Darrell Stanton, Backside Tailslide: Photo by Joe Krolick

Darrell Stanton is one of the best skaters ever and he’s a No Comply Member.

His Over Blunt and Nollie Backside Nosebluntslide down the famed Clipper Ledge in San Francisco are creative tricks on the cutting edge and his library of video parts contain some of the greatest tricks ever done on a skateboard.

So we caught up with Darrell to discover what he thinks are the best things in skateboarding, music, photography and fashion, how he got sponsored by Diamond, living with Nick Trapasso and Scott Kane and why Kareem Campbell and Stevie Williams continue to inspire him.

 

 

So, in your opinion who are the best skaters ever Darrell?

Andrew Reynolds

Dennis Busenitz

Stevie Williams

Dylan Rieder

Eric Koston

Paul Rodriguez

Bobby De Keyzer

Grant Taylor

Bob Burnquist

Danny Way

Bam Margera

Tony Hawk

Lavar McBride

Daewon Song

and the list is growing.

 

Stevie Williams is one of the best, he’s had some of the most iconic video parts. Why does he inspire you?

Stevie is a icon. He’s a iconic boss. To have even his nod is a blessing. He’s the type of person you meet that changes your life. His skateboarding is only a drop in the profoundness that Stevie Williams delivers.

 

 

In the early 00s, you, Nick Trapasso and Scott Kane all lived together.What’s your best memory from those times?

So I grew up skating with Scott Kane and John Berry since the 7th grade. I was playing basketball and once the season ended I started skating more. I had known them for a while, then I moved to Houston.

When we started making money with skateboarding, after high school Scott and I had decided to get a place together.

So we did, and Nick rode for Bootleg with Scott, and we had the homies staying there anyway so we just let Nick stay as well. He was the youngest one at our place.

There were always people staying at our crib, from Bjorn Johnston to Bastien Salabanzi.

It was a skate house, and since Scott and I where the only ones paying bills in that motherfucker we had to make shit happen for the sake of everything. We eventually got evicted because it was so out of control everyday and every night. No one wants to hear us riding dirt bikes around our apartment when we live on the top floor of the complex.

 

 

Who do you think makes the best music ever?

I listen to everything. I love sounds. I listen to rap still quite a bit, new and older guys.

Rap wise it’s been more the newer guys I’ve been listening too, Travis Scott, Migos, Playboi Carti, Tyler, the Creator, Trouble, Future, Nipsey Hussle, Currensy, Zillakami.

I’ve been listening to DJ’s quite a bit, I like the mixes by Taco, Virgil Abloh and Mall Grab.

I like listening to indie like Portishead, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, New Order, Radiohead, StereoLab, Phychic Mirrors, Wolfsheim, The KVB, Das Kabinette, Front 242, New Order, Nitzer Ebb, Tame Impala, Led Er Est, Étienne De Crécy and Golden Boy.

Rock music like Siouxie and the Banshees, Mac Demarco, The Smiths, The Misfits, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins.

Also older music like The Cranberries, Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground, D. R. Hooker, Darondo, Jimi Hendrix, Donnie & Joe Emerson to name a just few.

I also like to listen to musicians that score fashion shows like Michel Gaubert.I listen to reggae like Billy Boyo and Cornell Campbell.

I listen to whatever my ears are hungry for at the moment in time.

 

 

You were sponsored by Diamond, they are one of the best brands out. How did you get hooked up by them?

One day Nick Tershay called me because Mic-E told him about me and how I would buy Diamond and rock it out in Houston. No one wore Diamond or know what it was out here. Then he asked me to skateboard for them and that he wanted to pay me. I was like, keep the money, I’ll do it for the clothes! I was on a bearing company Diamond did for a while too called Diamond Rings.

I was so hyped to be on a team with Rodrigo TX, Mike Carroll and Eric Koston. I just want to see Diamond continue to make fly shit so I was like “keep the money!” thinking it would go more to the brand to continue to make great stuff.

Diamond is great and so are the people that run the brand.

 

 

Who do you think are the best skate photographers ever?

Atiba Jefferson

Brian Gaberman

Morf

Mike Blabac

Joe Krolick

John Bradford

Mike O’ Meally

Jon Humphries

 

 

Do you have any other favourite photographers from outside skating?

Herb Ritts, Mert Alas, Juergen Teller, David Sims, Chris Colls and Annie Leibovitz

 

 

You’re one of the most stylish skaters so it’s no surprise you have a passion for fashion. What is it about fashion that inspires you?

Thanks. I like clothes and accessories, plus the people that create them.

Like skateboarding, it’s a never ending process to make the best things possible. I respect that. I like to admire clothes like skateboarding, and I like to admire the people in them and that create them.

I also enjoy the presentation of both. I have a eclectic taste for fashion as with skateboarding. I enjoy the people behind brands a bit more than the brands themselves.

I would like to see more haute couture brands supporting skateboarding financially and beneficially.

 

 

Kareem Campbell had a great style and eye for design. What do you like about his skating?

I used to wear Kareem’s shoe a bunch when I was starting out skateboarding. There’s not enough great things to say about Kareem. From his winning Slam City Jam to his part in Rodney vs. Daewon 1, to his Nollie Hardflip reverts on banks, to his glowing energy and nurture of some of the best skateboarders to ever do the damn thing. Kareem is the G.O.A.T

 

 

Any last words Darrell?

It has been lovely doing this interview and I appreciate what The No Comply Network offers and I look forward to seeing more wonderful content that you all provide. You have my best regards.