The BFC 123 Contest Series | Dan Ching Interview I just happen to be pretty good friends with the winner of the Kronik Energy Ramp Champ Award, Dan Ching. We used to skate at the same park when Dan was first starting out. I've seen him progress faster than almost anyone I've ever seen. If he wants to, this kid could make it happen as a skater. Bothell, by the way, is a city just north of Seattle, just so you know. AF: How long have you been skating? DC: I have been skateboarding since i was a little kid, but i didn't start seriously skating until like 7 years ago. Devin, this gnarly tranny dude up the street, gave me my first real skateboard, it was an 8 inch Anti-Hero. AF: That's rad. I totally know the Devin that you are referring to. He is Gnarly, to say the least. Where do you live? DC: I live in the woods between Lynnwood and Bothell. AF: Yes! Long live the woods in Bothell. What did you think of the bfc 123 series? DC: I thought it was awesome, it was cool do just look forward to a competition every weekend. I don't see a lot of my friends who live really far away from me, so it was cool being able to see Owen Jones and Kaleb Cole once a week. The whole competition thing was so chill though, there was no pressure at all because everybody was so supportive of each other. Even if your run was terrible everyone still told you good job. That's how it should be. AF: Weird habit while skating? DC: Its only weird if you compete just to win. When you don't care about winning then your just out having fun, if you do well you do well then its over. Competitions are only as stressful as you make them. AF: Favorite skater growing up? DC: My favorite skater growing up was definitely Eric Koston, watch the eS' video Menikmati, then you'll know what I'm talking about. AF: Tricks you're working on? DC: Wallie crail grabs, nollie flip bs nosegrind 180, tranny......stairs.... kickflips. AF: Wow, that's a gnarly list of tricks. But I wouldn't be surprised if you got all of them down soon. Sick! How good is Scott Yamamura? DC: Scott is insanely good. He defiantly kills it on whatever he wants, anyone remember the sound and the fury?? I remember one time we were skating at shoreline and out of nowhere he does like a switch boardslide then pops up into a front board on the long ledge followed by an effortless varial heel rock, that was crazy. Its crazy how under rated he is. AF: What's your first memory of me? DC: I remember when i had just started skating at Bothell skatepark i saw you doing huge kickflips over the hip. I asked my friend Brian Markle who's the dude with the pop? All he said was "that's Fox". You were just one of those Bothell locals who i always thought was sick and has the dopest style. AF: Did you think you'd come this far in skating when we used to skate at Bothell park? DC: No way, i always wanted to get out and make it happen, but i never thought it would. I would always go out and film little skate videos with my friends in Jr. High, after doing that enough one of the video was good enough i guess and i got hooked up with lost boys. It is kinda weird how a bunch of people who used to skate a Bothell park everyday are still skating and blowing up. Merritt is killing it, Andy Snyder, Vince, and Brandon and Bryant are awesome filmers! Bothell park is still going strong. AF: What's your favorite thing about the Seattle area? DC: The people. Seattle is home to everyone i know, or everyone that i have grown up skating with. The skate scene in Seattle is crazy, I could just go downtown by myself and run into tons of other skaters and have a session. Seattle is definitely the place to be. AF: What's next for you? Where would you like to be a year from now? DC: Right now i just want to go filming as much as possible, and see if i can get parts in Brandon's video "infocus" and Garrett's new video. In a year from now i would like to be getting my life together, spending time with my girlfriend, and skateboarding non-stop. AF: When does a skater know it's time to go pro? DC: I have no idea, i would not know. I honestly don't see myself going pro, if it happens it happens, but it really isn't that important to me. Skateboarding is too fun to dwell on weather or not I'll go pro. So i guess to answer your question, a skater knows when to go pro when his sponsors tell him he good enough?? I don't know... AF: What do you do when it's raining outside? DC: Brandon has a sick little mini ramp set up in his barn. There is a couch and everything you need in there to have a killer session. Otherwise innerspace is always an option, or some secret undercover spots. AF: I totally remember watching you progress very quickly at Bothell, at first I was like 'hey that's cool he's doing tricks I can do and he just started, I'm glad I he likes my tricks.' Then it was like, 'dude he's doing tricks I do but better than me,' then it was like, 'crap this kid is making me feel like I gotta step up my game.' Now here you are with lot's of sponsors and killing it every session. Congratulations on your success as a skater and in the BFC contest series this year. Any comments? DC: THANKS: Scott Y, Aaron F, Gary W, Steve G, Marshall. AF: Who are your sponsors? DC: City skateboards, Hubba, Desolation, B.C, and Lakai. AF: Give some words of advice: DC: Skateboard everyday, never give up on a trick, and its not about being good or the best, skateboarding is about having fun. That's it. © BFC Studios. All rights reserved.