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LACUNA TNEZ MG 2912
6 Oct 2022

The Skapegoat 'Lacuna' Interviews

With Wiz, T-Nez, Reed Stark, Johnny Monaco, Mark Burnett, Lahsaan Kobza & George Duran

Photos by Bob Scerbo | Intro and interviews by Rob Dolecki

Big Skerbs blessed us with his latest video project titled “Lacuna”. Outside of a typical riding video, there’s a story weaved within all the Super 8 footage, music, and riding clips filmed around the U.S. with both legendary icons, and some of today’s most talented, and up-and-coming riders- Hobie Doan, Corey Martinez, Wiz, Reed Stark, George Duran, Garret Hoogerhyde, Harrison Arcari, Brandon Begin, Mark Burnett, Lino Gonzalez, Johnny Monaco, and more. Lashaan Kobze also puts down seven minutes of Southwest street slaying in a bonus part following the credits.

We did interviews with a few of the dudes who have a sizeable chunk of clips in the vid; both with those who were filming with Bob for the first time, and with those who are over two decades deep throwing down in front of his lens.

"Lacuna" DVD/ book combos also available at select shops.

Brian Wizmerski

LACUNA WIZ MG 5624 copy

You have quite a long history collaborating with Bob, from countless trips together, to filming each other for various video sections, to editing and producing videos together, for over 20 years. How was getting this compilation of clips for Bob’s latest video similar/ different?

It was similar as always. We pick one main destination and base a trip around that one spot. And well usually end up finding random stuff along the way. We always traveled good together because we both like to keep the plans kinda loose.

There aren't any clips filmed in the Philly region; where did you end up traveling to?

I drove down to see him in Austin and stayed for a couple weeks. We took a short trip to Galveston while I was down there. And than we did a trip up through Albany and over into Portland, Maine.

Was there a conscious effort to film for "Lacuna"?

Not at all. Clips just piled up a little. There is a bit more we filmed on my phone that he couldn’t use that I am going to do a YouTube edit with mixed with other stuff I’ve filmed over the last couple years.

Any good stories from being on the road again with Bob?

Our trip to Maine somehow we manage to drive through all these small towns and every hotel would tell us they were full. There would be two cars in the parking lot. So we ended up sleeping in the van most of the trip. The photo of me in the van outside the Walmart was after waking up one morning.

What was the most kooked thing you witnessed during the Lacuna experience?

Got nothing. If you can’t spot the kook maybe you are the kook? ...fuck!

Best memory related to filming for Lacuna?

Staying down in Austin as long as I did. I used to stay down there every winter, and it had been a really long time since I been back down there.

Worst memory?

While filming that brick tranny pillar clip I already had a migraine starting, but I spotted that set-up driving by and had to give it a go. Immediately after I pretty much died and slept in the van for 30 hours straight. Bob spent a whole day with Lino, and I only sat up to piss or puke; shit was terrible.

Bob says he’s going to permanently put down the video camera pretty much after every video he makes; what do you think will happen now that Lacuna is done?

Only time will tell.

Johnny Monaco

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How did growing up in Northern New Jersey affect you as a rider?

Growing up riding North Jerz was definitely an amazing experience. Our local scene was insane, there had to be like 30 kids that rode in my small ass town. I grew up local to the SAF guys so I had them mentoring me since I was like 10 years old. If I owe it to anyone it’s them.

How was it collaborating with Bob Scerbo for "Lacuna"?

Working with Bob is sick, we never really had a plan, which I liked; just whatever happened, happened. His videos have been implanted in my brain since I knew what BMX was, so for him to even ask me to be a part of it was an honor.

Rumor was your clips were originally going to be for "Don’t Quit Your Day Job" 3?

Yeah, that’s what we were originally filming for, I’m hoping it still happens. DQYDJ 1 & 2 are street riding bibles for everyone in NJ. I don’t think Bob knows the damage he did to peoples lives by releasing those, haha.

Best memory related to filming for "Lacuna"?

Too many to list; probably when me and Bob were sitting outside a store in Kearny, he’s telling me some stories about a OG skater from there named Shaggy. Bob goes, “If we sit on this corner long enough, you’ll probably see him.” Five seconds later, dude pops up out of nowhere. Guy literally speaks things into existence.

Worst memory?

Bob telling me, “You can’t out Jerz the Skerbz.” That one hurt bad. But also that toothpick fall was terrible. Cold windy day; typical jersey grime. Still feeling it 'till this day; first one definitely scarred me more, though.

What was the most kooked thing you witnessed during the "Lacuna" experience?

There was a guy running on foot from the cops on Route 9 in Freehold, a six lane-wide highway. Or any day in Newark or Paterson; so much madness goes on there it’s hard to remember it all

George Duran

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You’ve known Bob since you were a toddler; how was it chillin’ and riding with him as you collected the footage that ended up in "Lacuna"?

It was a fun time especially when the crew was out sessioning the crust in Jersey also being able to get more clips this time in his new video compared to the previous one, “Vacilando”, was a treat.

Rumor was the clips were originally going to be for "Don’t Quit Your Day Job 3"?

That was the plan originally but Bob decided to put "DQYDJ 3" on hold. Hopefully he gets back to it in the near future.

Talk about your first Austin trip last winter.

Well the plan was to escape the NJ cold weather and enjoy the sun out in Austin, but I actually took flight straight into a winter storm that went down for the majority of the time I was there. Shout out to Hoogerhyde for holding it down when Bob's spot turned into a freezer due to power outage. Besides all that it was awesome pedaling around Bob's neighborhood and getting the tour.

Best memory related to filming for "Lacuna"?

Visiting Galveston with Bob & Merski was dope.

Worst memory?

No bad memories at all, only good times.

What was the most kooked thing you witnessed during the "Lacuna" experience?

Overdose Ralph riding Paterson.

You have anything else video-wise in the works?

Yes, trying to get another LBU edit of the gang dropped soon.

Corey Martinez

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You have a 20-plus-year history going on trips and filming with Bob. When was the last time you filmed with him prior to "Lacuna"?

I’d say maybe ten years? Maybe he filmed some iPhone clips for me in passing since then.

How did your clips come about?

The majority of the them was passing through town and getting him out of the house. And taking a trip to Galveston; ended up getting a couple things there.

How have things stayed the same or changed since filming clips with Bob for “Wide Awake Nightmare”?

Whenever we were in Galveston, not much changed in the process of filming. If I had an idea he’d be into it, and if not, he didn’t care. Our bodies have changed- less motivation for dumb stuff. We managed to to get through a trip without beating each other up in a fun way, ha ha ha.

Was there a conscious effort to film for "Lacuna"?

No, it was purely just by chance. It’s kind of how our riding used to be also.

Any stories from being on the road again with Bob?

The Galveston trip- we ended up walking the dogs to the beach, Chino fell off the side of the seawall. Luckily it wasn’t very high there.

How many evenings did you spend at the Skerbs compound?

I was sleeping in my camper outside his house for some nights. Just having a good time one night with Wiz and Bob.

What was the most kooked thing you witnessed during the "Lacuna" experience?

Just being in Austin, you can’t help but seeing something kooked.

Any other vids in the works?

Right now, a little web edit that I’ve been saving some clips to put out as a little project. I’m two clips away from finishing it. Should be out in a few months.

Mark Burnett

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Your clips in "Lacuna" are sick. You've been keeping it pretty low-key for the last few years; what have you been up to?

I appreciate the compliment. I’ve spent the better part of my retirement with my feet in the sand watching the waves roll in.

I got canned right before COVID protocols lifted in New York and I work at a bar. Most of our staff quit and it left me to take on a load of responsibility quick. I was also just over it. I didn’t have time to ride but I also just didn’t want to. But that time has passed, and now I’m back to enjoying it for what it is, a fun hobby.

How much have you filmed with Bob prior to "Lacuna"?

I had never met Bob before.

How did all your clips come about?

I was going to Austin to get away from the cold amidst some other things and we rode a couple times.

Any good stories while spending time at the Skerbs compound?

Bob made dinner for all of us one night. The usual mutts you see in the video. Me, Brandon, Lahsaan, Alex, a couple more. Hoogerhyde was there. Dougie and Wiz I think? I don’t know. Crandall showed up. Joe Rich and Corrigan talking shop. Then our friend Ever showed up; Clint’s friend. He was with his girlfriend and two other people our age. A lot of them don’t drink. A lot of them do. People were doing poppers. By the end of the night it felt like everyone was or had been there. We also got George so drunk off of 99 nips that he destroyed Bob’s oven, screaming “SCERBS!” and following it with a right fist into the side of it. Then he spit up on the floor.

Best memory related to filming for "Lacuna"?

Now that I know Bob, I think I can understand his videos. The thing reads like a book for me. I flew into Austin with my friend Toby and Alex [Hammett] picked us up. We dropped our shit off and went straight to the bar. Bob showed up in shorts, slides, and a puffer vest accompanied by his dog. We hung out for a bit and left to go pick up Lahsaan. And so it goes, Bob ended up back at the house with us for three days. Somehow Bob ended up on vacation with all of us, five miles from his house. Morning to night we drank beers, going back and forth from the small market and taqueria around the way to re-supply. Lahsaan and Bob happen to love the same artists from North Jersey. Rapping along, bar for bar, to entire records. Bob and I work very similar bar jobs. We sat and discussed our taste for odd liquors and disdain for filling ice wells one day. Bob loves Toby’s hometown and seems to know more about it than him. He would bring up spots and restaurants I drive past on a daily basis that I’d never been to. We’re all a bit too alike. We rode twice on that trip, but we went bowling four times.

This video is just what Bob has ran into during the last couple years. I just happened to be around some of those people and someone he ran into himself. I’m happy to have been.

Worst memory?

Not for me, but the dude who tried to bribe men and women for sexual favors at a bar one night probably doesn’t look back so fondly on his experience.

What was the most kooked thing you witnessed during the Lacuna experience?

Same night someone chucked Reed’s kendama over the back fence for playing with a toy at a bar.

You have anything else video-wise in the works?

My friends are filming a video called Gutter Gems that I’ve been around for. I have some stuff in it.

Lahsaan Kobza

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How did your bonus section in "Lacuna" come about?

Half of the footage was for a Ride BMX Pro Part ( now Our BMX), then Ride went under. The rest of the footage was for my signature sprocket with Shadow, and then they cut me loose from the roster, so I grabbed all my footage from Chadwick from that project as well. Chadwick was supposed to edit the footage, but he got a new job and my footage kinda fell on the back burner.

Why did you have Bob edit all your footage?

Honestly I asked many people to edit my footage and no one wanted to pull the trigger and edit the footage, except for Scerbo. I mentioned my footage to Bob one random night at his house, and he immediately said, "Have them send me the footage 'right now' and I’ll do it for you." Big shout-out to Scerbo for being a real one.

Your part is seven minutes long; how long did it take to compile all that footage, and where did you travel to?

All this footage was filmed in a span of four years. I spent two weeks in Tokyo, Japan with the Ride BMX guys, and the rest of the footage was from trips to Denver, Arizona, and back home in California.

How many evenings did you spend at the Skerbs compound, and any good stories?

To many good evenings to mention, but we spent some good times talking shit and hanging with the likes of Brian Wizmerski, Garret Hoogerhyde, Brandon Begin, and Mark Burnett; you never know who you might run into at the Scerbo compound. It’s a house full of legends at all times.

Why'd you film that rail to 180 clip in the rain?

We were out filming at a school in Phoenix, and got stuck in the middle of the school while it was raining, so I tried to ice-180 the rail but ended up just keeping the pegs-easy, because I couldn’t pull the ice-180, ha ha ha.

How scary was the manual to rail hop into the ditch?

Had to tap into my old BMX racing days for that clip; it was frightening, but I got it done first try.

Any favorite clips in particular?

Two clips immediately come to mind. I love the fast-plant double nose-bonk on the picnic bench in Tokyo. I was out partying all night and I decided to try it early in the morning, and it worked out perfect. Also the 180-wall in the ditch really got me hyped; shout-out to Simone Barraco for the extra hype on that clip!

Any other vids in the works?

Right now I’m slowly getting clips for a solo video part for myself. Slowly gonna put it together and knock off some tricks and set-ups I’ve wanted to do for a while. No deadline for the video, no logos, just the shit I wanna do and how I want it to look!

Reed Stark

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Was this your first time filming with Bob?

Yessir.

Talk about how the Louisiana clips happened.

Bob and I started kicking it and filming a bit after I moved to Austin during the pandemic. I was looking for someone to film BMX and skate stuff for a Sweets Mob trip, and figured I'd see if he was down. Surprisingly, he was. A few weeks later I picked him and Hobie Doan up in Austin and we drove out to New Orleans to meet up with Boogie T, David Gravette, and the rest of the Sweets Kendamas crew. Rode for a bit in NOLA, then drove south and took a boat deep into the bayou. We stayed for a few nights in this crazy house on a dock, surrounded by water. Bob caught his first fish, a little catfish, and ate it. Then we mobbed to Dallas to go see Boogie perform at the Ubbi Dubbi festival, riding shit all along the way. Never thought I'd see Bob go on a Kendama trip. He said it was one of his favorite trips ever, though. Had the whole crew cracking up the entire time. Shit was sick. Sweets will be dropping a full documentary style video from the trip in a month or so. I just have to go stay with Bob for a bit to make it happen because he's sidetracked researching Houston serial killers.

How was it chillin’ and riding with the other dudes who had clips in the video, compared to a more conventional team video?

It was a lot chiller filming for "Lacuna" than a normal team video. No stress on getting clips. If you found something you were into then Bob would whip out his camera in two seconds and you'd ride it. If not, you'd probably just chill and watch someone else rip. Got a taste for what it must have been like to film for “Can I Eat?” and all those other dope Animal videos I grew up watching. Link with the crew, aimlessly pedal around, find the nice niches, dive in. It's a pure party in the streets. The BSD trips we've been going on lately have taken a similar vibe. Filming for "Lacuna" was definitely influential.

How many evenings did you spend at the Skerbs compound, and any good stories?

Hard to count at this point. I've seen that kitchen packed up with so many sweaty BMX riders, I can still smell the smoke and beer. Bob's stories about growing up in New Jersey are always a highlight for me. So sick hearing what the East Coast was like back in the day. A lot different than the Midwest, to say the least. One night Georgie kept punching the oven. I don't know why that sticks out in my head, but shit was so damn funny. We had to tell him to stop and he just kept doing it out of sheer excitement. Alcohol is a hell of a drug.

Best memory related to filming for "Lacuna"?

Watching Wiz try an ice grind fakie on this bank to sub was fire. It took him forever. I don't think he ever actually landed it, but the whole crew was there for it. Curly Mane pulled up in his truck with a bunch of beer. We were sitting in this parking lot till it got dark, getting twisted and screaming MERSKI over and over again. That night was a riot.

Spending Christmas with Bob, Chris, Harley, and Lex in Galveston. We went to Waffle House Christmas morning. Riding the Sea Wall I've been hearing Paul Wall rap about for 15+ years was epic.

Worst Memory?

I can't say I had anything too shitty happened during the filming for "Lacuna". That constant East Coast shit talk is a lot to deal with, but pretty comical once you get used to it.

What was the most kooked thing you witnessed during the "Lacuna" experience?

Lahsaan Kobza and those damn 99 proof party buckets filled with shooters. It's like getting Smirnoff Iced at a spot but worse - an ice hard if you will. That and Mark Burnett doing the pegs barspin on the bent rail that dips down and up all crazy. It had this gnarly fence near it and if you leaned over the rail you'd get completely dusted. He handled it casually, but man, that shit was scary to watch.

You have anything else video-wise in the works?

Filmed a "10 Years On BSD" video on the road trip that brought me to Austin, and now New Orleans. It's about a "12 Years On BSD" video at this point because damn near every filmer I know hates editing, but that should hopefully surface soon with some help from Trent Lutzke. Bob is actually going to have a little role in that video. I also have a split part with Hobie Doan from a Sweets Mob trip in Europe coming out soon. Keep your eyes peeled :)

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