Russ Milligan has been putting in work for a long time. Growing up in North Vancouver, Russ was exposed to a healthy skate scene at an early age. After a brief stint with Seek, Russ got fully hooked up with Lucky then later joined City Skatboards where he had parts in Crime In The City and What The f*ck Is A Bachinsky. He’s also had parts in some Canadian indy’s like North, North 2, Strange Brew. Now that he’s got a visa, Russ is enjoying the California lifestyle in San Francisco and filming for the upcoming Street Corner video which is certain not to disappoint. We recently sat down with Russ and got a short interview, check it out below.

48 Blocks: You grew up in Vancouver. What year did you start skateboarding?

Russ: I started skating when I was twelve, in ’95 I guess.

48 Blocks: That would be Colin McKay and Moses Itkonen’s era, what was the scene like up there back then?

Russ: I grew up in North Van and I didn’t really venture downtown for a few years; but at the time all the Red Dragons were in full effect. It was like Moses, Colin, Sam Devlin, Sluggo, and Tony Furgesson – pretty much those guys.

48 Blocks: So did you go to the old Slam City Jam contests when you were a kid?

Russ: Yeah, Slam was huge when I was a kid. We went every year for sure.

48 Blocks: When and how did sponsorship happen for you?.

Russ: I was like 15 at the time, I got a small shop sponsor – Cypress Mountain Sports. It was actually a snowboard shop basically and they started bringing in some skate stuff. I’d just get little cost deals, you know…

48 Blocks: When did you start getting coverage out there?

Russ: It was a couple years after I got that shop sponsor. It happened slowly – I would have one or two things in Concrete or SBC.

48 Blocks: What was your first part?

Russ: In my friend Jeremy Petit, the guy who made The North videos, I was in his first video called Big Guns.That was my first video part, I was like 16 I think.

48 Blocks: You skated for Lucky before City, how did you first link up with Street Corner?

Russ: Justin Williams hooked me up with Venture at Tampa when I was there – I was like 19 or something. The following winter I came down to stay with him, I was riding for Seek at the time. I started haning out with Tony, just going out and shooting photos and stuff. He just asked me if I wanted to ride for Lucky and I had been hanging out with him for awhile so I was hyped on that.

48 Blocks: Was Seek through a distributor or direct?

Russ: It was direct, I was flow for them for a couple of years. I did the distributor thing for awhile – I rode for World through the distributor then I got on Habitat through one of the distributors and that’s how I got to Seek.

48 Blocks: So you recently got a visa and relocated to SF, what did you have to do to make that happen?

Russ: It was just a lot of waiting really. I started the process back in May when I was down here. It took a lot longer than I thought, but it was basically just getting a portfolio together. I had to get letters from certain people in the industry. and had to prove that I was entering contests and stuff.

48 Blocks: Do you actually have to fulfill requirements to prove that you’re working?

Russ: I hope not. I think it’s just at the border they don’t understand what a street skater really does.  To them if you’re not entering contests they don’t really understand the professional aspect of it.

48 Blocks: Who are your current sponsors?

Russ: City, Hubba, Venture, DVS, WESC, RDS shop, Iris Glasses.

48 Blocks: How’s the Street Corner video coming along?

Russ: It’s good man. I’ve seen most of the footage I think, it’s gonna be really sick.

48 Blocks: Do you have a full part in that?

Russ: Yeah, I’m working on it.

48 Blocks: When’s that coming out?

Russ: I don’t really know, maybe Spring – I don’t think there’s really a date right now.

48 Blocks: A lot of people say San Francisco and Vancouver are similar cities, do you agree?

Russ: I guess it’s got kind of the same vibe. Appearance wise I think it’s very similar. It’s got a similar vibe – good people, a good skate scene and stuff.

48 Blocks: You just had that City ad with that switch front nose on that big ass thing, where is that spot at?

Russ: It’s over by the wharf.

48 Blocks: Is that footage dropping in the video?

Russ: Yeah it should be in the video.

48 Blocks: So do when you skate, do you usually plan out what you want to shoot or film or is it whatever comes naturally?

Russ: It’s usually whatever comes naturally, I try not to plan it out too much. But obviously there’s certain times where you have tricks that you want to go back and do.

48 Blocks: Any trips planned in the near future?

Russ: I hope so, but I’m just hyped to be back down here. I’m staying right here for awhile – maybe in the new year try to go to Europe or something.

48 Blocks: Where have you been skating out here?

Russ: I haven’t really been skating at just one spot. – it’s been random stuff. Warming up at the Island and taking it wherever the days gonna go...