Years ago Scott Johnston had a DC Shoes ad come out in which he was doing this gnarly frontside air on vert. At the time, I remember bugging out because we'd grown up knowing him as "SJ the street skater, the Half-Cabs, the Mad Circle boards, the ledge tricks at Pulaski, Let The Horns Blow. We'd seen and heard a few things about him skating vert when he was growing up, but there was never really any photos or video clips to back it, at least in the public. Seeing that frontside air photo come out in the mag was cool. Being that SJ has taken on a more behind the scenes role in the skate world, we thought it would be interesting to talk to the undercover vert ripper, enjoy. - Keir Johnson

Keir – Scott, that DC Shoes vert photo was sick, how did that photo come about?

Scott – Back then my airs got better from skating all the time over at Max Schaaf's house on his ramp.

Keir - When did this take place?

Scott - This was back when I had been living in San Francisco in the 90’s. After a few years of being out there, I became friends with Max. He had his vert ramp in his warehouse out in Oakland. I would go over there 2 times a week or so and skate with him and Bob Burnquist.

Keir - Yeah, that ramp was in many videos, so you were actually skating a lot of vert with Bob back then?

Scott – Yeah, that was when Bob was on Anti Hero and was super sick and mostly unknown. They (Bob & Max) would give me tricks to aim for, like training.

Keir – So how did the tips from Bob and Max help you?

Scott- Probably when I was skating it the best was when I’d be very comfortable standing up on all my lip tricks, just like you would on a mini ramp.

Keir - Did you ever enter vert contest growing up?

Scott - I never entered a vert comp back then, was never that good...

Keir - What would you say, looking back, was the best thing to you about skating vert?

Scott – I would say when I would be able to get about 4 to 5 foot frontside airs and be able to come in with more speed and do back to back airs, that was alot of fun. The best thing was feeling so comfortable though...

Keir - I think its rad, because I've always wished I could do all that, and these days you see more and more kids who are getting well rounded in skating, yet still you don't see many kids who can skate street and vert with style. You had some other vert coverage out over the years too right?

Scott - I had this interview that I shared with Max Schaaf in Thrasher. We both have the same birthday so they went off that. In the interview we shot a doubles photo where I was doing a tailslide and he was airing over me. I think I had a few other random photos out there besides that and the DC Shoes one.