February 25th, 2008 - by mike_currier

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In The Know: Sean Cullen

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Sean Cullen is one of rollerbladings most controversial figures. Seen by many as a reckless law breaking sociopath, Sean unapologetically portrays rollerblading in a unprecedented manner through both his skating and video production. His level of understanding regarding rollerblading is that of a seasoned professional, while his video production is that of a cultured underground visionary. Sean has a very clear understanding of where he and the rest of rollerblading stand in the eyes of the rest of the hipster art world. Sean has been rollerblading since the beginning and has always been on some other shit. As a youg high schooler during the heyday of skateboarders hating on rollerblading, Sean worked at a local Colorado skateboard shop Brother Boards and actively rollerbladed. Throughout the years Sean has also been deeply involved in graffiti, climbing multi-story buildings to paint larger pieces and ensuring property damage through tagging almost everywhere else. Cullen probably has the most fucking ridiculous reputation in rollerblading and in his latest two films it is very clear why. Driving cars with blindfolds on, stealing $5000.00 fur coats and then stealing from the homeless man on the way out the department store, writing on hundreds of builds in cities across the world, doing drugs and drinking and keeping rollerblading fresh… all on film.

Sean circumnavigated the generically standard ledge and rail ethos embraced by traditional rollerbladers years ago still maintaining the danger death factor we have all come to love. In his newest film of the two, “The Apple that fell far from the Lake” Cullen undermakio vertical grinds to fakie over a huge double set wall ledge showing that there are still ways to do old tricks that your standard rollerblader forgot about long ago. Seans newest film also features Oli Short whose clips are quite conducive with the films style, skating and aesthetics wise. If you are looking for a generic clip after clip skate video this film is not for you. If you are looking to see blading portrayed in a new fucked up really creative yet really provocative way, this is your movie.

This is film about a lifestyle far on the edge, unreachable and unconventional to most human beings. Whether you love or hate the movie, you haven’t seen anything like it before.

Don’t be a chest and buy the fucking movies.

Love,

Tommmy Boy

Do you think about rollerblading and graffiti with the same mindset?

Ummm when you are doing it , obviously the principles you must live by to succeed are a bit different but I mean once you learn how to get over in something then its all the same really, its all about just being properly motivated, its like if you put a fat man in a lake he may just like wade around and flop around in the water and shit but if you put him in the middle of the ocean that fuckers gonna swim, you know? Its all about just putting yourself in the right situations and also getting in with the right crew to help you do your shit, but as far as style-wise I try to apply a similar flare to anything I do I guess, like I guess you could say you can see a bit of my skating in my graffiti if you look closely

Why did you paint for face like road warrior hawk in your them apples section?

We tried to do a day in the life video back then and on that day I painted this cross over my eye and I got a few clips but then we didn't finish it, and then I think just forgot about the idea, remembered years later "The Apple"

Zero Mute - Liverpool

My question to you is. despite your everyday changing life. where do you seek out your inspiration, to keep progressing. does it come from your friends? has there been points in your life you have thought about quiting? id like to know.

Yea I have quit for certain periods of time, I used to quit like anytime I would go down South and see how fucking lame all that industry shit was and I would just get bummed and not want to skate for like years at a time, But it was all good though, in the end Im glad I took that time off, it just made it so I could skate for longer, you know, like Im lucky as hell to be able to come out with by far my best footy ever this year at the point that Im at now (27 years old)

There is a large divide of opinion within rollerblading, on the words "art" and "expression" being attached to tricks, and videos. Why do you think that is?

Well partly because rollerblading started out as more of like a street thing and it still is, like if your not a street kid, I dont think you should even be skating, you know. I've always thought this way, which is probably a reason why Ive always made alot of enemies in rollerblading cuz Im not scared to tell this to kids, like dude, if you can't handle my lifestyle than you probably shouldnt be blading. If your gonna get all yipped up and scared when you see me pull out a spray can and catch a tag then you shouldnt be blading! Go find something else to do like fuckin bike riding or some shit, you know? you wanna be cool so bad? then go grab a fuckin bike, you know this is our shit! This is street shit! And it sucks that I feel this way cuz it means Im probably not gonna be down with about 80% of rollerbladers but fuck it, Im a realist, I say what I feel is most real and I say whatever I believe in. What kids dont realize is like where there favorite skaters came from, like they didnt realize that Brian Shima used to write graffiti before he became ultra blade superstar and that like Erik Burke is one of the sickest writers on the West Coast, and that alot of the Old school NYC pros are like OG writers and shit,l its hard for kids to know about shit like that obviously cuz its illegal so you cant really just advertise your shit but I think its important to have a guy like me come in and finally say fuck it, Im gonna promote what the fuck I believe in.

360 Rocket of the rail - Manchester

How do you explain the word "rollerblading" to someone?

The sickest and rawest form of self expression that has been developed by man so far in this day and age.

You have cited the movie "Airborne" as an early epiphany in discovering the excitement of rollerblades. Who, or what are your current influences in, or outside of rollerblading?

Ummm most of my influence and drive behind what I do is more music related Id say than like blading related, honestly I try not to even watch other videos and be influenced by other bladers and shit, videos just make me mad these days, too many kids try to bite shit and its too frustrating, I think its better to just live your life and figure out what interests you in life and kinda take all that and express that through your skating instead of lke watching other skaters all the time, I dont think thats healthy.

What do you think of current skate technology? Is there anything you wish you could change on your skates to make the experience of murderblading more enjoyable?

Yeah like the one thing I could think of would be like developing the mooks frame a bit more to the point that you could somehow roll and not like slip around on your frames when your trying to skate tight little transitions and shit, cuz I love those frames but I hate slipping like that, and it sucks to always have to change your frames to skate different shit, thats too much, I have no idea how we could do this though.

Gap to Mute vert. AO Makio revert

How has the reception of your videos been outside of rollerblading?

Really good, I have had alot of people in the city tell me they saw "The Apple" and it made them
completely change their mind about rollerblading which is cool cuz that was part of the motivation behind doing a video of that style. And also part of my motivation behind doing what I do, so when I hear that its just like the ultimate reassurance that my work is not going to waste, so it keeps me going, its like fuel.

Who's camera did you steal THIS time to make a video?

Hahah yeah its amazing that I was somehow able to make two videos now and all the while not even owning a cam but yea this time I used Oli Short's as well as my homey Steve at UK SKATE (.COM). Much love and respect to anyone who has ever helped film for one of our vids, Also much thanx to Jon Hubbard, Lukey T and Dom West.

How would you describe your views of the history of blading compared to the uber-underground scene that's around now?

Um well I hope I am interpreting this question right but basically I think blading is sicker now than it
has ever been, in the past it has always been run by these kinda goons that just moved into our lifestyle randomly and were never actually skating.

I heard you lived/are living in Mitcham in London. How do you like it there? Why did you choose London? (if you really are living there, and it isn't some rumour)

I love London, it is the best place on Earth, it was rough at first, but once you get in the London groove, it can be a really good place. I chose it because I am trying to get into making movies and I have heard the Film Industry in London is much more laid back than Hollywood, much more my style, much more my kind of people than Hollywood, for the most part.

"What would be the most important advice he would pass on to the young bloods developing in rolling today?

I would say just to focus on getting your clips and think always in the bigger picture of where you want to go in skating and what you want to do with it, cuz if you always think in the here and now, you may lose track of what your really going for, any level you want to reach is attanable with the rules of constant progression, its just up to you to have the time and patience to get there, and also like as far as when your out skating, Id say just always focus on trying to think of new shit that nobody has done before, if somebody has done the trick you are doing before, in my mind, its pointless to even fuck with it, you dont have to prove yourself to anybody, dont ever feel like
you do, just relax, have fun and stay focused on what you love and what you yourself truly feel is sick and what is real, if you follow others lead, then your skating hasnt even reached a level of self expression which I think is the most important part of blading and what makes it so much sicker than anything else!

Gap out of the park into the bowl

Why did that lady have the kitchen knife pulled on you in "Pay Taxes and Die?

HAhah, That was just PJ's ma(Paul John), she's safe, shes my homey, I think she just caught me goin into the cookie jar or some shit that time, big ups to Mona

What is your next collaboration going to be like? Who's gonna have sections? Where are you filming? Will it be a pull?

Well we got TAXFREE comin out by Paul John which I helped alot with and we are filming right now for the final piece to the apple series trilogy, dunno who will have sections yet but I hope Alex will come back to SF while Im here cuz he rips and is fun to skate with and I hope Jeremy Spira will hurry the fuck up and come kick it soon as well. And I wish my nigga Fish would get the fuck out to SF for once too.

How did it feel to get knocked the fuck out by Jesus?

Hahah oh shit almost forgot about that one. Well that was just a really horrible situation. I think we both felt like we had something to prove that night, and I was just really drunk and here was this kid yelling at me like "You are a bitch, your too scared to fight me" and shit and obviously I just completely lost my cool at one point and he hit me I flew back and just landed on my ankle sideways and somehow it just completely runied it for life, And if it wasnt ruined then it was definitely ruined when he continued hitting me and I flew back and landed on over and over after it was broken. When all was said and done I had somehow competely ripped in half all of the tendons and ligaments in my right ankle and broken it in 3 places, the worst thing that could possibly happen to me at the time considering I was in the middle of filming my section for Them Apples. But yea that really sucked man, worst night of my life, I have been dealing with that anger for years, I think I am starting to get a handle on it but definitely one of the toughest things Ive ever had to deal with considering I lost use of my leg for about 18 months, dropped out of school because of it and am now over 50,000 dollars in debt, my credit is fucked and cannot even open a bank account in the states. Not to mention my house getting robbed while I was in the hospital and losing all the footage and all the tapes of a film which I had travelled all over the world for two years to get in the years of 2000 and 2001. Full sections of Dustin, Fish and Murda. Full Al bert Hooi section that was to this day the sickest section I have seen, Full Oli Short section, Full Pat Lennen section. And I dont honestly cant ever blame each one of those dudes for never forgiving me for that one. To think that with that one little desicion I made that I single handedly held back the progression of rollerblading THAT MUCH, was the hardest part of the whole ordeal and shit I think. But yeah definitely the single handed roughest thing Ive ever had tom get through and deal with and I have been through some rough ones. This is not something I ever want to speak of again, it is a very dark subject for me because it caused me to not be able to skate for well over 2 years(2002-2004) and it caused me to not ever be able to put any weight on my natural soul and royale foot (withouT serious risk of injury) considering it only has two tendons now and the third one needs a third surgery which I will probably never have the money for, so yea really dark subject but you cant go on dragging shit like that around with you, its not healthy, you have to learn to drop all your baggage and just start everyday fresh cuz people dont want to deal with that extra shit, you know, And really the only piece of advice I could give to kids after going through a horrible situation like that is just YOU MUST WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS AND YOU MUST INCORPORATE YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU INTO EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE, AND REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU CHOOSE WRONGLY YOU ARE BREAKING THOSE PEOPLES HEARTS!

Photos by Adam Kola and Dale Travers

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Comments

April 08th, 2008 @ 19:36 - by Jordanisme

I've heard hes an asshole, but I like the crazyness of his videos and how they display skating. Plus he's fucking good.

March 03rd, 2008 @ 20:51 - by ugarolla

this guy is the real deal

February 28th, 2008 @ 05:38 - by DesignatedRolla

Just ordered the Apple that fell far from the tree, and the apple that fell over the lake, looking forward to seeing both, I've heard good things. Awesome photo's on this page, all UK I believe!!

February 27th, 2008 @ 17:00 - by barbra streisand

Great questions, great answers, and great pictures. We need more of this in rollerblading.....

That last story is tragic...another example of why people should be backing their shit up in many places with external harddrives or dvd dics.

February 27th, 2008 @ 14:32 - by Be-Mag Be-Mag

sean is a huge inspiration
and i LOVE his videos and his skating
sick interview

February 27th, 2008 @ 14:13 - by Erin Hyser

“if somebody has done the trick you are doing before, in my mind, its pointless to even fuck with it"

in the apple that fell far from the tree i saw you do several tricks that have already been done, such as a pornstar on a ledge, a true mizou on a ledge. etc. I was wondering if you made the statement above, and believe what you are saying is true. then why did you do these tricks?
they have already been done y fuck with them? right

February 26th, 2008 @ 19:31 - by 4wheeledCollegeNerd

February 26th, 2008 @ 10:39 - by Sunny DeWight

"if somebody has done the trick you are doing before, in my mind, its pointless to even fuck with it, you dont have to prove yourself to anybody, dont ever feel like
you do, just relax, have fun"
I support alot of Sean's work but this statement is bullshit and controdictory. If it doesn't matter what others think and you just do what YOU love then it doesn't matter if someone's done it before...

February 26th, 2008 @ 06:49 - by ryan123 ryan123

Dale didn't shoot that zero spin. I shot it and the portrait.

February 26th, 2008 @ 02:23 - by Mr. Thomas

I remember when sean stayed @ my crib for like a week. pulled a one nighter to my crib and got his dick sucked by her.

February 26th, 2008 @ 02:21 - by pewuo pewuo

this is Slayer posting from Billy's account:
Sean is one of the illest kids i know. Though i dont get to see him much he has had a huge impact on my life. I could never live like him but envy that he has the balls to do it. Dont chest
[img]http://www.sayerdanforth.com/webshare/sean.jpg[/img]

February 26th, 2008 @ 01:05 - by Catscratch

wow that last story is devastating u cant natural soul or royal! thats terrible!! im sorry to hear that

February 25th, 2008 @ 16:41 - by cal cal

That was really amazing read, Them Apples is sick, and "Apple that fell..." is really really good too! Sean Sea is the man

February 25th, 2008 @ 16:00 - by EUGENE EUGENE

Dunno about the other ones but this is who shot sean while he was here in UK..

Photo:Adam Kola-360 Rocket of the rail - Manchester
Photo:Dale Travers-Gap to Mute vert. AO Makio revert
Photo:Dale Travers-Zero Spin Rocket Shifty

February 25th, 2008 @ 15:47 - by lovetheroll