Clyde Singleton - Pro Skateboarder, Journalist, Chef (Pt. 2)

Michael: 0:13
Hi friends, thank you for joining us for another episode of Hello APGD, a neighborhood podcast about the Audubon Park Garden District in Orlando, florida. I'm your host, michael Lothar, and this is part two of my interview with Clyde Singleton, pro skateboarder, writer, director, podcaster and chef. Check out Cookin' with Clyde pop-ups around Orlando and also check out his podcast WCRP on skateboarding on Apple, spotify and everywhere else you get your podcasts. If you'd like to be a guest on the show or if you'd like to be a sponsor, please feel free to message me on Instagram at Hello APGDpod. Thank you for listening. This episode is brought to you in part by Trevor Brown, a Fannie Hillman and Associates For listings, market trends, helpful home buyer and seller tips. Email directly to Trevor at FannieHillmancom or find him on Instagram at Trevor Brown 407. Just a heads up there's some language and subject matter that may not be suitable for all audiences, so please take care when listening. 
Clyde: 1:24
And it's a cool thing, man, it's a cool neighborhood. It's just taken me a while to just get out of survival mode, you know, like it really has, but I enjoy this neighborhood so much I fucking love the 7-Eleven. That is one of my favorite stores. If that place ever goes any way, I would seriously cry. I go there every single day and get a surpise. 
Michael: 1:47
It's the most chill place, right? I mean it's just they're so nice. It's always been that way too, something about and that's the only chain in the neighborhood Big chain in the neighborhood. I mean, there's ABC, but that's a Florida chain and so everything else is independent. But there's sort of a spirit at that 7-Eleven that just like they're cool, they're so cool. 
Clyde: 2:11
They are seriously, so I haven't checked out many other things. You know what I mean. I'm gonna ask you what's your favorite places to eat around here? Oh, man. 
Michael: 2:18
I mean it's like Hinckley's Fancy Meats over at East End. He's got these killer sandwiches. He was on the podcast. He's been a chef at Michelin Star places around the world. He's like this, such an interesting dude. Yeah, you should definitely listen to his episode, but he just loves making sandwiches and he uses the best ingredients that he can find and his stuff is killer. It's around here, it's just across the street. Yeah, it's at East End Market. 
Clyde: 2:49
Oh, is that the place? It's like the two-story building. 
Michael: 2:51
That's the two-story building. 
Clyde: 2:53
Yeah, okay, I've eaten at the place downstairs. There they had a What'd they have. There they had God. 
Michael: 2:57
I think I talked to you about it. Was it vegan? 
Clyde: 3:00
No, it's like there's a vegan place. 
Michael: 3:02
There's a cheese shop that does sandwiches. 
Clyde: 3:05
Is it a vegan place? It's downstairs. It has a bar on the right side. 
Michael: 3:08
Yep, yep, yep, yep, depending on which side you come in from. But and then there's Farm and House. That's in the back. We've got breakfast and lunches and things like that. Really, yeah, man, there's tons of food there. 
Clyde: 3:23
That's like oh okay, yeah, it's great. I'm gonna have to check it out, yeah. 
Michael: 3:27
Yeah, and Domu the ramen shop there a ramen restaurant is incredible. They just got a Michelin bib recognition. 
Clyde: 3:37
Nice. 
Michael: 3:37
Yeah, yeah and yeah, we've got some exciting stuff coming up to. The red light is getting their own restaurant there and our friend is the chef and once that opens, that's gonna be killer. That's gonna change the game, I think. Yeah, her stuff is so good. So they're just about finished with the kitchen, so it's just a matter of time before that. 
Clyde: 4:01
Oh, wow. 
Michael: 4:01
Yeah, yeah, so there's always been cool stuff and actually where bikes, beans and bordeaux is, our friend who's been a chef in town is opening up a place as well, so, yeah, so there's like this next year is gonna really change a lot. There's a place called Foreigner which is like a chef tasting like a set menu, kind of like high-end dinner cadence, which is across from Stardust is a sushi place that has that same format and they got a Michelin star recently as well. Nice yeah. So the food scene in the neighborhood is kind of huge, and Stardust was a very early adopter. They started out as a video store. You've probably heard that and it's in the name too, but it was just a video store with coffee. 
Clyde: 4:54
Then someone got a bright idea to sell a freaking sandwich. Well, yeah, I mean. 
Michael: 4:59
Brett has just always adapted with the times. It's just like, okay, people aren't gonna rent videos as much. We need to diversify. So we're gonna make a little cafe out of this, so adding food and then beer and then eventually getting a liquor license. And it's been a venue here and there throughout the years too. So it's like now they're having more shows there. It's just like a cultural hub and kind of always has been, so he's always taken the lead on that, so it's very cool to see it still in that just like grassroots, independent kind of thing and we love that the market is part of that and such a good like co-op situation. 
Clyde: 5:42
Dude. I walked out front one day and I was like I think it was my first start there and Sarah, she said something to me like and if you want sprouts you can go outside and buy. But I was like why would I go outside and buy sprouts? You know, just take money out of the register and go buy sprouts. And I was just like, walk around outside, grab a couple bucks. And I walked around and I was like, dude, that stuff's great. I was like I got to figure out how to be a part of this shit Straight up. I was like dude because I love doing pop ups for so long and that's kind of what I adopted the last couple of years is I started when I first quit drinking and the pain it was. I quit drinking a week before everything got shut down. Oh, wow, yeah, dude. 
Michael: 6:30
So that's a tough time to stick with it too. 
Clyde: 6:33
Because everybody was like going inward and everyone was going in and luckily for me, I had some, we didn't. So I get it, north Carolina was one of the places that didn't get unemployment right off the back. So first couple of weeks, like first couple of weeks, I figured out two things I didn't like. I'd never really liked drinking at my house, I never really liked having alcohol in my house, so I was always a social drinker and so when everything shut down I was like I'm not sitting around drinking by myself. 
Michael: 7:05
Yeah, that's an easy thing to do. 
Clyde: 7:08
I was like I never that. And so my buddy owned a bar up in Winston Salem and the guy who owned my house he was a manager there and I was like yo, dude, would you guys be down to like if I could do like a little pop up, like I had like 54 bucks to my name? So yeah so I went about some chickpeas and a little bit of Nori and a bunch of chicken thighs. I made some Mock tuna with a chickpeas and Nori and then I made I did jerk chicken. So I did sliders about a bunch of Hawaiian rolls and turned 50 something bucks and like almost three 400 bucks. 
Michael: 7:47
Nice. 
Clyde: 7:49
I was like dude. Mind you, I'm broke. So I was like next day I was like and so this is a great part about it Everything was shut down but the beer places could operate like restaurants up there because they were breweries, so they could stay open and bottle beer and remember everyone was drinking a lot but no one had food because all the restaurants closed. Yeah, here comes me with a bunch of sliders, so that the sliders put me in business man. And then from there, like I had a bunch of old recipe books and I was just like I'm going to start putting some stuff together. You know, I just started freaking some stuff and started doing brunches and it just took off. Cooking a client took off and then I was posting some food to the, to the internet and like, and so I just started taking a bunch of things that they wouldn't let me do at restaurants and I started making like weird tacos and all kinds of stuff, man and, and some guys saw it on Instagram and was like you should come to skate shopping, cook. And I was like sure, have them hook it up. And so, with that said, I started a company called the Ali Lama. I was selling one of the Sean Cliver boards. He reissued my boards, and so I had a couple of the house and people were like, dude, I want one, I want one. So, mind you, I didn't really have that much money and so I was just like sure, 150 bucks, bam, some 150 bucks, a sign of people are coming over the house buying them. And I wanted to do this IG page. That was like, you know, the stupid inspirational quotes people have. Oh, yeah. I wanted to do. I wanted to mix that with skateboarding and call it the Ali Lama. And so I didn't have a cash app and I was like so I started the Ollie Lama cash app. And then I started making Ollie Lama t-shirts. I found an old camel cigarettes logo and I changed the camel thing, I changed the whole thing, I made a camel, I made it a llama instead of camel, but ampersand, it's literally so. It was all Winston Salem stuff in the beginning, and so I started this company All of my unemployment back in one shot. And so I bought a food cart and put it in my garage and flipped it before I moved down here a couple months later. And then I also I trademarked my name, I trademarked the Ollie Lama and I did a LLC with it. So like. I literally took all of Donald Trump's money and put myself in business and I bought a van and I put myself on the road and then all the skate shops like one skate shop had me and then another shop was like whoop. He's like, hey, man, can you come through too? And so first time I ever went on the road I had a tour. It was like 15, 20 stops dude Wow. Yeah, I did that a whole cooking with Clyde tour and so it just started and I was going to all these skate shops and like, like I was going there like a skate tour, but it was just me. I just pop out with like glass top cooker, just cook all the shit right there in front of people. I literally set up. We're like they set up boards. People are flipping out. They're like you know what I mean. They're like what the fuck Like? No one ever saw anything like this. And furthermore, they'd be like dude, it's you, and they're like you can cook. And I'm like, yeah, dude. And so I was in my own lane man, that's awesome, you know. And it all just took off, and so when I got here and I saw you guys doing that, and I was just like dude. You know, when I first got here, I went down to Lake Eola. 
Michael: 10:55
Yeah. 
Clyde: 10:56
And I went down one of their markets on the weekend and I was just fascinated by it. I was like yo, I remember calling my friends. I was like, dude, they got those things down here. I was like I need to figure out how to get in there, dude. I was like they got all these food. I was because, you got to remember, dude, I lived in Massachusetts with my ex-girlfriend. I came from North Carolina in 2020, came down here a couple months. I moved to Massachusetts to the beginning of 2023. And yeah, dude, and then yeah, that's a lot. 
Michael: 11:27
Yeah, dude. 
Clyde: 11:28
And then I came back down here, kind of lost my brain for a bit. You know, I was just kind of hit a slight depression, overthinking and overdoing shit, and I got some time to myself. And then I got a job in Virginia, lived in Virginia in the middle of nowhere by myself, and then I moved to Mississippi and so I'd just been to all these places that had nothing like that you know what I mean. Like, if there were, it was like some fucking Trump rally or something. You know what I'm saying, like so it was just something I wasn't really I never really saw. You know, I'd known about flea markets and stuff, but not like a food market. 
Michael: 12:03
You know what I'm saying Like and I was like yo dude. 
Clyde: 12:05
And so when I walked outside and saw that out front, and I saw the waffle guy cause I used to do all kinds of chicken and waffles. 
Michael: 12:11
That was like one of my main things I do, like carrot cake, waffles and like all kinds of crazy waffles and chicken, and I do like red. 
Clyde: 12:18
One of my main things is red velvet waffles and chicken. That's like my staple. You do not sell it like a little sandwich and sell a waffle guy and I saw this shit and I was just like dude, this is me, you know what I mean. Like I was just like dude, this is fucking me. I was like who are these people? 
Michael: 12:33
Where do I? 
Clyde: 12:34
And then someone was like, oh, that's something they coming over there. I was like, dude, get out of here. So Stardust has been like I don't know man To some guy that doesn't really know a lot about Orlando or about this area or any of that that's. You know it's a very special place to me. You know I've had some weird ups and downs here but you know, for the most part it's a very, very special place to me. It gave me an opportunity to you know, meet you guys, do the market. It gave me an opportunity to open myself back up and to do some specials and it also made me learn a lot about myself with. It's really helped me deal with people and patients and you know, and also just open myself up to meeting new people and talking to people that I would probably. You know that I never would catch myself saying that now because I know all of these different types of people now that I would probably shy away from or you know, or like look at them and put them in some position in my head and you don't know them. You don't know. You know we're having a great conversation, couple hours conversation every time I see you guys you know it's like all smiles, you guys are getting a duck and it's like that kind of stuff is important to me. You know it's like I've been through a lot man and just to know and see genuinely good people and as much as that place pisses me off, there's something special about it. You know it's like a cheer, yeah right. 
Michael: 14:00
You know what I mean? 
Clyde: 14:02
Yeah, yeah, it's like, it is what it is, you know, but to me it's a very special place. It's, you know, it's someplace I don't. I don't dislike going in there, you know, like, like yeah. 
Michael: 14:14
And usually when you work at a place, you're like, oh, I don't want to hang out there ever, yes, but like somebody that worked there back in the day, this guy, Greg, he, I think and this kind of stuck. It's sort of the slogan for Stardust is. Stardust is what you make it it is. 
Clyde: 14:31
Which is so true. 
Michael: 14:32
I mean it's just like it's it's its own thing and it's it's something different to each person. But it's like it's such a community hub. It's it's really from all different walks of life and different mentalities and it's like it's kind of the equalizer. You know, like everybody goes there and there's no people reserve judgment and it's like it's just such an unusual place Like you don't go there because you're going to get the best service or the best food or the best like timing of getting things, but you can have awesome of all of those things at different times right, it's like it's like sometimes that sandwich is just perfect and it's like this is one of my favorite things. Sure yeah, but it's like it's it's what you make it and it's what the people whoever is there at that time it's what they're making it. That day. And if you're not down for that, it's not your place. Maybe you know, and plenty of people like know that and they're just like how can you go there? But it, it's magical in its own way and it really really is. 
Clyde: 15:38
You know that thing's really cool about that place and like I mean this might sound kind of stupid and corny to some people, but there's been a couple of people that have come there and been like what days do you work? Mm-hmm, I just like you know, I want to come here when you're working. 
Michael: 15:52
Yeah. 
Clyde: 15:53
That's really cool. I don't know, man, that's, that's a. It makes me feel good to hear that you know, to that you can make someone else's day Just by doing like what I think is pretty simple. You know what I mean. Like, you know, and and even like you said, like, like a lot of people, like man, come here forever. I've never got my food that quick and I'm just like. I don't know. What everyone else is here is doing Like. 
Michael: 16:20
I don't want to look at your ticket, dude. 
Clyde: 16:22
Like like, not like that, but also I just think it's cool. You know, it's cool to be able to do something a little different. You know, and and, and also that people can still have the other way too. 
Michael: 16:33
You know, like I'm not always going to be there, it's not always going to be great, and it's not always. 
Clyde: 16:37
You're always going to have a sandwich that looks like that, and and and that's what makes Stardust, Stardust. You know, it's like having those kinds of things in this day and age, or or a God's sin, you know, because everything is just so cut and dry. 
Michael: 16:51
Right, you know it's just like like that fast food mentality of like McDonald's here is going to be the same as on the West coast. 
Clyde: 16:59
You know, it's like it's more good burger than it is. Right, McDonald's, you got to be saying. 
Michael: 17:04
It's perfect. It's his own thing, man. 
Clyde: 17:10
It's great, it's it's cool, you know, and I think it's cool to just, you know, meet a lot of people and I didn't want to pack my bags and go again. You know, like I've just been doing that so much of the last three years and and a huge part of gaining control back of myself, of not being a terrible alcoholic and kind of seeing things. You know it's it's a long road man, it's not easy. You know, and also Finding a place to where you're at home. And it's hard, man, it's, it's, it's a whole nother fucking job that a lot of people that it's just like you know just wake up and, oh man, you don't drink no more, and it's like it. It involves a lot of shit that you used to do a lot, you know, and it's. It's very hard to find a peace of mind or or just to not pack up and leave. And you know, I'm just out of here and you know it's like and having that luxury to get up and go, and it's just like. How many more times am I going to do that man? 
Michael: 18:02
Yeah, Like, how many of like, like Cause everywhere you go there? You are Right, it's like that's the saying, but it's like you're going to bring whatever it is that you're bringing to whatever place, and it's like this is a good place to have the space to figure it out, Right? It's like? what do I need to do to be happy? It's like I I may want to go to that show and I realized that like it's going to be a real drinking scene and it's not going to be super fun for me, but I want to see that I want to see that band or that DJ or or you know that artist. I, I want to go and I'm going to do it. But and then, knowing those those times when you just know it's not going to be a good scene and you don't want to do it and and being okay with that too, you know, and it's like yes, Usually, when I go out to you, dude, I will go out, be out and be out. 
Clyde: 18:53
That is my, that is my thing. Like even when I used to drink I would go out. I'll be out in another one. Where's Claude? I used to work a lot and I think you know a lot of times too, man, I have um is is as outgoing as I am. I get social anxiety a lot. You know, I really do Like I don't I start looking around, I'm like yo. You know I start thinking too much. You know what I mean. I'm a thinker dude. I just get, I just get anxious. There's too many people, there's too much going on and like. I feel, like I feel like it puts me in a place to where that's when I would drink and do a lot of my heavy partying, because that's what would relax me. You know what I mean? Yeah, that's what would make me outgoing and social. 
Michael: 19:30
And I'm just like that's where that disconnect is, and so, and so you know that's a lot, that's. 
Clyde: 19:35
You know, as I said, man, it's kind of hard, I don't. You know I don't really talk about it a lot, but you know I do have a lot of social anxiety sometimes when I'm in those situations and it's, it's very difficult, you know it's it's. It's not easy being around that kind of shit. Yeah, you know, like you don't want to snap, you don't want to, you don't want to be pissed, sure, you want to enjoy the moment, and it's. It's just, it's difficult, man, it's. You can't really wrap your head, it's not something? Maybe it's going to take a lot more time too, you know, and then also it's, I think. 
Michael: 20:07
I think just having an awareness of it is a big start too. You're just kind of like I need to have these boundaries because I know that this isn't going to be a good situation for me. Yes, and also I know why. So, if I can work on that piece, figure out the why, or you know, see what, what my limits can be, now that things are different and that may change from day to day too, and it's like that's, that's just part of life. You know, we are like, we have different capacities for different things, just like skateboarding, yes, like it's never going to be the same. You know, on a different day, absolutely so. I think that that consistency, that like. I think, especially being, like, as you said, a thinker and being a creative person and having this energy and having this drive it, that energy goes different places at different times, yes, and caring about other people the way that you do as well, and just being really in tune with that, I think that that all of that kind of contributes to your mindset and kind of where you are. And it's it's easier when you're with people that you trust and you talk to and you know where, where they're at. You have that shorthand, yes, and like that's where you want to be, because that's where the real connection happens. 
Clyde: 21:21
Exactly, you know, and you know, sometimes I just go to my neighbor sitting out front on his chair and like I get out of the car and like I had a long day, and just like you know, I'm going to talk to this guy for a minute. And I'm just like that was a cool five, 10 minutes. 
Michael: 21:35
You know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying Like oh man, that was cool. 
Clyde: 21:38
You know what I mean. I go out in the house. I'm like that was better than probably any night out I could have ever had. You know what I mean. We're just sitting there talking and like it's nice quiet night and like we're looking, and you know it's just things like you kind of take for granted, you know, it's like you're not just so on the run, like all right man, I'm just talking to you real quick. I gotta run inside and get back out and go to the and it's like you know waking up and just being present. You know, I think I'm just still getting used to it a lot. You know, and like and, as I said, just letting my guard down and just genuinely sleeping and resting, and like not like man, what's going on? Am I going to get fired tomorrow? You know what I'm saying. 
Michael: 22:17
Like it's just In survival mode, right, you're just like, yeah, in survival mode, man You're just like am I going to get this place? 
Clyde: 22:23
Am I going to what's going to happen? You know what I mean. So I'm just starting to really, you know, feel a lot of that weight go away, you know, and a lot of good things have been happening, man, and I think it's just it's come with that, it's come with letting a lot of that stuff go and just really trusting the people around me. That I'm starting to put around me, you know, because I've had a lot of reservations on people that I've been around and I don't like that kind of shit. 
Michael: 22:52
You know what I mean. 
Clyde: 22:53
Like that's stress. I don't want to go home like man, I wonder if this person is my friend or just I don't need that shit. No, you know, I've dropped a couple of people and dropped a couple of things. And it's hard, man. It's hard to, you know, just be done. It's hard, but it's also that sometimes you just got to do that. You know Everybody ain't going down the road with you, man, you know what I mean. So it might be somebody's exit this time and that's just unfortunate. You don't really see that kind of shit when you're drinking and you're partying with these people and you don't see that kind of shit. That's your people to the end. 
Michael: 23:28
And it might actually be helpful to not be there in their lives too, because they may see like, oh, like, clyde was always the guy that kind of like made this okay, you know, or he was sort of the anchor of the situation. So now I've got no anchor, I got no wingman or whatever it is right. So it's like I got to figure out like, what about? This doesn't fit anymore right. So you might be helping just by doing that, you know? 
Clyde: 23:59
Yes, and you don't think about that kind of stuff, you know, because there's. You know people are like you, don't? Know a real one until they're gone and like that's a real thing. You know a lot of people really, really are real and they really deal with your bullshit more than you deal with your bullshit. You don't know that to that person who's not around and you know it's happened to me a lot. You know it really has. There's been some people where I'm just like fuck man, I don't over-friended them, you know. I don't put the friendship on tilt. And so, you know, I just think right now, man, I'm in a very happy point in my life, man, like I go home, I sleep well, like I finally got my house, you know kind of where I wanted. And you know, check this out, dude, I've never, never, I just I don't even collect my skateboards, dude. I'd send them out to my mom and she would start giving them to kids. I'm like, dude, what's wrong with you? So I've a lot of my Alilama boards that I've made and just some of my older boards that I've gotten my hands on. I put them up in my house Like I've never had them up in my house, I've never had my skateboards up. So, you know, it's like almost like like what am I ashamed of it? You know, it's like and I've never really had artwork and stuff up. You know, I've just always kind of party and I've just I've had cool stuff but I've just never. And so you know I've gotten my place hooked up now and you know I've been doing some things to it and it feels great, man, it really feels great. It feels great to come home and you know, like, look on the wall and be like. 
Michael: 25:33
you know I don't gloat at it, but you know, it's about gratitude, though right, that's the center of it. 
Clyde: 25:39
It is man, it's just like you know you just see all the stuff you worked for Like, you know what I mean and it's and it's, although it's just a piece of wood, but you know you put in a context like the stories and stuff. You tell the story and stuff. I've shared and you know it's cool to just be like man, like you know that's awesome. 
Michael: 25:58
You know like Well, those decks mean so much to other kids too, like I. Just, I just remember that. Just like having that art on a skateboard. That's one of the coolest things ever Like, even if you're not that good at skateboarding. I mean it's just so cool so the fact that you have. That I mean-. 
Clyde: 26:18
I've had over a hundred in some skateboard. That is wild, that's crazy. Huh yeah, dude. Like you know, I've done when I started doing the Aliyah Lama. One of the big things is, you know, we didn't get paid a lot from skating but there wasn't a lot of money. We weren't smart enough to negotiate like that when we were kids and also we would just go in and take shitload to product and what we were through. 
Michael: 26:41
You were getting paid in gear, Exactly. 
Clyde: 26:43
Ix and it was like about the glory and the lifestyle. 
Michael: 26:45
Ix, dude Ix. 
Clyde: 26:46
Like it's not like we were poor. Sure, I mean, we just we weren't very smart with the money that we were getting and the products we were getting. So you know it's when I started doing the Aliyah Lama actually a couple of years ago I did a board for Strange Love with Sean Cliver, and not Sean Cliver, but the guy that owns it just gave me a bullshit deal, just like fuck, like a couple hundred bucks. You know what I mean. And. 
I'm just like and so-And you know what they're making on there. You're hand off your name. So at this time, this is when skateboarding, this is when everything busted wide open during the pandemic. So everyone was like. Everyone was like, oh, dude, you can get boards, cause skateboard manufacturers weren't getting boards made, so they were going to the little guys, and so little guys were like yo, we're doing it. So a lot of guys wanted to do boards for everyone. So here comes me old pro skater, and so I figured I was. I'm seeing all these older guys. You know that Frankie Hill is one of them. Frankie Hill is skater for Powell. I'm seeing Frankie Hill make his old board, Powell's making his old board too. But then Frankie Hill starts making Frankie Hill boards and so he's doing his thing. He's holding a board, like selling a board to a day. I'm like what the fuck? I found someone to make skateboards. First ones I sold. I think I did like 30 something. And so I wrote from 101 with Natas and I was like I was like I'm gonna sell them for a hundred and one dollars each and I thought I sold them out dude Sold them out and like dude not even a week, dude, I was like I'm not even joking. By the time I'd sold like six boards. I'd already paid myself close to what Strangelove would give me for whatever. How many boy? 
Michael: 28:18
I don't know how many. 
Clyde: 28:19
I don't know what they're selling because also during the time, this is a huge thing with skateboarders. It's so taboo to talk about this kind of stuff. You don't see your board sales. Skateboard companies do not show you that shit. So you can have four or five different boards and like series and shit. You're not gonna see how much they sell. They can sell 3,000 of them things in Indonesia. You don't know. They're still gonna give you a check for a thousand dollars and shoot you on your way and just come in and get some gear. That's how that shit works. So, I figured out I was like dude, I got my fans here. 
Michael: 28:51
You know what I mean. 
Clyde: 28:52
I was like dude like why wouldn't I sell my own product? So I started selling cooking with Clyde boards, and so I did. I took the Sean Cliver graphic and then did another series and I had them come with crayons and you could color it yourself. Dude, this shit was genius. People like what the fuck Sold them out, right. And then. So I took an old Digable Planets cover one. Then I redid that one, sold them out. And then I found a guy that did reclaimed skateboards. He could do really cool art and I was like, hey man, can you make me like a? I was like dude, can you make me 12 of them? I sold them things for a fucking 250 bucks each, sold them shits out in one night. So at that time that was the highest selling professional skateboard. All these other dudes came right up behind me and started like corn balls. I'm telling you, skateboarders are corn balls, so I'm not even joking here corn balls. So once I figured that out, I was like, boom, I started doing shirts and I would only do limited runs of stuff. So a lot of people are like, oh, what do you find stuff? And I'm like dude, I only do limited runs of stuff because to me that's what makes it more like I don't really tell people when I drop stuff, but when I drop stuff it sells out, because it's easy for me to sell stuff like that. And some of my favorite rappers do it now Griselda and Conway, they also. They're merch like that. And so I kind of adopted that and did it with Alay Lama, and the next thing I'm going to do is some cutting boards, some cooking with Clark, cutting boards, reclaim skateboards and stuff, and that's really what I wanted to do. You know, I didn't want to do a skateboard company, but if I did, I wanted to sell limited boards and I signed all the boards and numbered them because, also, what I seen what people were doing at first is they would buy the board for me, then try to resell it. 
Michael: 30:36
Oh yeah. E-bay or whatever, so I was like one step ahead of you guys Always going to be some of that One step ahead of you guys. 
Clyde: 30:42
I'm going to sign them and numbered them, so I know exactly who's selling them. You know what? I mean. Because, honestly, man, if they're limited to, and then it's just like, why are you buying these man? You know what's that like, why I would rather sell it to an actual fan. 
Michael: 30:57
Yeah. 
Clyde: 30:58
You know what I mean. And I would rather sell it for less to an actual fan. To be honest, you know what? And another reason I wanted to sell them for that much is because I wanted to start paying myself. You know what I mean. I'm like I don't gotta pay nobody else, I don't gotta pay no secretary. I don't gotta come up with some cockamamie scheme to why I don't gotta give some pros money. And so when I do do a board for pros, if I do decide to do one, I can give them like, hey, dude, look, I saw this thing for a hundred something bucks. I'll give you 60 bucks a board. Who's gonna say no to that? Yeah, I had a buddy that was doing a board with Powell Check this out, he's redoing one of his old boards with Powell, hits me up. He's like dude, they're gonna give me like six percent of sales. And I was like huh, this is Powell Peralta. We're talking about, dude, you know what I'm saying Six percent of sales. And I was like dude, if you wipe your IG clean, I can, I will run your IG and I will make you a hundred boards and show you how you can make that money. And no time, literally. I was like I can set you up with a pirate ship account. They'll come and pick them up for you. Such a lot with Uline boxes, all that stuff. I was like all you got to do is be smart about this. Like you got to quit letting people make money off of you, because all you have now left is your name you know what I mean, especially with skateboarding so like they're not doing nothing that you can't do. 
Michael: 32:24
Yeah, exactly, but you know what I'm saying. 
Clyde: 32:26
Print media is dead. 
Michael: 32:28
It's dead. 
Clyde: 32:28
So, like them, putting you in a magazine is stupid. So you have the same reach as they do to any skate shop Anything, as a matter of fact, the skate shop probably want to talk to you before they talk to them. So if you were smart, you would use that to your advantage. Yeah, you know, with that, with the internet and everything, and some guys, just you know, these guys can be like 50, 60 years old man, like yeah taking five, six percent. 
Michael: 32:52
They've already done the work. They, they've built the name and then somebody's coming to take, you know, a majority of their pie and it's like why, Like just yeah, you got to. And I think that that that can be such a difficult thing with artists, and you know anybody that's doing that sort of like skate. Skateboarding is an art like hands down. 
Clyde: 33:16
Yes. 
Michael: 33:16
So that somebody is going to be there to take the business end of it because they know that the artist doesn't understand it. It's like with every industry, every single industry. It's crazy. Yeah, it's so crazy and I think you know that's where, in all of these conversations, Tony Hawk always comes up, because he figured out all of the marketing thing and how to, how to have that creative control and how to make it this business, this industry, and just kind of redefine the game, right. 
Clyde: 33:52
Well, he, he stuck around. He was smart enough to start a company and that of that. But his company wasn't like you know, it was always. But the guys that were on his company figured out his thing. So, like one of the guys on his company started Hook Ups because he was smart, he's just like dude, so these boys like Japanese dolls on him that are done, and so he was just like. He started doing distribution through Tony Hawk. He was smart. You know, what I mean. And so Tony Hawk has been smart enough to attach himself to things. So, the thing with him the 900 at X games and then the video game right. Those two things. So he was able to tap into the guys that were smart enough to remember who he was as a kid. 
Michael: 34:36
Sure, and then also part of that is that iconic graphic on the board too. 
Clyde: 34:43
Exactly. Yeah, thank you. See what I mean? Unforgettable. Yeah, see what I mean. 
Michael: 34:46
Yeah, I didn't even know what Tony Hawk looked like until, like the game came out, probably exactly because no one cared Right. 
Clyde: 34:53
Like that's no diss to Tony Hawk, no, it's no diss between. There was a whole this is why I do the podcast. There was some guys from 88, 89 to like 94. Skateboarding was different, yeah, and not only was it different, it changed a lot and a lot of times. I mean, but you just had to be there to know it. Yeah, you know, like you literally had to be there to like get it, to see what was going on. And it was like I went from very skating to street skating very quickly and then the guys who were the street heroes and not us and the guns and them, the news were like up came Matt Hensley and H-Street and all them dudes. You know what I mean and that should happen quick. Like it happened Like one minute. You were watching guns at Savannah Slammer. You're like this is the greatest guy in the world. H-street video came out. You're like done, you know what I mean. I just I don't even know who guns is right now. You know what I mean. Like there was all these new kids. They were relatable. Yeah, you know what I mean. They were relatable, they weren't superstars, you know. And so the superstar skateboarder was gone, and that's where Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi and all these guys were. They were the superstar skateboarders. They were awesome, they were great, but they were superstars. They weren't relatable. Get what I mean. 
Michael: 35:59
Yeah. 
Clyde: 36:00
You were, more, you were, more you were. You were focused on the content, like the graphics and the crazy clothes and all that shit. The other dudes were skating. You know what I mean? Those dudes were relatable. They were, they were, they were the dudes like us. And then the Vert guy. There was a whole new slew of Vert guys coming out, and so Tony Hawk he was already that guy, but this is what it was. He didn't really have any competition up until then. Get what I mean? Yeah, he was that dude. 
Clyde: 36:27
Then Danny Way came around and Danny Way was that dude, yeah, and then from that early nineties, and then there was Danny Way and those guys, because Danny Way was skating Vert and Street, so he was a fucking new hero. That was a new guy, yeah, he was. He was a Jesus, yeah, I mean, he was a dude, like. But there was just a whole new group of guys you know like when, fucking when, when, after Jordan, there was Iverson and you know what I'm saying Like there's just a whole new group of guys that were fucking awesome, yeah, and and all everyone was emulating these guys and da, da, da. You know what I mean? Yeah, but it's just gone through so many waves and skateboarding has been so short, but the history of it is so compartmentalized that people don't know. So Vert skating, just there's. There's probably always going to be one guy, because I think everyone was so busy trying to be the next Tony Hawk that no one was trying to be the next guy. Yeah, if that makes sense you know, and then. And then Danny Way was doing a great job of being not the next Tony Hawk, but some some other shit. Some guy ended up dead around him. And yeah that's yeah. 
Michael: 37:34
Oof. Yeah, that's some skateboard history for you. 
Michael: 37:38
Yeah. So taking it back to you know, knowing what people look like, aside from just their, the graphic on their skateboard? Videos obviously were like the way you had, and I just watched Minority Report. The video you did. Was it 2007? 
Clyde: 38:00
Oh, Yes. 
Michael: 38:01
Man like what. What an amazing collection of Videos, yeah, and so tell me about that. 
Clyde: 38:09
Thank you. Oh, ok, so Minority Report was an idea that I had. I wanted to do. I wanted to do a skate. I wanted to do a skate video that had a token white guy in it instead of a token black guy. 
Michael: 38:22
I thought I picked up on that. I like that's it. That's just the one, yeah. 
Clyde: 38:27
And so also at the time too, it was kind of when I was, you know, I was not really out of skating, but I was doing other things. At the time I was doing a lot of on on camera interviews with Trans. I was kind of doing a lot of no jumper and shit. Or like you go to studios and like I was doing that shit in like 2006 for Transworld, go to studios talking to rappers and like all these kids were doing movies, skate movies and shit, and so at the time I remember there was a bunch of guys that I was skating for New York around 2005, and I wanted to put a couple guys on and they wouldn't put them on the team and I'd always wondered why. But they'd always like and like these kids had no space to be on, like no one would put them on companies, I don't know why. And so I would always tell kids, like I would always be very vocal, like, hey, guys, like most companies don't have a room for one black guy. I don't know what you guys think this is, but that's, that's literally how it goes. Like, like it's going to, it would be five wack ass dudes on that team. They will only take one of us at a time, like I don't know if they think we're all going to fucking rebel or I don't know, but that's just been the thing, and there's been a lot of companies that have never had black people on their team, you know. So, like you don't feel like there's a spot for you, you can't hear. 
Michael: 39:41
I'm saying so, like, so I, without that history it's, it's clear like they're sending a message. 
Clyde: 39:47
Yeah, you know, I mean, that's just how I would take it, there's a lot of companies that, like you know, I've been skate worse since 1986. A lot of companies I've never seen a black guy on their team. So there's just a lot of companies I just wouldn't go towards. You know, I wouldn't if I was a kid. I don't think they would go towards like, oh man, you know, even if it was their favorite company they would probably be. They wouldn't think that there's you kind of get what I mean. 
Michael: 40:09
Yeah. 
Clyde: 40:11
And it sucks, but it's just, it's fucking obvious. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, and so, and so I was working for the skateboard mag at the time and I'd never made a skateboard video ever in my life and didn't know anything about editing. So I downloaded the program and how one of my buddies come over and I was living on my friend's couch and, ellie, at the time I was working at a skate shop called Brooklyn Projects, and so I just started collecting footage from a bunch of filmers and told a bunch of guys my, my idea, and they were super down for it. And you know I think a lot you know and a lot of these guys are just sitting on the footage. You know what I mean. Like, what are they going to do with it? Who are they going to sell it to? What sponsor? You know what? You know what video are these guys? There's no room for these guys. And so yeah, I'm not even bullshitting dude so I put this video together and most of those guys ended up turning pro and ended up getting hooked up out of it, which is really cool, and it was just an idea I really wanted to do. I got a bunch of music from a bunch of artists. I got a bunch of shit from Interscope. I had a friend that worked there, so I got the Busta Rhymes song. I work with Mr Len, who worked you know, he's one of the guys from Company Flow and so he had a bunch of artists at the time too. Work with Jean Grae. A bunch of people, man, and I just ended up putting it together, man, on this little talking laptop computer I had and yeah, and then went on tour Like, yeah, man, I sold, and the way that I sold it is I already had a couple. I had an ad that I was going to do in the skateboard man and I asked him do they want to be on the production side? I was just like, can I throw your name on there? And just they're like fuck, yeah. And so I got the, the, the thing that looked like a masthead of a movie, and I told all the sponsors. I was like, hey guys, how about you? You know they were flowing, these guys and some somewhat, and I was like, hey, how about just by like 500 copies, this much? And you know it's kind of getting your guys out there. And yeah, put your logo on the thing. And so I had 10,000 sold before they were made.
Michael: 42:07
Wow.
Clyde: 42:07
Yeah, dude. I got straight up like like did it dude. Straight up dude Like yeah, did that all myself. 
Michael: 42:14
That's amazing. Yeah, it's absolutely amazing. So it's such a good video and like, yeah, I just I think that growing up, you, just, you, just as you said like you didn't see very much diversity whatsoever. It was just like there's like, and just to see like some of the best tricks, I mean just just as good as anybody else, just as good, if not better Like it's insane, exactly. And the music is so good with it Like I just I was blown away. Like it's so good. 
Clyde: 42:48
I'm very I'm a huge proponent on you know. You know I do a lot in like IG posts and those kind of things are so easy to me, you know, because I know what I've always liked growing up and I know what I've liked to see, and so you know music's always been a very strong suit in videos and putting video things together and putting video projects together. I've just always been. You know, I always pick the music before I even start going. I don't even look at the footage, I'm just like all right, here we got a song. You know like I work backwards, dude. 
Michael: 43:20
That's awesome. No, I mean it's like a mixtape. It's like what makes you feel that and like what that? That is the the framework of it. Yes, it changes everything. It really does dude, it changes it, it literally changes it you know it's, and you can tell that much thought was put into the soundtrack of it too, because it flows so beautifully. I mean, it's just man, it's so good. 
Clyde: 43:40
Yeah, man, I was. I was super excited about that and I don't know, man, it's, it's really cool. Like you know, going back to the beginning of our conversation, I've always been a huge fan of Robert Townsend and I just always thought it was cool. He was a producer and I just always watch a show on HBO. Growing up, I remember that kind of stuff, you know, and you know always thought it'd be cool to have a resume of, like you know, I've made a skate video and wrote for magazines and did photography and have a pot. You know that's, it's awesome, dude, that's awesome. You know what I mean. That's like that shit to be proud of, you know, and like it's, it's, it's shit to really be proud of. You know it's, it really is, man, it's. It's not easy work, it's hard work. I like hard work, I like. I like results. Um, I don't know man. 
Michael: 44:26
You know, I like creative control. 
Clyde: 44:28
I love, I love creative control. You know, like I feel I'm confident enough that you know, and if I don't, if I don't feel confident enough, I let it go. 
Michael: 44:36
Yeah. 
Clyde: 44:36
You know what I mean. Like I don't force it, man, like if I don't, I have an episode I'm sitting on right now. I probably go home and finish it tonight, because now I feel, you know, I'm like back in my podcast. 
Michael: 44:46
Nice, yeah, I love it. 
Clyde: 44:47
I'm like, all right, cool you know, like man, like there's some guys I want to talk to coming up this coming week and I just haven't felt creative, man, you know, and and I just haven't felt like I'd be in control of being, how creative it would be. I'd just be putting something together and I have an episode that I think it's going to be a great season. Just, it's a great episode. You know, it's some of the stuff we talk about. You know, we talk about childhood trauma and, and it starts from talking about are you familiar with Gator? 
Michael: 45:17
Oh yeah. 
Clyde: 45:18
So I give you a little bit of background on this episode. I'm sitting on Good buddy, my Chris Markovich. He's also from Florida Skateboard Legend. When he was a kid we we spoke about this on an interview I told you I deleted a couple of years ago. I got worried that he somehow had the vehicle that Gator dumped the girl's body in Hold on. He didn't know this though. He didn't know this. He just bought this car from Gator. Gator sold me a car. 
Michael: 45:49
Yeah. 
Clyde: 45:49
You know, a couple of weeks later that happened. You got picked up Da, da, da and, and so yeah, dude, wow, yeah, dude. And I mean it goes from that to like I'm just I had. I've been interviewing people since 1996. That was the first time I ever had to collectively gather myself and take a fucking nap. 
Michael: 46:10
afterwards I was like that was fucking heavy. 
Clyde: 46:14
Wow, yeah, dude, I was that. I was like that dude, I didn't know. He's like dude, he's like I even stayed at the house and like I didn't know. He's just a kid. He's just out in California skating and and he tells me Gator filmed most of the G and S video and I'm just like I'm going into this thing trying to put it together. You know what I mean. And so. I get into the first five minutes, we're talking about skating and I just know the inevitable is coming up and I'm I just have been like I don't feel, like I, I don't know man, I just don't feel like. You know, I think, opening up here and talking to you a lot, it's like it's giving me the confidence to move forward and be like OK, you know what I mean Like it's amazing. But it's it's, it's heavy shit dude, it's heavy dude, it's like, and then he's a heavy hitter. You know like I put his real out and it's going to. You know it's going to do great man and it's just. You know, I just I don't know man, it's weird, like that's that post. You know, man, you just did two million things and I'm just like that means nothing to me. 
Michael: 47:17
Yeah, it's not about that. 
Clyde: 47:18
Like literally, that means nothing to me. I'm just like and there's people that would die for that kind of shit. 
Michael: 47:23
You know what I? 
Clyde: 47:24
mean, I'm just like dude, like I just wanna put episode out. 
Michael: 47:27
You know what I mean? Like that's all I'm thinking. 
Clyde: 47:29
I'm just like I don't you know, man, what are you gonna do next? I don't fucking know. I'm gonna keep doing the same thing. I'm doing Like that's not something I aspire to do. It's great, it happened, you know. But, like I'm just really into, like you know, being in control of creatively and control of the things that I put out. You know whether it be food, whether it be the podcast, or you know anything, man you know, just having that, having that control and that self-awareness of like okay like how are you gonna do? this Like are you gonna make it cool? You're gonna go in like defensive. Are you gonna talk about it in the bio? It's like no, they just put it out, let people listen to it you know, and we talk a lot about childhood trauma. We go from that talking about, you know, suppressing childhood trauma and it's fucking deep dude. You know, I don't really talk about that kind of shit with people. And he talks about his dad passing away. And I was just dude, it's fucking, I was, I don't know, I was just. I gotta figure out a day to put this shit out yeah. You know, I was just like I can't do it on a Monday. Everyone's at work like fuck dude, that was heavy. You know, I'm just like this might be some Sunday shit. 
Michael: 48:36
Yeah. 
Clyde: 48:38
Yeah, man. So that's a dad. I got a couple more of them sitting on About to do day one song I think that's coming week and I got some really good ones coming up. And I don't know, man, just, you know, just, I wanna put some shirts out, but I'm super picky about that. 
Michael: 48:53
You know what? I'm just like. 
Clyde: 48:54
I found a new printer and they do print on demand, which is awesome, and I don't know, man, you know, overthink stuff. 
Michael: 49:01
You know I'm like, yeah, I should just throw the Patreon out, and I'm just like maybe it's not worded right, ah, Like when you are in charge of all the things, when, with that control kind of what you do with it and balancing all of the things right, it's like when something does get massive attention and you're kind of like I'm gonna stay grounded, I'm not gonna pay too close of attention to that, that kind of balancing act of how do I keep this real and also have the gratitude and also like keep that creative flow, because that's really what it's about. Like there's something about podcasting that is like therapy, like I feel it every time. Like there's like a there's a rush that I get after each episode where I'm like I have difficulty sleeping that night because I'm just so. I'm so charged, you know, buy it because it is it's this new connection that I have with this person and it is this. It's just so rewarding. There's just something about like getting this out, and now I don't have to carry this with me anymore, and I see people do that and like, yes, and somebody else is gonna get something out of this as well that will connect with it or identify with it. There's gonna be something. There's a ripple effect, right, and that's really what it's about. It's like I would love for this to reach a lot of people, but I don't need it to for it to be good right. That's kind of the thing is, like it's gonna find its audience and, as long as people appreciate it, that's really what it's about, like every time. 
Clyde: 50:41
Absolutely, I would rather have. I would rather have five good listeners than 500 fair weather listeners. 
Michael: 50:47
That's right Any day of the week. You know what I mean. 
Clyde: 50:52
And I think that's what's kind of cool about doing niche things is you have your audience, you know, and you don't need much. If I get more, that's great, you know. But I'm very happy where I'm at. I'm very happy with the success that I've had thus far. And if it, you know, obviously it is gonna go up, but I'm not gonna change much, you know. So I was telling someone I was like the funniest thing about doing two million or whatever. I was like literally, I use the same hashtag, I use the same thing. I've been doing for like two years, same thing, and one day it just struck gold, like, you know what I mean, like, and I like that algorithm lottery, right yeah, and like I was, like most people put like viral and all this shit and I'm just like I don't even know, you know. But clearly like that is. You know, like I'm not gonna change that formula. You know, I was talking to someone at Stardust and she's like, she's like you should do that on Instagram, and I'm just like dude, no, no, no, no, no, no. No no, no, no, no. Just say congratulations and keep it moving. It's like that wasn't my goal. That's never been my goal. You know that's not my goal to be on YouTube. You know, like I've done a couple of YouTube shorts and you know, like some video me slamming and stuff, and I watch all that stuff and I'm just like as entertaining as it is, I'm just like this isn't for me. 
Michael: 52:16
Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah, yeah. 
Clyde: 52:19
Like it's just like, like maybe some things you know, like the clip today, like that's something good, but then it's like what are you really chasing on there? That you're not getting somewhere else? You know what I mean. It's like it's not like what podcasts I find it cool that you can share it and different you know platforms and stuff like that. 
Michael: 52:35
That's cool, but you only publish it once, but the connection that like RSS feed thing goes out to all the different platforms as long as you're connected to them. So it does make it very easy for distribution right. And it's like you can do as many episodes as you want. Like, it's just like again that control and like you do it because you love it, and that really comes through in it as well. It's like, even if somebody is not interested in skateboarding as a culture or whatever, it's such good storytelling, like it really. It's just like it's such a like an exploration of like humans that are doing this thing. Right. It's like it's so cool. It's like that is such. It's like anthropology, right. 
Clyde: 53:30
It's like it's like finding the Tarterians. 
Michael: 53:32
It's so cool, Like dude it is. I love it. 
Clyde: 53:36
Yeah, it's literally like finding the fucking Tarterians and talking to like the whole lineage of them. And it's just, it's almost, it's a lost thing. And that's what I'm saying, man. It's weird because there's so many of those guys and I think all of their stories are special and unique. You know, and to me I'm just like dude. I'm fucking sick of hearing about the same dudes over and over and over. Do you guys think only like 12 people skated back then, you know? And like you need the approval of them, dudes, to hear someone else? It's like I'm not going to none of those other guys' podcasts to hear these guys talk Because they're not in tune with these guys. You know what I mean and like that's just being honest. You know. It's like I've spoken to a couple of guys from the 70s, but it's like that's not my niche, dude, you know what I mean. Like I'm not talking to them, dudes, I don't know them. Fucking cone weaving dudes. Like I don't know them. You know what I mean. 
Michael: 54:26
Like. I don't Like that's. It's a whole culture. It's like a subculture within a subculture, right? Yes? 
Clyde: 54:32
100%, and so that's what's really cool about this subculture is you know just how, where it was and the guys and how different everyone skated and dressed and the boards and the shapes. And you know to hear the guys like man, I knew the next wave was coming when I saw these. You know to hear those stories it's like that's awesome. They're not bitter because they're still here, they're checking my page and they're looking you know what I mean? 
Michael: 54:59
I'm like, I'm like dude they're here. 
Clyde: 55:00
They're here, like get them here, like let's talk to them dudes. Like them, dudes ain't bitter, they just don't have no word to talk. They don't have no one to talk to, man. And it's important for everyone to get their story out because that seemed like old, jaded dudes or old washed up and it's like how you going to call somebody washed up you don't know? This dude knows, you know what I mean. He's not washed up Like these. Probably talking to one dude, june Kate, recently, and he's a name a lot, you know, a lot of guys from my era would really know who he is. You know, I put him in a promo the other day and Chris Mark was just like dude, that dude rips and I'm like exactly, I'm like see, and so I'm talking to that guy and he's like he's like a. He's a head shoe designer at Adidas for golf and I'm like dude, that's awesome. 
Michael: 55:46
I'm like. 
Clyde: 55:46
You know how he's like man. You know I've always taken he's like and like we get to talking and he's like. You know, I took a lot of my skate thing from here and applied it to this and you know, I just I worked my way up and I'm just like dude. I did the same thing with cooking you know and like and so it's really cool to talk to those kind of guys. And you know, and like he's like man, I was huge fan of you. I'm like, dude, I remember all your shit. You know what I mean. Like I'm talking about tricks. I'm like how the hell did you do this? And and he starts talking about guys he grew up skating with. And I'm just blowing away and he's like yeah, man, let's do your one episode. And I want to let you know I skated for Stetem too. Now I switch to mic. You know what I mean. So that kind of stuff, man is like I don't know, man, I live for that kind of stuff, man. And I think it's awesome to have a platform for those guys and they don't have to just sit back and watch. They don't have to sit back and watch a couple of people talk for their era. Like that is to me that's disgusting. 
Michael: 56:43
Yeah, it's not going to be the same basic questions too. It's going to be much deeper, much more personal, and you're not doing this for money. That's the other part of it, too. It's just like you truly are celebrating the person that they are and you are interested in finding out more and sharing that with others. 
Clyde: 57:05
Yes. 
Michael: 57:06
You know, and that's where people really open up, because that trust comes from that. They know why you're in it and they know that you've been in it in a capacity as well, so you can relate. So it's like comedy people talking to other comedy people. Like that's when they get really funny, when they can like that is the best, that's the best. 
Clyde: 57:30
And with the skating thing you hit it on the head, man. It's different when you're literally their peer. We were them kids, man, we were them guys that saw the old guard change Like we saw it Like. I made a reference to it the other day. He's talking about Matt Hensley and I was just like this is when we knew our new king was here and a lot of the older guys who were worshipping the guns and all those guys. That doesn't take away from them, but it's like, dude, you remember this. You remember this Because this is when we knew like thank God for not us and God's law of them, dudes, but this dude's, our king now. Like this is our fucking God, right here. There's like and it doesn't mean those guys suck, but this dude is, thank you. You know what I mean. This guy, he's not a superstar, he's not going to. You know, he's having some contest. He's out way out there on the course and he's not going to come over and something. No, he's my age, looks like me, he's ripping and he's giving me hope, you know and like. And there was just all these guys and all these kids were coming through and and skateboarding was changing, the fashion was changing, the tricks were changing and it was going at such a phenomenal rate that you would think it would be easy to forget a lot of these guys. But no, it ain't Not. If you're a skate nerd, you know. I'm sure, like you, love music. 
Michael: 58:46
Yeah. 
Clyde: 58:46
There's some dudes you're like that, ain't passing me up, like like, I know exactly like we're range things. You're like dude, I know who them are Really yeah, yeah, like they're range. Cool. 
Michael: 58:59
Yeah, yeah. And I've gotten to meet like some of my heroes in the music world too, like people that I grew up listening to and that like produce music, that it was transformative for me. 
Clyde: 59:13
OK. 
Michael: 59:14
All of all of their work and to meet them and get to know them and, in some cases, like, become friends with them, and it's like I don't consider to myself to be a peer because they're just at such a level. It's like, yes, we both play music, but like holy shit Like yeah, it is such such an appreciation. But also they're so down to earth and just. They're just people. They're just like. They love what they do, you know, and it's no different from me loving what I do. You know, it's just like, yeah, it's so cool when you can, when you do meet your heroes and they, they are so sweet and they are so cool and I'm just like that's, that's the best. 
Clyde: 59:57
Honestly, man, it's like I don't know. You know, it's like I said, the Ray Barbie one and just a lot of different guys. You know Chuck Trees is, you know, a guy really looked up to as a kid. He actually played the music in Ray Barbie's part as a kid and so like he did the theme music for my, for the podcast, and he's been just a huge support and just a super cool guy. Man, when I saw him me and me and my ex I lived in Massachusetts he had us come to a show, him and or G Love I'm sorry they were on tour and you know they invited us up and it was fucking and he's such an awesome guy and he still hits me up. Hey, man, how you doing, and that kind of stuff, man, that just you know. That's that. That is more currency to me than anything. You know to like to have a genuine friendship with a lot of these guys and to see these guys like still following and, you know, chiming in and stuff like that kind of stuff is priceless to me. You know it's like because to me I'm just, I'm just a little old me doing this thing. You know, and like I'm just out here, out here, just living, you know surviving, as they say, and it's cool to you know, to genuine, like you know to know people are very genuine still. And like a lot of those guys are older and they're just, you know, they're just good people, man. They're just good people that just happen to start skateboarding. You know, and, and it's cool, they're not. They're not in it for the money or the fame, or you know, and they're, they're stoked on everything. 
Michael: 1:01:23
Yeah, I'm just like man. 
Clyde: 1:01:24
I want to be that old dude. You know I like all y'all. I'm just like it's so cool when you start seeing a lot of that stuff because they're not gatekeepers. Man, you know there's a lot of gatekeeping, I'm sure in the music industry too. And you know it's just a lot of gatekeeping and bullshit. You know, like dude, I've heard about the clubs and heard about the contest. 
Michael: 1:01:45
Yeah, dude, we get it, we get it. 
Clyde: 1:01:47
Trust me, I get it Like yeah like whatever you guys think is great, it probably sucks. 
Michael: 1:01:51
You know what I? 
Clyde: 1:01:51
mean Like you're probably getting paid to like you know it's like and that's absolutely cool, but a lot of people just did not sell out, and those are the people that are golden. 
Michael: 1:02:02
You know those are the? 
Clyde: 1:02:03
those are the golden people of the world, the people that didn't sell out and still have principles and that are still cool. 
Michael: 1:02:09
Yeah. 
Clyde: 1:02:09
You know, and they're not trying to be cool. You know like they're not walking around with the new Nike S B's and you know they're not worried about who's doing what on Instagram. They're cool people, dude. Yeah, you know, they just skate and I think a lot of us forgot that, and you know we replaced it with alcohol and drugs and fake friendships and all kind of shit like that. 
Michael: 1:02:30
Yeah. And there's an image component right and that's like part of the selling. It is that having that image and having that that's where the ego comes in and that's it just changes it. It's like yes if this isn't fun and it's not authentically you, then what are you really doing? You know, I don't know, it's just it's. Are you an actor at that point? 
Clyde: 1:02:52
Like it's politics too you know it's like a lot of people identify themselves with where they live or who their sponsor is. Yeah, you know it's not like, like it's fucking corny. 
Michael: 1:03:02
It's weird, yeah, you know what I mean. 
Clyde: 1:03:04
It's like someone having a Wu Tang tattoo and you're like dude, you're not in Wu Tang. Like, like, like you identify because it says a W on you or yeah, and that's just a brand branding. Yeah, that's what that's, what a lot of skating is, and you know a lot of, you know it's just as you get older, you just I don't know man, I just still love skating. I was never jaded about it. I'm never jaded about anything, I just I'm very honest, you know yeah being honest and open about things Clearly is not, you know, is not very cool and not. 
Michael: 1:03:35
Yeah, I mean, I think it's becoming cool finally, as it should you know, I mean, I think like, I think that gratitude should always be in fashion. 
Clyde: 1:03:46
You know like I just think. 
Michael: 1:03:49
I think that's that's where I identify with people the most is if, if they're sincerely grateful and they don't. They're not changed by the attention, but they just love what they do and like they're drawn to it. It's almost like a compulsion, like you have to keep doing it because you love it so much. That's what I identify with, because I'm like I don't. I don't want money to get involved. I, you know it's like we play. We'd play shows and, and you know, we'd get money at the end of the night and we would give it to the band if they were touring. Ok every time, because it was just like yeah, it was just like we don't. We just drove down the street, you know this is just fun for us. Like you guys have actual expenses here's, here's our cut, like every time, because that's just the right thing to do. You know, I don't know. It's supporting one another, yeah, finding a way to to all make it, like you were saying like when, when somebody has not the best gear, and you all like find out a way to like pitch in. I think you were talking about that on a recent episode. I'm like that's so cool. You know, it's like that. Make sure everybody makes it. Make sure everybody's like got what they need and like this is community, that's that's how we do it. 
Clyde: 1:05:08
I do. I've said this so many times about skateboarding and this is the most important aspect of skateboarding is the community of. A lot of people forget what you're just talking about, because I come from the air of you fucking. You build a ramp, you skate the ramp, you eat around the ramp, you all skate each other home. That's where I came from. You have a fucking community. That's your boys Like your boy ain't got a good board. You get a new board. You set your boy up with the board. 
Michael: 1:05:32
You know what I mean and like that's. 
Clyde: 1:05:33
you know, your boys got some shitty shoes. We are going to get them some shoes Like. That's how I came up, you know, like. And so when things did start taking off, it was just, I don't know, man, like I've given away most of everything you know, because to me it's like it meant more for me for other people to have it. 
Michael: 1:05:52
Yeah, exactly, it's like you. You hang on to the things that you need, but if you have something that somebody else could use, it's it's going to be there for them. 
Clyde: 1:06:02
I'm just like, what am I going to do? Like, like, you see me like five jackets, dude, I live in Florida. Yeah, you know what I mean. Like, like, what am I going to do? Five jackets, you know. So all my friends are wearing like all the cool jackets, all the cool pants, all the cool shoes. 
Michael: 1:06:15
Yeah. 
Clyde: 1:06:15
You know, to me and to them they're stoked. Yeah, I mean I'm just like cool, Like yeah, you want some more shit, and like I don't, I don't got nothing I'm doing with this, and so it's really cool to think that. You know, I think that's always, that's always been my thing, you know, and I don't think I don't think I will ever be Broke. You know, like, because I've always had a community, you know I've always, you know, I've always that's what I throw off of is community. You know, I think that's that's what really drove me to being here in Orlando is like, you know, the skate community Was really cool. The guys it plus have been just awesome. You know, like he is just I love Keith the death man. He is just a throwback of, you know, of the guys I grew up skating with. He is she's that. You some skate rat dudes See you know I mean they just hang out and skate and drink it. They all hang out to get people like they think they're. They think they're like a certain way and I'm just like no dude, like they're super cool, like they didn't just take me in because I'm Claude singleton, like like they know. You know like they when you are in a crew and you know, you know who's cool, you know exactly what's up. You know. You know who's like, who's a community-based dude or who's here to like take advantage and shit and and they were really cool man and um, you know, every time I've been here a couple times before and it pop-ups with him and you know there's always been very supportive. So that was, you know, between the job not working and some other shit. You know there's a lot of things that kept me here. You know, doing the market, that's been just a godsend and you know that's kind of got me in with some other markets. I do, fair the dog, what Sunday? Just probably start prepping sometimes. 
Michael: 1:07:55
Yeah, man. 
Clyde: 1:07:56
Yeah, I'm just like you know and I don't know these people, man, and so many people have been hitting me up about, like man, you should do nor is all these other places and I'm just like you don't know these things until you, you know, meet people from the community. Yeah, you don't know. You're like I wouldn't have known these places around the corner eat like I ate at the one place and they had Shishitos. That's what they had. Shishito peppers oh, love it. You know the place is downstairs of the bar. Yeah the two-story place I was talking about that's. They had really good shishito peppers and I remember being like damn the guy's shishito peppers around here, now that it's a big deal. But I was like man, like I love shishito peppers and I'm like now I was like there's a place that sells them here and like now you're telling me all the other food there and I wouldn't have known it because you guys are like community base, you know all this cool stuff. Yeah, you know what I mean. Like like it's it's, it's it feels it's comforting to know, man, it's, it's very, very comforting. Like I said, I can go home and hang out my neighbor on the porch, like yeah, that kind of shit is important, dude, it is you know, you know how hard it is to move into a situation like that. We're like everyone's super cool and they tell you all the cool shit and this is. I'm very grateful to be here. 
Michael: 1:09:07
That's so awesome to hear that, because it really is like it's such a supportive scene here and it's very cohesive and it's just it's good, good people doing good things and and really like understanding what it means to support one another. Yes and there's just, I think, that it's got such momentum that it's sustainable as well, which is super important. You know, like people are sticking around here and Florida obviously has its problems, but Orlando is kind of this oasis, like it's. It's pretty incredible just Just how the quality of life really is Attached so much to the people that are here, you know, and and how they treat one another and Because they stay in the community business. 
Clyde: 1:09:57
That's why it works out yeah yeah, that's literally why it works out like most people don't know when to stay in their lane and mind their business, and you know I mean. And they break up communities instead of like building it right you know? I mean, it's like you guys know a bunch of talented people that have a bunch of stuff that want to sell and shit like that, like Someone else would try to capitalize from that. You guys offer an opportunity for everyone to come together and do something. And you know, and like you, generally it's a good vibe when you get there, you know what I mean. It's like like I'm walking around talking to people like I went to school with them. You know I'm saying and like, and that kind of stuff is important to me, man, because I've tried to live so many places in the last couple years and and just like, not try to fit in but they don't. It's not community based all these places. You know, if you're from there, yeah, but then it's just like, why would I don't want to be from here? You guys don't even fucking like each other. 
Michael: 1:10:45
Yeah, yeah. 
Clyde: 1:10:48
Here. It's like it's, it's cool, man, it's um, it's cool to feel welcomed and um, and it's not like fabricated and it's also just very cool to see, to sit back and watch, just like you know, everyone like I'm like dude, you guys are here every fucking day and I was like that's fucking cool. Like you guys in the coffee shop, like there's people there every day and I'm like that is awesome. There's a place that's in the community that people feel like they can just come up here and hang out. Yeah, and I don't feel like they have to spend like 10, 12 bucks. Someone's gonna come out here and kick them out right like tell your dog to get out of here, like, like that is there's something Special about that. Yeah, and I'm blessed to be a part of it. You know, man, there's something, just very there's something special about this place and it's not Disney World. Yeah, 100%, man, I've been saying that since I've been here. I'm like there's just it's something, man, it's cool. And I don't know, as you know, even the neighborhood I live in, man, it's, it's, it's a little different, but to me it's, it's, it's cool. Own little neighborhood, you know it's, it's just it's different, but it's cool. No one over there bothers me, I don't feel unsafe, I don't feel like. You know, it's just another neighborhood in Orlando that's cool, like met everyone there and there are the neighbors are cool. I'm like, damn, you guys don't like each other, like you know, to me yeah, I mean, I know like almost all my neighbors names and we talk. 
Michael: 1:12:09
Yeah, yeah, it's really really cool. 
Clyde: 1:12:11
I've lived places and had no idea who lived next door to me for like three years. Yeah you know, I mean like straight up, like just kind of see him, like didn't know their name, hey, man, hey, and like here I'm just like man, all these people like knew each other. They all come here and hang out and like they're not all, they're not cat fighting and it's cool. Yeah, it's like it's very refreshing to see a place like this and like I'm sure you could come here and get jammed up and, like you know, try to do all the things and sure hang out, but I think, once you know, I found my little pocket here and I'm standing it. 
Michael: 1:12:43
Yeah. 
Clyde: 1:12:43
I'm standing like I've been to a couple cool shows. That, uh, the iron cow. Did I get that right? 
Michael: 1:12:49
Yeah, yeah, a couple good shows there. 
Clyde: 1:12:52
Let me think where else I've been. I went to the Abbey, saw souls and mischief. That was cool, besides everyone being drunk, tito, but there was a great show Nonetheless. Um, I've been in some cool markets here. Yeah, man, you know, I'm just kind of getting my feet wet and, um, I feel comfortable doing it. You know I go to some places completely by myself. Yeah, I went to the iron cow completely by myself. Yeah met some friends. There was just kind of walking around and was just like this is cool. 
Michael: 1:13:19
It's the best, isn't it yeah? 
Clyde: 1:13:21
really awesome band there. I work with them on another podcast that I've been kind of working on. I do this thing called pushing pee and it's a tab out podcast. We should do an episode. 
Michael: 1:13:32
Yeah, All right, I'll talk for another couple of hours. 
Clyde: 1:13:34
Yeah, but um but, um, I work with this band, this local band called the synthetics. Super good, you should check them out. All right, just plugged them again, dude, I should be their manager. Yeah, I'm not even joking, so I put them on the first episode of pushing pee and they sound, do they sound great? I'm saw him at the iron cow and um and at first I was like he gets on stage and I'm like, what's this? Let's just do. 
Michael: 1:13:57
You got a scene you know, he's got some. 
Clyde: 1:13:59
Nike SB's on. I'm just like the music's playing and I'm just like, yeah, I'm kind of judging these guys. I'm like what are these guys gonna do? Do this dude started singing that shit sound like new order. I'm not even joking, dude, I would put you on to him tonight. They sounded absolutely amazing. I sat there for like 10 minutes watched play a couple songs, didn't say a word. Looked over my buddy John. He was like, do you hear this shit? And I'm like, thank you, I'm like these guys are great. So, um, you know, just being able to see those guys, um, what's Hannah's band? I think they're really cool. Systematic, I like, I like them. I think it's awesome. It's like a all-girl little girl group. Yeah, I mean they're like little go-go's. So I think it's cool, man, I haven't been to shows and stuff in a while and I've been a couple here and I've only been here a couple months, man. I've already been like I think, three, three shows. I've been here since since January. Yeah, that's a most shows I've been to in six years. Yeah, seriously, dude, I got all go to shows. It's like I would either be too drunk or just go to the bar. No so it's really cool to like that there's a scene here for that. 
Michael: 1:15:07
Yeah. 
Clyde: 1:15:08
I'm saying like, whether it be at Stardust, whether be the iron cow, and I haven't been to wills yet. I heard that's a pretty good place to see you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah so, yeah, I'm gonna try to go there see a show. Um, yeah, man, I'm just been riding my bike. You know like I'm? I'm Orlando dude. I'm a five smiles and North Star dude. 
Michael: 1:15:31
Yeah, yeah. 
Clyde: 1:15:34
Yeah, man, I love it here. Dude, I you know thank you for. Thank you guys for everything you've done since I've been here, man, you guys have been. You guys have made it that much sweeter. 
Michael: 1:15:43
Well, we, we love seeing you around here, and just this episode is brought to you in part by the Audubon Park community market. Join us every Monday from 5 to 8 pm, rain or shine, in the parking lot of Stardust video and coffee, located at 1842 East Winter Park Road. This weekly gathering of makers, farmers, gardeners, fishmongers, ranchers, craftsmen, citizens, entrepreneurs, neighbors and friends brings the very best of central florida to you every week. We do hope you enjoyed this episode. If so, please click subscribe and leave a review if you'd like. We'll see you next time you.