R: In our last interview you stated that road trips with friends have provided you with some of your best memories. Are there any you can share with us?

R.E: Last spring we went on a two week, “no plan” trip around Western Canada and parts of the US. It was the greatest feeling to wake up each morning and know that the entire day was going to consist of pure freedom and exploration. One day we felt like pulling over and wandering around ice caves and moon rock fields in Idaho, another day we had a snowball fight with the last snow left on a mountain at Lake Louise, one afternoon we sailed a boat around a lake in a valley in Montana and another day we skated the best spots in Pullman Washington. Each day was full of new adventures. Each day was perfect. There’s just something about that type of trip. I can’t wait to do it again this year. We’re probably going all the way down to Tijuana and back!

C.R: So I heard that you are going to the Winterclash in Germany. What are you expecting from the Winterclash ?

R.E: That’s right! Every year I have had school related commitments that have kept me from attending, so I’m really excited to finally have a chance to go. I am expecting gigantic crowds, overwhelming energy, mind-blowing skating and a great opportunity to hang out with friends from around the world that I don’t see enough. EDIT – that’s exactly what Winterclash was. It was a great trip.

C.R: Where is your favorite place in the world to roll ?

R.E: Barcelona is my new favorite. The spots and architecture are incredible for skating and you can always cool off at the topless beach afterwards.

C.R: What keeps you coming back to Canada ?

R.E: Living at home to finish school has kept me coming back to Canada in the past. For the future it will be friends and family. My next step is to move down under and enjoy being outside year round. I’ve had enough of hibernating 5 months a year.

Injury

C.R: You are just getting back into topside tricks, 15 months after you hurt your ankle, so I must ask, did the pain discourage your skating at any point during recuperation ?

R.E: Yeah, it has been really difficult. My ankle was really stiff for the longest time. It never discouraged me from skating but it was frustrating. I still don’t quite feel like I’m skating at 100% but the situation has improved A LOT in the past few months. I am going to physio again because it is hard to compress forwards. Soon enough I think I will be back to 110! haha.

C.R: Did this injury force you to skate differently, and if so how ? Was this a positive or negative experience and why ?

R.E: Definitely. It was hard to compress my ankle forward or sideways, so low landings, gaps and topsides were out. It has also made me feel less agile. It was mostly a negative experience because I was really limited in what I could skate. If anything positive came of this, I got better at switch tricks.

C.R: How does it feel to almost be back to 100% both skating wise, and in general everyday life ?

R.E: It feels great! I am having more fun than ever and am really happy with everything right now.

Miscellaneous Questions
C.R: How would you explain the “EislerQ” for people who do not know what it is, and tell us how it went this year ?

R.E: It started as an “anti-contest” several years ago. We would always go to these contests around the country and the funnest part was just skating with everyone from other cities and hanging out, but people were always scattered around the city at different hotels and stuff. I decided to have a “contest” where the whole concept was just to get together, everyone stay in one place and there would actually be no contest at all. So that’s what we did. Skated all day, enjoyed a lot of BBQ and then partied all night. Everyone in one place. It was amazing the first time and has been every time since.

This year everyone stayed in hotels again, but it was just as fun as ever. We had a big jam at the indoor park, watched an Icons premiere at the local pub, held a giant mini-golf tourney, completely took over the dance floor at the bar, doubled the headcount at a big house party, went watersliding and finished it all off with a session at the outdoor park in Swift Current. It was the perfect weekend. It’s crazy that all these people live so far apart, but have become such close friends. Every time we get together it feels like we have never been apart. Everyone clicks instantly. I love it.

C.R: Will we ever see an EislerQ edit documenting the event ?

R.E: I meant to film a lot at this last one but I was so busy having a blast that I never once took out my camera. Other people captured a lot of memories, but I’m not sure what they’re doing with the footage. Previous EQ footage from over the years has appeared in Canadian skate videos and online edits.

C.R: Are there any projects you have been working on lately ?

R.E: I have been working on the new “Regina Monologues” video and another massive skatepark edit, but that’s it right now. I was filming for a Kizer video but that fell through – the curse of rollerblading projects! There is talk of a new USD video but it is supposed to be entirely HD so I’m not sure how or when I’ll be able to film for that. My friends and I will also be making a tour documentary this spring….

Wheels

Richie’s Pro Wheel

C.R: You recently got another pro wheel from Undercover; were you able to choose what you wanted on the wheel ? And if so, what inspired the whole design ?

R.E: Yeah, I had full creative control. The design was inspired by the artwork for Fear and Loathing. I was looking at the movie poster one day and thought that a parody of it would make a sick wheel graphic.

C.R: Who did the art work for your wheel ?

R.E: I did it myself.

C.R: I have been really looking forward to rocking your new wheel with your anti-rockers, so I have to ask, what has taken this wheel so long to come out ?

R.E: Undercover wheels were manufactured in China in the past. As it turns out, the Chinese lost my wheel design and never bothered to say anything about it. So all this time we figured they were producing the wheel, but they weren’t. We were expecting the wheel to be out in September but now it will probably released early summer. Manufacturing has been shifted to the US now. I have tested the prototypes and there were some core problems that are being fixed right now, but the urethane was incredible. If things work out, I honestly believe the new line of Undercover wheels are going to be the best wheels ever made.

C.R: Last I heard you and Kenneth Dedeu were Undercover’s brand managers. How did this all come about? What made you take on this new role ?

R.E: True story. They just asked me if I would like to take it on. I figured it would be a good experience and it has been.

C.R: How do you feel about Undercover’s new team and the re-branding ? Why did the re-branding come about? Lastly, what can we look forward to in the future from Undercover wheels ?

R.E: I’m excited about it, but credit should go to Kenneth as it was his idea and he had the most input for the new designs and team and image and everything. I think it was just time to step up the game for UC and that is exactly what has happened. The wheels are constantly being improved, some of the freshest skaters in the industry have joined the team and things are really looking up. In the future you can look forward to Billy, SK and Jeph Howard wheels….

C.R: Why should rollers pick up Undercover wheels ?

R.E: The next wheels are going to be the best thing you’ve ever skated, they’re often released in fresh colors, the team is stacked, and The Conference does more to support rolling than its competitors.

Skates **Take Note: I was unable to ask about the release date because of all the delays with the Conference manufacturers**

C.R: Can you give us any information about your pro skate that comes out this year ?

R.E: I can’t say a whole lot just yet. They will be classic thrones, they are more colorful than your average skates and they come with my new kizer frames and new undercover wheels designed specifically for the skate. The frames will also be available separately as aftermarket hardware. Again, I was given full control over colors and everything. I worked hard (along with Kenneth) to create an original colorway/design and I am really pleased with the results. Kenneth is amazing to work with.

C.R: When you heard you were getting a pro skate what went through your head ?

R.E: I was flattered. This is a goal that I have had in the back of my mind for a while now. At first I thought it was out of my reach but things have just kinda fallen into place. Rollerblading tends to be an industry where a lot of big plans fall through, so I was unsure at first, but I got more excited as the designs started to take shape and I realized that this was really going to happen. Apparently, the samples are being photographed as we speak, so it is definitely happening. It’s pretty funny and pretty exciting at the same time.

C.R: You are the only Canadian to ever get a pro skate, so it is easy to see why people identify you with Canadian rolling. How does this make you feel ? Also, how does it make you feel that you are getting such recognition while still living in Canada - a place that is generally ignored by the industry for its great rollers ?

R.E: It’s an amazing feeling! I still feel like a little kid that is just hooked on blading, so it’s crazy to think that all of this has happened and that I have now become one of the people that I looked up to for so many years. This activity and the people in it have influenced me so much, in such a positive way. It’s weird to think that now I’m in a position where I can do the same for other kids in Canada and elsewhere. Getting to this point from the middle of nowhere is probably the highlight of the whole thing. Everyone always cheers for the underdog, right? But things seem to be picking up for Canada, exposure wise. SOL has been receiving a lot of positive attention, so that’s good for Canada and really for everyone who skates. I’d far rather see that type of attitude and skating influence the masses than some wannabe celebrity characters.

It’s interesting to think back on how I’ve changed over the years, too. For a while when I was younger, I went to more contests and stuff like that. Even though it was always mostly just about skating, having fun and seeing friends, I cared more about where I was going with skating. It’s like I was having a blast and not too concerned about everything, but part of me was also trying to “make it.” And then after a few years of that, I just stopped trying to prove something and skated without giving a damn about what anyone thought. Just trying to do stuff that made me happy or challenged me. Ironically, that’s when different opportunities started happening and snowballing for me. Now since things have changed yet again, I have been trying to promote the companies that support me by focusing on showing skating for how fun it is and TRYING to make it look as fluid and technical as I can. Suddenly it’s like I care again, but with a different focus. This has seriously been a really interesting journey and I’ve learned a lot about others, as well as myself. Skating has kept me so young but also helped me to grow up so much.

C.R: Will it be strange seeing people wear your pro skate ?

R.E: No question. It will be surreal. I just rollerblade. It’s just a fun thing to do. A pro skate seems so funny. But it’s going to be like a piece of evidence that I can accomplish anything I really want to and it will be a nice little reminder of how amazing this adventure has been. It’s also ironic considering that skating has been my outlet for setting and accomplishing mental and physical goals.

C.R: Why should people pick up the Richie Eisler pro skate ?

If you like it, you should get it. That’s it, really.

This is Not The Richie Pro-Skate, But It Is Funny.

School

C.R: You recently finished school; for people who do not know, what program were you taking ? Also, what do you plan on doing with that education ?

R.E: I completed a Bachelors degree in Media Production and then a Masters in Business. I focused on International Business. I plan on doing something that combines both subjects. At the moment I am doing CSI style video and image processing/enhancing for the police, but I’m looking out to move on to a new job as soon as possible. Maybe producing for TV or movies, something in marketing, something in skating… I don’t know. I want to do something where I can be creative for a while, I’d like to be a professor, etc. I guess I want to do too many things at once.

C.R: Why did you choose those programs ?

R.E: Skating drew me to filming/editing and I like creating things and telling stories, so media was an easy choice. The business degree was another step towards teaching at a university and an opportunity to round out my skills/knowledge.

C.R: What is the main thing you learned from all the education you received ?

The main thing I learned is that I like learning new things. I learned about myself.

C.R: How has your life changed since finishing school? Does it feel like you have moved on to another stage in your life now, and if so, what are the positive and negative aspects of this new stage? Do you have more time to do the things you love, or are you out looking for work?

It hasn’t changed too much. The only real difference is that I am spending my days at work instead of school. It’s nice to have a steady paycheque. I miss being at school every day but I am enjoying the lack of stress/deadlines. I guess I am in a new stage but it doesn’t feel like it, just yet…I am basically just enjoying my time and saving money to move. You’re gonna have to check in with me in a year for a good answer to this one.

Shoutouts ?

I want to thank Be-mag for supporting me since the beginning. While the rest of the industry media was focused on San Diego, Be-mag branched out and covered the entire world right from their first online issue. They have done a lot for me and I am really thankful for that. Thanks to my mom for bringing skate parts home from a trip to NYC 14 years ago. Those $25 anti-rockers have really paid off! Thanks to my dad for helping me with all my traveling. I also want to thank all the guys at The Conference for how well they have treated me. It has been great working with them and I have seen and done a lot of things that never would have been possible without them. Thanks.

Richie Eisler Skates a Line For Canadian Roll 

So there you have it, the second Richie Eisler interview from Canadian Roll. I sincerely hope these become an annual occurrence because Richie’s answers are thought provoking, and he always has something interesting to talk about. I hope everyone enjoyed the interview and I really hope people are thinking of picking up Richie’s pro skate to show support for one of the best rollers in the industry!