A Short Interview With Ryan Lay (About Pants)

Matt: Who was an early skater with personal style that stood out to you? What about their clothes caught your eye?

Ryan: Keenan Milton in either Mouse or Paco landing a trick and pushing switch mongo in the middle of a line while pulling up his pants just a bit. Me at 9 in Mesa, Arizona, also pushing mongo, "Wow okay this is making me feel funny inside."

Matt: Let’s do a top 3 skate styles of all time, not their skating, but personal style.

Ryan: Keenan, Jim Greco in the Misled Youth era, and Brian Anderson staring down Hubba.

Matt: What makes a pair of pants a great skate pant?

Ryan: For me it’s a combination of freedom, movement, and form. I like a little weight but also room to breathe.

Matt: Why do you think skaters are so obsessed with pants?

Ryan: Unironically, it’s the largest piece of clothing on your body. Throw in a fisheye and it’s basically the whole frame.

Matt: Do you think it’s more important for a skater to look good or skate good?

Ryan: The coolest looking people are the ones who skate the park mostly as a form of exercise and haven’t watched a skate video in over a decade. The people doing fly outs, bowl pumping, fakie fs bigspins, etc.

Matt: What’s the golden ratio for you?

Ryan: Quim Cardona.

Matt: What is a skate style you would like to see make a come back?

Ryan: Adam Mcnatt — white shoes, light khaki shorts, white shirt, backwards flex fit hat.

Matt: What is a skate style you would like to see go away?

Ryan: There’s room for all of God’s children.

Matt: How long will you skate pair of pants before destroying them? Do pants or shoes go faster for you?

Ryan: I skate pants for years, especially now that I don’t have the carbon fiber knee brace. A nice denim gets better with age.

Matt: How do you feel about skating in shorts? Are you in the camp of old guys who are anti-shorts or are you youthful and pro-short?

Ryan: Honestly, I can’t believe there are still people who are anti-short.

Matt: How much do pants dictate what’s going on with shoes? i.e. if baggy pants are what is cool, will the shoes that are in change to accommodate them or is it the other way around?

Ryan: Not sure but the Billy Marks look is probably due for a comeback.

Matt: What’s the most expensive pair of pants you have ever owned? Did you skate in them?

Ryan: I bought a pair of APC jeans when I lived in NY and was a dummy, skated in them a few times, blew out the knee and it was back to the thrift store from there.

Matt: Skate photos are a great way to really analyze someone’s gear. Are there any great skate photos that come to mind when you think of skaters with great style?

Ryan: Yeah the best ones for me are the Spike photos of young Guy — baggy shorts, white socks that are kind of sagging and some high tops. One of the best classic skater looks.

Matt: Do you think any particular cities do it better when it comes to how skateboarders dress? Any places in the world that stand out to you for producing stylish skaters?

Ryan: Have you seen the Lenz videos from Japan? Those guys all look really cool.

Matt: Last question… Would you rather wear the Garret Hill red and black pants for a year or film a whole part in a fedora?

Ryan: Would I rather film a whole *other* part in a fedora?