Jeremy Holmes started skating as a little kid, got involved with a very healthy skate scene in Dallas, and ultimately got sponsored at an early age. Through that, he got to experience the skate industry and all of the highs and lows that come with it. California will chew you up and spit you out, which causes many people to crash and burn. It’s pretty refreshing to see someone take it all in stride and fall back on family life while continuing to skate. Fortunately, Jeremy is hooked up with Hype Skateboards and they are coming out with a video next year beause every clip I’ve seen of him has been golden and I’m stoked to see more.

48 Blocks: So you're originally from Texas, how did you get introduced to skating?

Jeremy: My brother and a bunch of  the other kids in my apartments were skating, and then my brother took me to the dollar theatre (remember those?) to see gleaming the cube, and it was wrap! Haven't stopped since.

48 Blocks: Can you give us a little info on what the Texas skate scene was like back then - who were you skating with and what spots were you hitting up?

Jeremy: For me, there was no "scene" so to speak. I was five and six years old just running around our complex getting’ into stuff, trying to ollie over parking curbs on my Variflex. Then a couple years later I graduated to the next level when I came up on my cousin's Lance Mountain, the one with the little characters his son drew as the graphic, gullwings, slime ball wheels, rails, the whole kit, I was so psyched on that thing. I skated that board well into the nineties. I was clueless, I didn't look at mags or videos ya know. It wasn't until I was eleven, which was like '95 that I first went to Jeff Phillips’ skate park and got introduced to the scene. The scene in Dallas back in the day was harsh  - ask Kalis, but I got  a pass cause I was just a little dun, black, and I could skate. I had already been just skating for like 5 years, so learning tricks came really quick and easy. I met Josh for the first time, it was actually a pretty funny story how we first met - Richard Angelides, Jason King, Lennie Kirk, all those heads held it down back then. Plus there were all of the OG Dallas heads like Duane, Ernest, Randy (RIP), Cope (keep slangin’ high-priced art to fags homie), Koen - ya'll know who you are. But anyway, that's the scene that really got me from being just a little kid skating around the neighborhood to being an actual skater.

48 Blocks: You came out with a Logic part that caught a lot of peoples attention. Was that your first real video part and how did that come together?

Jeremy: Actually, I had a part in the Sixteen video, I Hate Children, and then Logic came after that. From being on Sixteen and hanging out with Spanky, Justin Case, Mikey Taylor and all them I met Heath Brinkley, and he hooked up that Logic part.

48 Blocks: How did you hook up with Sixteen?

Jeremy: It’s funny cause my friend Matt would always tell me he wanted to film a part of me for some video contest that Sixteen did every year, but I was always blowing it off. Then my freshman year I wasn't playing basketball anymore and we skated a lot. He made a little video and sent it in. I won it and got on Sixteen. Then that summer I went out to Cali, met all those heads, and went on a little tour from Oceanside all the way up to the Bay.

48 Blocks: If I remember correctly, you were a part of the original DGK team - how did all of that go down and what ultimately happened with that?

Jeremy: Man, that’s funny too. I was on a Ghetto Child wheels tour, and Anthony Mosley is like "dude, Stevie is gonna do an all black team. I'm thinkin’ bout doin’ it, you down?" I was like hell yeah, hook me up -  so he calls up Stevie, then get this, he actually left the tour, went home, he lived in the same building as Stevie in those days, showed him all my footage, got him hyped on me, then this kid flys back to Vegas for our last demo and tells me how down Stevie was. What a princess right? But homie put in work though, I think I still owe dude commission for gettin’ me on DGK. So that’s how I got on -  Anthony Mosley got me on DGK. Then I'm on and Eli is always on me bout my footage ain't good enough and Jack is Nollie nosebluntin’ clipper, what am I doin’? So, I'm like alright, I'll just go nollie BACK noseblunt MACBA, but I guess that wasn't good enough cause I got the boot a month later the day before that next trade show. That happened to be the day after I found out I had a seed on the way. And that’s how the story goes. Now don't get it twisted, I know I sound bitter, but truth be told - DGK really ain’t me. It was really humbling being on Stevie Williams’ squad, I'll never forget that. No one can ever take that away from me, but I look at where DGK is right now, and don't get me wrong - they doin’ the damn thang; but it really ain't me. I think after conversations I had with Stevie back then he could already sense that.

48 Blocks: You moved out to Long Beach for a bit then headed back to Dallas, what did you think about California as compared to Texas and what made you decide to go back?

Jeremy: By the time I moved to Long Beach I had already been coming back and forth to Cali for years. I especially loved the The Bay, although I didn't care much for SoCal. But for those 2 years I lived in the Strong, man, I fell in love. As always with LA – it’s love hate, but man, I still miss Long Beach. Life is just easier at home in Texas though. I got a lot going on beyond skating, and I have the support system I really need here in Texas.

48 Blocks: Around that time you hooked up with Bueno, how did all of that come together?

Jeremy: I skated with Nate and Shiloh a lot, we both moved to Cali at the same time, and it just kinda happened naturally.

48 Blocks: Bueno went strong for a couple years, but then went down - do you have any info on what happened from your perspective?

Jeremy: I actually got on right when things were getting bad. Actually things were getting good for Bueno, but real bad for Giant. Basically, they just took Bueno with it and wouldn't give up the name, and after fighting with them for it Stacy and Sieben finally just changed the name to Roger.

48 Blocks: So you were skating for Roger for a bit when it started, then switched over to Hype - what prompted that decision?

Jeremy: Once again, it just happened kinda naturally. Push Distribution is right here in Dallas, and a lot of dudes who I skate with were involved so it just kinda felt right to get involved and try to hold it down for Dallas.

48 Blocks: How has it been going so far with Hype, there have been a bunch of good promos online - when is the full legnth coming out?

Jeremy: So far, so good, Believe should be out late 2010.

48 Blocks: What other sponsors are you rolling with right now?

Jeremy: Cons, Diamond, Fillmore Wheels, Force Trucks, Rhythm skate shop- what up Donny.

48 Blocks: : What's life like right now in Dallas, what do you do when not skating?

Jeremy: HOT, real hot. It’s been 100 degrees plus the last 6 days here. I spend a lot of time just being family dude these days. Take the little one to karate and swim lessons, to the library. Hang out with the ol’ lady, put food on the grill at my folks house and have a red stripe with pops and my little brother, summertime - southern style. 

48 Blocks: How involved are you with things over at Push - do you go into the office a lot and give them your input on ideas, graphics, etc?

Jeremy: Yeah, that's what was so appealing about the whole thing. I've always been down here with sponsers being all the way out in Cali - it's definitely refreshing to be able to just cruise right downtown, stop by the office, then hit the streets.

48 Blocks: So being that you're from Texas and your board sponsor is in Dallas it seems like a perfect set - up. Do you think you'll stay out there or do you have plans to move back to Cali or elsewhere?

Jeremy:  Ah man, it’s a wrap! I'll definitely be here for awhile. Family is too important to me, at this point it just wouldn't make any sense to leave again.

48 Blocks: What music are you bumpin' these days and what's hot in Texas right now?

Jeremy: As far as what’s hot in Texas right now, you're asking the wrong dude. I just listen to whatever, a lot of old stuff.

48 Blocks: I think your style is one of the things that really makes your skating stand out, what other skaters past and present influence the way you skate?

Jeremy: Growing up hearing everybody and they mama tell me I should be playin’ ball cause I'm black really made me love all the black skaters doin’ it  -Ray Barbee, Gershon Mosely, Keenan, Drake Jones, Reem, Stevie, Marcus, and Lavar. When we were younger going to Phillips I was Marcus and my little brother was Lavar. All those dudes inspired me.

48 Blocks: Right now Hype is making team boards, is there a Jeremy Holmes pro model in the works?

Jeremy: Ahhh, keep a look out boys and girls, maybe maybe not.

48 Blocks: Any last words to wrap this up?

Jeremy: Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us. PEACE.