[ JAPANESE / ENGLISH ]

Photos courtesy of SWIM
Special thanks_Hasco

VHSMAG (V)：　What inspired you to start SWIM?

Kevin Terpening (K)：　I had moved back to Ohio after living as a pro in Los Angeles for 15 years. I was pretty much done with skateboarding and trying to figure out a different path to go down. Which was fine, but skateboarding had a stronger hold on me than I thought (laughs). I think being away from LA and the industry helped me find the passion for it again. After about a year, I decided to just do something for fun on my own.

V：　What’s the vision of SWIM? How has your vision for the brand evolved since you first started?

K：　The vision is pretty simple now. I just want to make the product and videos that get me excited and to support the guys on the team as best I can. I think a lot of us on the team fell into a place, in skateboarding or life in general, where we weren’t excited and frustrated with where we were. The plot is for SWIM to be a brand where we can all stay excited and hyped on what we’re doing together. I’m just sticking to that and not getting tripped up with the stuff most people think about. The vision has definitely evolved. I don’t think I had much thought put into it at the beginning (laughs). At first, I just wanted to do something out of Ohio and keep it really small with a couple friends. Then things just started naturally happening and becoming what it is now.

V：　What’s the meaning or story behind the name “SWIM”?

K：　SWIM is an acronym for Someone Who Isn’t t Me. It’s just a funny internet thing that I couldn’t stop thinking about. It honestly just made me laugh and it was around the same time I wanted to start a little brand. I like it but it’s really just a name and there isn’t really a deep meaning behind it. At least that’s what I tell people…

V：　When selecting team riders, what qualities do you prioritize besides skill?

K：　Plunkett and I definitely have a sense of humor, so we like skaters that are similar that we can actually hang out with outside of skating. All these dudes are pretty funny and unique characters. A lot of the guys were already friends, so it kind of happened naturally. Which is always the best way.

V：　Can you tell us about Justin Drysen and Ryan Connors turning pro?

K：　It was a no brainer to me, to be honest. Anyone who has ever skated with these two in person, would say the same thing. They’re also really excited about skating and filming and that gets me stoked to keep doing it. Other brands were definitely asleep at the wheel (laughs).

V：　How has their pro status changed the team or the direction of the brand?

K：　Well, Plunkett and I are getting kind of old, so hopefully they can carry us home after skating (laughs).

V：　Can you tell us about the concept behind your latest promo video?

K：　We wanted Drysen and Connors to have parts to come out along with their debut boards. They didn’t know that at the time though. Drysen had been filming for the past year and wanted to put something out, after a little hiatus off the board. We kind of pushed him to keep filming for a while because we thought it would be a perfect time to turn them both pro. We usually just want to capture and edit the skating in the best way possible. Just let the skating do the talking.

V：　What was the most challenging or memorable part of creating this video?

K：　Oh man, Drysen just had so much rad stuff, it was fun just to see it all strung out together. Ethan and Connors’ last tricks are completely mind blowing to me as well. I watched them so many times (laughs).

V：　When creating videos, what do you consider most important?

K：　Music and the flow, for sure. You want people to be able to watch the whole thing and still be excited to go skate afterwards. My good friend, Jared Sherbert, has been editing all of our videos. We both see pretty eye to eye on things, so it works out really well. Being able to collaborate with your friends and all the great filmers is one of the things that makes doing a brand so rad.

V：　Looking back, what has been the most memorable moment in SWIM’s journey so far?

K：　Probably the weekend when we premiered “GRINDING THE TAPE” and surprised the guys with their pro boards. That was really rad. Just seeing how many people came out and we’re having a good time together was worth it.

V：　Can you share any upcoming projects or video releases for SWIM?

K：　We went on our first road trip with the whole team. LA to Portland and will hopefully a rad road trip edit for everyone.
 

SWIM
@swim_skateboardco

SWIM is a skate company started by Kevin Terpening and Dan Plunkett. Based in Ohio, the brand focuses on creating videos and products that keep both the team and its community excited about skateboarding.