The Levi Brown Interview: September 2009 Skateboarder

TRIGGER WARNING: BRIEF DISCUSSION OF SUICIDE BELOW AND IN THE SCANNED INTERVIEW. It is discussed on page 7 of the interview, or the 4th scan in this post.

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This interview has always stuck with me because about halfway through, Levi talks about his older brother's suicide and how it affected himself and his family. I personally have never been suicidal, but like pretty much every person on this planet, I know people who have been or who are currently struggling with it. However, at the time I first read this interview, I didn't (knowingly) know of anyone who was suicidal, and it was mostly still this faraway thing that "happened to other people". For whatever reason, Levi's discussion of his experience really resonated with me. I think it was the first time that I got a real sense of how important mental health is and how devastating suicide is for the victim and their family and friends. It meant a lot to me that this otherwise ordinary skateboarder was speaking so frankly and candidly about such a serious topic. In short, Levi's interview was the first thing to normalize suicide and mental health for me, and to make it feel okay to talk about with others openly. And if his interview had such a profound effect on me and helped motivate me to normalize talking about mental health with my friends, family, colleagues, coworkers, etc., imagine what effect it will have if you are able to talk about it with another human being that you are close to. We're all in this together.

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END OF DISCUSSION OF SUICIDE 

In addition to this interview, Levi also got the cover with a 360 flip into a ditch, which was his ender in the Trio/Quattro Element video. One of the best 360 flips ever done.

Interview was conducted by Chris Nieratko. The cover & interview photos were shot by Brian Gaberman. Thank you to Levi Brown for being courageous and speaking about such a personal thing for a publication, and I extend my condolences to his family for any ongoing feelings of loss and grief that they are feeling.