L'Uomo: interview with William Strobeck

For generations of young people (including an increasing number of girls), the 30 by 8 inches of a skateboard have been a way of expressing an

otherwise voiceless self: the only available medium on which to write their Bildungsroman, often in the wake of a troubled childhood. One such former kid who was “saved” by the libertarian aesthetic and existential style of skateboarding is William Strobeck. The only child of a schizophrenic single mother, after an adolescence on the brink, he eventually became the leading film-maker and photographer of skateboarding culture, with groundbreaking videos – including Blessed, Pussy Gangster and Candyland – shot and produced over the last 20 years. Born in 1978 in New York State and self-taught, Strobeck is the equivalent of a lay preacher. For him, the most important thing is to express the emotions and values of what skate has meant to him. From the famous Love Park in Philadelphia to San Francisco and New York, where he moved in 2003, his home has welcomed a community of designers, actors and artists (such as Chloë Sevigny, Ben Cho and Leo Fitzpatrick). His East Village apartment was reproduced in its entirety in an exhibition devoted to him in 2019 by the Milk Gallery in Chelsea titled My Lovely Mess, an apt description of the spirit animating his photos and videos. Since 2014 Strobeck has been working with Supreme, and he recently visited Milan to shoot a video for the opening of the streetwear brand’s first store in Italy. Skateboarding is now poised to become an Olympic sport whose popularity has also grown since it became one of the finest escapist activities during times of pandemic. We talked to this director to get back to the sport’s impassioned roots.

How far back do the photos in this portfolio go?
The oldest is the one of the burning car from around 1997. I wasn’t even working in skating yet. We were driving from Philadelphia to San Francisco, and I’d taken the early morning shift at the wheel. I only had a disposable camera and I took the shot while I was driving. I just happened to capture it. The most recent photos are from a few weeks ago. They’re about my work with the Supreme guys, which began in 2014.

As well as awesome tricks, your photos and videos show skaters failing and getting straight back up. It’s like our defeats shape us more than anything else...
I want to capture things in a way that doesn’t just feel like here’s the trick and we’re onto the next. When I’m filming, I want you to feel like you’re part of the crew while you’re watching, like you’re hanging out with people you would never normally get to hang out with. It’s not like these kids are going to let you into their circle. And I don’t want to force the guys. They’re independent because they know what’s cool and what’s not.

What has skateboarding given you?
It’s something that you can do individually that feels individual. Even when you’re with a crew of people, you’re still an individual in the group. In life it can be really hard to be yourself, but it’s one of the most beautiful things when you manage it. I was shy myself, but thanks to skateboarding I was able to be around people I felt comfortable with, and that helps you find yourself quicker. It’s one of the only sports where you stay an individual even in a team.

How do you relate to skaters today?
I’m very much a people person and I want to showcase people and make them look bigger than life. I started in Philadelphia and haven’t stopped since. I find these talented kids and try to speed up their path to greatness.

(Continues)

The photographs were all taken by American filmmaker William Strobeck over the past 25 years, between New York, Philadelphia and the West Coast. They are the most personal outcome of his passion for skateboarding culture that led him to direct legendary videos such as Blessed, Pussy Gangster and Candyland.

Read the full interview by Michele Neri in the May issue of L'Uomo, on newsstands from April 13th

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