Interview: Jackson Pilz

Photographer and Questionator - Adair


feeble - adair

You been spending a bit of time in Melbourne this past month or so, and just done a short Vans tour up to Sydney. How have you been keeping busy down that way and what shenanigans did you get up to with the rest of the Vans team?

Yeah man, Melbourne is the shit. Skating with the Pooners is the best. Yeah keeping pretty busy shooting with Mapstone and filming with Syd as much as I can. The Vans trip shenanigans were daily, it was like a party bus. I think Dustin bought about 10 cases one day.

You went down with Red too hey. What a cute little reunion. How's Jimmy Hall holding up?

Yeah me and Red flew down to do some Billabong stuff for a few days then we decided we may as well stay down and hang with Jimmy and when he saw us, sorry to embarrass you Jimmy, but he started bawling his eyes out and touching himself and spewing. Besides that little episode he's holding up good, just doing his marital chores and what not.

What sort of strife has Red found himself embroiled this time in the big smoke?

There's probably a few good stories but I'll tell this one. It was a lovely Sunday afternoon and Kirk Diddy was having a barbecue at his house and me and Red for some reason bought a red wine sack when there was already about 20 cartons at Kirksy's. Anyway, we both blacked out before leaving his house and I woke up at Kew depot slouched against the wall on the street at three in the morning by myself. Needless to say I was very confused and started walking around in circles. I started trying to call people and no one answered so I did a few more circles, then I saw a hooded man walking up the street and thought I was about to get rolled and as he got closer it started looking like Red so I yelled out to him and he was like, "yeahhhh!" Then we ran to each other and did a dance. He said he woke up exactly the same as me but a few blocks down. He also had nine Chiko rolls in his pockets. We still don't know what happened that night.

I hear from young Mitch Morrison you've got 'Brat Pack' inked across you knuckles hey! Was this a home job?

Yeah, haha! Having a gun is gnarly.


switch bs ollie - adair

How is your tattoo shop out in the garage going?

Well I've been away for a little while so she hasn't had to much use but I'm sure she'll make a come back soon.

You mum would be getting pretty good by now huh?

She's better then me that's for sure but the one I did on Scotty's (Stanley) foot is amazing, a true work of art. That it is. It got gnarly infected when he walked in the mud the next day though.

Talking of your mum, Danielle, and the old man Steve, you've been blessed with a great family. I've come across plenty of skate dads over the years and I must say Steve is there with the best of 'em. Danielle too. They always open their door to a travelling skater, thrown some killer parties over the years, first-class drinking companions, put up with you and fuck, just really good people. You're a lucky bugger.

Shit yeah, they go off.

Some skate dads out there are the total opposite. You just want to punch them in the gob every time they open their trap.

I saw him throw a bike over the fence at Caloundra once when I was younger, haha! I think he got banned.

While we're on the family tip. You do alright yourself mate. I've seen you jump in the car at the sparrow's fart after a night on the turps to go support Eli at a footy game or Sasha at her equestrian events. What's the family tip? You guys have team huddles?

Nah, no huddles, but I'll go watch them do their shit. I like watching Eli play footy 'cause he just crushes fools. The horse ones are gnarly cause I don't really know what's going on. I still go to a few every now and then. They're usually in weird hick towns like Gympie or someplace though.


frontail - adair

That property you guys have got now's impressive. Must be great to have a home like that to go chill at between travels. Being that you get around a bunch. How was growing up on the Sunny Coast for you?

Thanks man, it's good having a bit of property. There's heaps of room for all types of activities. Growing up on the Sunny Coast was the best, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's good for beaches and all that kind of stuff but the skating isn't the best up here. You kind of have to go somewhere else to get shit done.

You've been around a good while now Jacko. I don't imagine kids new to skateboarding have an idea just how long. When was your first photo in a magazine? Nine years ago maybe?

Yeah I don't know how long ago it was but I know you shot it, it was a boneless on my mini ramp but it was in Norm Badpants' yard at the time. That's right. For your Focus.

And you're early days blasting away on vert? You were what, about 12 when we shot that frontside invert at Lismore?

Yeah maybe, I don't know, I have the worst memory. I remember I was definitely a little tacker with long blond hair tucked behind my ears with a hat under my helmet.

And spinning the 720! When and where did that happen?

I'm pretty sure I was 13 so like six years ago in England. I was visiting Ali Cairns and we were skating his ramp and we were about to go home and he told me try a 720 and I tried a few and I guess I got lucky.


ollie - adair

Whenever you're the topic of a bitch it comes up you're a lazy fuck and squandering your talent. Without sticking my nose too far up there brother I'm always there at your defence. I guess you have been chilling somewhat but people have to remember you're still young. Have I been wasting my breath or are you just enjoying your late teens and ready to fire up when you're partied out and got no bare skin left?

Yeah I'm pretty lazy and I'm definitely enjoying my late teens but I skate everyday, I just don't shoot and film everyday. I can basically only get stuff done when I leave the Sunny Coast and I try to get around as much as I can, but just cause people don't see what I'm doing doesn't mean that I'm not doing anything. If a bear shits in the woods does it stink if there's nobody their to smell it huh?

I did see the photographic results of your last trip to the States with Red and Jimmy. You guys definitely didn't lay low over there. There's some amazing shit waiting for spare magazine pages. I know Red went out of his mind during those few months, being the veteran of the Brats how did you get along this time?

Red's always out of his mind 24/seven, that's why we love him. Sometimes when I sleep near him he starts chewing invisible food in his sleep. We had the best time ever, we got to do heaps of shit. Fick, our photographer friend, would pick us up most days and we'd just go skating all day and we ended up getting a fair bit of stuff.


smith - adair

You did a Hoon Run up through Oregon with Cuzza and co. What memorable moments are you willing to share with us from that?

Yeah from what I remember it was amazing. I hurt my ankle a few days before that trip so I couldn't do much skating so I just got drunk heaps.

So what for the rest of the summer? Once you've done Chrissy with the folks what's you next move?

No solid plans yet, just keep coming down to the Goldy. John from Vans said he was going to try and send me and Kirksy to New Zealand for that bowl thing so hopefully that happens, then Bondi I guess and then just wing it.

And what are you going to get Chiggy for Christmas? I know he's been missing you.

Something he'll put to good use, like a dildo or something.