Backstage w/ ‘The Bunt Live Skate Podcast’ | The two Toronto OG’s behind skateboardings realest podcast
Don Chron + Cephler on the mics spitting that hot fire.
The Bunt Live skateboard podcast comes direct out of ‘Studio E’ in Toronto aka the hottest skateboarding scene in the world right now. After making a huge impact in the cutthroat world of skate/sports podcasts after only 10 episodes by bringing on guests such as Morgan Smith, TJ Rogers, Bobby De Keyzer, and much more, The Bunt has now hit the big time of iTunes. Season 2 kicked off on it with the first guest Spencer Hamilton. The reason ain’t just the guests though, it’s the personalities of the two main hosts – Cephas Benson and Donovan Jones. Sports, skateboarding, slang, and shots fired is what it’s all about.
Board Rap gave the duo a taste of their own medicine and turned the mic back on them. Wildest Dunbat moments, most controversial guests, dream teams – it’s all here…
Board Rap: Who are you?
The Bunt: Donovan Jones and Cephas Benson, two OG members of the once locally infamous Toronto skate crew CMB. Couple old bastards talking shit now.
BR: Where’d the name ‘The Bunt’ come from?
B: When we were younger our friend Noah Tynes (Leader of CMB), would always use terms from the Thrasher mag skate slang dictionary. Basically it meant you were trying a trick you had no chance at landing, you were ‘bunting.’ Now we just use it for any sort of flopping in general. It’s like if I were to ask Cephas if he wanted to skate today, and he said ‘Yeah maybe later,’ and then never showed up. That’s ‘bunting.’ It’s a term that we’ve always used. When we were trying to think of a name for the show, we were drawing a blank then our boy Evan Rissi threw it out there and it stuck.
Basically it meant you were trying a trick you had no chance at landing, you were ‘bunting.’
What are your favourite podcasts?
Cephas Benson: This one’s easy. Anyone who listens to Jalen & Jacoby knows we model our shows after theirs a little bit. It’s an ESPN radio show that covers mostly the NBA and pop culture. They’re the best. Some other favourites are The Vertical podcast, The Bill Simmons Podcast, and The Big Podcast with Shaq.
Donovan Jones: I listen to the Bill Simmons one as well, but my other favourite is First Take, missing Skip Bayless’ wild ass for sure, and Fantasy Footballers.
If people don’t even have the attention span to read five paragraphs, why do you think they like podcasts?
DJ: Cephas put me onto podcasts and it actually changed my life, there are so many different little times in the day when you can listen: at work, biking to go skate, doing dishes or laundry. I get sick of my music on my phone pretty quickly. Being a sports fan and playing three different fantasy leagues, its also another way to keep up with everything.
CB: You can turn your brain off and listen to a podcast, get a couple laughs in, and maybe learn a thing or two. Reading is great, but it requires your full attention. There’s so much time throughout your average week when you can tune in. Riding public transit and biking are probably my favourite times to zone out and listen to podcasts.
Reading is great, but it requires your full attention.
In The Bunt tradition: Best skate moment, best sports moment?
DJ: We’ve had some time to think about this one. For skate I’m definitely going with Jesse Williams nollie heel commerce seven. It was actually freezing that day; everyone was so cold watching him. He couldn’t even nollie heel on flat and he was the size of a baby, so when he landed it everyone went nuts, lifting him over our shoulders it was epic.
My favorite sports moment will take forever to type, so I’ll save it for the show sometime, second one has to be when CMB entered a Volcom bowling tournament when their team was here, we obviously won, got a sick trophy and won some cash. I remember the celebration being insane.
CB: Hard to pick just one but right now the skate moment that’s coming to mind is from a good thirteen-years ago. It was after a Moss Park Friday night session; a huge crew of us skated down to the famous Unitel double set. Grant Patterson and Morgan Smith were skating it and this is when we all worshiped Grant. He would come back from California once in a while and blow everyone’s mind. So Grant did a massive nollie frontside flip and everyone went insane. Once it calmed down a bit Morgan backed him up with a flawless switch frontside heel. We all lost it, crazy celebration at the spot. Afterwards we all went our separate ways and passed out, but I’m sure all these years later everyone who was there remembers the energy that night.
Favourite sports moment is probably the Lakers getting revenge on the Celtics in the 2010 finals and making a late comeback in the fourth quarter to win the title.
Craziest Dunbat moment?
DJ: Man that place is wild nowadays, but I once saw this guy tweaking in the park grab a lid off a trash can and start running towards the street where everyone parks their cars. He threw it through our homie DVD’s windows, he got rolled on after that.
CB: Craziest and worst Dunbat moment was when this dude Stoges, an ex-local who was there pretty much everyday just drinking and being a pile, almost killed his homie with a sucker truck fuck to the head. Worst part was the guy he hit was one of the only people who actually gave him the time of day. He hasn’t been around since then, I think he might of went to jail for that. Good riddance.
… this dude Stoges, an ex-local who was there pretty much everyday just drinking and being a pile, almost killed his homie with a sucker truck fuck to the head.
Who ruins the session there when you see them roll up?
DJ: Nicky Young
CB: James Stoges
Greatest team ever?
DJ: That I’ve watched myself, I’d go with the 2007 New England Patriots, 16-0 regular season, too bad it got spoiled by dusty Eli Manning in the Super Bowl. Brady to Moss was an insane duo.
Skate team I’ll say eS in the Menikmati days. That video was the best.
CB: NBA 2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers. Straight dominance, going 15-1 in the playoffs. Iverson ruined their undefeated streak in the finals but other than that, they were untouchable.
Skate team, definitely Birdhouse 2016… but actually Flip in the Sorry era
Greatest athlete ever?
DJ: I’m going Deion Sanders, anytime you can play two sports and be competitive at both, that’s impressive. First round NFL draft pick, two-time Super Bowl champ, didn’t win a championship in the MLB, but he had a nine year career.
CB: Kobe Bryant (but actually Michael Jordan)
Who’s The Bunt’s dream skate guest?
DJ: Rob Welsh, he’d fire some shots.
CB: Arto Saari or Rodrigo TX
Dream athletic guest?
DJ: This one’s easy, Conor McGregor.
CB: Kobe Bryant or Gilbert Arenas
Most controversial guest yet?
DJ: I don’t think anyone has been controversial, a couple episodes have had some re-edits but that’s about it.
CB: TJ Rogers
Favorite pull-quote from any guest yet?
DJ: Probably Spanish Mike to Cephas, “Wait, wait hold on, he said “the 6,” haha, he fake as hellll!”
CB: “Fool I’ll nollie half cab flip over your head.” – Grant Patterson
“Wait, wait hold on, he said “the 6,” haha, he fake as hellll!”
Any post-Bunt drama pop-up yet from ‘shots fired’?
DJ: No drama really, Zach Barton posted a pretty funny video on Insta after the Tyler and Ben episode, that shit cracked me up. @bartonspaceman
CB: Jeff Wonsong DM’ed TJ and got bummed cause TJ said he had the worst style. That was pretty jokes.
What’s different with the Toronto skate scene these days compared to a few years back?
DJ: Everyone used to be in their little cliques, the skatersinc message board would create some beef. It’s a lot more chill now. No one cares. People are just skating nowadays.
CB: It’s a lot bigger. A bunch of people have moved here, less people out shooting photos and going on filming missions. A lot more cellphone sessions, but that’s probably true of any skate scene in 2016. The skate scene is in good hands the youths are killing it.
What have you taken away from doing The Bunt?
People get shook to go on wax.
Who’s on deck?
DJ: Hopefully Conor McGregor and Gilbert Arenas. Anyone who’s down to swing by Studio E realistically.
CB: Tune in August 24th for season two and find out! (HINT: It’s Spencer Hamilton, listen to it!)
Get caught up on previous episodes of The Bunt Live here… and check ’em on iTunes.
Follow BOARD RAP on Insta for daily news updates.
