随着Converse滑板片《逆》三城首映的逼近，中国滑板网也贡献一份自己的力量，特别献上一篇预热访谈，来自即将随Converse团队专程赶赴中国参加首映的滑手之一Eli Reed，在这篇CCS最新的访谈中，Eli也提到了此次中国之行，一起来看看吧。
在很多人眼里，Eli Reed在一夜之间功成名就，而其早先为Robbie Gangemi’s旗下的小名气公司Vehicle效力的经历却鲜有人知。
事实上，当Eli正式加入Zoo York之后，他的职业生涯之路才有如火箭一般扶摇直上：首先凭借在Zoo York“State Of Mind”录像中的出色出演确立了职业滑手的地位，之后不久，Eli为极具声望的Converse拿下了一个许多滑手都尝试挑战已久的地形，这时的Eli火力全开，直接开上了职业生涯的快车道，当然，对于这个来自东海岸的25岁滑手来说，未来的道路早已为Eli打开了绿灯。
你是怎么开始滑板的？平时你都跟谁一起玩？
在我哥哥影响下，我开始滑板的。我经常与P.J Ladd，Zered Bassett，Jereme Rogers以及来自RAW的Steve Costello一起滑板，他们给了我很多帮助。
我们都知道你是马萨诸塞州人，在你到首府波士顿滑板之前，你都在什么地方滑板，有多长时间？
从开始玩滑板开始我就一直在波士顿玩，所以我的照片等背景大都是在波士顿。
在波士顿滑板是什么感觉？你周围有哪些人或多或少的对你有所影响？
波士顿无论在过去还是现在都是一个非常棒的地方，但我认为，90年代时候波士顿的滑板场地要比现在更好一些。例如市医院，Turtles，Maxims和Windows都是伴随我成长的地方。在这个过程中对我真正产生影响的要数Jahmal Williams和Robbie Gangmi。当时的他们都处在鼎盛时期，而且风格很棒，直到现在他们依然如此。
跟Jereme Rogers和PJ Ladd一起相处，滑板是什么感觉？
Jereme是个疯子，PJ则很安静，除非你跟他很熟。总的说来，跟他们在一起的时候很快乐。我们经常每天从天刚亮一直滑板到日落，把我们的所有都投入到滑板中。我记得有时候我们身无分文但依然坚持每天滑板。
那么你是怎么联系上Gangemi并且开始为Vehicle效力的？
我开始滑板之后就认识了Robbie。有一天他问我是不是愿意加入他的新公司，我答应了，之后我为Vehicle效力了6年多。
之后你又是如何从Vehicle转到Zoo York的？
我退出了Vehicle。在Chocolate作为Flow待了几个月。之后我与Zoo York的Zered谈了谈，他们也看上我了所以我就加入了Zoo York。
你生活在马萨诸塞州，却经常要往西海岸跑，会不会很辛苦？
我并没觉得辛苦，如果到处走已经成为你的生活，这不算什么。
当到了冬季的时候，你都做什么？
我尽力争取到不是冬季的地方去，哈哈哈！
在纽约滑板感觉最妙的部分是什么？
刷街
纽约的滑板地形会更难些吗？
不，只不过是有些不同罢了。
在纽约除了滑板，你最爱做的是什么？
我会经常到MOMA艺术馆去逛逛。
这些年来你参加了几次Maloof和Dew Tour比赛。对于这些比赛来说你是怎么想的？
我对比赛有着很复杂的感觉。在我看来，无论输赢，这些比赛对于所有参赛的滑手都是有益的。总之，我认为参赛很有趣，我并不讨厌比赛。
那么你认为滑板比赛最糟的地方是什么？
我认为比赛限制了滑板的创造性，当一天比赛结束后，其实你并没有任何最公平的方法对参赛滑手们的水平进行评价。我自己从来不愿意也不会把滑板当成是一种竞技运动来对待，对我来说，滑板是一种艺术形式。这也是为什么我从来不把比赛结果放在心上的原因。我只是去滑板，尽力展现最好的，就是这样。
你最近刚刚与Converse一起参加了Thrasher的King Of The Road 2010。感觉如何？
哦，老兄，这是我所参加过的最棒的旅行之一。在两周的时间里，你一直都滑板到不能动为止，然后在拥挤的车里昏睡，每天如此。到最后我几乎坚持不住了。
你又是怎么和Converse联系上的？到目前为止，为Converse效力感觉如何？
起初我与他们有过一次联系，之后就没有了消息，所以我对与他们合作也不是很有把握。几个月后他们主动跟我联系并且给我寄来了几双鞋。当Zoo York的滑板录像上市之后，Anthony Pappalardo给了我支持，所以Steve Luther决定让我加入。从那时开始，所有的事情都变得异常顺利。我已经与他们进行了几次巡回。感觉很棒！
与Dr.J，Jim Jones为Converse录制最新的商业片感觉如何？
很有趣，Dr.J帅的一塌糊涂，非常职业并且很低调。很高兴我能参与进来。
你最喜欢穿哪双Converse的鞋子滑板？
应该是Star Player或者CVO，因为这两款鞋很黏板并且当你向下看自己的脚时，很好看。
你有没有需要适应新鞋的过程？一般多长时间你穿废一双鞋？
没有，我都是穿上就玩。一般来说，每过两周我换一双新鞋。
能否透露一下是否已经开始着手打造Eli Reed的签名款了？
总有一天会的！
最近你都在忙些什么？
下周我会随Converse去中国，之后在12月与MT Dew到西班牙。说到目标嘛，暂时来说就是到处奔波，坚持滑板。
The rise of Eli Reed seemed to happen overnight for those unaware of his early days riding for Robbie Gangemis lesser known company, Vehicle.
The truth is, as soon as Eli was officially appointed to the Zoo York squad, his career seemed to take off like a gdamned bucket of bottle rockets. After a stellar part in Zoo Yorks State Of Mind, Eli was quickly bumped to pro status. Then soon after, he landed a highly coveted spot on the ultra prestigious Converse team. The come-up process for Eli has been sweet, for sure, but the future for this 25 year-old East Coaster is looking even sweeter.
Recently, Eli stepped away from his bustling skate rat schedule to answer some quick questions, via e-mail. Read on to see exactly what his fingers typed.
How did you get into skating? Who did you grow up skating with?
My brother got me into it. I grew up skating a lot with P.J Ladd, Zered Bassett, Jereme Rogers and Steve Costello from RAW.
Being from Massachusetts, how long was it before you started hitting up the Boston scene?
I’ve been skating Boston since I started skating, so I was always in the Boston skate scene.
What was it like skating Boston? Who were some of your influences around the city?
Boston was and still is an amazing city for skating, but I think in the 90s there were better spots then now. The Boston city hospital, turtles, maxims and Windows are some of the great spots I grew up skating. Growing up I was really influenced by Jahmal Williams and Robbie Gangemi. They were both in their prime then and had really good styles, and still do.
What was it like growing up and skating with Jereme Rogers and PJ Ladd?
Jereme was always a crazy kid and PJ was always quiet unless you knew him. For the most part, it was good times with them. We would skate sun up to sun down everyday, putting everything we had into skating. I remember we would barely have any money and still make it by, skating every day.
How did you link up with Gangemi and start riding for Vehicle?
I new Robbie from skating around the city. He just asked me one day if I wanted to ride for his new company and I did for 6 years or so.
How did you end up making the transition from Vehicle to Zoo?
I quit Vehicle one day. Then I was on Chocolate flow for a few months before I talked to Zered about Zoo. The team was down for me so it worked out.
Living in Manhattan, is it tough to get West Coast coverage?
I dont think so. If you travel a lot you can make it happen.
What do you do when the harsh winters hit?
I try to get the hell out. Hahaha!
Whats the best part about skating NYC?
Just cruising the streets.
Do you think spots are harder to skate in New York?
Nah, spots are just different in New York.
Whats your favorite thing to do in New York when you’re not skating?
I like to go to the MOMA Museum a lot.
This year you appeared at Maloof and a bunch of the Dew Tour stops. Whats your take on contests?
I think theres a lot of mixed feelings on all the contests going on right now. In my eyes, they can be very beneficial to any skater that goes and enters them, win or lose. Overall, theyre fun to me. I cant hate on them.
Whats the worst part about skating in contests?
I think it confines the creativity of skateboarding, and at the end of the day you cant really rank a skater. I cant look at skateboarding like a sport and I wouldn’t want to. It has and will always be an artform to me. That is why I try to look over all the bulls#@ and just have fun. Do what I do best, and skate.
You just wrapped up Thrashers King Of The Road 2010 with the Converse team. What was the trip like?
Man, that was one of the best trips Ive ever been on. Besides the fact youre skating til you cant move and sleeping in a van for almost two weeks, its the time of your life. By the end I was beat.
How did you get hooked up with Converse? Whats it been like riding for Converse so far?
I tried to reach out to them one time and never heard back so I wasnt sure what the deal was. But then months later they hit me up and sent me some shoes. Once the Zoo video came out, (Anthony) Pappalardo was backing me, so (Steve) Luther made the call. Everything has been moving so fast since then. Ive traveled a lot with them already. Its been great!
What was it like filming the recent Converse Dr. J., Jim Jones commercial?
That was fun. Dr. J was cool as sh#@, very professional and laid back at the same time. I was just happy to be apart of all that.
Whats your favorite Converse shoe to skate in?
Probably the Star Player or the CVO because they have good grip and the shape looks good when you look down at them on your feet.
Do you have a process for breaking in a new pair of shoes? How long does it take you to go through a pair of sneakers?
Nah, I just skate them. I would say every two weeks I put a new pair on.
Any hint of an Eli Reed shoe in the works?
One day.
What are you working on in the near future? Well, I go to China next week with Converse, then Spain with MT Dew in December. As far as goals, just to keep skating and traveling for now.
翻译：Nick Z