Jeremy Beightol - 4x4 art design/Kaspa Owner/Badass Blader
First off, who are you and why should anyone read this?
BEIGHTOL:Hello. My name is Jeremy Beightol. I rollerblade. I am a designer and painter. You may be familiar with my work with Rat-Tail Distribution… more specifically 4×4 Urethane. For those that know, I also make KASPA. I have been a very integral part in shaping rollerblading into a culture since 2003.
AZRZ: I remember in one of the hoedown videos(number 8 I think)Micha Yeager did a negative acid on the shotgun ledge and then after that it went to you talking about how no one understands how sick it was and how it’s all about solid tricks…do you still feel that way/do you feel like more and more rollerbladers are starting to gradually change to that mind set?
BEIGHTOL: Yes, very much so… I won’t ever change that. Thats what I prefer though. We need the stunts too to attract new skaters. When I used to teach skating at a summer camp… the new kids ask, “can you do a backflip?”. Then, the kids that have skated for a bit ask, “can you do a misty flip?” These kind of tricks, or stunts, really highlight the importance of style too, through contrast. I think it makes a balance.
At the time of that Hoedown, rollerblading was relying on a lot of novelties… or at least, most of the coverage I saw was. You had to spin into everything, who had the biggest sweat pants, who was growing the longest hair, you had to do the biggest gaps, the biggest rail… etc. But, thats all part of the progression. Trends die out. I think rollerblading really just starting to get to a place where it can grow.
So, I dont think its really a matter of changing to that mindset… I think it was just inevitable. You cant do a 1080 off of a 3 story roof onto a 80 stair drop rail, you know? We’ve come into a new stage. Im glad its documented that I called it. haha.
AZRZ: You have a bad ass section in Forever Now, where can people see more clips of you?
BEIGHTOL: Thank you, sir. It was a good one. Well, as it stands, I have an entire section with Rejects… right before they went under. The plan was to have a feature section in the issue AFTER what ended up being the last issue of Rejects. So, those guys still have a bunch of old footage of me. Good luck to it ever seeing the light of day though.
Living in Erie didnt really lend itself to filming very well, being that I was the only rollerblader left there and none of my friends could afford a camera, let alone film. I had filmed a few clips with Carl Sturgess & Co., but the entire trip turned into a debacle… a lot of personality clashes. None with Carl or Jeff… more of the “& Co.”. Ill say that California trendiness is just not my scene. Im glad to say I can skate again and am looking forward to filming the KASPA video. Wait, I dont know if I can say that. Whatever. Fuck it.
AZRZ: Kind of going along that question, do you still blade frequently? Filming for anything at the moment?
BEIGHTOL: Well, I havent been able to skate in quite a while… I was ill all of 2008. Ive gotten a lot better over the past few months, and I have a pair of NIMHs together that are waiting for me to annihilate them… got a few clips so far… but Im still getting loose.
AZRZ: How did you come up with Kaspa and what does Kaspa mean?
BEIGHTOL: Kaspa started as a group of dirt bags skating my hometown of Erie, PA. I didnt really relate to anything available in rollerblading at the time, and I always liked to draw, so I started designing my own shirts. KASPA doesnt really mean anything… Ive heard stories that its my name, or was my nickname… Ive heard its some satanic acronym… ive seen it Kaspa, Ive seen it KASPA… and Ive used it in both ways… so, I guess it depends.
AZRZ: Besides having your own clothing company, you also do all the designs for the 4×4 shirts and wheels, how did that come about? James at Revolution was saying you and Elliot did a bloody handshake of some sort?
BEIGHTOL:The story goes: I worked at a skatepark in Erie. I got Razors to come through on a tour stop in 2002 or so.. the Blitz tour I think. Thats how I met Jon, Brian, and Jan… as well as Wesley. I was a scumbag-longhair in all black around a bunch of baggy-pantsed rollerblading stereotypes at the time… I dont think long hair was “cool” in rollerblading just yet. Basically, I stood out… and Jon put me on flow for Ground Control. I got to hang out on the tour bus and showed Jon and Brian the Kaspa stuff I was making… I think it was a killer Misfits-rip-off design. They had started to put 4 x 4 together and needed some art… my work with Kaspa was a fit… so, we started throwing around some ideas and they eventually bought 2 graphics off of me. A couple years later on my second or third trip to San Diego, Jon and I opened up our arms and signed a contract in blood over a fifth of Gentleman Jack. Since then, Ive been a part of the Rat- Tail family and my work has been the gruesome face of 4 x 4 urethane.
AZRZ: What inspires your art work? I think you have the best designs in rollerblading, they’re so different from anything else anyone puts out…like my friend Sergio says, they are like cool ass band shirts or something.
BEIGHTOL: Thank you very much. Sergio has a pretty good grasp on my intentions. Music has always been a big influence on me, in anything i do really… and not just the music itself, but the individuals, the history, the visuals… the whole story behind whatever brought the sound im hearing at the time into my head, allowing it to burrow into my brain. Permanence is what Im trying to bring to my work. I always give the example; I want someone to walk into a Salvation Army 10 or 20 years from now and shit themselves when they find one of my designs on the rack, whether they skated or not. Thats my mindset into every design. Not whats “in” right now… that shit dies. I want my designs to last. So, no giant text in CMYK colors or foil print, and no overly symetrical swirly shit with a crest. Sorry, dickweeds. Oh, and the turqouise and purple shit needs to slow down… doesnt even look good guys… sorry. Stop listening to the messageboards.
AZRZ: How long have you been blading/shredding for?
BEIGHTOL: Hmm, I cant even remember anymore. My first skates were Lightnings… so, since then.
AZRZ: Who are your 3 favorite rollerbladers of all time?
BEIGHTOL: Micah Yeager, Charles Dunkle, and Oli Short… thats my family.
AZRZ: Best styles in rollerblading?
BEIGHTOL: – Josh Petty
– Dustin Latimer
– Micah Yeager
– Charles Dunkle
– Frankie Morales
– Rachard Johnson
… raw effortlessness.
AZRZ: Top 5 favorite sections of all time?
BEIGHTOL: 1. Josh Petty – What Do You Believe In?
2. Charles Dunkle- Uncloned
3. Micah Yeager- Steal this Video
4. Rachard Johnson- Future of Rollerblading 2
5. Franky Morales- Future of Rollerblading 2
AZRZ: I’m sure there are a lot of people wondering, including myself, do you have any new designs coming out for any companies anytime soon?
BEIGHTOL: Indeed. The latest KASPA line http://www.kaspa9000.bigcartel.com/ ships August 1st. It features 2 new designs and the re-release of the ever-elusive Ripper shirt.
Also, for Rat-Tail, new 4×4 designs are in the works. Sneak previews can be found here: http://www.myspace.com/kaspauberalles as they come…as well as some Vicious stuff.
Then, some new Intuition shop shirts for Mr. Mickey.
Finally, Im also putting together new paintings for a show in Pittsburgh, where I live, for December with a friend of mine, artist Jesse Best. Should be fucking rad. Ill be putting up pictures of the work as they come along… so heads up.
AZRZ: What do you think people in rollerblading should focus on? (Tricks, style, and life wise)
BEIGHTOL: Tricks: should look good… don’t care how hard it is. A frontside with style tops a flailing 900 kind grind for me. Skating for trends is lame.Skate for yourself.
Style: (see above)
Life-wise: We need to focus on bringing culture into skating. Outside influences can be/ are great, when they remain influences. Note: There is a big difference between being influenced by something, and copying something. We need to get off the messageboards and get into a book here or there, then gather your own thoughts on whatever subject. Youll be amazed at how much shit falls into place when you can think for yourself… ahem.
Then, at the same time, we seem to have the opposite extreme calling out ANY similarity to ANYthing as a rip off when it comes up in our industry. I love these assholes… just because they give me the oppurtunity to explain my work while castrating their ego. My favorite example of one of these messageboard geeks was when I did the 4×4 Johnston design. He tried to say that my tribute to Daniel Johnston with my own work in the subject matter of Daniel Johnston, and NAMING it the Johnston shirt, was a rip off of Daniel Johnston. The intention of the design was to introduce rollerblading to an influencial artist (to me) at a period of time… bring in some outside influence and maybe educate some kids that could benefit from it in some form. Not that Im anybody… I just tried to share something I like with fellow rollerbladers. Ah well, if you know… you know.
AZRZ: What made you decide to get a hair cut?
BEIGHTOL: Ive had long hair since the 6th grade… then I went to private school for high school and had to chop it off. I started growing it out again as soon as I graduated. So, I had it long enough… time to do new shit.
AZRZ: Do you have any sponsors at the moment?
BEIGHTOL: I dont know… I shouldnt really… being that I havent been able to skate. But, I can say that Rat-Tail takes care of me in that department… and Im grateful. Kaspa is my blood, so theyre always there too.
AZRZ: What are you favorite bands as of now?
BEIGHTOL: My top band is the Stooges. I put them in a lot of my KASPA stuff when it works. The Velvet’s are up there too… with some Bowie. As of now, I heard some of that Arcade Fire… there were some good ones on one of their albums… real dramatic though… reminds me of Springsteen. Im waiting to check out that new Horrors still. I liked their first album and I saw them in Cleveland before anybody seemed to care in the U.S.. There were probably 20 people in the Grog Shop there… it was one of the coolest shows Ive ever seen. Anywho, I’ve been on a Prince kick, and an Animals kick… and Im always on a James Brown kick. Brian Jonestown Massacre’s got the goods… Iggy Pop’s got the goods…and the Kink’s too. Justice makes crazy sounds and Leonard Cohen lyrics are rad… and Ive been revisiting some Replacements and Alternative TV… and Birthday Party. I think that sums up the past couple months.
AZRZ: I’ve seen on your website that you sell some of your paintings, do you do any artwork for companies outside of rollerblading?
BEIGHTOL: Aside from selling my paintings, and showing around the country… not really. Graphic-wise, I branch out every now and then and work with bands. But, Im going to be looking to work with more people outside of the industry so I can make some money… the plan is to put myself into the position to work within the rollerblading industry for less money. Sort of Robin Hood it… you know? Well, that the plan anyway… I’ll have to keep the fingers crossed.
AZRZ: Thank you very much for taking the time to do this and if you have any last words here ya go!
BEIGHTOL: No problem. The page is rad… Im happy to do it. Hmm… last words… well:
– thanks for liking my work
– support skater-owned
– KASPA over all
LITD,
-J
Posted by azrz 
