The Jeph Howard Interview

Alot of skaters I have interviewed have pissed me off for various reasons. The main reason is their simple lack of communication. This is a complete mystery to me because you would think that a skater who wants to make a name for themselves in this industry would relish the opportunity to be interviewed. Most skaters do, until they realise that they may actually have to sit down and think about an reasonable answer to provide.


Jeph was great to work with. He always replied to emails within a short time frame and tried to be as helpful as possible with every other aspect. It pisses me off that Jeph isn't more of an icon within the sport because he encompasses many aspects which I think make a great skater. I'm not just talking about ability, I'm talking about attitude and responsibility. It is sickening to watch the endless parade of mindless idiots acting like gangster rappers or rock stars just because they have some talent on skates, when people like Jeph are patiently waiting in the sidelines to take their place.


Criminally Overlooked- The Jeph Howard Interview

The Court is in Session

Jeph Howard should call the police and get himself a good lawyer because he has one hell of lawsuit on his hands. Despite being arguably one of the best all round skaters in the world, he has been criminally overlooked time and time again. After hearing all of the evidence, any jury would stand up and deliver a verdict that everyone in the rollerblading community should already know: Jeph Howard deserves more acclaim for his ability.

The Minnesota born powerhouse has done everything: Won competitions, appeared in videos/ magazine interviews and promoted himself through various other mediums. Some narrow-minded charlatans would have you believe it is because of his fashion sense that he has failed to achieve international notoriety but that argument has no merit when similar skaters have enjoyed success. Once all of the evidence has been explored, it will be proven, beyond all questionable doubt, that Jeph should be compensated.

The Evidence

Jeph has gained the admiration of his peers for his outstanding skating ability, but he has earned their respect for being an approachable, fun-loving spirit that people cannot help but gravitate towards. For this reason, Jeph has been able to secure sponsorship from some of skating’s most significant brands.

”I started riding for B Unique because Courtney Brown and I became friends about five years ago. Now I am really close with both him and his brother. I became good friends with Franky Morales and when he asked me to be on the team I couldn’t turn him down.”

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last three years, it is impossible to overlook Jeph Howard. He is the quiet guy with the big smile and colourful baggy clothes that has been destroying every real street event across America. He will show up at a locally organised small town event and execute a trick that no one could even comprehend before that day. Jeph’s travels have taken him to the majority of his county’s states and during these travels he has never failed to place in the top three or win a prize for performing a terrifying stunt that leaves the crowd gasping for air.

Evidence of Jeph’s undeniable ability to compete on an international level was witnessed in Los Angeles on July 15th, 2003 when he took first place alongside Alex Broskow at the IMYTA. Despite achieving such a renowned world title that has been shared by the likes of Brian Shima and Chris Haffey, Jeph has not been fortunate enough to share their same success in terms of exposure or endorsements. When asked why he thinks he has been so overlooked despite publicising himself so persistently, Jeph responded:

“I personally think it has to do with the way I skate. It has been kinda crazy in the past but I have cleaned it up and focused on making my skating look the way I want it to. I’ve got a couple of sections coming up and I think people will open their eyes a little more to my skating.”

Jeph has featured in several video releases, including the infamous B Unique productions, producing outstanding sections that have instigated message board debates worldwide. When asked which sections he was most fond of, Jeph displayed his inner-perfectionist.

“I like my sections in 1131 and the section Zach Flugum made when I visited Oklahoma because I filmed a whole section in just five days. You can find it on Youtube. Other than that, I don’t like my sections. I don’t like my skating a lot of the time because I will do something and just think I can do something better than that. I can make it look better.”

Although Jeph Howard is recognised as one of the new breed of individuals taking skating into a faster, more technical and dangerous era, he has suffered several setbacks along the way that were not entirely his fault. Jeph is very open when he talks about his previous troubles with sponsors, specifically Salomon, who dropped him from the team unexpectedly.

“I'm not exactly sure why I got kicked off Salomon. I know Mike Wilson didn’t like me very much because he thought I wasn’t mature enough to handle my position as a pro skater. I don’t know what to say about that situation but I guess I have to respect it. I don’t feel I was treated fairly.”

If you look at the facts, it would appear that Mike Wilson had no grounds for such accusations. Jeph Howard has consistently produced outstanding video profiles on a regular basis, as well as the frequent appearance of rougher online edits. It was obvious that Jeph wouldn’t remain without a sponsor for long, but there were complications to compete with.

“I skated for Remz for a while, but they hurt my ankles a lot and I didn’t like royales on remz. They’re good skates, just not for me. In my opinion, Razors are simply the better skates. They treat their riders well and they always make sure I get the products I need. Plus, Geoff Acers is the man.”

“At the moment I’m riding for B Unique, Razors, Murder 1 and Aggressive Mall. They help me out with cash, plane tickets and everything else. Anything I need, they get it to me right away. I have nothing but respect for them.”

The Present

At the moment, life is quite hectic for Jeph Howard as he is joining some of his B Unique team mates and guests on the Ball 4 Real tour while they try and publicise freestyle rolling to a wider audience. The tour is for the duration of the summer so Jeph is bracing himself for the endurance he will require for such a tiring routine.

“Right now, we’re on the Ball 4 Real tour and my average day includes going to a random city, meeting someone I know from there to skate or chill with at the hotel. On event days we do little shows at the block party then go to the game. After that we travel to the next city and do it all again. It’s a lot of fun and I love how freestyle rolling is going. When it’s done, I’m going to go home and chill with my girl because I will have been on the road all summer.”

When Jeph is not on tour, he can be found in his local restaurant, waiting tables to support a passion that has thus far refused to offer him any financial rewards. However, he maintains a positive outlook.

“Right now I’m on tour so that’s what I’m focusing on. When I’m at home I usually work in restaurants as a server. I don’t mind it though. It’s pretty fun.”

Jeph recently moved to the other side of America with his girlfriend. It’s a long way from where he grew up in Minnesota, but he seems to be adjusting well to his new home in the South.

“I’m living in Florida at the moment. The guys here are some of the most amazing bad ass dudes you could ever meet. The skating is way different but so much fun. Tallahassee is probably the most amazing skate city in the US. I moved there for my girl because I want to build a life with her.”


The Closing

Jeph Howard has come a long way in a very short period of time. He has networked himself and become close friends with some of the most respected individuals in the industry through his infectious personality and carefree attitude. He may never achieve the international fame that local peer Chris Farmer has experienced, but one thing is certain: Jeph is not going to change for anyone and his skills are only getting stronger. You’ve been warned.