From Sidewalk 205 – October 2013
Photography by Chris Johnson. / Text by SYB
“I’ve known Adam Paris AKA ‘the pup’ for a long time now, and he’s come along way from Ned hair cuts and sailing boats, now he’s shredding harder than most and never backs down from a call out especially if there is a bottle of wine involved! He’s been killing it last few years and is only getting better and more bionic – can’t stop, won’t stop: they will rebuild him! He’s like a blank canvas, dumb as a bag of hammers with the ability to switch his brain off and stick any manoeuvre without hesitation.
This penguin is deadly!”
– Aaron Wilmot
“He’s not very good at anything apart from staying on his skateboard.”
– Paul Silvester
“I first met Paris about ten years ago and have watched him transform from mosher to ned to sailor to Uni bloke boozer to weed head but through all these stages he has always been ripping and been a good ass dude who’s always looking out for his homies. Over the last few years we have seen him killing it harder than ever but my theory is that the more tricks he learns on his skateboard, the more brain cells he loses… Big up Manpup Travis Penguin Paris – love you mate!”
– Kerr McLachlan
What age are you, and can you breakdown the remote town you’re from, and anything of interest about it?
– Okay, I’m 22 and I’m from Lesmahagow, it has bred some of the worst humans on this earth.
Did that influence your chameleon like persona? You were a bit of a ned/sailor when you were younger, how the hell did that happen?
– Well it’s mainly farmers and country folk here so everyone is just super slow so I guess I got a little of that in me but when I started skating I became a lot smarter. As for sailing/ned days- yes I drank 20/20 once and yes at one point I was a champion sailor.
How did you manage to start skating anyways in the ‘gow’?
– Basically, I was sailing my boat down my local river when all of a sudden I got into some rapids, my boat flipped, I could see the light, but then a beautiful angel like figure saved me and said “go, take this piece of wood and use it well”, so I did. I quit sailing and have been skateboarding ever since.
What do you think was the biggest factor growing up in Scotland that made you want to progress your skating?
– The generations above my own for sure, I would always look up to the older skaters when I was young. Whether they were just a few years older or if they were ten years older I would still be hyped to watch them skate. So I guess the biggest factor would be just other Scottish skateboarders.
Skating nowadays, where’s the best skate at for you?
– It’s never where it’s at – it’s who it’s with. If I had to pick a place it would be Saughton or KG: good people, good vibes, good parks.
You teach skating at Radworx – what is it and do you enjoy it?
– Radworx is a charity run through the council who teach skateboarding, blading and Bmx. It’s a great job: getting paid to skate and teaching skating? Can’t complain. My old boss was a bit off though, which made work bit stressful.
Any rippers from the program to look out for in the future?
– There are quite a few little rippers, mainly Blantyre locals – Grant Johnstone, Wee MaCena and McSorly, look out for these names. There’s always the random gnarler at schools we go to who will try anything, these kids are sick compared to the ones who’s parents send them to school in bubble wrap.
Thursday Club has become a bit of a staple up here, you a preacher?
– I could talk and talk about Thursday Club but I’ll try keep this short -HELL YES I’m a preacher, I can barely sit still at work on Thursdays because I know it’s going to be an unbelievable session or a GREAT SKATE as we like to say, (laughing).
Pop to nose, pop to grim
You’ve been living with Rawdog (Ruari Britee steer), why on earth would you want to do that?
– I don’t live with Rawdog any more; when I did it was rad. Basically my options ran out on getting a flat so I ended up in the doghouse. That’s where I learnt how to drink red wine and chop garlic like a boss – he may be a kook but he’s a damn good cook!
Is there any reason behind why you’ve gained a title of being somewhat useless at a lot of things except from skateboarding? I know you have a degree and shit, or was that a fluke?
– I think it all started when I moved in with Wilmot – basically it’s because at the time I hadn’t seen Pulp Fiction, I preferred quid pizzas to steak and I would watch O Brother Where Art Thou three times a week. These acts soon became public knowledge and I became known as a savant, (skilled in one area useless at everything else).
You won WOTT 13 North Berwick leg, but I hear you left the sword at home as you were that confident you were gonna win again, how true is that?
– Finally I can explain. That was NOT the case, I felt really bad about forgetting the sword. Raberdeen made that tale up as well as the aftershave thing, he’s insecure because everyday he looks more and more like a half man half goat and people are starting to notice.
Can you summarise your trip to CPH this summer?
– Copenhagen words cannot describe, highlights were: seeing Glifberg skate, bridge party, camping with the Welsh lads, seeing a sloth at the zoo, discussing savant stuff with Koston and hanging with big Rune and also every day at Wonderland. I had a broken arm the whole time, had no money, didn’t even have a board and it was the trip of a lifetime.
Big up CPH.
What’s the next stage of progression on the vert ramp for you?
– Well Gary I’m trying to really focus on getting 12 walls consistent and ending with a kickflip 5 but I keep messing up my cab flip and my 7, so I guess I just gotta keep practicing, (laughing). I would really like to learn eggs properly, nose inwards facing the lads!
How’s the arm by the way? Your scar is fairly impressive!
– Arm is pretty much back to normal; stoked to be back, I love skateboarding.
Shout outs to the homies…
– Okay thanks to Thursday club, Leo Sharp, Tom Bramley, all the lads at Saughton, GSS lads, Inverness lads, Adeen lads, CRV WKD lads, Dickson, Simmie, Zander, Man, Ali Menzies, Slayer, Sibbs and Tait, Ron and Raw and anyone else who has helped me out over the years.
