Ambush with Dillon Moore

Interview by Evan Rissi from Kingshit 8.4

Opening Portrait by Sam Fidlin

Dillon, what are you up to?

Just sitting down the street from my house, having a cigarette and a Radler, had a barbecue earlier. Went to the dentist today, apparently I chipped a tooth grinding my teeth in my sleep? Set up an appointment for that, and finally got paid from some work I did in Vancouver three months ago. Good day so far.

How long are you gonna be in Oshawa?

It’s always good being back home, seeing and helping my mom out, cleaning and stuff like that. I also realized lately that Toronto is so much better for street skating than Vancouver. Vancouver is beautiful and I love the people, but Toronto has it going on a lot more for skating like that. I’ll probably stick it out here until the fall, plan a trip for the winter, and then maybe head back to Van midsummer or something.

You’ve had two King Shit covers. Both kickflips.

Yeah buddy.

How high were you on mushrooms when you tried to kickflip into that ridiculous Safeway bank?

That was definitely one of the highest I’ve ever been on mushrooms. I was helping Tyler Holm move for the day, and I had seen that particular spot when I first got to Vancouver… but it took me driving by it on mushrooms to actually try it. I told Tyler I wanted to try it, and he was like, “Yeah whatever,” and kept driving, but I said, “Seriously, what do you sponsor me for?” and he got his camera out. I started going for it, dropped in a quarter way up, then halfway, then ollied it, and then tried it. Smoked my head first try that I committed to and might’ve got a concussion, and just got rocked a bunch of other times. Then we went and helped unload the move.

So you were helping someone move midday, took a 20 minute break to get the shit kicked out of you slamming, then went back to finish the job?

(Laughs) Yeah, showed up with gnarly palm cuts, bruised, welt on my head, bleeding everywhere. They were like, “what the fuck happened to you in the last 20 minutes!” Honestly though, it was one of those sessions that made me realize why I love skateboarding. I’m scared of heights, but the mushrooms brought me self-confidence and didn’t freak me out as much. When I went back to land it, I was way more terrified while sober.

Kinda like Super Mario mushroom power up, hey? What was it like getting drunk with your uncle when you were 10 years old?

(Laughs) Oh man. It was good. I have this Uncle Jimmy, he’s Native, and when my parents would go out they’d ask him to babysit us. He liked to drink his two-four of beer, and then when he’d get 12 or something deep he’d offer all the kids some beer to drink. My older brother would always say no, and I don’t know why, I was probably six actually, but I would say yes. My mom would come home and freak out because I’d be fucked up off one beer or something.

Classic Jimmy.

Uncle Jimmy! Much respect to Uncle Jimmy. The last I heard, he walked in on my aunt cheating on him, and he walked from Calgary to Ontario or something crazy like that. I would love to know where he’s at now.

Jesus Christ. A shit drunk Terry Fox. Canadian Icon.

Basically. Just a two-four at every stop.

What was it like being a Red Dragon for two months?

(Laughs) So, TJ Rogers was down for me and had asked if I wanted to ride for them and get on some trips. I was down initially to get some travelling in, but then when I got boxes and clothes I really didn’t like any of it. What it really came down to was putting an RDS sticker on my board. I really couldn’t do it. It wasn’t me, it wasn’t what I wanted to do, so I messaged TJ and said I was sorry and appreciated the offer. I don’t think I left on too bad of terms.

Short-term Dragon.

Yeah, I wasn’t about it. I didn’t want to take things from people if I wasn’t psyched on it. I thought maybe I could grow into it, or wear some clothing with a tiny logo, but I just couldn’t get around judging myself.

I think Paul Liliani was also a very short-term Dragon.

Didn’t know that! Nonetheless, respect to the Dragons. Just wasn’t for me.

Respect Sluggo. We need a coin in Canada with his face on it.

One hundred percent. But yeah, apart from that experiment, I stay with sponsors super loyally. Like I’ve been down for Etnies since the first day they offered to hook me up. Actually, when I was little I had the Arto Saari shoe, so I guess I’ve been down for longer. Remember that shoe?

Yeah, with the little trees. I think the ad was that really high K grind.

One of the first skate shoes I had. But if I were to get offered money from Nike or whoever, I wouldn’t care. I’ve loved working with and growing with everyone at Etnies/Timebomb. I don’t consider Tyler Holm a TM; he’s become a good friend. They’ve all had my back, so I’ve never had a reason to leave, for money or otherwise. I don’t need anything more; they’ve got my back so that’s that. Shout-out to Judah Oakes for hooking it up at the start through Timebomb, we’ve become good friends. Always given me positive advice, taught me a lot. Awesome to see what he’s doing now, fly-fishing, nature, and loving it.

Judah is certified OG. Any others?

Thanks to you guys, thanks to Timebomb, thanks to Centre, my friends, my family, and my girlfriend.