Sean Malto Feature Interview

SEAN MALTO INTERVIEW 

You want to hate Sean Malto.

He has it all: his youth, a spot on the Girl pro team, a top selling pro shoe for Etnies, he still lives in Kansas kicking it with his homies instead of doing the Cali grind, does whatever contests he feels like (and ends up in the money more often than not), but most of all he has the style – that effortless, first-try kind of style that skaters are either born with or will never achieve.

He must be so cocky, so aware of his superior skills that he won’t look anyone in the eyes, not even Koston or Gino.

I walked into the backroom at CJ’s in Toronto where Sean was hanging out promoting this summers Gatorade Ambush Tour. He was sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by Gatorade PR representatives wearing matching t-shirts catering to his every desire. What a pre-madonna he must be.

We made eye contact. He walked over.

“Hey what’s up? I’m Sean.”

DAMMNIT. He was so genuine, so…cool. That’s all it took to be converted to the Malto bandwagon. With his laid-back demeanor and smooth style it is impossible not to love Malto. And why wouldn’t you want to?

In between on-camera appearances for MTV and The Score, Sean and I sat back and discussed his signing to Dyrdek’s Street League, his new shoe, and the upcoming Girl/Chocolate video – better get on the Malto wagon now before that part comes out.

Sean then proceeded to tear apart the street course – by himself. So much for my theory that he wouldn’t get out of bed without Ty Evans camera pointing at him or a $100 000 check on the line. What a class act.

 

Sayer: So you had your first big shoe release not too long ago where everyone was dressed up like you. What was that event like?

Sean Malto: Haha. It was different. I didn’t know about that until I got there so it was ‘Hey just put this flannel on, wear this hat, and then we’re gonna do a portrait before everyone shows up.’ and I was like ‘ok’ and I walked in the door and everyone was wearing the same thing.

 

Did it trip you out seeing everyone like that?

SM: Yeah it was definitely weird, a lot of flannels.

 

So you’d been working on your shoe for a while though. You knew it was coming out and everything?

SM: Yeah, I was working on it for a year and a half. It was kind of a relief I guess for it to be all done and everything.

 

Are you working on a new shoe now, a second part of the series?

SM: Yeah, I have another. It’s like a spin-off, a thinned out version of the first shoe, so it’s like a 1.5 that should be out in a few months and I just started on my second shoe.

 

Like a totally new one?

SM: Totally new and different. That ones gonna be a little ways off though. Maybe like a year or two from now.

 

What kind of things do you look for in a shoe?

SM: In a shoe…I don’t know. You kind of just gotta find a balance with the sole, with like padding, and board feel as well. I really like suede shoes. Good board feel and an open toe. Stuff like that.

 

Do you usually go for the crazy colors? Or keep it pretty one tone?

SM: Usually keep it pretty one tone. Sometimes in the summer, but these green shoes (looks down) have been kind of tripping me out lately, but they were the only ones I had on me.

 

Lets talk about the Transworld Awards. You were just nominated for the Readers Choice and you won Rookie of the Year last year. How does that feel, a Readers Choice nomination is a pretty big deal.

SM: Yeah, I don’t know I haven’t won, haha, so we will see. It’s cool.

 

You’re going up against Lizard King and Chris Cole, both pretty epic skaters in their own different ways.

SM: Yeah Lizard King is an insane human, well his name is Lizard King first of all. And then Chris Cole has just been winning everything so… yeah I don’t know. I’m not too worried about winning it.

 

How does it feel doing PR events like these, is it kind of weird doing all these interviews?

SM: Yeah it’s different, a lot of talking, a lot of stop-and-go, stop-and-go. It’s cool you know, an excuse to come to Canada and hang out. Wasn’t going to pass that up.

 

Do you usually roll with a crew when you do sponsor related travel or just come solo and skate with whoever you’re matched up with?  

SM: Usually bring a friend, this time it was Joseph, so he’s been hanging out. A familiar face I guess.

 

Have you skated much in Canada before?

SM: Yeah, I actually go to Winnipeg every year.

 

Where do you skate over there?

SM: Just at the park and a little bit around, but there’s not too much to skate. We just do a little skate camp and I have a bunch of friends down there so it’s cool.

 

You’re teammates with Rick Howard, Rick McCrank, and Tony Ferguson. Do you think these guys give a good representation of Canadians?

SM: Yeah. I mean those are three awesome people right there. Rick Howard has been an amazing person ever since I met him and Rick McCrank is insane. He’s awesome. I haven’t known Tony for a while, but the trip I did go on with him was cool. All three of those guys are mellow, good people.

 

Any other Canadian skaters you are hyped on right now?

SM: Canadian skaters… lets see, Spencer Hamilton is Canadian right? He’s been killing it lately. That new cover (SBC) I saw today, that frontside half-cab flip down that big set of stairs. Yeah he’s actually been skating really good.

 

What is your favorite country you have toured through so far, you’ve been through a bunch like Australia, etc?

SM: Right there, Australia is the best. It is so nice down there I love it. Just an awesome place to go to.

 

Let’s talk about Gatorade a little. What’s on tap for the Gatorade Ambush Tour through Canada this summer?

SM: Yeah, just randomly going to skateparks throughout the summer. Just showing up and skating around, not really a demo, but more just hanging out with kids and giving them Gatorade.

 

Would you rather do something like that rather than the pressure of a full-on demo?

SM: Yeah this is a little easier. And I think it’s cooler too, skating with the kids instead of skating in front of them.

 

You and Chaz Ortiz are the two Gatorade guys. Do you get to skate much together?

SM: Not really. I just went on a trip with him to the Cayman Islands for 6 days and that was really the only time I’ve hung out with him. I see him around at contests, but he lives in Chicago and we have different sponsors and he’s always chilling with them and I’m always traveling with my sponsors.

 

A lot of the other Gatorade athletes are NFL and NBA type athletes? Are the skaters on a totally separate program or are there overlaps with the Major Leaguers?

SM: Ahh. I don’t know? haha. I’m sure those guys get some special treatment, but it’s been nothing but good for me and Gatorade every trip I’ve taken. Every thing I’ve done with Gatorade I’ve always been taken care of.

 

Some skaters can be pretty harsh on others and will vibe pro’s who heavily promote Energy Drink sponsors. Is skating for Gatorade different than being sponsored by an Energy Drink?

SM: Gatorade’s pretty mellow. I see a lot of Red Bull hats and big Monster logos on people’s shirts and stuff. I think it kind of looks weird. But Gatorade is cool. They are keeping it really mellow and not trying to take over, you know what I mean. They’re just trying to come and be a part of skateboarding.

 

What’s your contest schedule looking like these days?

SM: Doing Maloof in New York and then probably just hang out. There’s the X Games, but the X Games kind of sucks to be honest with you, like the people who run it and everything. I’m not really sure, I just know I’m gonna do Maloof Cup and then Street League after that, the Rob Dyrdek contest series.

 

So you’ll be doing all three stops of the Street League?

SM: Yeah, gonna do all three stops.

 

So next year then I guess you will be exclusively Street League? How do you feel about that decision they made?

SM: At first I thought it was a little weird but honestly it’s like… Dew Tour: I could care less about Dew Tour. X Games: like I said the people who run it don’t really… they aren’t run by skateboarders and they don’t really know. They don’t run it as well as they should. The one I’m not going to be able to skate is Maloof Cup, but its like… Skating a contest for $100 grand as a prize and then you can go to Street League and skate for $150 000. I thought it just made sense for me to do it.

 

In the grand scheme of your skateboarding how seriously do you take these contests compared to other aspects of your skating. Last year you skipped the X Games to film in Kansas City with some of the Girl team?

SM: People don’t come through Kansas City a lot and so when they do I like to be there. Honestly I don’t really try to think about contests. It’s not that important to me. I mean they’re cool, yeah, and going to them and stuff is fun and everything. I kind of like skating with all your friends and hanging out more. Hopefully the Street League will be nice.

 

So what are your video plans looking like right now. Are you just working on the Chocolate video?

SM: Yeah just the Girl/Chocolate video, putting a lot of time into that. Skating with Ty Evans, he is awesome, a really motivated person. It’s cool, l just went on a 2-week Germany trip. It’s looking pretty good.

 

Do you guys have a filming deadline set yet? Or does it keep getting pushed back like most videos? 

SM: Not yet. We don’t have one set yet, but I’m sure when it is set it’ll be pushed back a few times.

 

Is Spike Jonze going to have a hand in the production?

SM: Yeah I’m sure. He’s done everything: Yeah Right, Fully Flared. I think they’re trying to think of some ideas to do. It’ll be a full production.

 

Any secrets you can spill out yet or are you guys kept in the dark until they come up with something?

SM: Those guys are trying to figure it out now, so I don’t really know too much about it. I wish I did.

 

Do you usually get a choice of song for your part?

SM: Yeah. I mean sometimes you run into the rights or people ask too much money to use a song. Yeah definitely have a choice in what goes in there.

 

Let’s talk about your hometown quick. You’re constantly repping Kansas City and have pretty much put the city on the skateboard map. Do you feel any pressure by being the poster child for Mid-West skating?

SM: Not really. To be honest I just have a lot of board graphics and I have a shoe based on Kansas City. I just love that place so it’s easy to rep KC.

 

Think you’ll always live there or will you make the move to Cali at some point?

SM: Maybe, but California is so weird. It’s easy living in Kansas and that’s what I really like.

 

If you do make the move are you going to take a lot of heat from your homies back there.

SM: Oh I’m sure I will yeah, but I feel like Ill always have a place in Kansas regardless. Hopefully always have a room there, go back and forth.

 

– by Andrew Sayer, originally published on www.PUSH.ca