I met Gavin when he was very young, maybe seven or eight years old. More than a decade later, he's not much different now than he was back then. In 1996, he was a tiny, polite little kid with a ton of potential. You could tell that he was paying attention. Today, he's not as tiny, but he's still polite. All the things he was paying close attention to over a decade ago have helped him shape the potential that he had back in the day into undeniable skill when it comes to riding a skateboard. I firmly believe that Gavin has a whole new round of potential in him today that will soon take it's course of development, and people will remember it. I'm proud to be affiliated with Gavin Macmahon Nolan's skateboarding, but, more importantly, I'm proud to be affiliated with him as a person, because outside of what happens underneath his feet, Gavin is a good kid. - Kevin R. Susienka

Interview by Jon Roy

Jon: Alright, man. Who are you and where are you from?

Gavin: I’m Gavin Macmahon Nolan. I was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I live in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Jon: What are your earliest memories of skateboarding?

Gavin: Well, I lived in Boston until I was seven and then we moved to Lexington. I didn't know anyone and there wasn't anything to do. There was an indoor skatepark that was a ten minute drive away called Maximus. I had one of those toy skateboards and my mom would drop me off there before work and then pick me up after work almost every day. I remember just trying to cruise around on the ramps there and trying to do ollies.

Jon: How often did you get to skate Maximus?

Gavin: The first two or three years I skated, I'd go there a couple times a week. After that, I started going to skate spots around Boston more often and skating there less.

Jon: What was it like to be around some of the East Coast's best skateboarders when you were so young?

Gavin: It was sick seeing dudes I saw in skate videos shred Maximus the way they did back then.

Jon: And then you got on Concepts when you were still really young. What was it like to be a part of that original crew?

Gavin: It was tight. Concepts was run by you, Spungie, Tarek, and Vinnie Ponte at the time. You guys hooked up some of the younger kids like Eli Reed and Ariel Perl and the older dudes like Vanik Hacobian and Robbie Gangemi. I looked up to the people who rode for Concepts back then, so I was really psyched to be a part of something that they were a part of.

Jon: Tell me a little more about Spungie.

Gavin: Spungie’s real name is Jeff and he is a loyal person. He always cracks jokes on anything he sees that's funny, and he usually doesn't hold back. He's one of those dudes that if you meet him, you remember him no matter what.

Jon: Clearly you’ve had some great local influences. How about skateboarding on the whole? Which skateboarders and skate videos stand out to you the most and why?

Gavin: Eric Koston, Mike Carroll, PJ Ladd, Josh Kalis, are some because they keep on progressing and I don't get tired of watching them skate. Stevie Williams part in The Reason has always been one of my favorite parts. That whole Love Park era was ill. That part is really pure. Zered Bassett's part in Vicious Cycle is one. Lavar McBride’s part in Trilogy. Those parts make me want to go skate. I like all the Girl and Chocolate videos a lot and some old Transworld video parts. All Carroll and Koston parts are sick.

Jon: I remember your original crew pretty well. Who do you skate with these days?

Gavin: I skate with Nate Keegan, John Wisdom, Tommy Wisdom, Eli Reed, Curt Daley, Zeb Weisman, Dana Ericson, Kevin Coakley, Jason Jenkins, Ray Echevers, and Zander Taketomo. I skate with them because they’re always around and we all have fun together.

Jon: A lot of names on that list are the same ones I remember, Gavin. And I know recently you all put together a few solid video projects together. What went into filming for those City People videos?

Gavin: John, Tommy, Zander, and I would go skate Downtown and Zander always had his camera with him. I didn't plan anything to film I just skated and asked Zander to film a random line here and there. I don't really remember filming for it because it wasn't a priority back then. Having fun and learning new tricks was. That's what I remember more than filming.

Jon: Sounds good. And I’ve seen that lately some of the older guys around the city have been working hard to hook you up. What is being a part of RAW like?

Gavin: I've known everyone affiliated with it for a long time, so it feels like a little bit of a family. I like the clothing and everyone involved with it has a lot of love for skating.

Jon: What are you favorite spots to skate?

Gavin: Downtown Boston. You can just skate from spot to spot all day. If you get kicked out you just go skate across the street and skate flat or go to Aquarium or Eggs where there’s good flat ground, ledges, and manual pads.

Jon: Who do you look up to outside of skateboarding?

Gavin: My mom and dad. My mom has always helped me out by giving me rides to the train, picking me up and letting me borrow her car. She’s always trusted me, so she gave me the freedom to go skate whenever I wanted to when I was younger, even if it was late at night or far away from home.

Jon: Do you see any difference in how you look at skating now vs. when you first started?

Gavin: No, not really. I enjoy it just as much though.

Jon: What do you think of the present state of skateboarding?

Gavin: It is what it is. If there's anything about the present state of skating that would bum me out, I just wouldn't pay attention to it.

Jon: What are your plans for your future on a skateboard?

Gavin: Keep skating.

Jon: Who would you like to thank?

Gavin: Mom, Dad, Tarek, you, Eli, Steve Costello, PJ, Kevin Susienka, True East, Daniel Jules, Doug Moore, Roger Bagley, 48 Blocks and anyone else that has helped me out.