Taking the opportunity of his move to New Balance Numeric, Aimu Yamazuki is steadily expanding the stage for his skating to the global scene. We spoke with him about the behind-the-scenes of Thrasher Weekend and his Paris tour as the new member of Numeric, as well as his future plans.
──AIMU YAMAZUKI (ENGLISH)
[ JAPANESE / ENGLISH ]
Special thanks_New Balance Numeric
VHSMAG (V)： You’ve been getting a lot of attention since last year, especially with new sponsors coming on board. What would you say is the biggest change you’ve personally noticed today?
Aimu Yamazuki (A)： It’s gotten insanely busy. I’ve also been spending more time away from Japan.
V： Your move to New Balance Numeric was big news. What’s the story behind it?
A： When we were filming a video for Primitive, I think Eric Iwakura posted a IG story. Tyrone Romero, the marketing manager at Numeric, DM'd me after that. Later, I heard that the Japanese brand manager had expressed interest in having me join the team, and he was pushing for it to be a global contract rather than just from Japan. That’s how the conversation about joining the team started, and somehow it just snowballed… and that’s how it all happened (laughs).
V： What was the deciding factor in your decision to join Numeric?
A： My contract with my previous sponsor, éS, was up in December that year. I ended up asking advice from a lot of people—mostly the people in the US, and a few in Japan like my parents. Everyone told me, “You should join Numeric.” I figured it made sense—I’d have more opportunities for trips, and being able to do that would definitely be more fun.
V： Numeric has an impressive lineup. Did you feel any pressure or a sense of responsibility, especially as the first Japanese skater to join the team?
A： Not really. I was mostly just thinking, “How should I talk to éS about this?” I hadn’t even been on the team that long, so I was more worried about that. People often say I’m associated with éS, but I’d only been riding their shoes for about a year and a half.
V： When was the first time you actually met the Numeric team in person?
A： Since there are quite a few Numeric riders on Primitive, I’d run into them here and there, but the first time I met everyone in person was at Thrasher Weekend.
V： So it was at that time. Was that when all the riders were gathered together?
A： It was kind of like all the top riders showed up. That’s the vibe the tour had. The team vibe was really good—everyone’s friendly and close. We also hit some spots in Philadelphia and took part in community-style events. The tour lasted about a week. Since it was called a “Weekend,” we arrived a few days early to shoot some street spots before the weekend events.
V： Dis you save the street clips for another project?
A： No, everything went into that edit. Every hammer, everything we did ended up in that edit. Since there wasn’t any music, it had a really raw, immersive feel.
V： What do you remember from that trip?
A： Tiago Lemos didn’t participate as much as I expected (laughs). But, well, it’s Tiago. He just goes and does insane stuff. Since he always lands crazy clips, nobody can say anything (laughs). That’s probably what being a true pro is all about. After that, we went to SF together, and he said that at 34, his body can’t move like it used to, so he can only really focus on skating for about an hour and a half a day. But the Numeric team itself was really chill. I thought it might be more chaotic, but surprisingly, everyone was mature and not really partying and stuff.
V： So it sounds like you fit in with the team just fine on the tour. Especially since you were front and center in the thumbnail for the Thrasher Weekend video—it really felt like you were warmly welcomed.
A： No, I didn’t actually plan to sit in the middle (laughs)! The spot where that photo was taken has a handrail on the left side, right? I thought that was the center, so I figured, “I’ll just sit on the edge.” But somehow that ended up being the middle. It was totally by chance, seriously. I never thought I’d end up right in the center… I thought we’d be shooting around that rail. There was nowhere else to move, so I just thought, “Whatever.” It’s super awkward for a newcomer to end up dead center (laughs).
V： So, was there anything during the tour that really inspired or motivated you?
A： Everyone was super good it was kind of intimidating. There were a lot of moments where I was like, “Wait, you’re doing that there?” Everyone was casually going after huge gaps and rails, and I was just thinking, “Well, guess there’s nothing for me to do (laughs).” But it was all good since everyone was just doing what they wanted. They’d just casually roll in with a smile and go for it.
V： What about Paris? Was the Paris tour your first project after joining Numeric?
A： Yeah. I was part of the promotion for the 770. The 770s are really solid—they have a pretty soft heel, so they work well both for skating and casual wear. Kind of like Reynolds’ 933, you could easily use them for everyday wear too. I also like the design, especially the upper attachments—they look really cool. The Paris tour lasted just under two weeks, starting at the end of June. I’d been to Paris before on a Homeboy tour, so this was my second time, but we hit a lot of spots I hadn’t gone to the first time, which made it really fun and fresh.
V： What trick left the biggest impression on you in Paris?
A： The front tail kickflip out at the end of the video. I actually tried that on the first day of the tour, and my leg cramped up, so I retried it on the last day. I timed it just right and finally landed it on the last day. I think I spent about an hour trying. With one push, you really have to launch quite far to land the front tail, so it was pretty tough. At first, the landing was super slippery… but when I went back on the last day, for some reason it wasn’t slippery anymore. Maybe the rain had cleaned it or something. We were joking around, saying, “If we spilled Coke and wiped it, maybe it wouldn’t be slippery.”
V： That front tail was perfect and insane, but personally, I’m blown away by the backside 3. In the Paris tour video, there was also a backside 270 out of a tailslide, and at one point a flatground backside 3 went viral on Instagram, right?
A： Ah, the one at Dinosaur Park. I messed around with that one for fun and tried a weird setup. Instead of scooping the tail, I thought I’d just pull it through. My lower back hurt after that (laughs). Normally, I scoop it the usual way. That tailslide there is a bit of a pull, though. And on stairs, you definitely end up pulling it more.
V： What about that sequence that was posted on Numeric’s Instagram for the 770 promotion?
A： The bigspin out of the backtail—I’d been to that spot once before. The first time I went, I only did the backtail. Then I started trying the bigspin out casually, but it was a bit windy, so going for it was really scary. The wind would push me around. So it took a little time. Then Brian Reid landed a 5-0 180 out, and I was like, “Wow, I gotta land this too (laughs).”
V： What about that Front crook in the ad?
A： There’s actually a website where you can look up spots. While I was searching, I realized, “Oh, this is in Paris.” I thought about doing a manny, but then I noticed I could kind of use it sideways. I did that trick 3 or 4 times for photos and video. Not many people had used it that way before, and the edge was super rough, so it didn’t grind at all. It took quite a while to get it right. I think it was when Davide Holzknecht was doing some trick that he accidentally lightly hit a passerby with his board. Even though he kept apologizing, the person got really mad. The police were called, so we had to leave and come back later… It was pretty chaotic. After Fashion Week, there were tons of people, and the Trocadéro plaza with the Eiffel Tower in view was packed and chaotic. We all had to manage the crowd, surrounding the landing area with everyone’s boards (laughs).
V： Numeric has the image of being a small, elite, carefully selected team—how do you feel now that you’ve joined them?
A： Yeah… I was really happy to be invited to join the team, but I never expected to actually get a contract so quickly. I was kind of thinking I’d wear their shoes for a year or two and just give it my best shot… so it was quite a surprise. I’m really glad they’ve been taking me along on all these trips.
V： What do you want to accomplish with Numeric moving forward?
A： Eventually, I’d like to release my own colorways—maybe even my own model. But for now, I’m focused on steadily putting in the groundwork and building up experience.
V： Do you have any upcoming plans or projects already lined up?
A： I’ll be going on a Numeric tour, then returning to Japan, and then heading out on another Numeric tour. I’ll be pretty busy in the US But my college credits are getting a bit rough… I’m trying my best, but my friends are already 1.5 times ahead of me in credits (laughs). The Numeric tours are mainly demo-focused, and they mentioned wanting to combine the two tours into something like a tour video.
V： It feels like a new chapter in your career has begun over the past few years—what do you want to accomplish through skateboarding?
A： Well, I’d like to get a pro board from Primitive. I should work on a part though. If I put in the effort, maybe I can make it happen. And, if possible, I’d like to put out some things with Numeric too (laughs).
Aimu Yamazuki
@aimu_yamazuki
Born in 2005 in Osaka, he's a rising star attracting attention for his insane board control. Him joining Primitive and Numeric has also been big news. He's currently putting in work, aiming for a professional rank.
