Thrasher Magazine

Few have figured out the way a skateboard works more than Cookie. But unreal chops and a prolific output are only part of the equation. What about finding a home—in this business and in real life? We caught up with the man himself to discuss moving back to LA, his amazing new part and what boards he might skate beyond the Worble. As seen in our June '25 mag. —Ted Schmitz


Home is where the part is. If you haven't seen Cookie's ode to Highland Park, then we'll give you another chance here

Yo, Cookie! I guess the big thing going into this is that you are one of the most productive skaters, yet you do not have a board sponsor at the moment. What happened with the Mulls and the Worble?
I think it came to the point for them where they needed help from a distribution to expand, and that was getting to be harder than any of them expected. They couldn’t keep funding it out of their own pockets. There was a lot of support, for sure. But I think it would have taken a real backing to continue.

And they all work, right?
Yeah, they all work day jobs—nine to fives, more or less. Everyone was juggling stuff. I think their main reasoning was to pull back on doing boards so they can continue to focus on making videos, which is what they’re good at.

Cookie in a cranny, backside noseblunt    Photo: Rhino

The thing about the Worble is that it was always sort of a video collective, right?
True. That’s been the constant since the beginning. So they wanted to stop spreading themselves too thin. I respect their decision. There’s no animosity or any hard feelings.

Everyone’s still boys and girls?
Of course! We’re working on another video, so it’s fun. It kind of loosens up some tension and pressure now, too. Because working with your friends is not always all it’s cracked up to be. But, fuck, it was so cool to just be on that ride with them basically from the get-go and see Poppy turn pro; Dave and Steve got boards and myself—even Manramp. They turned one of their dogs pro. That goes to show how fucking awesome they are.

Totally. Are you trying to go out to companies with your gnarly resume saying, “I could skate beside Kevin Bækkel?” Or what kind of crew do you see yourself gravitating towards?
That’s been the golden question in my mind is: Who do you want to hop in a van with? Thankfully, I don’t feel like I need to compile a sponsor-me tape, but having content in the mag never hurts. Putting out parts—which I’m excited about this one—it’s basically an unspoken sponsor-me tape. I’m trying to find that middleground where it’s people who still have fun, but also are pushing it.

What do you watch that inspires you?
The last video I watched was that new Supreme video. Zion’s part at the end where he skates to Lauryn Hill was fucking awesome. Another one that comes to mind is that recent Gus Gordon part—pure magic. And I was just dying laughing watching the WKND ten-year anniversary video.

You’re a video-part artist. You don’t do the thing where you post to Instagram and then six months later you see the same trick in a part on a street spot.
How do you walk that line?
I’m very aware of when I’m filming phone clips and it starts to escalate. I’ve gotten better over the years to be like, Hey, put that down; let’s film this for real. And if someone is filming me on their phone, I’ll consciously ask them to stop. If the camera’s out, the phone just does something weird to my mind. I feel like a dick sometimes, because my friends are pointing their little phone cameras at me, and I’m like, Stop. But then other times, if I’m out goofing around, I’m not shy to ask someone to film something on the phone.

I respect that. What do you see when you take a bird’s-eye view of the skate culture and industry, and where the trend lines are moving?
I feel like it’s getting more diverse in every direction, which just makes it a little more confusing to grasp from an outsider perspective. It’s not that punk rock, outcast culture anymore. At the same time, there’s more people pushing it than ever. Seeing that GX Colombia edit got me really hyped, just knowing there’s guys out there mobbing down crusty streets.

Finding new grooves on well-worn turf, half-Cab in, back 360 out after a three-hour battle     Photo: Moyles

You’re not scared we’re losing the war to online games and jacking off?
No, I don’t think so. I don’t think that’s ever gonna fully take over because it’s not attractive. Maybe I’m just from a different generation, but I don’t see the appeal in staying home all day wearing VR goggles. There’s nothing that compares to a breeze and a sunset and skating down the street with the feeling of the ground rumbling beneath your feet.

That’s beautiful, man. You had a house in Vermont. I’ve heard you made some pretty big life moves.
Yeah, definitely some changes over the last year. I bought my first house last year in Vermont with my partner at the time. We remodeled it for three months, stayed there and had a blast doing it. My partner and I broke up recently and we sold the house. So I moved back to California. But I learned so much. I basically just learned everything from putting up siding to flooring to drywall to putting in a bathroom and a kitchen. Plumbing is actually really fun and satisfying.

So you’re in LA now after some time in San Diego?
Yeah. I had such a good time living down there, but it kind of felt like I retired. I was living out in Rancho Santa Fe in the woods at a really nice couple’s house. But something felt right about changing my scenery after the breakup, and wanting to be around more Worble friends and the community that I’d built up in LA. But I made good friends down in SD, too. I was skating with a lot of the Mafia guys a lot. There’s so many solid, genuine people down there. No one’s cliquey. The day starts out with like three or four people, and by the end it’s like 20. So here I am, back in LA, posted up, picking my life up.

Staring down certain death on a frontside 50-50 down the block     Photo: Rhino

We’re gonna segue into the new part. Let’s start with this: Tom Mull is a really handsome guy. And the new part is credited to Mitch Buangsuwon. He’s hot too! How do you get these handsome devils to do the dirtiest job?
Yeah, Mitch is a model, literally. I don’t know, but it’s a blessing.

What is your friendship with Mitch like and how did this part come about?
Mitch came on board helping film The Worble videos, starting around Worble III. I just really enjoyed skating and hanging out with him, so we teamed up to film a small VX project. It was supposed to be a day-in-the-life video. One thing led to another, and we both kind of realized, like, Oh, we should just keep working on this and see where it can go. But he has his own life and job, so this project kept getting pushed to the wayside, because it’s only VX. This was at least three years in the making. Which is pretty fun, because it’s like a reflection and a postcard to Highland Park, where I’ve been living for the last decade.

The title York and Fig comes from an intersection?
Yeah, that’s in the heart of Highland Park. So it’s just a nod to the community that has been really good to me.

And there’s fucking spots, dude.
There definitely are. I’ve been lurking pretty hard. I was so sick of driving to the Westside or driving to the IE. This was my attempt to hone in on my surroundings, because I know these streets are crawling with spots.

I heard that you have a permission slip that you boldly ask property owners to sign to skate their homes. Is that true?
I have a few different approaches, but I did bring a notarized release of liability form to one guy’s house. I kept going and he kept bugging me. I was like, What if I bring you a release of liability form? He was like, That couldn’t hurt.

Did he give you the green light to get the clip?
He gave me 15 minutes of a green light and we did get the clip.


Makin' noise for the neighbors, lipslide sans safety pillows 

You don’t strike me as somebody who courts confrontation. Do you deal with a lot of angry people?
Dude, yeah. I would much rather just run-and-gun a house spot than walk up and knock on their door. It’s such a vulnerable thing to do, and nine out of ten times they’re gonna say no and get the fuck out. But if you weren’t to knock and just go up and try it anyway for five minutes, you’re most likely going to leave with a clip. So there’s morals that come into play. In this process, I’ve found knocking can be actually more beneficial than I expected.

Yeah, one woman was encouraging!
Dude, she was a fucking blast to chat with. That was a long shot, because I was kind of scared to skate that rail. I wanted it in this part, so I was like, Fuck it. I’m just gonna knock and if, by random chance, she says yes, then I’m gonna have to jump on it. And she did. She was like, Is it cool if I watch? You claim you’re a professional, so it shouldn’t take long. She even tried to put pillows on the stairs in case I fell. And I was like, This is just making it worse. Her husband also came home and was like, Honey, what are you doing? This is not cool. And she’s like, Just go inside. Don’t worry about it. Oh, and I kept smashing into the car that was parked at the landing. My board smoked this Prius right there numerous times. She just shrugged it off and was like, Whatever.

Would you stoop to the Joe Campos and Strobeck model of bribery?
I’ve tried and that’s never worked for me. Granted, I never had $100 bill in their face.

There’s more than one way to hop a bar. Ollie over, hippie jump. Kill yo self!     Photo: Morford

What are some do’s and don'ts of skating house spots?
Keep the crew small. I don’t Google Earth. I usually keep my GPS log open on my phone. I found some cool shit biking around, but driving is easier. Just be willing to stop and get out and walk up someone’s steps to really size up their hubba. Sometimes they’ll come out and be like, Excuse me. Can I help you? But going that distance really helps you figure out if it’s worth coming back to or not. Some don’ts: not listening to people when they say to leave. You gotta stand down, even if the neighbor is like, You should leave. Just be respectful. But if no one lives there, then it’s game on—even if the neighbor’s tripping.

Going the distance and makin' friends in the process, Chris gets the A-okay from HOA     Photo: Seidler

Are we too precious about private property as Americans?
I mean, you gotta love the concept of a picket fence with a nice patch of grass where you can raise a family and play Frisbee. If there is a fence, that’s just a universal sign of “stay out.”

Your own porch is a very nice amenity.
That’s where things get fishy. If a run up is on someone’s porch, I have to knock. But if it’s their driveway, questionable.


Skate rat or roof rat? Both. Backside flip the top level before a 50-50 to the ground floor

What about roof skating?
I like it. The roof gap is always an exciting venture. I don’t love skating shingles, but those new Spitfire 93s make it easier.

Like when you did a backside flip on the angled shingled roof?
That one sucked. I felt bad. I kind of damaged a couple of the shingles in that process. They weren’t home, though.

What do you think about skatepark clips in a street part?
Where it’s in transition that I don’t usually add in, I think it’s fun. I’m a big fan of John Cardiel, and he put a ton of skatepark footage in his parts. And with this part being an homage to the neighborhood, that Garvanza skatepark is the reason I found such a tight-knit community here.

Nollie wallride on the border between the park and these streets

This part opens with a front blunt transfer into that famous hill, and it ends with a front blunt kickflip. What’s up with the bookends on the same spot?
I was trying to do the front blunt kickflip that first day because I really liked how all these metal slabs were on the ground.

But when you landed it there was only one left. It’s a little poetic.
That was the next day, though. They had replaced all of them but one when I showed back up to do it. I was so bummed because the ride down all of them was like a hellride. I never really thought about the one slab left being on the last trick. That is kind of poetic.

Cookie puts the pieces together, front blunt kickflip with one last sheet remaining    Photo: Manzoori

You push yourself to extreme levels for your projects. Do you feel unjustly compensated when you see people who are doing lower fare tricks, but are still paid top to bottom?
Honestly, not at all. I feel so fortunate to still be skating and pushing my body to its limit, and to have support to keep doing it. Like Phelps said: Skateboarding doesn’t owe us anything.


Puttin’ the 93s to work, Chris cooks a nollie heel into the cutty chute    Photo: Seidler

What does your family think about the way you’ve dedicated your life?
I think they’re proud. I think in their eyes, I’ve left a legacy to our last name. It’s cool that it lives on, at least on the internet—also in people’s minds. I think it shows kids in Vermont that it’s possible to get out of a small town and make something of yourself. And you don’t have to succumb to a nine-to-five to be successful.

Are you scared that you’re gonna have to become a content creator, a podcaster, a YouTuber—someone who’s no longer a video-part artist, but instead clocking in at the content mill?
Not really, no. It’s kind of exciting. I don’t see myself starting a podcast, but YouTube, sure. People’s dumb videos get more views than your video parts more often. So, that’s kind of a frustrating reality, I’ll admit.

Yeah. I think they see those videos one time and it washes over them. But video parts, they’re on the record. When you look to visit a new city in Texas, you don’t watch 15 Tricks on My Lunch Break in Dallas, TX. You watch Keegan McCutchen parts.
Yeah. Even if video parts might not get as many views as your skatepark review, the parts get cataloged into people’s minds.

Agreed. What does the near future like?
My goal is to keep skating around the people I want to skate with and let the board brands surface in front of me and not rush into it. Hopefully, the right thing will come about sooner than later. I don’t love being in limbo, but I’m accepting the vulnerability and just owning it, living it. I’m just going to keep being creative and making art, having art shows and working with nonprofits—doing stuff I care about.

The kids are doing no-complies, but can they keep up with Cookie? Our guy takes the leap from roof to roof and into the big, uncertain future beyond    Photo: Rhino