MITCH BARRETTE // 11.1

Drop in on a short conversation between two guys that couldn’t skate more differently but are the best of friends.

Interview by Sam Lind // Photos by Gordon Nicholas

So, rumour is you like to go to the casino. I remember that time last summer when you won over 10k then spent it by the end of the month. How did you win all that and spend it so fast? 

Yeah, I won around 25k, mostly playing blackjack, all within a month or so. I was working under the table while on employment insurance and had extra money to either clone or sacrifice so I went on a bit of a winning spree, on average I was winning about a thousand or two a day. 

Who’s taller—you or Will Marshall? 

It feels great to finally say I’m taller then Will Marshall and Ian Twa! Those guys gotta step up their game!

Nosegrind.

I think I’ve seen your shoulder pop out over 20 times in the last few years. How does it feel to finally get that surgery done and have that tied-up tight again? 

I feel so stoked, man—it’s been too long. I was starting to lose confidence in my skating and only did tricks I knew I could make quick. Now that I’m fixed, my motivation level is high and I’ve got a few projects in the works, so everything is starting to look brighter.

Ollie.

Tell me about Jenny? Any trips coming up? What's in the works? 

Jenny is a board company out of Vancouver that started last year. It’s owned by Bradley Sheppard, Gordon Nicholas, and Zach Barton. I’m stoked to be a part of it and I think it’s going to go a long way. My favourite part is how strong the media is: Zach films amazing, Gordon shoots amazing photos and films great and me and Bradley both film pretty good, so when we’re out, we all film each other and never miss a thing. 

You and Cephas Benson—a.k.a. ‘The Ghost,’ a.k.a. ‘2pump’—decided to go to China recently. What sparked that trip? It was just the two of you?  

The China trip with Cephas was fun as hell. Cephas had found cheap flights for $600 return and we had a place to stay at Johnny Tang’s, so we were like, “Let’s do it.” I also had a really bad hip bruise and couldn’t fall properly and if you know me, I like to fall before I make things. Cephas killed it and got some hammers.

You mentioned you got pickpocketed? How did that happen? 

One night we were out and I blacked out really easily. I don’t know if I had been drugged or if their liquor is messed up, but when I was outside the bar a bunch of chicks came up to me and started feeling me up and I thought it was hilarious, but 10 minutes later I realized that all my money was gone! Professional pickpocketers got me for about $300. I had to go on a budget for the rest of the trip after that.

We were skating with Paul Trep quite a bit in the last few years we lived in Ottawa. Have you spoken to him lately?

Yeah! I saw @thegoodneighbours posted an old part of his so I thought I’d give his parents’ house a call and he picked up. We talked for an hour and he said he’s motivated to skate this year. He also said he wanted to get some clips for the Dime video! 

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