THEM SKATES presents : THEM NOW | Jon Julio | Skating

We're in Santa Ana, Dim Skates Warehouse, 231 East Dyer, Unit E, 92707. It's pretty crazy to think about how far we've come in three years. I'm not even sure, not even knowing like seven, eight months ago if we could even afford this place. I started a new skate company called Dim Skates about a year and a half ago. I recently got our first container. It took a chance to start this company. Within a month we raised enough capital to pay for the whole production and pay bills for at least a year, which is really incredible. That was like the beginning of all this. I'm actually most excited to work with my friends. From a simple t-shirt to logos and skate products, wheels, frames, everything. It's the dream. A team of people that truly are proud and love to blade. Texting China right now for production. I needed to learn how to generate barcodes. I have to come up with a reference number, help generate these barcodes, which I've never done before, learn something new every day doing this. I kind of want to do all that, you know, skate work, real work stuff like in the morning. But because of the time change, it's like difference. Then wake up in the middle of the night knowing that you've got to keep working on things. It's not even difficult, it's just adjusting. But you still get to go out and skate? Yeah, yeah. I get to do this still. But this is also stressful too. It can be. You don't land something or you're trying to get something. How sick is this thing? I haven't done a rail in a long time. This is what happened to my first jump here. It's not bad. I'll be so stoked if I land this. All right, here we go. Switch capsule. Time for some cervezas. I'm going to be really happy all night. We're out here skating straight, you know. It's nothing different than we've ever done before. It's about, I guess, the different circumstances. I own the company. You were less stressed? Yeah. It does mean more for me. It's a job, but it's like the dream job. Work for what you're most passionate for. And know that you're just fully in control of everything from A to Z. For better or worse, but hopefully for the better. Here I did it. My God! Incredible! Holy smokes. That was insane. Skating has been a business for me since I was sponsored in a way. Which was in 95, how many, 25 years ago? My parents hated me skating first and foremost. They thought I was not focused at school. And then I started traveling for it before I started getting paid. So they were just completely baffled, obviously. Where are you going with those skates? Where are your helmet? Are you doing that too? Are you jumping on those banisters? I really love my parents, but yeah. You respect them? I respect them very much for what they've done for me and everything. They're lighting up now. That's cool. It must have been tough for them because they're very traditional. And they came to America to find a structured life. Live the dream of a certain kind of way of life. And then I come in here doing this skating thing. I graduated high school and I was really in the limelight. In the magazines and videos. My momentum was there. I didn't want anything to get in its way. Because I felt like I was on my way to something. I don't know what it was. So through those experiences and through those trials and tribulations. And visiting different people and meeting all these new friends across the world. I learned, first it was design and Illustrator and Photoshop. And obviously video and graphics and clothing. Do it yourself or learn from your friends who knew how to do it. That was my school. That was my college. I got sucked into it in high school. Before I could think of aspirations, all I wanted to do was skate. I guess to a certain degree, maybe I wanted to be an architect or something. You could build skate spots. Yeah, exactly. But here you are. Here I am. You ready to pick up these sweaters? It's funny, we're going to a garage right now. It's not some corporate building. We're going to the homie's house. I used to buy 24 shirts at a time. And then I bought 48 shirts at a time. And then I bought 72 shirts at a time. I didn't even think about it. I was like, yeah, this is what we've been selling. Sick. Dude, these are great, man. Normally it's just like, I hope I can pay for it. Maybe I can sneak in some hats. Sweaters are heavy, too. Sick. Just go straight, like this. You'll see these almost like pyramid banked ledges. You guys could probably do something on them. Search for the skate spots that never end. Always looking, always. Where's my other skate? Ah, it's in the box. Freshie. Dude, I'm hyped on these. Can you do me a favor? Can you let me know if a car is coming this way? Yeah. God damn it, that hurt. Ouch. It's going to hurt later. Too excited. You're always looking for spots, right? You're always just curious. And it's funny because I always wanted to skate this spot. So it's cool. Didn't know it was here. Let's go back to the warehouse and ship some orders. Work? Go to work. French fries first? Marvel Heroes. The odds were not in our favor, you know? Definitely not in our favor. Or my favor, or the skater's favor. Or, you know, like... That's the unbelievable part about this. It's like knowing that as a skater, trying to pursue this skate company, it's just like take it day to day and just try to make the best decisions now. And just be fortunate. That's kind of how I've always been. But the difference now is stability. Financial stability right now is okay. That's a dream knowing what I've gone through in the last two years. Seriously. And now I can pay people to help the brand. That's what's been going on. There's no better fulfillment than that now. Hey, you want to work on something together? Here. Here's a paycheck for them skates. You know? Like, holy shit. That's like insane to me to be able to do that now. It's all brand new. The 909 and designing a product from scratch is all brand new. We're out here skating and it's cool to be in the moment and learn what is wrong and what to fix and what we like about it, what we don't like about it. That's what it's all about. To understand what skaters need is pretty natural. But to actually be in a position as a brand to be able to financially produce these products is pretty incredible. Trying to take advantage of what we're able to do through these products that we all really care about. To go out here and skate and shit breaks or shit's going good or that's actually something that really worked that time. And the 909 is the beginning of that. 909 is the beginning of innovation for them skates. I've always wanted to have a storefront since I've been in this business. And what I have learned, it's important to meet your customer and know what they want, what they need or teach them what they may not know. Nice to share stories and speak on skating. How old are you? I'm 41. You have kids? Yeah, I've got four. You have four kids? Yeah. You look good for four kids, man. Yeah. We walk the same line right now. Yeah. Kids, family. And you're just doing art for full time. And then I teach college up there as well. So I teach the art department. Okay, same thing. Yeah. Sick. It picks me up to the best. Awesome. Well, that's great to hear. Oh, thank you, man. Wow. We're doing it tomorrow morning. I was going to say, if you're around tomorrow morning. Oh, I totally would if I'm going to be here. 7 a.m. That's the roadhouse that he's going to skate, so. Why are you skating so early? Old men. Who's old? I'm not old. I'm old. Not yet. Does that count? Having the storefront, I've learned, is important. It's kind of exciting to speak to people about skating, right? People coming back into it from the 90s. People starting because they've seen it. COVID bringing people back in their homes. Some people never left. It does feel different. The skates with the four dots. They're pretty cool. Sick. Thanks for the support, man. I really appreciate it. Hey, hit me up if you guys are. I'm not popping up soon. For this guy. Yeah, I'll quit. Skate, whatever. See you guys. Take care, guys. All right. Later, man. Thank you. Growing up, first I got addicted to skating. Then I got addicted to the culture. Then I got addicted to design. I found this whole passion behind this whole thing. The whole thing, you know? And I wanted to be involved in it. I wanted to be sponsored. I wanted to travel. I wanted to meet more people. It all encompasses this whole culture. And within the culture, I looked forward to doing more and more and more. And in order for me to find a home in this whole thing, it was to obviously make money in skating and be a part of an exciting project or be a part of an exciting company or group of people. That is the main goal for this whole company. It's just to support skaters, support skating and the people behind it. And this is actually one of the first samples we made for Danny's Transparent 909 skate. It's funny it says transparent skate, but Them Skates is pretty transparent since we started. We are transparent, you know, when it comes to who we are, what we're doing. It's like we're just trying to make progressive steps into creating this movement within our industry. And that's why we're here. It's kind of crazy to even say that because it actually is working. Stoked that we can take these steps to make cool stuff that we all want to ride and we all want to wear and be at a place we all want to hang out at and influence people all over to hopefully skate and find out how cool it is to skate. I'd like to thank my parents and my brother. I'd like to thank all my sponsors. I'd like to thank God especially. Alright. Thanks John Dewey for spending some time with us. Bye. Catch you at number five. John Hilliard is another guy I really get. If anyone does, he either came up with or... To do what else skates like or whatever, you know. Just skate like yourself. Ever since I first met him, he's always inspired me to roll, but...