ALEX OLSON: I read some stupid thing in some skateboarder
magazine that was like back in the day you didn't have to--
you'd never sponsor me tapes.
You'd go and skate somewhere, and people, if they thought
you were good you'd get sponsored, and I
thought that was rad.
I thought that was the way to go.
I probably shouldn't have done that.
But I guess it worked out.
[LAUGHTER]
ALEX OLSON: Sorry, I was just thinking
of something retarded.
OK, what?
PATRICK O'DELL: Hi, welcome back to the
Epicly Later'd Show.
This episode is about Alex Olson, who I've known for a
really long time.
And I've seen him change from being this little kid, to
being this really awesome grown-up skater.
He's like the kind of pros they used to have in the '80s,
where it was just pure skill and not much hype about how
they dressed or anything.
He looks like he was just made to skate.
Alex right now is filming for the Lakai
video, which is probably--
it's definitely one of the most
anticipated videos in years.
And Alex is going to have his first part in that.
He's never had a real part in a real skate video.
And so that's a lot of pressure.
And right now he's filming to be in this video with Koston
and Guy Mariano, which is a huge thing to live up to.
Do you feel a lot of pressure for the Lakai video?
ALEX OLSON: It's coming on slowly.
It's coming on.
It's stressful.
There's so much riding on the video.
It's kind of making me nervous.
I've stressed out so much already.
-When's it due?
ALEX OLSON: I've shed tears, all right?
I have.
You know what?
Honestly, there's too much riding on this video.
And people have such high expectations for it, that
people are expecting so much that they're
going to be let down.
TY EVANS: I don't think he likes filming.
I don't think anyone likes filming for that matter, but I
was like this spot's sick, right?
And he was like fucking sucks.
All right rad.
Maybe that's his way of saying he likes it.
He's always pissed at something, mad at something,
something sucks.
Sports sucks.
The spot sucks.
MARC JOHNSON: I think he just sort of does his own thing in
his own time.
And when one thing about Alex, I don't think he's impressed
by very much.
Kind of puts you off when you do a really rad trick
and he's just like.
Naw, I'm just kidding.
AARON MEZA: For sure, Alex got on Girl, and he was probably
the least enthusiastic about it out of anybody in the
history of the company.
Right.
Completely unimpressed with the phone call, like hey
you're getting on Girl.
Now they called to shoot an ad.
We wanted to do a certain ad, and he didn't want to do it.
And because of that--
-Fucking lame.
AARON MEZA: Because of that he was like, can I just ride for
chocolate instead?
This is Carroll junior.
This is Mike Carroll's revenge.
He has to deal with somebody now that he was
like at that age.
MIKE CARROLL: I'm curious if I was that bad, but I can see to
a certain sense that he's doing the same shit that I've
done to annoy people.
I don't think he'll ever wear a Girl shirt.
He'll make sure he'll wear a fucking Jason Jesse shirt, or
something else.
-You should put on a Girl skateboard shirt.
ALEX OLSON: No, I'll put a Quicksilver shirt on.
How about that?
Yeah, I should but whatever I don't.
-He was the last probably, the first person in a long time to
get on Girl.
Just as dude hanging out that was a friend, that just
eventually got on the team.
It was old style like this dude's sick, he's our friend.
Like, let's hook him up.
Even though everybody already knew who he
was already in skating.
ALEX OLSON: Well Supreme opened up, when I was in LA,
and they had a bowl to skate in there.
So all these pros would come in there, and I go skate the
bowl with them, and I met like all the Girl guys from that.
MIKE CARROLL: We were just skating with him a lot.
When we first started skating with him, we didn't think that
he was actually trying to be a sponsor guy.
He was just skating around being just a kid, going around
skating with people.
I think there's a lot of the same skater.
And I feel like he's a different type of skater.
It just seemed like a natural thing that he should be on.
-Glory days.
1994.
This is Mike Carroll's skater of the year trophy.
Parking block.
Never figured that out. until about three months ago.
-Hey Alex, you can't listen right now.
ALEX OLSON: OK.
-Leave.
I think for him it might be weird, because he looks the
best just in real life.
Like someone like Dennis Busenitz, or Julian.
In real life they look good on video, but if you're lucky
enough to see Julian skate in real life, it's way different.
-Dude is ripping like a seasoned pro.
He's a young dude but really old, like up here.
I'm glad that in this day and age there are
still people like Alex.
skating.
He just defies all categories.
You've got this kind of group, and this kind of group, and
this kind of--
Alex is way over here.
-In a lot of ways, he's kind of like an old soul.
Like, especially about skating, with Steve his dad,
being a pro skater from the '70s.
He had some serious early--
he probably got steered a good direction really fast.
There's something in the blood I guess.
-Standard issue.
Welcome to California.
That's what they said.
Welcome to California.
You're not really causing damage.
It's a piece of metal, and you're on your board on the
metal, too.
It's like the best was, yeah, we didn't
know you could skate.
No, man, I know that you know that you're not allowed to.
No, dude.
It's my first time here.
There's no signs anywhere.
Well there was a sign here, but still, you play dumb.
How many times has that happened?
Thousands.
Million Fuck.
Billions.
It's the same song and dance no matter where you are.
STEVE OLSON: Come in.
-We went over to Alex's to interview his dad Steve Olson,
who is a pro skater from the '70s.
I believe Steve did mostly slalom and downhill.
But he skates pools, vert, straight.
And he still skates now.
STEVE OLSON: That's a picture of Alex when he was seven.
You should do a show on him.
-I want to.
STEVE OLSON: Oh yeah, right.
-You guys both said that.
STEVE OLSON: [LAUGHTER]
Imagine that.
Why would we do one together?
STEVE OLSON: Him and I together?
Are you kidding me?
-So Alex finally said that we can interview
him and his dad together.
We spent most of the day sitting around waiting for
Steve to show up.
Then finally he showed up.
And I sat them down together, and got an interview.
STEVE OLSON: Alex started skating basically around this
little square at my mom and dad's house.
-How old was he?
STEVE OLSON: Three.
ALEX OLSON: You're an idiot.
I was not three, or four, or five.
STEVE OLSON: How old were you?
Two?
ALEX OLSON: Seven or eight.
STEVE OLSON: Bullshit.
Oh my God.
This is the worst thing I've ever done in my life.
What's this for anyway?
-Don't worry about it.
-A skate show.
STEVE OLSON: Skate show?
Like skate TV?
-Have you seen it?
STEVE OLSON: No.
-Would you say Alex is more responsible than you?
STEVE OLSON: Totally.
Oh, you act like you're 20.
No, I'm 45.
I act 45.
ALEX OLSON: You definitely don't act like you're 45.
STEVE OLSON: Where are the rules and regulations how old
you have to act?
ALEX OLSON: There are no rules or regulations.
It's just people that are your age act differently than--
STEVE OLSON: How I act.
ALEX OLSON: Yes.
Exactly.
STEVE OLSON: So that means what?
Who give me the most shit in my life?
My son.
-He's like your new mom?
STEVE OLSON: No.
I can't get milk out of his [INAUDIBLE].
And those cans that you brought back?
Suck.
ALEX OLSON: Well guess what?
Fuck you.
STEVE OLSON: Yes.
ALEX OLSON: I live with my dad now.
And now his girlfriend moved in.
With her dog.
And you saw how big the place was.
It's fucked.
I hate it.
-What?
ALEX OLSON: I don't know It's just bad.
Well there's like that weird couch, bed thing that--
-Over by the motorcycle?
ALEX OLSON: So he'll just switch off.
I don't know.
I need to get my own place.
I need to find a rich girlfriend and
just stay at her place.
-What is that like going and having a
drink with your father?
ALEX OLSON: It's embarrassing because you try to
pawn me off to girls.
STEVE OLSON: What are you talking about?
ALEX OLSON: I just told you.
STEVE OLSON: I try to pawn you off onto chicks?
ALEX OLSON: Yeah.
STEVE OLSON: This is my son.
You guys should hook up.
ALEX OLSON: Yup.
-Did you home school Alex?
STEVE OLSON: No, I un-schooled Alex.
Don't ever touch my finger again.
-I thought you home schooled.
STEVE OLSON: I pulled him out of school to un-school him,
and take him out of the trap.
-And how did--
STEVE OLSON: the trap.
-Did you teach him how to read?
STEVE OLSON: No, I taught him how to make himself
learn how to read.
-Alex, how did that work being home schooled?
STEVE OLSON: No, no, no.
It's called un-schooled.
ALEX OLSON: Shut up for once.
STEVE OLSON: Dude, what are you talking about?
That's what it was called.
ALEX OLSON: It was called un-school?
STEVE OLSON: Do you want me to show you the fucking thing?
ALEX OLSON: Yeah, I would love to see it.
STEVE OLSON: It was called un-schooling.
There's all sorts of different programs for it.
ALEX OLSON: Let's see it big mouth.
STEVE OLSON: We'll have to go online.
ALEX OLSON: All right.
STEVE OLSON: Too bad the internet's down right now.
ALEX OLSON: Exactly.
That's bullshit.
There's no such thing.
STEVE OLSON: Are you crazed?
ALEX OLSON: What?
-He said it runs in the family.
STEVE OLSON: I never focused my skateboard
in my entire life.
ALEX OLSON: That doesn't mean you don't have a bad temper.
STEVE OLSON: I don't have a bad temper.
ALEX OLSON: Yes you do.
STEVE OLSON: Oh my god.
How do I have a bad temper?
ALEX OLSON: I've seen it.
Don't try to cover that up.
You have a bad temper.
STEVE OLSON: Well when I'm pushed to the edge.
ALEX OLSON: You have a bad temper.
We all have bad tempers.
STEVE OLSON: Don't push me to [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER]
What is the next question?
-I just like watching you guys riff.
Big happy family together.
STEVE OLSON: You want to see him snap?
Or not?
Do you want to see your guy, the subject matter, snap?
That's not nice.
-I'm not making him snap.
STEVE OLSON: I would never make him snap.
I could just say one thing and he'll snap.
ALEX OLSON: What is that?
STEVE OLSON: I'm God.
[LAUGHTER]
ALEX OLSON: Come on.
STEVE OLSON: I can't help it.
I really dig my son.
Whatever he says, you never take away how much I dig him.
Understand that?
All you other fucking parents out there should
maybe take this lead.
Fucking roll with it.
You're an idiot, dad.