Name, Age, years skating:

Mike Patterson, 29, I started skating when I was 10 so damn near 20 years skating.

Current Set-Up?

8.5 deck, 53mm wheels, 149 trucks

You are one in our opinion of the most notable skateboarders to come out of the PNW. How do you feel about that?

I appreciate that. I love skating and work hard so I’m glad people may be influenced by that. I hope I can get people stoked to skate

You have a real unique style of skateboarding. #StyleMatters

I’ve had a lot of phases in skating, different tricks, different styles. Some people like the way I skate a few people hate on my style but I feel like the people who hate couldn’t even do a proper kickflip and they are likely teenage internet trolls. Lately I’ve just been focusing on doing clean simple tricks for the most part. I like to try and pop my tricks and skate long tall rails.

Where are you living these days?

Bellevue, WA

Who are you skating and filming with currently?

My dude Wil Douglas it has been a blessing to skate with him. The older I get the harder it is to find people who are motivated to skate and especially to film with. Wils not only a really good Filmer but also a solid skater. So big thanks to Wil. Aside from that whoever’s in the field so sometimes Johnny Matarazzo, Joe Rinehart, Peyton Dyer and whoever else is motivated to get out on the streets!

If you could only skate one thing for the rest of your life what would it be? 

I couldn’t even say I like variety but it would be street. Real street skating will always have a special place in my heart.

Who did you grow up skating with and who were your early influences?

All the people associated with Manik skateboards. Marshall is a Seattle legend and his videos most definitely influenced me. Urban rubble and WHAT IS? are my favorites. I always liked supporting locals so I loved Aaron Artis’s skating. I grew up skating around David Gravette so I have a lot of respect for his skating and when it comes to street skating we would have a lot of the same tricks and feed off each other. Other than that I’d say I really liked the THPS generation of people like Rowley, Reynolds’s, Thomas, Koston, Muska etc. some of the classic skaters who made a name for themselves.

How old is your German Shepard now? What made you want to get that breed? Does he/she know how to skate?

9 1/2 months old & she is crazy, full of energy but a real sweet dog. I was considering getting a husky but I hear they don’t make very good guard dogs and I did some research and decided GSD was the way to go. She quickly turned into my best friend, german shepherds are such loyal companions and great dogs. I’ve never had another dog but i couldn’t see it any other way…and I’ve seen her put her paws on my board that’s about it. She’s need to learn how to act right around skaters, too much excitement, she’s a skater hater and an ankle biter so I’m hoping she will learn to behave around skateboards. I did get her to ride a snowskate for like 15ft when she was a puppy tho, that was rad.

Who are you getting product from currently? Anyone you wish would send you a box?

Kind of rephasing my sponsors. I get Bones Wheels and Clothes from Volcom, Boards from this Board company 22. I’ve gotten Nike shoes on and off since 2011 so I wish I could reconnect with them. Basically I’ve been a sponsored skater since I was 12/13 years old I’m now almost 30 so I’d like to find myself connected with companies already established who have a budget for their skaters. I’ve done a lot of work for free for companies in the skate industry and always had to finance my own skating with the exception of some help from my family.

What is the craziest Brooklyn Projects DOM story you have heard?

IDK man I’ve heard a few

You have been featured on Thrasher, Been on King Of The Road, and had some very notable parts drop over the years. How come you aren’t considered pro? I consider you pro but the old guard and the old technicalities still seem to exist. In the Era of Instagram, how do you feel about small companies turning someone pro and just becoming pro now in general. 

It’s all about who you know and what most people in skating don’t understand is that even the “big” companies aren’t money machines. I don’t think any skaters could make a living off of board sales alone in this day and age. What the big board companies do have is ties to the brands who actually have a budget for skaters like shoe and clothing sponsors. You could be one of the best skaters but if you go pro for a small brand you play yourself, and that’s the hard truth. I’ve had to finance a lot of projects and video parts myself.

You could be one of the best skaters but if you go pro for a small brand you play yourself, and that’s the hard truth.

You seem to be really active on Instagram now. I don’t think you were about a year ago. What changed besides you now having nearly 11k followers? What did you change?

I was working on a farm and had to focus on making money and real life situations. I made sacrifices so I could focus on skating like right now I’m living at my parents. I’d like to get away from IG and focus on actual projects with skating. It’s just easy to post to Instagram because everybody has a phone with a camera and I like to document my skating but I’d rather be working on a video part.

How do you feel about the world of the “skate influencer” now?

It’s strange. A lot of really good skaters are being slept on while I see a lot of mediocre skaters with a large following-but that doesn’t always translate to legit sponsors and coverage. I’d like to see more core traditional skaters play the influencer game but it’s hard to do so in a tasteful way.

Talk to me about your favorite trick you have done at a spot.

Boardslides — there’s too many to name but I just did one on this glass rail with a drop that felt good.

Talk to me about your slam at the Ellensburg rail. I saw the footy years ago from Jake. I was so hard for me to watch that. It’s been so long since then. Do you still think about that slam?

I do occasionally. I try not to. That’s the reason I don’t skate many kinked rails. You can sack a regular rail that’s like 30 stairs and be relatively fine but if you sack on a sharp kink rail you could lose your kids or damage your goods.

Recently you did a instagram contest where you gave money to a number of people for clips they submitted. Talk to me about what motivated you to want to do that sort of thing. 

It’s the kind of skating I like to see. You’re not in direct competition with others. I’ve had the idea for awhile and just decided to run with it, taking cues from All City Showdown. The purse was like $380 so nothing crazy but it was dope to give back to some of the skaters who deserved it. I’d like to do it again but it was actually very time consuming and I have to focus on making money and not just giving it away ahah. P.S. thanks for the donation.

I feel like you and I have a similar goal with supporting our respective skate scene any way we can.

Yeah I’d like to build with the youth. The Seattle skate scene looks like it has some promising talent. I like to support the younger dudes because I had some older heads show me some me love and I really appreciate that but also some of the older skaters were total dicks so I try to be supportive and be a positive influence.

What is your outlook on skateboarding in the next five years? Where do you see yourself fitting into that?

It’s hard to say I could have some success and make some money but I’m not counting on that. I’m trying to start my own business so I don’t have to put my eggs in one basket. I would like to skate as much as I can in the next 5 to 10 years cause being 30 doesn’t feel like being 20 and I know being 40 won’t feel like 30 so I’m trying to get it while I can.

How has your view of skateboarding and the business of skateboarding changed as you’ve gotten older?

It’s cutthroat. What was lucrative in the late nineties, early 2000s has become saturated by today’s standards. Not uncommon in business though. I’d like to stay positive and think that skaters will be able to make money if they get creative. Skaters aren’t always the most business savvy and I’m no exception so I’m trying to learn about wealth and build my skills in and outside of skating.

What is your opinion on the scene up here in the Northwest these days?

I think it’s on the come up. New talent, lots of untapped spots and a growing scene.

What brands get you stoked these days?

Any brands who are able to continue to be successful without confirming to the Street League, Olympics format. I like brands who keep the fire alive in the street skateboarding scene.

Who are your favorite skaters currently?

I like to support the locals so like Simon Bannerots skating he’s an obvious locals favorite right now. The new kids here like Caden Smith also I like Greg Dehart’s skating and my dude fetus (Johnny Matarazzo) is killing it. My days ones like Dane @allaboutactionnn and Brandon @sliqq_ aka chip Gaines will forever be my favorites that’s covers the locals. Aside from that some of the pros I like are dudes like Winoski, Grant Taylor, Elijah Berle, Ishod, Daan Von, Milton Martinez, Chris Colbourn. It’s hard for me to pick favorites so I could go on forever.

Last Words/Advice to any new kids coming up skating in 2019?

Work hard, stay humble, have fun. Realize that with skating you could fall off at any time and the ones who understand that will have longevity and have get back. The ones who think they’ll never fall off are usually the ones who do.