The Midwest has turned out some pretty good street skaters. Look no further than Greg Lutzka and Chaz Ortiz. This weekend, two ams from the same skate scene have found their way to Salt Lake City for the Gatorade Free Flow Finals, hoping to get their own big break.
Miles Canevello and Andre Colbert have grown up skating together, and they're both veterans of our tour. They both started competing on the Gatorade Free Flow Tour in 2006, where they lost a qualifying contest at Krush Skatepark to an up-and-coming Chaz Ortiz.
Since that time, Miles has been competing every year, finally making it to the finals in 2009 after his win at Warp Skatepark. With a victory at 4 Seasons, he made it back to the Salt Lake City the following year, and was able to finish 6th overall. It was a dramatic improvement from his first go-around when he finished 18th. One year later, he's made it back. After finishing 2nd at Warp and getting injured at 4 Seasons, he was forced to travel to Houston to compete at Southside Skatepark, the stop he won.
Miles at Warp Skatepark earlier this year, where he finished 2nd
Meanwhile, Andre's been on the verge of becoming a finalist for several years. He finished as the runner-up at 4 Seasons each of the last two years, getting beaten out only by his friend Miles in 2010. He couldn't be denied this season though, which means that at 20, Andre enters finals as the oldest competitor in the field.
We caught up with the pair of friends for an interview after they finished up with practice. Check it out below.
Andre Colbert at 4 Seasons
Gatorade Free Flow Tour: What have you been doing to prepare for this weekend's finals?
Andre Colbert: At first there wasn't too much preparing. I was just Trying to skate when I could. Working 40 hrs a week full time job. So 2 weeks before the contest, I quit my job and started skating every day.
GFFT: Before the 4 Seasons contest, or this one?
AC: For this one. So during this season's contest, I wasn't really skating at all I got lucky
Miles Canevello: I've been at college in Arizona. It's super hot, so I haven't been doing to o much skating. Been trying to keep my feet warm on the board but this first time I've really skated in a while. Before I left I was getting my tricks and stuff
GFFT: Now that you've had some time to practice on it, what do you think of the Dew Tour's new concrete street course?
AC: It's amazing.
MC: I like that it's concrete. The concrete is sick.
AC: I really love the concrete. It's just a lot different than your typical skatepark. It's actually like you went to 10 different spots in one place. The centerpiece is awesome... the hubba...
MC: Only thing that's a bummer is that we don't get to skate it whenever we want. It's so fun, and there's so much that could be done. It's just jammed in a 2 hour practice and a contest.
GFFT: Miles, you've been here each of the past 2 years. Is the new concrete course an improvement over past years?
MC: Definitely improved. This park seems more well rounded. They got ledges, they got rails, they got a manual pad in the middle, which is sick because it fits everyone's style. It's not just made for one dude to win it. They got that tranny banked wall thingy which is pretty sweet. And it's a lot smoother.
Miles at last year's Gatorade Free Flow finals
GFFT: Is this course more conducive to your style than the previous ones?
MC: Not really my style, no. I like skating transitional stuff and kind of bigger stuff. But as compared to last year, yeah this is definitely more my style. I'm really anxious to skate the contest tomorrow.
GFFT: Who are your favorite pro skaters?
MC: Dennis Busenitz for sure.
AC: I'd have to say Louie Barletta. Everybody has their typical pro skater they like because he jumps on this or that, but I like Barletta because he's always got a smile on his face. Always goofing around, but so good.
MC: He's a natural skater. He could do the dumbest trick but make it look like the most fun and make you want to learn it. I agree. Good call. I like Busenitz though. Busenitz goes hard.
GFFT: Do you ever ride with any pros?
AC: It's been a little while...
MC: Chaz is always in the area...
AC: Yep. I forgot that Chaz went pro actually. That's funny. We know Chaz, so it's funny to think about. Rode for Philly on am so I rode with Pat Washington, Lavar McBride... Dax Miller should be pro...
MC: Now that I'm out in Arizona, I skate with Andrew Cannon here and then. He's out there, which is sweet. He's awesome, always a fun time.
AC: I skated with Greg [Lutzka] when I was little. I wouldn't call it really skating "with" him, but we were at the same park. I grew up at the same park with him.
Andre Colbert, 4 Seasons
GFFT: Is there anyone you model your style after?
MC: I'd say that a lot of my style back in the day was inspired by David Gravette.
AC: I could definitely see that.
MC: Now I'm just trying to do my own thing.
AC: don't know if I really modeled it after anyone. Do I skate like any other pro?
MC: Trying to think who does 270 flips..,
AC: Greg...
MC: There you go. Greg Lutzka!
AC: Haha, a colored version of Greg Lutzka... MIL-TOWN!
GFFT: Do you have any pre-contest rituals or supersititions you'll have to do before tomorrow's contest?
AC: I try to stay away from rituals because I feel like it psyches you out...
MC: OCD...
AC: Yeah it's like OCD... I have funny rituals actually. I like to [use the bathroom] before the contest, gotta get a good shower, then right before I go on the course, I kneel and pray.
MC: I guess it's not really a ritual but lately I've tried to eat healthier stuff before a contest. I'll probably eat a banana.
GFFT: With the contest coming up soon, how are you feeling about it?
AC: I feel good. I had a lot of fun in practice. The course is cool.
MC: Right now, I feel good, but I can't predict how I'll feel tomorrow. I'm definitely hyped up. By tomorrow I'll probably be more hyped.
AC: I already know you're gonna be hyped.
GFFT: Are you worried about nerves at all then?
MC: Not really. Actually today looking at the course I was thinking I just gotta chill out, relax, get a couple tricks down and just don't go hard. And tomorrow I'm gonna let those butterflies out hopefully and skate as hard as I can.
AC: Yesterday when we were watching the pros skate, I was kinda getting nervous because from up there, the course looked gnarly.
MC: Oh yeah.
AC: Everything looked huge. But when were actually skating it, I was like no, it's not bad. It's perfect.
MC: Yeah, it's so weird, going from watching it on TV to being there. It's a whole different perspective of everything that goes on. It's crazy.
GFFT: How has your whole Gatorade Free Flow experience been so far?
AC: It's heaven. I like it a lot. Even just skating around the city, pushing around and soaking it all in. It's amazing. Plus what I really like is that's it's Dew Tour. We're hear for Gatorade, but it's still part of the Dew Tour. We're upstairs with everybody.
MC: Yeah, I just ate dinner with Bob Burnquist
AC: Yeah! Right?
MC: Where else is that gonna happen?
AC: Andrew Pott... Bucky Lasek... Even Jake Brown was up there.
MC: And doing interviews feels cool. I've never really done interviews before. And free Gatorade all weekend, for sure.
Miles at Southside earlier this year, the stop he won
GFFT: Have you been able to meet any of the pros?
AC: Theotis [Beasley]. It was a pleasure to meet Theotis.
MC: Theotis is pro, I keep forgetting that. He just went pro... When I was trying to get my mom her guest pass yesterday, we checked in behind Ryan Nyquist, which isn't skateboarding, but it was still cool.
AC: I bumped into TJ Lavin. I asked him where the food was.
MC: I was ordering smoothies, and PLG was in front of me. That's pretty sick. You're always with pros, especially this year since the pro lounge is combined with the am lounge, which is pretty cool because last year was just ams.
GFFT: You rode with some of the pro skaters out on the course today, right?
MC: Danilo do Rosario. I've actually met him before in Atlanta at an amaateur contest about 4 years ago. And I've been seeing him periodically once a year here and there. And running in to him today just got me super pumped up to try a front blunt down the hubba. I'd never thought of even trying it. He was like, "Dude you just gotta go for it. You can do it!" And 2nd try, I did it.
AC: Actually I did take in something from skating with the pros. I realized that the better people are at skateboarding, the more humble they are, the more relaxed they are.
GFFT: What happens next, win or lose?
AC: Either way, I'm crying.
MC: Yes, I was just gonna say cry.
AC: That's all I've got on my schedule.
MC: Just go back to living life and hope for next year [if I don't win] and skate other contests.
GFFT: Obviously everyone has the goal of winning, but aside from that, what are your personal goals for this weekend?
MC: To skate my best.
AC: Yeah.
MC: Just land tricks. And hopefully do flip tricks for me.
AC: I just wanna land my tricks, that's all I want. Win, go to Vegas. Lose, go back to a weak job. So definitely trying to win!
MC: And just have a good time of course.
AC: Oh yeah, definitely.
GFFT: Any particular food you're gonna be eating beforehand?
AC: Definitely. I've been trying to eat better. I bumped into Chaz and he was just telling me "make sure you eat good, make sure you stay hydrated." He told me to eat pasta, so I'm going on a pasta hunt tonight.
GFFT: I bet you've been drinking a lot of Gatorade?
AC: I won that video contest last year [on the Gatorade Free Flow Tour facebook page], so I've been living off that stuff. And then we won the qualifying contests, so that's even more Gatorade. Every time I skate, I drink at least 4. I've really been living off of Gatorade. I like the orange or the blue.
MC: Light blue or the dark blue? Or medium blue?
AC: Either. Dude, honestly I color-coordinate them because I went to art school and learned that orange makes you passionate, and yellow makes you hungry, and stuff like that. I learned what colors actually do. So I'm all posessed by colors now. If I need some energy, I'll drink an orange one. If I want to relax and skate, I'll drink a blue because blue makes you calm.
MC: If Andre's bringing some girls over to his place, he goes "you see this orange Gatorade?"
AC: Haha, no that's red, baby! Red makes you extremely passionate, so I'd definitely be whipping the red ones out. And some green M&M's.
MC: I really like the melon one. They're all good to be honest. I like the G2's though.
Miles Canevellow, 2010 finals
GFFT: When did you enter your first qualifying contests for the Gatorade Free Flow Tour?
MC: the year that Chaz won it. Chaz took first at Krush.
AC: I was in that one too. What year was that?
MC: That year Chaz went to the finals, and the year after, he went back and won the finals. So the year before Chaz blew up. So probably about 5 years ago.
AC: That was my first one. Dude, I've known you for a long time.
MC: Yeah, we've been skating for years.
AC: I didn't enter it every year after that.
MC: I did.
GFFT: Andre, you were the runner-up at 4 Seasons the last 2 years. What was it like to finally get a win>
AC: It was amazing. Remeber that crying stuff... I'm just kidding, I didn't cry. I did a backflip though.
MC: Shoulda been doubles, dude. Then you'd have been really excited.
After we got off on a bit of a detour, Andre and Miles described an "incident" during a contest...
AC: I took him out the last time on accident. That's why he's out to get me. It was right when we started finals.
MC: Yeah
AC: I tried a front 180 over a handrail or something, and he did some gap to 5-0, and right when we both landed, boom. And I just happened to be crouched from landing... Did you break your rib?
MC: I was standing up straight, so when he was crouching, it was just like shoulders right to my ribcage. I was good though.
AC: I stopped skating the heat for like a full minute, making sure you were good. I didn't land any tricks after that either. That was like payback from you. You got back at me, until we went to the next section.
MC: Yeah, and then you killed it there, right? I tried to skate hurt, which was the dumbest decision of my life.
AC: Couldn't breathe or what?
MC: I think my legs started cramping up because I was injured. My body was like, don't do any exercise right now, so my legs cramped up like 5 times within a minute. And then one of those times it cramped right as i was popping onto that ledge.
AC: Ahh, I just got a cramp! [Editor's note: this really happened.]
MC: I tried to hit that, and I just ate it so hard.
GFFT: Let's wrap up with this one. You've been riding together for awhile now... What's your favorite thing about each other's skating?
MC: Andre's a G. A straight-up G on a skateboard. He just shreds it.
AC: G for Gatorade right?
MC: G for Gatorade, for gangster, for great, for... gravity-less...
AC: That was a nice word make-up.
MC: for grand theft auto on some levels...
AC: I don't know how I'm gonna back that up!
MC: He's just got swagger up the ying-yang. So smooth. Front 360's like it's his job.
AC: With Miles, I just love how he charges. Everything's on point, everything's consistent, everything's effortless. He just makes it look easy. My favorite thing about Miles' skateboarding, I even told him earlier, I love his eye for skateboarding. People do stereotypical stuff, and that's why I love Louie Barletta. Because there's just those people that look at something and see something completely different than everyone else. Like the ramp to ramp... we're all doing flip tricks over it, Miles does a gap lip down it. You know what I mean? Everyone's looking to go down a handrail, he's gonna go up it. He always just has that different niche than everbody and that's what I love about his skating, It's sick. You're a G too, bro.
MC: Thanks.
AC: I want to make up a word too... Skating with you is so gratifying. G for gratifying.
