Ethan Cairns with a banging new part for Baseline Skate Shop.
Filmed by Grant McLachlan, edited by Chris Nderitu.
We caught up with Ethan for a quick interview:
First off, congrats on joining the Baseline Skate Shop family. Was your new part something that you consciously worked on for some time, or were you just sitting on footage? And how far back do the clips in your part go?
I’ve been working on that part for about a year and a half, it just started off as fun city missions and then I told Grant, let’s make a mellow part just skating city spots. After a while I got really motivated and started watching lots of parts for inspiration and I caught the skate bug.
What other projects are you working on this year? Word has it there’s a Vans edit in the works? What can you tell us about that?
Yeah! Devandre, Alex and I are working on a project for Vans at the moment. We have been filming most weekends for the past few months. Joubert showed us how the editing has been coming along and I’m really amped the homies have been on it!
You had some wild clips in Irregular Mag’s ‘Cape Town’ feature along with a photo in the mag. How was it cruising with those guys? Was there anything that stood out to you during that trip?
Those Irregular missions were sick. It was really good skating with people that are so motivated and on such a high level of skateboarding, Daniel Ledermann was unreal to watch. Missions with those guys was a vibe, the energy was powerful, everyone was just amped to put it down!
You’ve been doing pretty well in contests lately, 1st at Street Lines in PTA and 2nd at Ultimate X 2021, what do you prefer, street skating or contests? And can you explain the approach you take with regard to each?
Thanks man! I prefer street skating because it feels more accomplishing getting street clips. Doing well in contests feels cool in the moment but it’s not as rewarding as getting street clips. Contest skating is not the side of skating I’m really into. My approach to street skating would be watching lots of skate videos to keep the flame burning and like making a list of things you wanna film so you have some sort of direction for where you going with the part, having a list of tricks you wanna film also makes it easier because you’re able to work on the tricks you wanna film. I don’t really have an approach with contests, if I’ve been skating for like 3 months regularly before the contest then I’m able to do well without planning runs because of the comfortability you gain from skating lots.
In the age of skating in the Olympics, do you think it’s more important for your skate career to put out video parts or to do well at contests?
I would say if you wanna be in the olympics then contests would be the best way to get there. But if you wanna experience skateboarding for what it really is and skate for real skate brands like Baker, Krooked, Toy machine, etc, then video parts would be the way to get there.
What do you usually spend your contest winnings on?
I spend my winnings on daily expenses and living.
A few years ago you wouldn’t see skaters with careers smoking weed publicly, but nowadays skaters have weed sponsors, and a guy like Kader is well known for smoking loads! What’s your opinion on that sort of thing, should it be kept private, or do you think people should just be who they are and not hide it?
I think people should be themselves and not hide it.
What are you doing outside of skating right now, working or studying, or anything else in particular?
At the moment I’m working a 9 to 5 and learning IT.
Can you give us your Top 3s?
SA skateboarders:
Alex williams
Devandre Galant
Dlamini Dlamini
Videos:
Nike SB – Chronicles 2
Element – Future Nature
Polar – I like it here inside my mind
Songs:
I don’t really have favourites
CT Spots:
UCT flat and down rail
Seapoint rail
Rosebank school rails
Things to do when you’re not skating:
hiking
drawing
surfing
reading
Thanks for your time here Ethan, any last words to end this off?
Thanks for the interview!