feedmegrease
06-20-2008, 02:55 AM
How long have you been skating for? Any sponsors and when did you pick them up?
About 4 1/2 years. And there's some good news to the delay of this interview, since I recently got onto the ONC skatepark team. It's basically a park sponsor more than a flow, but definitely a sponsor. :D I used to be all about getting sponsored, then I figured out how much of an uptight prick I was, so I ditched getting sponsored. I feel much happier now. I'll pick any up when I pick them up.
From shortys_kid:
A few weeks ago I desperately needed a pair of shoes, because mine were basically thrashed. You proceeded to send me a pair of lakai's, and you even paid for the shipping. What makes you so generous and always wanting to help out?
Ahah, I can't say I'm ALWAYS generous, but I do what I can for friends. I guess it bums me out when one of my friends can't do what they love, so I try to help em out. Whether it's me doing all the driving for no gas money or hooking them up when my old gear.
http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/8509/changapkm0.jpg
If you had to pick one member from the cafe to have a session with right now, who would you pick?
I think the one guy I'd have the best sesh with would be johnny16tx, mainly because he's got those Texan ditches us Minnesotans have none of. But there are so many other bros I gotta sesh with: denacem, MRCK, robbyskateboard, missing_no, en$laved (MN REPRESENT), and skatetransition (Some people might hate him, but I liked him. Plus he seshes the park near my grandmas house!) Probs all the legit bros on here, I can't name em all.
What's your favorite trick?
Such a hard question. Usually I'll get stoked on some trick I just learned or got better at. Like right now dubflips, hardflips, shuffleslides, and one foot willys are high on the list. But I guess a gnarly front feeb is something you can't go wrong with. Front feebs = hawt. Or hippiejumps! Lololololololol
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/4097/hippiejumphc3.jpg
Who has supported you the most in your skating?
I can't really point out one signifigant person whose done the most. I mean my parents helped me with buying me boards, shoes, and everything, but my friends were the ones who were always helping me and getting me to progress. Basically everyone I know involved in skating around me has supported me a ton.
We've all seen your magnificent skating skills, but do you think there is a future in skateboarding for you?
I know fersure I won't be one of those people who just gets sponsors handed to them and doesn't need to think about doing something else for a living. I want a future in skating, and the only way I'll be able to do that is to work mega hard and convince people I'm in it for the long haul. So I'd say I have a 50/50 chance. I know I'll be skating anyway, but of course having it as a career would be choice. I definitely want a career in skating no matter what, like working for a company or becoming a filmer. I'm no Ty Evans, but that'd be epic.
Did you ever end up landing that 18 stair rail 50-50?
Not yet, not yet. Winter sorta blows in Minnesota, but it's legit summer weather now, so after a few warm up rails, I'll go back and give it a shot. I definitely want it though. Expect it in my actual vid part for Myriad Moments. :D
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9288/18stairgf2.jpg
You usually make so many delightful little montys, but recently you said you'd be working on the ultimate, do you think this one will blow our minds away? Will we survive?
Iunno, can you survive the hurricane? Ahah, I'm trying to make it up to par with promos for "A Happy Medium" and "Boondoggle". If you can survive those, then you might survive my promo. Myriad Moments baby!
Your skating inspirations ?
Devine Calloway, John Motta, Davis Torgerson, Richie Jackson, Micah Hollinger, Lizard King, Aaron Homoki ect ect ect. Better yet, anyone from AZ, haha. Such a phenom list of skaters popping up there. Creative minds and people going huge. But anybody who has made a career of their passion. It can be mad hard to do, and I respect anyone who made it happen.
You keep mentioning that a lot of people you skate with say that you have a fake style, while I personally love your style, it's very Brent Pennowell-ish (for Brent Atchley / Tom Penny / Ocean Howell ). Have you always looked that smooth and natural on a skateboard or did you have to work on it ?
I never actually said "Hey, I want to have a good style." It all just came together in the long run I guess. Maybe because instead of always trying new stuff, I felt fine with what I had and just did the same junk over and over. So nowadays when I learn new things, I try not to learn them ugly, and keep trying to make them clean. As well as a lot of the tricks I do are easy anyway. ^__________^
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/9918/rainbowslide1si2.jpg
How's your life besides skateboarding? job/girlfriend/other hobbies?
Job: Currently taking a break, but I'm going back to Zumiez (YEAH I WORK AT A MALLCHAIN KTHX) this summer, I need monies. Girlfriend, NOPE. Haven't had a legit gf for... Over 2 years? Haven't really tried though. But I'm always looking, just never attempting. Getting bashed down is such a bad feeling. As for other hobbies, I guess filming? Ahah, I don't do a lot besides skating, I'm a boring, lazy guy. OH! I have a basketball hoop, and we do those weird shots like in that DC commercial. There's a hobby. And Minesweeper. Best game ever.
If you could hang out with any person on the cafe who would it be? And why?
Not skating? Anybody I could just sit around with and talk.
Gloria (Elemental106), just for the egyptian bedsheets haha. FMG, shortys_kid, Noj is super smart, just talk and talk. lululu.
You're standing on the street, and you see an old lady mugging a muscle man in a wife-beater. What do you do?
How the hell could an old lady mug a man beast? If that ever did happen, I'd like to think I'd at least try to break it up and figure out how the hell that all went down.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/779/megaback1nl1.jpg
Do you plan on entering Any contests? now or in the future?
I do, I plan on entering as many as I can. At least get my name out into the MN scene, I've been in the background for so long. 3rd lair has a Midwest Melee and Wild in the Parks contest which I plan on entering, and if ONC can sign kids in for the next Damn Am (At 3rd), I'll get in there. There's this Summer Series that goes down at all the free parks, and I want to go to ALL of those (There's like, 15 of them). Most indoor parks have contests around here, and that's a good handful of comps. Hopefully I get close to placing. If not, watching all the rippers is just as good. Plus ONC pays for my comp fee, so it's just like a sesh. With prizes.
Do you plan on college?any specific plans for afterwards?
Actually, I'm already in college. Freshman at community college. Save money, get generals done, and if I want to, transfer to University of Minnesota for SOMETHING. I haven't found a single thing outside something skating-related I've wanted to do. Going to the UofM is mainly my father's road, I have no true intention to go. Maybe that'll change sometime.
What was the most embarrassing moment ever in your life?
I have two. The first one was at a kindergarten open house where everybody brought their kids to like, check the place out. I got seperated from my dad and when I found him, I grabbed his hand. Little did I know it wasn't my dad but some other kid's dad. I then proceeded to scream, cry, and whine until my dad found me. Looking back, that's the number 2, since I was too young to be embarassed. But the number one was during a health class in 10th grade. We were doing a class poll and the question was "Do you think women hold their alcohol worse than men?" Everyone went to the yes side, while I was on the no side. Teacher asks me why I said no, and my answer was "I'm pretty sure women can hold alcohol just the same as men, I mean, I doubt they'd just drop their drink unless they were really drunk or something." Yeah, I was waaaaaay off.
Why did you choose the username lemons?
How did you come up with your username? It seems kind of random, lol.
My actual nickname is lemons. The 7 is my favorite number. I got the nickname lemons because my name is Michael Lyman Lemnitzer. I think you see the similarities. ^________^ Not so random after all.
If you could skate either Carlsbad, Love Park, Wallenburg, El Toro, or Brooklyn Banks, which spot would it be (assuming you have enough skills & balls to attempt any of those spots)
Put el toro's rail back and that's it. A. I want to ollie it. B. I want to boardslide and 50-50 the rail. So bad! Keeping the rail out, I'd sesh Carlsbad, since I could probably do a few more things over that than the other spots.
http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/8793/craildw3.jpg
How is your BroFlow productions?
BroFlow isn't a real production deal, just many of the other local vid "productions." It's just the name I've given myself so I can put it in the Myriad Moments promo. Ya know, instead of just saying "A video by Mike Lemnitzer" it'd be "A BroFlow Production". Sounds more legit yaknow?
What inspires you to push yourself further in your skating?
That feeling of landing that trick you've wanted for ages. Example: for a few weeks, I'd sesh this one park nearly everyday. Everyday I'd try a kickflip front blunt fakie on this flatbar. Finally, out of sheer luck, I landed it. That over-stoked feeling, just cheering yourself on the inside. That's what inspires me, I want to have that feeling. Even the basic stuff does it. I just figured out good bs flips. On flat. Same feeling. It's the high of getting better. Plus just one-upping myself at spots. Doing something better than I've done before there. That's always awesome.
What was your first experience skateboarding like?
Probably no different than the majority of other skaters. Kinda weird, but fun at the same time. So lame, but all I did was ride around. I can't say there was this immediate connection to skating, I only saw it as something to do. In time I'd see people doing these crazy tricks and that's when I got hooked.
Did you ever end up landing a 720 flip?
Ahah, that actually wasn't me! My bad, it was my bro Chris, he's mad tech. But he hasn't landed it yet. I'll hook you all up with the vid when he lands it.
Did your skateboarding steadily progress over time, or was there a period in your life where you were learning new tricks daily, and were super creative, if so, when was this time, and why do you think that happened.
Definitely not steady. My progression has been so jumpy. For the first year, I couldn't kickflip, but I could front lip and ollie 9 sets. My 2nd year skating was probably my most progressive, I learned soooo much it blew my mind. On average, it was like, 5 new tricks a week. And that seriously went on all year. I learned a ton of mini tricks, some manny stuff, grinds galore, and flip tricks all the time. Since then, I've definitely lost that learning ability, and I've come to deal with it. Lately, I've been trying to bring my tricks to bigger things, while slowly learning something new. Even more recently, I've turned to creativity. Like Micah Hollinger create-a-spot creative. Which I'm very happy with.
http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/3157/setpupwall1xr9.jpg
There have rumors that you were made in Japan. Comments?
If I was made in Japan, I would have a name from throwing pots and pans down stairs. BING BONG DING GONG. Stereotypical jokes are the best (Please take no offense, it's a joke, and a way old one at that). But I was made in Texas! Everything's bigger in Texas brah! Born in Texas, moved to Tennessee, moved to Kansas, moved to Florida, moved to Minnesota, then relocated to a lame house in MN. I've been all over, but never Japan. ;_____;
Believe in mermaids?
Funny story behind this one. I used to live in Florida right? Well my parents were into going to the beach constantly, so I was always there. My sister was one of those kids you see playing with seaweed, and I seriously hated seaweed. But on a hot May day, quite like this one, my mom said "GET YOUR BATHING SUIT ON. BEACH TIME." So I got my suit on, it was a plaid Billabong one, very cool, and we headed out. Once there, my sister got to her usual awkwardness and started finding the seaweed to play with. Out of nowhere, this huge merman jumped out and said "Be gone young maiden, this is OUR seaweed." Personally, I was thinking WTF. But my sister, being the stubborn girl she is, wouldn't let go of the seaweed. So this merman... Did I mention he was like, 15 feet tall? It's kinda important. But this merman wisked my sis away into the depths of the ocean. With my shovel and pail in hand, I went after them. Apparently Atlantis is just off shore of West Palm Beach, Florida, because that's where I found my sister. She was kicking and screaming when I found her, trying to fend off the mermaids giving her a mermaid makeover. I had to fight off the 15 foot tall merpeople, and it's a good thing their weakness is a shovel and pail. So after intense battle that I had won, I grabbed my sister and we went back to the beach. We made a sand castle, and went home. So no, I don't believe in mermaids.
I'd like to say thanks to everyone for voting/congradulating me. I appreciate it so much, and hope I can return the favor somehow soon.
About 4 1/2 years. And there's some good news to the delay of this interview, since I recently got onto the ONC skatepark team. It's basically a park sponsor more than a flow, but definitely a sponsor. :D I used to be all about getting sponsored, then I figured out how much of an uptight prick I was, so I ditched getting sponsored. I feel much happier now. I'll pick any up when I pick them up.
From shortys_kid:
A few weeks ago I desperately needed a pair of shoes, because mine were basically thrashed. You proceeded to send me a pair of lakai's, and you even paid for the shipping. What makes you so generous and always wanting to help out?
Ahah, I can't say I'm ALWAYS generous, but I do what I can for friends. I guess it bums me out when one of my friends can't do what they love, so I try to help em out. Whether it's me doing all the driving for no gas money or hooking them up when my old gear.
http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/8509/changapkm0.jpg
If you had to pick one member from the cafe to have a session with right now, who would you pick?
I think the one guy I'd have the best sesh with would be johnny16tx, mainly because he's got those Texan ditches us Minnesotans have none of. But there are so many other bros I gotta sesh with: denacem, MRCK, robbyskateboard, missing_no, en$laved (MN REPRESENT), and skatetransition (Some people might hate him, but I liked him. Plus he seshes the park near my grandmas house!) Probs all the legit bros on here, I can't name em all.
What's your favorite trick?
Such a hard question. Usually I'll get stoked on some trick I just learned or got better at. Like right now dubflips, hardflips, shuffleslides, and one foot willys are high on the list. But I guess a gnarly front feeb is something you can't go wrong with. Front feebs = hawt. Or hippiejumps! Lololololololol
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/4097/hippiejumphc3.jpg
Who has supported you the most in your skating?
I can't really point out one signifigant person whose done the most. I mean my parents helped me with buying me boards, shoes, and everything, but my friends were the ones who were always helping me and getting me to progress. Basically everyone I know involved in skating around me has supported me a ton.
We've all seen your magnificent skating skills, but do you think there is a future in skateboarding for you?
I know fersure I won't be one of those people who just gets sponsors handed to them and doesn't need to think about doing something else for a living. I want a future in skating, and the only way I'll be able to do that is to work mega hard and convince people I'm in it for the long haul. So I'd say I have a 50/50 chance. I know I'll be skating anyway, but of course having it as a career would be choice. I definitely want a career in skating no matter what, like working for a company or becoming a filmer. I'm no Ty Evans, but that'd be epic.
Did you ever end up landing that 18 stair rail 50-50?
Not yet, not yet. Winter sorta blows in Minnesota, but it's legit summer weather now, so after a few warm up rails, I'll go back and give it a shot. I definitely want it though. Expect it in my actual vid part for Myriad Moments. :D
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9288/18stairgf2.jpg
You usually make so many delightful little montys, but recently you said you'd be working on the ultimate, do you think this one will blow our minds away? Will we survive?
Iunno, can you survive the hurricane? Ahah, I'm trying to make it up to par with promos for "A Happy Medium" and "Boondoggle". If you can survive those, then you might survive my promo. Myriad Moments baby!
Your skating inspirations ?
Devine Calloway, John Motta, Davis Torgerson, Richie Jackson, Micah Hollinger, Lizard King, Aaron Homoki ect ect ect. Better yet, anyone from AZ, haha. Such a phenom list of skaters popping up there. Creative minds and people going huge. But anybody who has made a career of their passion. It can be mad hard to do, and I respect anyone who made it happen.
You keep mentioning that a lot of people you skate with say that you have a fake style, while I personally love your style, it's very Brent Pennowell-ish (for Brent Atchley / Tom Penny / Ocean Howell ). Have you always looked that smooth and natural on a skateboard or did you have to work on it ?
I never actually said "Hey, I want to have a good style." It all just came together in the long run I guess. Maybe because instead of always trying new stuff, I felt fine with what I had and just did the same junk over and over. So nowadays when I learn new things, I try not to learn them ugly, and keep trying to make them clean. As well as a lot of the tricks I do are easy anyway. ^__________^
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/9918/rainbowslide1si2.jpg
How's your life besides skateboarding? job/girlfriend/other hobbies?
Job: Currently taking a break, but I'm going back to Zumiez (YEAH I WORK AT A MALLCHAIN KTHX) this summer, I need monies. Girlfriend, NOPE. Haven't had a legit gf for... Over 2 years? Haven't really tried though. But I'm always looking, just never attempting. Getting bashed down is such a bad feeling. As for other hobbies, I guess filming? Ahah, I don't do a lot besides skating, I'm a boring, lazy guy. OH! I have a basketball hoop, and we do those weird shots like in that DC commercial. There's a hobby. And Minesweeper. Best game ever.
If you could hang out with any person on the cafe who would it be? And why?
Not skating? Anybody I could just sit around with and talk.
Gloria (Elemental106), just for the egyptian bedsheets haha. FMG, shortys_kid, Noj is super smart, just talk and talk. lululu.
You're standing on the street, and you see an old lady mugging a muscle man in a wife-beater. What do you do?
How the hell could an old lady mug a man beast? If that ever did happen, I'd like to think I'd at least try to break it up and figure out how the hell that all went down.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/779/megaback1nl1.jpg
Do you plan on entering Any contests? now or in the future?
I do, I plan on entering as many as I can. At least get my name out into the MN scene, I've been in the background for so long. 3rd lair has a Midwest Melee and Wild in the Parks contest which I plan on entering, and if ONC can sign kids in for the next Damn Am (At 3rd), I'll get in there. There's this Summer Series that goes down at all the free parks, and I want to go to ALL of those (There's like, 15 of them). Most indoor parks have contests around here, and that's a good handful of comps. Hopefully I get close to placing. If not, watching all the rippers is just as good. Plus ONC pays for my comp fee, so it's just like a sesh. With prizes.
Do you plan on college?any specific plans for afterwards?
Actually, I'm already in college. Freshman at community college. Save money, get generals done, and if I want to, transfer to University of Minnesota for SOMETHING. I haven't found a single thing outside something skating-related I've wanted to do. Going to the UofM is mainly my father's road, I have no true intention to go. Maybe that'll change sometime.
What was the most embarrassing moment ever in your life?
I have two. The first one was at a kindergarten open house where everybody brought their kids to like, check the place out. I got seperated from my dad and when I found him, I grabbed his hand. Little did I know it wasn't my dad but some other kid's dad. I then proceeded to scream, cry, and whine until my dad found me. Looking back, that's the number 2, since I was too young to be embarassed. But the number one was during a health class in 10th grade. We were doing a class poll and the question was "Do you think women hold their alcohol worse than men?" Everyone went to the yes side, while I was on the no side. Teacher asks me why I said no, and my answer was "I'm pretty sure women can hold alcohol just the same as men, I mean, I doubt they'd just drop their drink unless they were really drunk or something." Yeah, I was waaaaaay off.
Why did you choose the username lemons?
How did you come up with your username? It seems kind of random, lol.
My actual nickname is lemons. The 7 is my favorite number. I got the nickname lemons because my name is Michael Lyman Lemnitzer. I think you see the similarities. ^________^ Not so random after all.
If you could skate either Carlsbad, Love Park, Wallenburg, El Toro, or Brooklyn Banks, which spot would it be (assuming you have enough skills & balls to attempt any of those spots)
Put el toro's rail back and that's it. A. I want to ollie it. B. I want to boardslide and 50-50 the rail. So bad! Keeping the rail out, I'd sesh Carlsbad, since I could probably do a few more things over that than the other spots.
http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/8793/craildw3.jpg
How is your BroFlow productions?
BroFlow isn't a real production deal, just many of the other local vid "productions." It's just the name I've given myself so I can put it in the Myriad Moments promo. Ya know, instead of just saying "A video by Mike Lemnitzer" it'd be "A BroFlow Production". Sounds more legit yaknow?
What inspires you to push yourself further in your skating?
That feeling of landing that trick you've wanted for ages. Example: for a few weeks, I'd sesh this one park nearly everyday. Everyday I'd try a kickflip front blunt fakie on this flatbar. Finally, out of sheer luck, I landed it. That over-stoked feeling, just cheering yourself on the inside. That's what inspires me, I want to have that feeling. Even the basic stuff does it. I just figured out good bs flips. On flat. Same feeling. It's the high of getting better. Plus just one-upping myself at spots. Doing something better than I've done before there. That's always awesome.
What was your first experience skateboarding like?
Probably no different than the majority of other skaters. Kinda weird, but fun at the same time. So lame, but all I did was ride around. I can't say there was this immediate connection to skating, I only saw it as something to do. In time I'd see people doing these crazy tricks and that's when I got hooked.
Did you ever end up landing a 720 flip?
Ahah, that actually wasn't me! My bad, it was my bro Chris, he's mad tech. But he hasn't landed it yet. I'll hook you all up with the vid when he lands it.
Did your skateboarding steadily progress over time, or was there a period in your life where you were learning new tricks daily, and were super creative, if so, when was this time, and why do you think that happened.
Definitely not steady. My progression has been so jumpy. For the first year, I couldn't kickflip, but I could front lip and ollie 9 sets. My 2nd year skating was probably my most progressive, I learned soooo much it blew my mind. On average, it was like, 5 new tricks a week. And that seriously went on all year. I learned a ton of mini tricks, some manny stuff, grinds galore, and flip tricks all the time. Since then, I've definitely lost that learning ability, and I've come to deal with it. Lately, I've been trying to bring my tricks to bigger things, while slowly learning something new. Even more recently, I've turned to creativity. Like Micah Hollinger create-a-spot creative. Which I'm very happy with.
http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/3157/setpupwall1xr9.jpg
There have rumors that you were made in Japan. Comments?
If I was made in Japan, I would have a name from throwing pots and pans down stairs. BING BONG DING GONG. Stereotypical jokes are the best (Please take no offense, it's a joke, and a way old one at that). But I was made in Texas! Everything's bigger in Texas brah! Born in Texas, moved to Tennessee, moved to Kansas, moved to Florida, moved to Minnesota, then relocated to a lame house in MN. I've been all over, but never Japan. ;_____;
Believe in mermaids?
Funny story behind this one. I used to live in Florida right? Well my parents were into going to the beach constantly, so I was always there. My sister was one of those kids you see playing with seaweed, and I seriously hated seaweed. But on a hot May day, quite like this one, my mom said "GET YOUR BATHING SUIT ON. BEACH TIME." So I got my suit on, it was a plaid Billabong one, very cool, and we headed out. Once there, my sister got to her usual awkwardness and started finding the seaweed to play with. Out of nowhere, this huge merman jumped out and said "Be gone young maiden, this is OUR seaweed." Personally, I was thinking WTF. But my sister, being the stubborn girl she is, wouldn't let go of the seaweed. So this merman... Did I mention he was like, 15 feet tall? It's kinda important. But this merman wisked my sis away into the depths of the ocean. With my shovel and pail in hand, I went after them. Apparently Atlantis is just off shore of West Palm Beach, Florida, because that's where I found my sister. She was kicking and screaming when I found her, trying to fend off the mermaids giving her a mermaid makeover. I had to fight off the 15 foot tall merpeople, and it's a good thing their weakness is a shovel and pail. So after intense battle that I had won, I grabbed my sister and we went back to the beach. We made a sand castle, and went home. So no, I don't believe in mermaids.
I'd like to say thanks to everyone for voting/congradulating me. I appreciate it so much, and hope I can return the favor somehow soon.