Meeting fellow skateboard enthusiasts like Johnny Davidson must be among the best-collecting parts. Over time, old friends may fade away, but in the skateboarding world, we’re lucky to make new ones!
Johnny’s collection trips skateboarding history, from vintage boards to modern masterpieces. But Johnny’s not just another collector. He has some real gems in his collection and many stories to tell.
In a recent catch-up, he had us rolling with laughter and shared some solid advice on keeping our collections from warping and cracking.
SPS- When did you get into skateboarding, and what was your hometown scene like?
JD – Okay… So this is a memory test? Fun! I’ll do my best to break through the decades of CLOUDY THC memory banks.
SPS – I’ll do the same.
JD – Around 1981, I was handed a skateboard and committed to the Mercurochrome and Band-Aid lifestyle. If you are now wondering what Mercurochrome is, I was probably born before you. Seriously though… 1987 was where the light started when CURB DOGS & ANIMAL CHIN hit VHS.
I was born in Atlanta but grew up in Smyrna, Georgia (30 minutes from downtown), where the cops were dicks. They would give us hell and constantly take my ramps to the dump.
Before I had a car, it was just neighborhood skating and cop harassment. After I had a car…. all of Atlanta and surrounding areas. BELL BANKS, FRANKLIN BANKS, 40 YARD, MARTA STATION, DOWNTOWN ATL. Etc.
My hometown scene was probably the same as the rest of the country back then.
Generation X was raised on CULTURE.
SPS – Do you remember your first skateboard setup?
JD – Absolutely. 1979 GT Coyote 3 (Grentec).
SPS – Why did you start collecting skateboards?
JD – Collecting wasn’t the intention in the beginning. I bought the first Ripper reissue as a birthday gift for my best friend and bought the first Frankie Hill Bulldog reissue for myself to skate.
I then bought another and another. It snowballed into OG’s and joining Facebook groups.
The camaraderie was fuckin’ excellent back then.
SPS – Are there any particular challenges of collecting vintage skateboard items?
JD – Humidity! Old wood should be stored year-round where humidity does not get below 35% or rise above 65%. Wet wood warps. Dry wood cracks.
In the winter, when the heat runs all the damn time… your board room is DRY AF. Invest $10 for a hygrometer and $50 for a humidifier.
SPS – This is sometimes a tricky question for collectors. How many decks do you currently own?
JD – In 2021, approximately 145. I sold a lot that year to help fund a cabin build in the mountains (finishing that up now). Today, exactly 76 boards. I question the point of even owning that many and looking for something? Hit me up.
SPS – What’s your favorite deck you own and why?
JD –1992 REAL Tommy Guerrero slick, Indian Chief. The graphic moves me, and Tommy is the fuckin’ MAN! It’s showcased in a custom-made shadow box in my living room.
What other hobbies do you have apart from skateboarding?
JD – Laughing, playing piano, taking the dogs to the mountains, off-roading, and watching the Price is Right.
SPS – Thrasher, Transworld, or Poweredge magazine?
JD – Back in the day? Transworld. It had an enjoyable artistic perspective. SLAP was dope as well.
Do you attend any events related to vintage skateboard collecting?
JD – Related to collecting? No, not really… But skateboarding events, yes!
SPS – Share with us a crazy story from back in the day!
JD – Nothing too interesting, but I threw a house party once where over 200 people showed up. About 15 of them smashed beer bottles into small pieces on the firepit and rolled all over the broken glass, totally naked.
My kitchen floor was dirty, so I poured a gallon of milk and wiped it up with aluminum foil.
Kurt from Stratosphere bombed the driveway (STEEP!) in the dark, hit a curb, then a street sign.
Atlanta history. Stories for days.
SPS – Are there any decks you are still searching for?
JD – Casually. Unique colorways of Jeff Phillips tie dye demons, Jason Lee dump truck, Coffee Breaks. I regret selling my blue dip Magnusson Hell Concave bat.
SPS – If you could only have one deck from your collection to skate for the rest of your life, what would that setup be?
JD – Damn, son… That isn’t easy. I don’t skate much anymore due to knee and foot surgeries. JACKED. They hurt. Probably H-Street – RON ALLEN / NO SCRATCH
SPS – How have you seen the collecting scene change throughout the years, The good and the bad?
JD – Money grabbing with no passion. No bueno. There are too many rookies on the trend for the wrong reasons. OG veteran collectors are still at the all-time highest groovy.
SPS – Before we wrap this up, Johnny, are there any folks or places you’d like to give a special shoutout to in this interview?
JD – Absolutely, man! Props to my family & dogs, OG Skateboard Collecting Group, OG United, Stratosphere Skateboards (ATL), Everyone in WLSC, V-Dub Clubhouse (Chattanooga, TN), Tri-Star Skates (Cleveland, OH), SPoT (Tampa), LIFE Skateboards, Roller Surfer, Chad Hartman, Chris Rice, Nat Green, Eric Riggs, Team Fatt, Ricky Mohla, Justin Damron, Floyd Pruitt, Palmer, Veeser, Ron Allen, Neil Blender, Tommy Guerrero, The Schlagers, Jason Smalley, Bradley Ney, all the humble professional skateboarders out there, Hawaii, Toyota, Slick Rick, Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem, Chocolate chip cookie dough blizzards from Dairy Queen, and Bob Barker for making it to 100 years old on 12/12/23.
And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @caddywompus_as_fuck and @mycousintroy. I’ve missed a bunch, but y’all know who you are. Much gratitude!”
SPS – There you have it, straight from the legend himself, Johnny Davidson! A massive thanks, Johnny, for sharing your tips on board storage and giving us a peek into your skateboarding journey.
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