Double Feature: Coleman and Kenzo's interviews!!!!!!!!!

Today I have the honor of having two interviews on the blog at the exact same time. And they are two of the funnest, coolest kids I could put up: Coleman Bishop and Kenzo Sato. I sent both of them their interviews yesterday, and I had of their replies in my inbox within an hour or two, which is what I call true dedication. Take note, people, because we like dedication. So since they were both so eager to finish their interviews, I'm putting them both up at the same time. They will provide you with plenty of reading material, so I may or may not put up any more posts until next week. We'll see... Either way, let's get started!

This is Coleman Bishop. You should get to know him, if you already don't. And these are the only pictures I have of him skating. I'm not even going to tell you what his board did on that rail in between shots, you're just going to have to guess. The more I get to know Coleman, the more I realize that there's a lot to him. You never know what's going on inside someone's head, and some people might not have a whole lot to report. But I think if we could pick apart Coleman's brain and see what's going on in there, we'd have all kinds of interesting stuff to analyze. He strikes me as a deep thinker and a good thinker. I don't know why I'm sharing that with you, because it's all speculation. Anyway, Coleman is an awesome kid, and my life is better having known him. For real. Coleman represents the child-like fun we all had when we first started skating and learned our very first tricks. For a lot of people skating becomes really competitive or mundane, but Coleman never seems to have lost that spark, and his enthusiasm is very contagious to where I feel that spark just from him being around. He either doesn't realize or doesn't care that you can fall when you're skating, and he charges everything without a second thought. And get out of his way if he's going for a trick because he will go for it, with or without your body in the way. So with that little intro, here is the Coleman Bishop interview!!! And by way of endorsement, check out the links he puts up at the end of his interview. I had no idea he was taking all these pictures and documenting all this stuff.

(MrBoltsofThunder) Coleman, you've made appearances on the blog and in our last video, but I will wager that many people do not know who you are. Would you please introduce yourself to our readers?

(Coleman) Ok, well. My name is Coleman Bishop. I skateboard. I am 19 years old and as of lately I live in Provo, UT. I have 5 younger brothers and a just recently single mom. People say I am always happy, so I guess I am. Ummm, I take photos and write and stuff. 

You strike me as the happy go-lucky kind. How do you have and keep a good attitude in your life? 

Well, when I was 13 my father passed away. The years that followed felt really hard, but friends and family said I still looked as joyful as ever. The truth is my life still feels hard. I think about him all the time. Skateboarding is my way out. I really don't know where I would be at if I didn't have skateboarding. I know that sounds cliche, but I would be a very sad person, I would think, if I didn't. At home, I feel as if I am a tad bit more bitter. I try not to be this way. A way I found to relieve myself at home is by writing. I know that is weird, but it helps me. This interview is helping me. Ummm, So, to answer your question, what I do to keep a good attitude on life is by writing and skateboarding. 

What's an average day in the life of Coleman Bishop?

Wake up around 10 am - 1 pm. I will get up, and check all my websites that I visit daily. Then shower. Yes, I am morning showerer. I will then eat and spend time on the internet. If I feel like skateboarding, I will be hitting people up while eating and internetting. If I don't feel like skating I will either be reading, writing, internetting, watching movies, or sleeping. Boring days are boring for me.

How did you get into skating?

I was living in Wisconsin at the time. During a late fall, I was in my kitchen. The kitchen had a window that peered over an Ashley Furniture factory parking lot. And on this fall day, I was looking out this window and saw some teenagers who had skateboards. One of them did a fakie treflip if I remember right. That was the moment I wanted to be on a skateboard. So, I asked (begged) my mom for a skateboard. I got a Walmart board that following christmas. And the was the beginning of my passion.

I love that you and Zak are such good friends. It serves as a good example to others. How did you get to know him, and how have you keep the friendship alive over the years?

Uhhh, last year, I moved back to Provo from California. A couple weeks after I got all comfy in my new home, I decided I will skateboard. I went to the teen center. I saw Zak and others there. Zak offered to drive me home and I told him it is probably to out of the way I will skate there. Next day was Sunday, and I went to church. During Sacrament I saw Zak sitting in the back. So, basically Zak ended up living right by me. And now we are pretty good friends. 

Sometimes watching you skate is like watching a real life game of pinball as you run into people and objects and bounce off unscathed. I have two questions stemming from this observation. First, what goes through your mind as you ride at someone knowing full well you're about to slam into them, knowing that you have the option of stopping or turning, but you don't? What's going through your mind at that time? Second question, how do you keep up the optimism when you slam into objects?

Basically I am very eager at times. I jump the gun a lot. I go ahead of myself. Or I am just looking at the ground and not straight in head of me. It happens. Basically there is this invisible finish line at the end of the road, and you start off at the beginning. For every fall I have is a step closer to the finish line of not caring anymore. So, I have just taken so much during skateboarding that falling is simply nothing, but a mind game now, instead of pain. Pain can be a mind game, but that is physical. All have is mentality barriers now when it comes to falling.

I'll be honest in saying that you have the best looking heelflips of anyone I've ever seen. No joke. Actually, Randy in St George also had good looking heelflips, but you're probably more consistent at them. What's your secret? How do you command them with such precision? 

I learned heelflips before kickflips. And kickflip sexchanges before kickflips. And varial flips before kickflips. I don't really enjoy the feeling of landing varial flips and kickflip sexchanges. But I love the feeling of good heelflips. And I did a lot of heelflips. Ruined many shoes with heelflips. Have scars on my feet from heelflips tearing through my shoes into my skin. I just practiced them and did them enough to land them how I land, which I hear is beautifully. They feel beautiful.

Now we enter the psycho-analyses section of the interview. You know the routine, give me the first word or phrase that comes to mind when you see this word or phrase:

Object in your way

You were not there before

Person in your way

Can you please move I'm coming your way

Person out of your way but potential target

I don't care about you wat

Shoe with hole in the side that is bigger than the actual shoe

Can last another month or so

heelflip

Possibly the equivalent of true love 

kickflip

Wish they were better

younger brothers

Annoying

Zak

Oopy

Water

Addicting

Someone else's water

Mine

Thank you for your answers. Now, let's say that Bolts of Thunder was magically swept away into the times of the gladiators. The entire crew is there from the original and new generations, and we're in a gladiator pit against an enemy army. What weapon will each person be equipped with, and how will we fight off our enemies? Let's say that our enemies are a group of Gallic mercenaries astride elephants, horses, and chariots. How does Bolts of Thunder made its stand? Who do you see as victorious in this scenario?

Jon = Body Armor with sword and shield on a horse with his maiden on the back

Zak = Would be a mage and shoot fire balls at his targets, Ollie would be bigger and he would be riding ollie like a mount

Kenzo = would be a hooded warrior who has a Bow staff

Chad = He would have a revolver

Steve = I can see him wielding an axe

AJ = would be a dragon no weapon needed

We'd win fo sho mo fo

Now let's have some more Bolts of Thunder talk. How did you get introduced to Bolts of Thunder?

One of the times I was skating with Zak, we went filming with Jon at the Lakeview school bench spot. And that is how it all began. I didn't get any tricks at the time, but I got better since then. 

What are some of your favorite moments in past Bolts of Thunder videos?

Skating in SLC with you guys was really fun, and just all this recent stuff we've been doing. 

Of the original crew, who's style of skating do you think you connect with most?

Ummm, I guess Zak. A lot of the tricks I do today I feel are influenced from watching Zak skate and me wanting to try what he does.

With the new video coming up, what are you most excited for? Who's part or tricks are you most excited to see?

I am stoked for everyone so far. 

There's talk that you're having your own part. Do you wish to confirm or deny these allegations? 

No. Lets make it a surprise. Disregard other questions

Do you have any tricks you really want to get for your part?

Yes. Even if I don't get them, I don't want to spoil.

I can't think of any other questions now, so do you have anything else you'd like to say to our readers in your interview? Anything left undone or untouched? And thank you for your time!

uuhhh 

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Kenzo Sato is a ripper, and I have all the respect in the world for the way he skates. He goes so fast, he never bails, and he looks good doing it. He has the opposite trick selection as me, so it's always super fun to just watch him skate. He's also super humble and a fun kid to talk to. He moved down here to Provo for the fall semester I think, so that would be last year around August-ish, and it took him no time to make friends and fit in. When I got back from Italy I met him and knew immediately that he was Bolts of Thunder material to the highest degree. He's got mad skills, super control, and he'll deny it over and over, but ninja assassin skills running through his blood. Also, he has a keen love for Subway sandwiches, and he's always pulling them out of his backpack in the middle of a skate session. He has a stash of them all over town, buried under rocks and what not, and he digs them up on demand. Like this one time that me and him were skating and we were both starved. It was the day of our crepe party, and I figured I'd just not eat anything until I made crepes later, but by 4:00 I was beat and hungry. So was he. Then all of a sudden he pulled a Subway out of his backpack and refueled. Who else carries these things around all day? Anyway, that's besides the point. Kenzo's awesome, and I'm super excited to see his finished part in Bolts of Thunder 4. You should be too.

(MrBoltsofThunder) This video is your first official welcome to the Bolts of Thunder team. How does it feel to be inducted into this elite team of super skaters?

(Kenzo)  i feel quite befreinded 

How did you get into skating?

 jimmy hadley and jake autran were the cool rebelious kids in 7th grade. they attempted pogo's on walmartboards  

What's an average day in the life of Kenzo?

 wake up
 shower
 go to library
 study(study as in look at paper and think about skating)
 bother people to go skate, or just go alone
 eat subway 
 sit in bed early

Did you have to try out to become part of Bolts of Thunder, or how did that happen? I just want all the readers that want to know how to join know what to expect during the initiation process.

  not at all, john hart has a heart, and it's really big. the only thing you need to do is have fun.

So tell us about yourself. Give us an introduction to Kenzo, what makes you tick, what brings you joy in life, and how high can you jump?

  what keeps me moving? a few of things. my desire to please my parents, and the joy of life. skateboarding is my  joy in life. i don't jump really high, but when i try it's because i'm kicking my anger and stress through my feet and into the ground.

Now let's say that Bolts of Thunder is now in ancient Japan during the Mongol invasion and that the Kamikaze winds did not destroy the Mongol ships. Bolts of Thunder is the country's squad of elite ninja's that must stop this invasion or all Japan will be succumbed to Mongolian rule and Mongolian barbecue. That's right, no more sushi, only Mongolian barbecue from now on. Anyway, seeing as you are Bolts of Thunder's top ninja assassin, how would you train the rest of the crew? What would you teach us so that we were all ninja assassins?

 i'm sorry john i'm not a ninja assasin, so clearly wouldn't be able to-HAGHJAJGHSUDIE! it's all about the element of suprise~i would be messing with everyone keeping them on their toes, you never know when the mongols can strike.

Carrying the scenario further, once we all become ninja assassins, how would we fight off the invading Mongolian hordes?

 ninja's are assassins, not fighters, but i would say a smoke ball would be nice, people in the smoke would get confused and kill each other while we chill on the outskirts of the smoke, and lay thousands mouse traps all around them

How many subway sandwiches do you consume on a daily basis? 

 one foot long. if I'm having a man period i can have up to 4-6

Has Zak gotten you to eat at Betos? Be straight with me! If so, did you experience the same intestinal consequences that the Betos Burrito was designed to bestow upon its consumers?

yes i have eaten betos. and no i haven't' had miserable diarrhea from there... yet. it's delicious though

Who would win in a fight, a betos burrito or a subway sandwich. The sandwich can be whatever $5 footlong is available this month. The Betos Burrito is the water-discharging California Burrito.

 well when you put it that way, it sounds like the California burrito is peeing itself, i don't wanna eat no burrito urine so i would have to go with one of them unoriginal spicy italians

What goes through your mind when you're approaching any trick that you do. You seem to charge every trick at full speed with no intention of bailing. Describe this process to us.

(should i do try? umm well) "you got this one man!"(oh dang.) GOGOGOOGOGOGOGOO!

Now we enter the psycho-analyses section of the blog. Give me the first word or phrase that comes to your mind when you here: 

subway sandwich

lettuce

$5 foot long

consume

Oven roasted turkey breast with sweet onion sauce on a toasted honey oat loaf of bread

eww 

Star craft

4sd rightclick rightclick

roommate

 poop

parking lot with flat rail

  friend

Coleman

molemen

Zak

aleins

Steve

wrists

Nick Penson

 piper down 

Ninja assassin

  not kenzo

Ok, now let's talk Bolts of Thunder talk. What are you most excited to see in the new video? 

 excited to see everyone's smiles and yelling and all the other things that come with skating.

Who's parts or tricks are you most excited for?

 aj's and zak's, i'm excited for everyone else's part, but mostly those. 

What are some of your favorite tricks or parts from past videos?

 your 5-0 on that giant green box, dave's drop in on that 20ish stair rail, nick's roof to kicker drop, aj's bigflip frontboard, and ben's varial flip to lip. those were dope

Do you have any tricks that you're wanting to get for your part? Or are you just playing it by ear?

 not really i want to get better at ledges though so i guess i'm playing it with half an ear

How has Bolts of Thunder affected your life? Would you say that the world is a better place because of Bolts of Thunder?

haha it is for the people involved. it's made skating different street spots exciting and it's also motivating.

Should Bolts of Thunder ever be considered for a Nobel Peace Prize?

 there is a possiblity, but there would need more special effects.

If Bolts of Thunder were to cure any kind of disease, whether it be mental, physical, or whatever, what would it be? 

 depression and anxiety

Did you know that Nick Edwards, one of the OG Thunder Bolts is actually getting his PhD at Brown University studying stuff? I don't even know what he's studying, but it's cutting edge stuff.

 awesome he has a future! 

On a scale from 1 to 10, one being not excited at all and 10 being more excited than a 5 year old on Christmas Eve, how excited should everyone be for Bolts of Thunder 4, coming out this summer?

  8.5

I can't think of any last questions, so do you have anything you'd like to say in this interview?

 yes, thank you a bunch Mr.boltsofthunder (and Matt(though i haven't met you yet))! skateboarding =  (giggles)pure joy-(1/2)failiure/pain^2