Previous Sponsors?…..TRUE / FALSE:
Natural Koncepts, I-Path, Tensor, Satori, Ninja Bearings, Ollie-Pop, November Clothing.
Some of that is true but mostly false haha. When I was about 15, Phase 2 Skate Shop flowed me boards from Natural Koncepts . At that time I was also getting ninja bearings . I-path was a dream sponsor haha! The rest of those brands however I never got anything from.
Name a skater that people would be surprised you like?
Most people find Nyjah to be pretty wack. But the fact that he can grind any waxed handrail in women’s leggings is amazing!
What skill set or style of skating do you wish you could have?
I wish I was able to skate like Daewon Song!. The ability he has on a board is like no one else on the planet. I’ve always wanted to be able to piece together combos like he can.
People wouldn’t believe this….but…
I never went to college but a photo that my friend Josh Ellis shot of me, was purchased by MIT to be used as a mural on their campus. So now I can say I was a part of an Ivy League school.
You’ve been going on some trips with the Strangelove crew. Any memorable locations, spots, or things you were surprised to learn?
Becoming a part of Strangelove has been an amazing time. The whole squad of dudes involved absolutely rules! At the beginning of this year before all the crazy covid madness really set in we went to San Francisco for a week long getaway. That trip was insane. We went there to film for the Nike Strangelove dunk. We got to skate a lot of spots I grew up seeing in videos.
Unfortunately there was an ice rink at EMB so I didn’t get to skate there. Ran into Elissa Steamer, it was hard not to fan out in front of her! The hills out there are no joke. Much respect to all the hill bombers out there.
Was it really your first trip to CA ever?
Yes that was my first time in California.I’ve been all over the country, but for some reason never was able to make it to California before that trip. Between the incredible food, skate spots, and gorgeous women, I most definitely plan on returning!
Why do they call you HANK?
The nickname “HANK” stems from the beautiful flip phone era. My friend was trying to text me “do you have any ganja?” But the phone autocorrected ganja to hank. At the time I was very much a stoner, so everyone just started to call me Hank! That was about 10 years ago haha .
What’s something people need to know about Milwaukee Skateboarding?
I feel like most people don’t even know where Milwaukee is. The skate scene here has been going strong since the early ’80s. Quite a few pretty heavy hitting pros are originally from Milwaukee. Also one of the first skateboarding websites came out of here. It’s called WISKATE.COM. Started in 1998 and is still going strong!
How important is a good shop to a great scene?
I feel like having a good shop is the most important thing for a skate scene to grow. When I was a kid I would skate to the shop to watch all the new videos and try to learn as much I could from the older dudes who I still look up to and skate with to this day. I feel very fortunate that I have the best shop and the best park in the world that have my back. Sky High Skate Shop and Cream City Skate Park, I owe so much to Both Aaron Polansky and Bill Kaschner.
Any good Lutzka stories?
Back when I was around 12 years old the first indoor park in Milwaukee had opened up. I had never skated an indoor park before so it was a dream come true. I remember the first time I saw Greg lutzka skate it was insane, he would just fly around the course landing every trick he tried! He was a few years older than me and I remember he would always be smoking weed in his car with dudes. I would always try and sneak into that car but he never let me haha.
Rapid Fire Elimination lightning round questions.
Wallrides. Frontside or Backside?
Frontside to backside.
Horniest Movie?
Hotdog
Internet or Fax Machine?
Fax machine
MySpace or Facebook?
MySpace
Bong Rips or Blunts?
Apples
Vape or Scooter?
Vape while scootering
Rodney VS Daewon
Daewon of course.
Octopus or Squid?
Octopus.
PIZZY or Mikey?
That’s like asking if you love your mom or dad more. Can’t be answered. I choose both!
Favorite Conspiracy theory?
Do aliens exist?
Weed or Beer?
50/50
Milwaukee’s best kept secret?
The legend of teddy kohl’s!
Favorite Skate Video quote?
“Chill out, have a fucking bagel alright cat“- Harold Hunter eastern exposure.
Thank You’s and F U’s?
Much love to Mom, Dad, Caitlin, Alissa, Ryan, all my close friends. Bradford Bishop for shooting photos, Pizzy / Gabe for filming. Josh Ellis, Bill Kaschner, Aaron Polansky, Sean and Nick at Strangelove, Rob Sissi and Dave Ruta at Nike. Too many to list! Fuck you to racism! Fuck you to trump!
