"What would the Irish skate scene be without Jer", is what Paddy Clear said about the legend that is Jer Evans. Jer is now in his 33rd revolution of the sun and is still ripping like a maniac, maniac on the dancefloor. I always have fun when I travel with Jer, sometimes the well warranted slaggings of eccentricities get a bit too frequent but Jer is always a good sport about it.
When Jer likes something he's generally "a bit of a fusspot" about it, and making this video was not to be an exception. He was understandably a little apprehensive about this rookie filmer flunky, but when he did decide to commit to making a full part he got fully into and I think he did a rad job! His standards are pretty high and he skated a wide variety of stuff. He was a little worried though about how his skating would hold up against handrail chompers and stair leppers, so he approached me once and said that he came up with a knick-name for himself that "the lads can use after they've seen my part".."Bankenstein"! 'Say no more.Luke: "Jer, you're a legend you know that"
Jer: "Ah, we'll see how it goes"
Jer is the only wan with (now standard issue) Barcelona footage in his part. On the trip in question he was subject to torrents of laughter and was so so cool about it. The offending parties were myself and Joey Lynch, on our own we'd be grand, but when the two of us were with Jer we'd notice his quirks a lot more for some reason. Everyday stuff, like walking out of a hostel room full of the lads"Now, I'm just going to the shop, so am I locking the door, lets see, I've got my phone" -cue joey holding his gut in fits of laughter.
This was to be cranked up with the introduction of illicit leaves (to which I was to discover I'd zero tolerance for), and on a particular night when Joey and me were under the influence Jer decided to bring us on a 2 hour trek of Barcelona in search of a particular flavoured ice-cream called Coco holindaez (fusspot), Joey then realised in his altered state that Jer looked like the flavour of his ice-cream that he sought so badly "Luk at jerrrs head..he's Coco Hernandaaaaaz! Ahhhhhh", and it stuck. He's still saved in both our phones as coco hernandez, and he's still a good sport about it, what a guy!
"Ah, sure we'll see if we can get a few bits and bobs here"
Indeed we did. Jer skates odd spots quite well, the type of spots that get me amped, you could call him a lot of things but he certainly ain't bland, I love the variety in his part, he definietely makes a conscious effort to keep things ineteresting. One particlar spot that he killed was the Nissan hip in tallaght, hard as fook to skate, but look at height on that kickflip! Boom!
As Jer was apprehensive about my rookie skills he insisted on being hands-on about the music, and he gave me a "the Who" C.D. that he'd borrowed from Mr. Music (Gibbo).
He thought the song would be good to edit to and he was right. It actually got the most time and effort in terms of corresponding the skating to the music (it was the first part I finished). I still really like the song, and I'd consider myself to be a fuuspot when it comes to music, especially in vids. Well done Jer, nicelly spotted!Guitar bend noseslide, yeah! --->
When the vid was done he insisted on seeing his part before it was out, he still had his doubts. Steve, myself and Jer sat in my room as Jer held his hands up to his gob with the most intense look in his eyes during his whole part. He was stoked, that made me stoked, I'd appeased the fusspot Gods! Another thing he was insecure about was the fact that all bar one line of his footage is in a W/DC shirt, he was afraid of not reppin' the other sponsors (at his high professional level). Jay, hook him up with a lifetime achievement polo neck!"Jeremy stoooked in, claaaass todaaaaay"- that ender kickflip was "serious stuff", we went to
film it one day, and two batteries and a tape later there were no results to be yielded, poor Jer was truely goin' mad that day coz he'd already landed it for a sequence with Leo from Sidewalk, but he made up for it in spades by going back and doing it in about 2 mins another day.Here's a poem I wrote about Jer.
An intense stare,
from a man with no hair,
frankly fine,
bankenstein,
three cheers for Jer.
