Interview by Lonnie Shamblin.

Photos by Stephen Knight.

Brandon Novak first stepped on the scene in 1992 with the release of Powell Skateboards video “Chaos.” Since then Brandon would go on to appear in several early 411s before becoming completely consumed by addiction in 1993 at the age of 16. It wasn’t until 2003 that long-term friend Bam Margera would reach out and pull Brandon from the gutter, but Brandon’s success would further fuel his addiction in unimaginable ways. Now seven years sober, Brandon has rediscovered his passion for skateboarding and spends most of his time helping those in need overcome addiction.

What’s life like for Brandon Novak these days?

Life for me is kind of like how it was always supposed to be. I’m reliable, dependable. I’m a good friend, good employee. I’m a man of my word, but most importantly, I try to help as many people as I can.

When Bam asked you to move to West Chester and be a part of the show to help you get off heroin, what did you think would happen?

I knew that with this opportunity I could really reinvent myself, recreate myself and change where I was at and the direction I was headed in. Although I really wanted to do that, my internal self was just screaming, “You’re never gonna be able to do it, you know you’re gonna fuck it up, you’re about to burn yet another bridge.” That was the hardest thing about it all, knowing that despite wanting a new way of life so damn bad, my disease was so powerful that I was expecting to fail at that mission.

How has sobriety changed your life?

I could go on for hours about how it changed my life but more importantly it changed everyone’s life around me. My mother gets her son back, my employer gets his employee back, my employees get their employer back, my cats get their father back. The whole world just does better with me being sober in it.

What do you say to others that feel like their past dictates their future?

I’m blessed because today I’ve learned that my defects, the very same things that were killing me, on bag, one bottle, one pill, one needle, have now become my assets by way of my story being so public and me being so transparent with it. Skateboarders, musicians, artists, addicts, and alcoholics, primarily we are defiant by nature. We hate authority and we’ll never conform. So what I like to do is share my story in a form of attraction rather than promotion. If someone out there sees my story, they’d say, “If he can do it then I can do it” and then they’d pick up the phone to call me and at that point the terms of their contract will forever change because it’s now become their idea.

You started Novak’s House a sober living facility focused on transitioning people from inpatient treatment back into society. What are some long term goals with that?

I opened Novak’s House with the vision of one day becoming a resource that any man looking to transition into sober living could utilize. Where money would never be a deterrent. I opened the first house with 12 beds a year and two months ago. Today, I have three houses with 42 beds and I believe everyone deserves a chance. So again, seeing who I was prior to sobriety and the following I acquired during it, has allowed me the opportunity to raise donations and resources to provide countless amounts of scholarships for anyone in need.

You’re about to release your first full length video part in over twenty years, how did that come about?

What I’ve learned recently is that skateboarding is the only thing that truly allows me to be in the moment. It shuts off my head which never stops screaming. It stops time and it takes me back to the happiest times of my life. So at 43 years old, to be putting a full-length video part that I worked really hard on, flew to different countries and went all over the United States for, put in a lot of time, a lot of preparation, a lot of thought into, it’s one of the things I’m most proud of and I don’t say that lightly. This was some of the best times of my life. There’s nothing more that I love and miss than jumping in a van with like eight dudes and just living in the moment.

What was it like filming a full street part at 43 years old?

Honestly, it was one of the best times of my life mentally and physically. My body was like, “Whoa, you need to calm the fuck down.” But with that being said the days were filled with skating and the nights were spent getting massages.

What are some of the highlights from the road while filming for this part?

Mainly just fucking with Lonnie who is the filmer/driver/team manager who has to deal with everybody and gets the shortest end of the stick. Sharing hotel rooms, skating all day, watching clips at night, and just learning how to accept ten different personalities each trip.

Where can people watch the part?

It’s coming out online early online early March, follow @hdvideomag on Instagram for more details.

What does the future hold for Brandon Novak?

I just want to be able to continue skating and never take it for granted.