10 QUESTIONS – DON HAMILTON

10 Questions with Don Hamilton at his 50th birthday party.

We recently had the chance to celebrate a rare milestone for a skate veteran of 4 decades, Don Hamilton’s 50th birthday party at Glendale Skatepark. Ask yourself how many guys or girls can rip a backyard pool or vert skate bowl at 50 years old. Chances are really slim you can come up with any unless you know Don Hamilton. I took his board hostage knowing he’d need to ride it eventually and held it until he answered a few questions for us. Check out DxHx, a serious ripper who is raising the bar where we can’t reach it.

 

 

1) What was it like being a ‘Boogie Bowl’ Local?

Because I had so much skating before that opened it was like being a big fish in a little bowl.

2) There did you skate before that?

There was ditches, banks at schools, reservoirs, forevers, parking lots, you name it.

3) How much acting have you done?

Sometimes I feel like I’m a full time acting, (laughing) but I’m not. As far as voice over I’ve done it for 20 to 25 years of all these different characters.

4) Who would win a slide contest between you and Duane Peters?

Oh, I would definitely kick his ass.

5) Have you been a single guy all the way up to fifty?

Yea, I had a couple of opportunities and glad I didn’t follow through with them. I am loving my singleness.

 

6) What’s the best part of being fifty?

Going like this (Thumbing his nose) to everyone else.

7) When did you get your first signature pro model?

That would be 77. A D.H. Shredder.

8) What was the company?

We went through Dave Middleman. I can’t remember the exact company.

9) Do you still have one?

Yea I have one, its up at the party. There’s one left.

10) Where has skating taken you?

You mean besides the hospital? For one thing I never go to the gym (thumping on his abdomen). Skateboards have kept me pretty much healthy except for those trips to the emergency room.

11) If you could bring something back from the past to skate what would it be?

That would probably be Bertha (laughing). I’m not sure I understand the question…

If there was something you have skated in the past and you wanted to skate it more but it isn’t around…

Oh, That’s a tough one. We were just talking last night about how we could redo the Boogie Bowl to todays standards and how that was the skatepark with the first spine. It had some really neat features even though it was made by people who never knew how to skateboard. I think today we could modify that design and it would be so fun. Of course I’d like to have Pipeline back, that place was just tits!

 

 

12) What has been your worst injury?

(kidding) heartbroken by Mary Jane. (Seriously) Probably the first day at Skatelab on a 360 slide n’roll, I came out of it and twisted my ankle and it twisted it so far it snapped it in 3 places and it kept twisting it so far it snapped my knee in two places. I hate when that happens.

13) Why do you skate?

I can’t quit. I’m a full on skate addict.

14) What move have you always wanted to do but couldn’t?

A Christ or a Rocket air might be nice.

~That is it your board is no longer hostage~