Thrasher Magazine

Skating can break your heart. It helps to have someone to share the stoke with. Here are interviews with six couples that have learned to grind through the good times and the bad. Featuring Nora Vasconcellos, Lizzie Armanto, Axel Cruysberghs, Franky Villani and more.


Photo: Burnett


How did you two meet?
Lizzie: We met at the Copenhagen Open.
Axel: Yep. What year was that, 2016 or ’17?
L: I think ’16 but I don’t know. I’d have to look it up. This year it’ll be four years.
A: Okay, so the summer of 2016, I guess.

But how did you meet meet?
L: We just happened to be at this ledge spot and Chris Russell, Kevin Bradley and you were there. Jordan from Monster was like, Hey, this is Axel and I knew Chris Russell and Kevin, obviously. Then they all just shotgunned beers and Jordan took a photo.
A: I was way cooler back then.

Had either of you gone out with another skateboarder before?
A: I hadn’t.
L: I have.

For you, Axel, there’s almost like an old-fashioned stigma of not wanting to date somebody who skates. Was that something you’d heard or thought about before?
A: I guess I never really thought I would date someone who skated, but then it didn’t really matter for me. I met Lizzie and it wasn’t like, Ooh, she skates. That’s not that cool, you know? Maybe up to that point I was like, Maybe that’s not that cool, but then when I met her I was like, This is the best thing ever. We can just go skate together. It probably never registered until I met Lizzie.
L: When we met each other I never really knew who he was. It was all very organic in that sense.

Because, Lizzie, you don’t follow skating or know the names of tricks, right?
L: Ha!
A: But I didn’t know who Lizzie was either. Because I only saw her at the King of the Road thing and I was like, Oh, she skates for Birdhouse. But I never even thought about it because we’re kind of on opposite sides of the skate world. So I guess it was just like meeting anybody. It was very normal. Like, funny in a lot of ways, I guess.

Gnarly in pink, couples only in the backyard  /  Photo: Burnett

Is it different skating with a boyfriend/girlfriend than a regular friend? Is there anything different?
A: I don’t think so.
L: I think because we know each other super well I feel like I can read Axel really well. I can read my close friends well but—
A: I get scared. Like today when we were doing the rail thing, I just get scared for Lizzie.

I was gonna ask, what’s it like to see your special someone eat shit?
A: It hurts. I get worried, you know? It’s just different.
L: It’s funny ’cause a lot of the time if I see Axel slam or know he’s hurt, when it happens there in person it’s like, Oh, he’s good until I see his face and then I can tell what level it is. But in my head it’s like, Oh yeah, he’s fine. He’s kind of like a cat in that sense—whatever position he gets into he usually lands on his feet.
A: Let’s say if I’m trying something gnarly, I would rather not have Lizzie there. Just because I don’t want her to see me—not that I’m scared to fall or something in front of her but it’s more like, Yeah, that was terrible. You don’t have to see this. I don’t want to scare you.
L: I feel like that would be hard to do. I think the only thing I’d be really scared of is if Axel injured himself so bad that I knew it was gonna be long-term damage. But I feel that way about anyone.

What about you, Lizzie? You do all the contests. Is there ever a time where you’re like, I don’t want to look over and see Axel smiling at me in the heat of battle?
A: I think in the beginning that was a little tough.
L: In the beginning when we first met we went to X Games and we were both skating in it and it was really difficult ’cause we both have our own—like when you go to skate a contest you’re in a certain mindset and we have totally different—
A: Lizzie’s the person who won’t talk and doesn’t need any attention and just wants to be on their own and I’m like, I’m nervous here so I’m just trying to talk. And so that was the first time we had to do that and it was really tough.
L: I think we were both freaking out in our own way. It was like Axel needed more support and I was just like, You don’t exist right now. Please go help yourself. So it was really difficult.
A: So that was when we first met. I feel like now we’re that far that it’s like—
L: It’s not personal. Before I think we were taking it personal.
A: Now we know.


What do you do that you know bugs the shit out of Lizzie?
A: Sometimes I think if I want to skate all the time. ’Cause I feel like I can never stop skating and Lizzie is more like—Lizzie skates a lot but I’m probably double or triple the amount just because I need to skate and Lizzie’s like, “Oh, go skate.” I don’t know. What else? There is stuff. Can you name a couple of things?
L: I don’t think it’s just skating. It’s prioritizing and it’s like, I know you love skating and that’s your priority and it’s just learning how to balance it. But I think that’s everyone’s problem. Axel doesn’t know how to sit still. That’s what it is. So when we were in quarantine it’s like Axel’s freaking out.
A: I need to be able to get out for an hour and be able to get my energy out. Otherwise it’s probably hard to be around me in the house.
L: He needs something to exhaust him and then he’ll pass out.

What do you do that bugs the shit out of Axel?
L: This is a really recent one that comes to mind but I’ll see him on his phone and I’ll say, What are you doing? And then he’ll catch me doing the same thing.
A: Yeah, I’ll be on my phone probably looking at Instagram or something and Lizzie just goes, What are you doing? I’m just like, You already know what I’m doing. You think I’m working right now or something? Lizzie knows but she just wants to be like, You probably need to help me with something. Which is funny. So last night I did the same to you. I’m like, What are you doing?
L: It’s usually when one of us is working on something and it just isn’t fun and the other one’s just doing nothing.

What’s modern dating like in the digital age as minor celebrities?
A: I think for me, I get weird things on Instagram and Lizzie gets weird things, so I guess we both know it’s how it is. It’s okay to put stuff out there but you also want to keep stuff to yourself.
L: I don’t put my whole life out there. There’s some people who do, but to each their own.

Flowers, boba tea, drop-in grinds—Axel and Lizzie aren’t afraid to share their passions  /  Photo: Burnett

What do you two love to do besides skate together? What are your things?
A: We like to just go places. Lizzie loves flowers. Last year when we were traveling a bunch we went to every botanical garden. We went to one in Monaco, one in Italy, in Paris, we went to so many different ones. That’s kind of our thing—we like to eat good and cruise around. We skate a lot even if there’s no one filming or anything. We went to Japan and it was like a mini skate trip of us just like cruising around, eating, drinking tea, having some drinks with friends and that was kind of it. We surfed and we went to skateparks and that’s just it. Did fun stuff, visiting museums and stuff like that.
L: Taking photos, going out. In Japan we went to camera stores and that was really cool because they have basically a closet with all the different who knows what in there. So it was just fun.

You guys are a very wholesome couple. What’s the closest you’ve come to breaking up?
L: I think in the beginning there were times where I was like, Axel, you’re being clingy.

You were clingy?
A: I guess.
L: But I don’t know, I think I’m very independent.
A: I had to really get used to this, but Lizzie, she’s the person who does everything on her own.
L: I used to always say the car is like my car even though it’s our car.
A: Yeah. She’s like, It’s my car. I’m like, Okay, but it’s my car, too. Stuff like that. In the beginning that was kind of hard for me. I was like, What does this mean? But then I got used to it and now I think it’s more funny.


That’s funny. You almost broke up because you’re too clingy and she’s not being sensitive enough.
A: But then in the beginning it’s just like you need to get used to each other. But I don’t think we’ve really been that close to breaking up.

So, you two just bought a house in possibly a bad neighborhood in Long Beach. How’s that going so far?
L: We did. Pretty good. there was one incident
A: Yeah, so this is the story. We had just moved here. We were here for what, two weeks maybe?
L: I pull up to the house. I didn’t even pull up, I’m going down the street—
A: I had just left that day, so it’s night time here by the time I make it to Paris where I had a connecting flight. So Lizzie texted me and she’s like, Oh my God, there was a shooting on our street! I was like, No way.
L: Our whole block is taped off and there’s the whole squad and I can’t even pull into our driveway. So I had to park the car and walk by myself.
A: I was like, Of course this happens as soon as I leave. I leave and then Lizzie’s by herself. But actually the guy who’s working on our backyard, he was here, so it was like, Okay, she’s not on her own. But I was worried.
L: I didn’t want to bother him because I don’t really know him that well. I was like, Oh my God, we live in a very interesting place.
A: Yep. So Lizzie called me freaking out and I had just landed in Europe and there’s nothing I can do, you know? So now it’s been kind of nice to have this quarantine right now so we get used to our house and neighborhood. It’s been nice to spend time here.

Axel keeps his distance while Lizzie handles an Andrecht  /  Photo: Burnett

Lizzie and Axel were married October 16th, 2020. Big love, y'all!  /  Photo: Burnett

Do you two have a song?
L: “Butterfly” by Crazy Train.

Do you ever talk about grown-up things like marriage and kids?
A: I think so, yeah. I feel like it’s a very normal relationship so it’s like I think everybody can relate. There’s just normal, boring stuff.

Does that sound right?
L: Yeah. I feel like we touch upon the subjects but we’re never like, Oh my God, I can’t wait ’til the day. I feel like Axel and I are very focused on the present and where we’re at with skating. I think we’re aware of our future and try to plan for it as best as we can. But I feel like I’m also happy just being here. Everything’s been going super well.
A: I’m happy to be here too.

What do you like most about Axel?
L: I think he’s just the kindest person I’ve ever met.
A: That feels good to hear.

What do you like most about Lizzie?
A: She’s a really good person. Lizzie is always down to help someone.
L: And I also really like that Axel’s really close to his family. I think when I first saw that it was almost foreign to me because I feel like in America there’s so many—not that I come from a broken family, but I don’t know. Our norm is like dysfunctional families, so it’s kind of cool to see that.

How did you two meet?
Janthavy: I was at the Wedge doing a skate clinic with Skate Rising and they were doing Manramp stuff and I was like, Oh, man, I wanna hit it and my friends were like, You should just go. Not like that—I want to hit the ramp! Then that’s how I met him. I was trying a trick off of him for what felt like an hour.
Alex: We skated there for a bit and then we went to a spot after that and she was hanging out taking photos. We talked a little bit after and have just been in contact since then. Then she moved out here.
J: Yeah, I moved to Long Beach in December, Hollywood in March and now I’m moving again.

So you guys are big on the ’Gram and Alex even has an alter-ego as a half-man, half-ramp superhero. Did you guys know each other from social media before you met?
J: I only knew him as that one persona which we won’t release—
A: We play this joke where people are like, Oh, are you Manramp? And I’m like, Nah, that’s my brother. But yeah, so she knew me as Manramp but she didn’t know anything about me.
J: I think I’d seen your clips. I was like, He’s hot. I honestly thought you might have been a dick just ‘cause of that persona.

Don’t confuse the art with the artist.
J: But I guess I didn’t look too far into it. I was just like, Oh, interesting.

So did you know about her a little bit?
A: I think a little bit. I had seen some of the clips. But I think it’s crazy how now it feels normal where you see someone on social media and then you can be like, Oh, that’s who that person is. But then obviously they’re not showing everything. But she’s pretty transparent. You’re a lovely person and you’re fun to hang out with so it’s been good.

Love knows no barriers. Alex off the top rope while Janthavy lays back a wicked lip  /  Photo: Burnett

Had either of you dated another skateboarder before?
A: No.
J: No. I mean not officially. I guess I’ve always tried but then I’m like, No, never mind.

Did you have any reservations about dating another skater?
A: I did a little bit. For some reason I was kinda like, I don’t know if I could skate with a person all the time. But she skates more than I do, so I don’t know.
J: Well, we skate separate things. You’re more street and I’m more transition and bowls and stuff. I always avoided it ‘cause I was like, That’s my shit.
A: That’s kind of how I was feeling. But I didn’t really know why I was feeling that way. It’s tough.
J: I just think if you want your own personal space and you have your own craft that makes you uniquely you then you just want to stick to that. I don’t want to have this other person in it ’cause that’s my time. That’s my own thing.
A: I think that’s the best way to put it.
J: But yeah, you’re fun to skate with.

What’s it like to see a loved one eat shit?
A: It kinda hurts. Usually with friends it’s like, Ooh, that sucks, but with a loved one it’s like, Ahh, that hurts me.
J: I think it’s kinda funny but it does hurt. It gives me a little bit of anxiety, but it’s also hilarious because I think that when I fall it’s kinda cool.
A: Same here. I always laugh.
J: I care about you but it’s hilarious too.


Do you ever talk about future plans?
A: Not too much as of yet. But I think we both have ideas maybe we haven’t shared yet. But you know, we’re taking it step by step.
J: Just been chilling, enjoying it. Oh my God, I sound like such a skater—Just chilling.
A: No, it’s fun because she grew up doing other stuff. When did you start skating? Sixteen?
J: Seventeen, so seven years ago.
A: So yeah, I guess somewhat late compared to people nowadays. You grew up doing sports and stuff. You’re very athletic and I was the same way.
J: I was a cheerleader.

Whoa, you’re dating a cheerleader, dude!
J: He was a football player.
A: I used to be in football and wrestling.

What happened? You guys blew it!
A: I know.
J: We’re like jocks. We’re secret jocks.
A: I like to say I was an athlete; there’s a difference. ’Cause there were definitely jocks where I grew up and I was like, I don’t want to be that person. It’s cool she grew up doing more than just skateboarding. I feel like she’s a really well-rounded person, which is also a huge attraction.
J: Thank you.

Slams will keep us together  /  Photo: Burnett

What are your aspirations involved with skateboarding? Is it more than just having fun?
J: I think in the beginning I was more motivated and really excited. I just want to keep learning and having fun with it and going out with my teams. I don’t know if I necessarily want to make money from it. I’ve been told you should really try but I feel like that makes me anxious with skateboarding and then I get hurt and then it’s not fun. I’m like, Well, if I went into this wanting to make money then that’s lame.
A: When I was in high school I really wanted to go for it, so I would jump down stuff all the time and try some crazy stuff. But when I hit a certain age I was like, especially skating with the Mull brothers, like these guys are really good. I don’t want to do anything that they do. It’s too scary. So I just started looking at spots in a different way and Tom is super good at kind of figuring out ideas. And I think the main motivation now is just making all of the Worble videos and Manramp videos super fun. When we’re making them it’s fun, but then at the end it’s amazing to see how Tom puts it all together. And also Cobra Man, the songs they make for the videos. At the end it’s been a big payoff for what we’ve been releasing.

What do you like most about Janthavy?
A: I think just her positive attitude. She just has fun with everything she does. I think we’re really similar, like if we fall really hard skateboarding we both just laugh and it’s like, Oh, I’m the same way. We just enjoy the things that don’t go right. I mean, you can apply it to other things in life. I think that’s the attitude you’re supposed to have in order to accomplish your goals. Kind of just brush things off and keep a good mindset.


What’s your favorite thing about Alex?
J: Alex is really sweet. Not just with me but with everyone he meets. I feel like he makes a good impression on everybody, like they can just tell he’s a good person. He’s a talented artist, skateboarder, woodworker. There’s so many random little things that you’re good at.
A: I try to do too much.
J: He just made a table two weeks ago. I don’t know; he’s just a good person. You can tell when people are good.

Is there anything you do that bugs her?
J: Alex sets 18 alarms in the morning. It doesn’t bug me, I just think it’s hilarious. But there was one time when I was really tired and it was going off for a fucking long time. And I’m not just sitting in bed like, Ugh, turn it off, but it’s like, Wow, dude, how do you sleep through that?

What else should I have asked you about? What’s the big piece I’m missing here?
A: No. It’s fun, she’s got a whole different style where she’ll like be like, Oh, we’re going somewhere? And she’ll dress up and you’ll never be able to tell she skateboards. She’s very well-rounded as an individual.

You both have alter egos.
J: I actually have a pretty balanced closet, I guess. I have like 15 pairs of Vans and then I’ve got the bottom row which is just like my high heels and then a stack of dresses and then disgusting skate clothes. It’s like a mystery.

Where’d you two meet?
Franky: In high school. I caught her staring at me in the lunch line.
Eliane: Yeah, I remember that. My brother and him used to skate and so I was like, Hey, your friend’s cute. So I think he had an idea. But yeah, we met in high school.

Had either of you ever gone out with someone who skated?
F: No.
E: He’s my first boyfriend.
F: Pretty much the same.
E: Yeah, first everything. Crazy.

So what’s it like skating together? Do you always skate together? Do you like skating together? How does it work?
F: We’ve been skating a lot more recently but she kinda likes skating with her friends. ’Cause when I go skate I have to like, try.
E: What do you mean?
F: Well, I don’t know. We go to scary stuff I feel like when we go skate.
E: Oh yeah, whenever I go with him it’s a different vibe.
F: Sometimes I’ll go with her and her friends and sometimes she’ll come with me filming.
E: I feel like when I skate with my little squad it’s more fun. Like, we’re just messing around, skating, not taking it serious. But whenever I go with him it’s a mission. I don’t know, I fuckin’ sit my ass down. I don’t do anything.
F: So sometimes.
E: But recently skateboarding’s mellow; we just do our own thing. I feel like people think of it in a different way, like we’re right next to each other.
F: We’re more independent.

High school sweethearts, spinal assassins! Franky fakie tails to blunt 180 while Eliane slides for the long haul  /  Photo: Burnett

Is there any time you’re skating where you don’t want Franky around?
E: The only thing that bugs me when we do skate together is when he’s giving me advice. I’m like, Just let me figure it out.
F: Yeah, I’ll be like, Oh, move your foot an inch lower, and she’s like, This works for me. This is what I’m doing. I’m better off not saying nothing.

Is there any time when you don’t like her around when you’re skating?
F: Not really. But I think we both do this thing where we’ll be like, Oh, you got it, and we both feel like we definitely didn’t have it.
E: Like, Shut up. Stop fuckin’ lying to me. We both know. We’re trying to be supportive but low key—
F: We know we’re lying.

For a lot of couples where somebody does skating for a job, sometimes the other one gets resentful because they have to work a regular job while the other person is going to France.
E: Yeah, yeah. I for sure get a little jealous.
F: She’ll give a little couple snaps here and there but I don’t know. When she goes to work, at least recently, I’ve been trying to make her breakfast and stuff like that. Just make it a little easier. ’Cause I know like my job’s fake.
E: No, I mean there are times when he’s complaining and I’m like, Dude, shut up. You don’t realize how lucky you are. Which I probably shouldn’t do, but—
F: But too much traveling sucks also.
E: That’s so hard for me to believe sometimes. I’m just like, How?
F: I could stay inside for a week straight and be completely fine and not say a single word.
E: Yeah, I know.

What do you like to do together besides skate?
F: Take the dogs out for a walk, stuff like that.
E: Go on hikes. Hang out. I dunno, recently we’re like—
F: Family-oriented. She’s been trying to be more family-oriented.
E: When we’re at home he paints a lot so I try to join in on the paint sesh. And then, I dunno, what have we been watching recently?
F: Oh, 90 Day Fiancé.
E: Oh yeah, we’ve been watching that.


You watch bad TV?
F: Yeah, it’s so good, though.
E: It’s really good.
F: It’s something I’d never watch normally but then you see all the memes or whatever and they’re really funny so it’s like, Alright, I’m gonna give it a try and it ends up being pretty good. It does its job. It keeps you pulled in just enough to watch the next episode.

Franky, what do you do that drives her crazy?
F: I’m really messy, then I clean a lot, then I’m really messy. She’s very clean. I kind of just explode and implode constantly.
E: I’m like, Yay, he’s doing so good. Then it’s like, Why did I hype myself up? I got too excited.

What do you do that bugs Franky the most?
E: Yell at him. I don’t know. What do I do? I actually don’t know.
F: Not much.
E: Help me out here.
F: Wait, something you do that I don’t like? You don’t drink water.
E: Oh, when I turn off the AC at night. He doesn’t like that.
F: Oh no, you don’t let me have the AC most of the time. Even when it’s really hot. Her body temperature is always way colder than mine.

Is there ever weirdness or jealousy around social media?
F: Of people like DMing us and stuff?

All the stuff. People talking shit…
F: People on Instagram are just the worst. They don’t have a filter and just say whatever they want. I just try not to reply. If I get more than five messages I get overwhelmed and I don’t look at them.
E: I mean, I don’t really deal with DMs but when I used to get negative comments I would get a little bothered, but Franky’s actually helped me ’cause he’s more like—
F: I have to deal with it all the time.
E: Yeah, like that’s part of his job.
F: Just block whoever says something stupid because you don’t need them there anyways.
E: True, yeah.

Tread lightly with the trick tips, Franky  /  Photo: Burnett

Have you ever dealt with jealousy in your relationship?
F: I don’t think there’s anyone on Earth who doesn’t deal with some kind of jealousy. It’s just how you go about it.
E: I trust him 100 percent so it’s like I don’t trip. What?! I don’t!
F: You trip sometimes.
E: I guess. Like today. I’m just kidding.
F: It’s normal.

What about you Franky? She’s probably skating with a lot of dudes. Do you ever get jealous?
F: I mean, at first I would, but I don’t know. If you trust someone there’s nothing to worry about. If anything bad happens then that’s that. I just know that if anything substantial were to happen nothing would ever be the same. So it’s kind of on both of us to stay nice to each other.

What do you like most about each other?
F: She’s just very sweet and very good at making you think of other people’s perspectives, which is something that I did not do at all before.
E: I like that he helps me get into other things, like other hobbies and stuff.
F: I don’t like feeling like I can only do one thing.
E: Yeah. So that’s something I appreciate about him. ’Cause I feel like before he used to only worry about skating but now it’s like more—
F: More open?
E: Yeah, to a lot of things, which is cool. And he’s very understanding, so that’s cool too.

Do you guys talk about the future? Do you have future plans?
F: I don’t really like planning out the future, but the only thing that I hope happens is to have a house. It’s the only goal I really have. Besides that it’s all chance, I guess.

What about other grown-up stuff?
F: Grown-up stuff? Like kids? I don’t know.
E: Ah shit, I don’t know either.
F: It would have to be an accident.
E: For real. I dunno, I’m kinda scared.
F: It’s like having a dog that you could never leave at home. Like you have to be there all the time and it’s way more fragile.
E: I’m more scared for the pain.
F: I’m not ready for that responsibility I don’t think.
E: Really?
F: You lose a lot of sleep.

Do you two have a song?
E: I think it’s the Tame Impala one. It think it’s that one “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards.”
F: When we first started dating that was a reoccurring song at the time so it just reminds us of that time.
I don’t want to play on the stereotypes but are your moms anxious for you two to get married?
F: I feel like my parents wanted us to have kids real bad but then my older sister had kids so now it’s like they don’t care anymore.
E: My mom’s more like—she’s more Americanized. She is American. She’s not ever really Hispanic like his mom is.


So is it a big deal that you live together?
F: No. I mean, she moved in with me when she was still in high school. So it’s just been a crazy ride.
E: Yeah, it’s been wild.
F: Long time.
E: Yeah, it’s been a minute.

What’s it like to see your loved one eat shit on a skateboard?
E: He gets pissed that I ask him if he’s okay.
F: I have a thing with me where I don’t want people to ask me if I’m okay unless I’m bleeding and I can’t talk.
E: So, yeah.

What’s it like seeing your girlfriend eat shit?
F: She doesn’t eat shit too much but every once in a while I’ll be like, Oh my God, I can’t look. Like when you hit your shin on the ledge in San Bernardino, that was bad. It dented her shin.
E: Yeah, I have a really gnarly scar. That thing was scary. I had a third knee.

So Franky’s a pro skater and has been going at it super hard. What do you like to get out of skating? Do you have any goals in skating or do you skate for the fun of it?
E: I skate just for the fun of it. And for it being my only form of exercise. ’Cause I feel like if I didn’t skate I’d be so mad all the time or something. Poor Franky if I didn’t skate.
F: You’d probably just end up sleeping after work.
E: True. I don’t know.
F: You’d be well rested.
E: Yeah, I just do it for fun. I only skate like one day out of the week. I skate on Saturdays and occasionally during the week. But normally Saturdays are when me and my friends all hang out, like we dedicate that day to skating.

Last question: Do you have any cute names for each other?
F: I call her Mama. Besides that, no.
E: Gordo or Gords.
F: Nothing cute.

How did you two meet?
Jenny: Through some friends.
Brandon: Punk shows. We kept seeing each other at shows and we started hanging out.

Who made the first move?
B: She did.
J: Yeah, I’m impatient.
B: I like to take my time.

When did it become official? When did it become like, Alright, we’re boyfriend/girlfriend? What happened?
B: She met my dad.
J: We told each other we loved each other.

Have either of you dated another skateboarder before?
B: No.
J: No.

Did you have any reservations about dating a fellow skater?
B: Absolutely.
J: Oh yeah, he was anti. He had a principle of I’m not gonna date a chick who skates.
B: No, ’cause it’s always—especially with going to skate backyard pools and somebody else is taking you, you can’t invite people to somebody else’s pool. It’s always kind of just spur of the moment. You have to jump in the car when you can to go skate. So it didn’t always work out.
J: Oh yeah, I don’t even fully understand all the pool rules. But apparently it’s not okay to take your girlfriend to a pool.

Double frontals off the pillar. WSVT is for lovers  /  Photo: Burnett

So your reservations were mostly pool-based?
B: Yeah.

Then how is it? When do you like to skate together and when do you not want to skate together?
J: When we go on trips we skate.
B: Yeah, we went on a trip to Costa Rica and we pretty much just skated and hung out the whole time. We drove all the way up to Orcas last summer with the puppies in the truck. It was right when we got them.
J: Yeah, they were five months old.
B: Dude, that was awesome. We just got to camp there and skate for a whole week and it was pretty much empty the whole time. Jen never wants to come along if I try to go street skating. She doesn’t like street skating.

Why not?
J: Well, I need to get more familiar with it. It’s hard! I went street skating recently, though. But it’s a challenge.
B: She pretty much learned how to skate down here. I guess that’s street skating, Washington Street.


So you don’t like to necessarily go when it’s street skating. Is there any time when you don’t want her around when you’re skating?
J: Oh, when he goes to pools.
B: If she can come I’m stoked.
J: Hey, but I don’t care. I’m doing my own thing.
B: ’Cause we’ve definitely gone and skated pools together but I always have to ask whoever’s going.
J: It’s a pain in the ass, apparently, so I understand.
B: There’s mild etiquette. That’s just how it goes.

What do you do that really gets on her nerves?
B: If I’m working a long day and I get home I can be irritable and short-tempered.
J: Oh, you’re moody as a motherfucker.
B: And then if I don’t do the dishes or something she calls me lazy.

What do you do to get on his nerves? What do you do to bug the shit out of him?
J: I’m a spazz. I don’t know how to sit still. I think sometimes I’m just a little too intense.
B: She can get kind of hyper sometimes.
J: Yeah. I’m type-two bipolar.

Oh yeah? You always figure these things out when you’re a little far in, like, why does this person act this way? What have been some challenges with learning each others’ quirks?
J: Communication.
B: Just communication.
J: Yeah, we both kind of sucked at it but we figured it out.
B: So when I hurt my knee and I couldn’t skate I was really pissed off for the first part of it. I felt like everything bad was happening at the same time ’cause I couldn’t work and I couldn’t skate or do anything. I was just getting real angry all the time. But because of that, it’s pretty cheesy, but I started getting into meditation and trying to do like the self-realization stuff and recognizing my short-tempered moments and recognizing what stupid little things set me off and just not letting them affect me as much.
J: I think the knee injury, as much as it really sucked, it made him grow a lot.
B: Yep, she’s stayed with me through the worst so that’s how I know she’s gonna stay with me no matter what. As bad as that sucked it was kind of a good thing ’cause it’s actually kind of made me appreciate everything in life a lot more and it’s actually made our relationship a lot easier going.

Bucket brigade, party of four  /  Photo: Burnett

Do you talk about future plans?
B: We talk about buying property and building something to skate and getting more dogs.
J: But then we talk about selling everything and getting a built-out van and hitting the road.
B: Van life, just travel and skate.

Yeah, what are some of the things you really like to do beside skating together?
J: Art.
B: Yeah, art and cooking. We both make some really good food together.
J: Yeah. Cooking is a language of love in my family so I like that we cook together. Brandon’s a good cook, too.

What about the dogs? What’s it like having dogs?
B: Pets are always added responsibility but for being as young as they are they’re pretty easygoing.
J: I feel like they’ve brought us closer together, too. I mean, it’s a lot of work but it’s so worth it. I love dogs.
B: It’s nice coming home from a long day of work to two dogs and my girlfriend that I’m actually stoked to see.


So obviously you both work regular jobs and stuff and you’re not trying to make a living off skating by any means. What is skateboarding to you guys?
B: Just fun.
J: It kind of saved my life almost. It gives me something to focus on instead of being self-destructive.
B: I mean, for me, it’s my sense of sanity. Even if I work a super long day and I can barely stand up straight, I’m still at the end of the day looking forward to coming down here and at least doing a couple carve grinds ’cause that’s gonna make everything better.
J: It makes you feel better.
B: That’s what makes it easier to go to work the next day, if I get a good session in after work. Sometimes you get beat up and it makes work harder.
J: Oh, taking a good slam makes you feel alive.

Do you two have a song?
B: Toots and the Maytals do a cover of “Country Roads.” We played it one time and I started crying. I think that’s our song?

A cover of the John Denver song?
B: Yeah, it’s a reggae cover of that song. It made me tear up. 
J: It’s good music.
B: She had the delayed cry.

So how did you two meet?
Celina: At a skateshop.
Tim: I worked there. I saw that she had all these rips in her sneakers so I was sort of asking her questions like, “Can you kickflip?” She was like, ”I can kickflip; I can double flip; I can varial flip.” I was like, “What about tré flip?” She’s like, “Nah.” I was like, “You learn tré flips in a week and I’ll give you a t-shirt.” And then we were cool.
C: And I got the t-shirt!
T: But then it wasn’t ’til four years later we started dating.

When did you guys become a couple? When did it become official?
T: Oh, it was years later obviously ’cause she was like 14 when we met.
C: It started later, like 17 or 18.

Had either of you dated another skateboarder before that?
C: I’ve only dated skateboarders.

What about you, Tim?
T: Nah, never.

Did you ever have any reservations about dating a girl skater?
T: I mean, I never thought against it. But yeah, I definitely saw girls who skated and you’re like, That’d be kinda cool. I think a lot of people think it would suck because maybe that’s the time they get away from each other, but it’s been nothing but good. We’ve traveled to Barcelona together. I mean, we do everything together. Obviously we butt heads at some point, but we literally do everything together. Sometimes we work together, skate together.
C: I just don’t understand how people who skate can date someone who doesn’t skate. Like, how do you even talk?

Is there any time when you don’t wanna skate with each other?
T: The only time it’s ever like that is if she goes to the bowl. I can’t skate that shit.

What’s it like to see a loved one eat shit?
T: Oh God, it’s scary.
C: I just laugh at him.
T: Yeah, she usually gets a kick out of it. Sometimes it’s scary, though.

Popsicles, cancer and even the toxic Philly waterfront, Celina and Tim can handle it all  /  Photo: Adler

Can you remember a specific incident?
T: Yes. If she wants to talk about it. Without it getting too gross.
C: I got popsicled. He was away and I needed someone to look at it. I went home and I was like, Fuck, this is kinda bad. I was like, I don’t really know what to do and I had to call him and FaceTime him. I was like, “I really need you to look at this so you can let me know what I should do.” Then I sent him a picture and he was like, “Go to the hospital; go to the hospital.” It was horrible, though.
T: Yeah, but it was crazy ’cause I was two hours away and she’s like, “Do you want to see a picture?” And I’m like, “No, not really. If you think you need to go then go.” But I was like, “Alright, send a picture, I guess.” So she sends the picture and I looked and I immediately said, “Go to the hospital right now!”

That’s terrible.
T: But it’s all good now.
C: He never falls too bad. Normally his falls are funny.

I heard from friends that maybe you guys went through a really scary health scare together, right?
T: Oh yeah, I had testicular cancer.

Holy cow.
T: Yeah, so I had one testicle removed, chemotherapy and then a year later I had to have lymph nodes in my abdomen removed. So there were like seventy staples in my stomach. I had to spend a week in the hospital. I was in the hospital for at least ten days, maybe more.
C: It was close to two weeks but you didn’t eat or drink anything for ten days.


What was that like, Celina?
C: I don’t even remember now, it’s such a blur. But it was definitely nerve-racking. It was more—they let us see him too soon out of the recovery, like out of the operating room which was worse because he was so delirious and he had smashed everything out of his hands so there was blood everywhere and things kept beeping and no one was paying attention to it. So that was more nerve-racking and I started hitting people up like, “Oh, I can’t stay in the hospital. I gotta find somewhere to go.” Then two hours later he was back to kind of his normal self and then I went back to work for maybe two days then went back to the city. I would even go skate, you know. It was in New York City so I’d just skate around or go to the bar for a minute then I would come back and sit there all night.
T: Yeah, she’d sleep in the hospital bed with me.

So are you okay now? Are you in the clear?
T: Oh yeah, yeah. I’m good. It’s been a couple years since I got a checkup, but—
C: He does need to get a checkup. He just got health insurance, so after the Coronavirus he’s gonna have a checkup again.

Holy shit. So what’s your relationship like going through something like that and what does skateboarding look like afterwards?
C: He skated the whole time he was on chemo.
T: Yeah, I was able to skate throughout the chemo. I mean, I had lost my hair and towards the end of it I had no energy. So I was still trying to skate but it was tough. There was no doing two tricks in a row. And then I had to stop skating obviously for the one surgery and it was a couple months—was it three months probably?
C: You ollied over a board the day after you got your staples out, but that was terrifying.
T: Oh yeah. And then we went to the skatepark when I actually felt good again, like I felt 100 percent, and I did a trick over a bump and I fell chest first. That was the most scared she’d ever been. She came running over. She thought my stomach was gonna split open or something!

What did it do to your relationship? I mean, it’s gotta be stressful but what was the end result?
T: Well, it probably brought us closer together and made our relationship stronger. I mean, she was tough as shit through the whole thing. We should tell you the story about the sweatpants.
C: Yeah, this is around the time when he couldn’t eat or nothin’. So I was like, Oh, he needs to be comfortable and it was right when the Skate and Destroy sweatpants had just come out. I think around 2014. So I was like, Oh, I’ll get him the sweatpants as a gift so he can be happy and wear them in the hospital and have something comfy while he’s recovering. So I bought him a pair and I was like, Fuck it, I’m gonna be in the hospital with him so I might as well buy myself a pair. So I bought them online while I was in the waiting room. And my birthday was two days after his surgery, so it turns out he was doing the same thing—at the exact same time! I went in and saw him and he smiled and was like, “I bought you something for your birthday,” and showed me the confirmation number. He’s like, ”Yeah, this is what it is,” and I was like, “What did you just order?” The confirmation numbers were a number apart and we bought the same exact thing—we each bought each other a pair of Thrasher sweatpants and one for ourselves. It was the same exact sweatpants and literally one confirmation number apart!

What are the chances of that?!
C: Yeah, that kind of sealed the deal. ’Cause everybody at work kept asking me dumb-ass questions like, “Are you gonna stay with him because he has cancer?” and I’m like, I don’t understand why you would break up with someone because they had cancer. It was meant to be. One confirmation number apart doing the same exact thing, it was like, Oh, that sealed the deal completely.

Seventy staples later, Tim's on the road to recovery  /  Photo: Meehan

United by sweatpants. That is incredible. I feel like we owe you some free sweatpants after this. That’s the most ringing endorsement I’ve heard.
T: It’s funny.

Does going through something like that give you a different outlook on life and little problems and things?
T: Yeah. It definitely does. I mean, now I kind of use it as a joke. People are like, Oh, the Coronavirus and I’m like, “Well, I beat fuckin’ cancer. I’m not gonna let a virus kill me.” But yeah, it definitely makes you look at things differently.

What do you two fight about? Do you fight?
C: We fight about dumb shit.
T: Yeah. Sometimes I get yelled at for asking too many questions.
C: He’s a slob; he doesn’t clean up.
T: Oh, we definitely fight at skate spots. Not really fight like if one of us is mad. If one of us starts throwing a board it’s like, Oh God, I’ve got to deal with this now.
C: Or like filming. If he’s like, “Oh, film me,” and it’s like three hours later, I’m like, “I was just warmed up. Now I have to re-warm up. I’m not even into it anymore.” Then he doesn’t land the trick and the phone’s dead.

Celina, what’s your favorite thing about Tim?
C: He’s the most caring person you ever met. Just all around—he took my grandfather to go pee in the bathroom. My grandfather is at my parents’ house now ’cause he’s not doing good and someone needs to take him to go to the bathroom so he’ll go pee with him. He doesn’t ask questions or anything, he just does it.

What about you, Tim? What’s your favorite thing about Celina?
T: She’s just tough. She’s persistent, you know? If she wants to get something, whether it’s skateboarding or anything else, she’s gonna do what she has to do to get it.

Do you two have any pet names for each other?
T: Poop. I’m gonna send you a picture when we get off the phone. We have the poop emojis tattooed on our wrists. We both also have the Love Park tattoos and we both have “fuck cancer” tattoos.

What do you like to do together besides skate?
C: Ride dirt bikes and drink beer?
T: We’ve been going hiking. We just take the dogs and we walk them on the dirt bike trails and we bring a six pack.

Do you two have a song?
T: I like the Stevie Nicks/Don Henley song, the one that you put to the little edit you made.
C: Yeah, what’s it called? “Leather and Lace”?
T: Yeah, that’s a good one.


So obviously you aren’t looking to sign energy drink contracts or get in the X Games. What’s skateboarding to you?
T: I’d sign a Bud Light Lime contract. What was the rest of the question?

What’s skateboarding to you? What do you get out of skateboarding?
T: I can’t picture doing anything else.
C: Yeah, my brain doesn’t stop thinking about skateboarding. I want a solid video part, so that’s kind of my goal. I want it to be like I put everything into that and then can move on.
T: But other than that it’s like I don’t even know how people stop skateboarding ’cause your mind still works the same way. I see bump to bars all the time and I’m like, I’m a little old to be jumping over that shit. But I still see spots and think about them.

Nice. Do you ever talk about future plans?
T: Yeah.

What do you talk about?
T: We were talking about buying a house in Philly but that didn’t work out. We just ended up renting. And then I’m sure we’ll get married. We’re basically married already, we’ve been together so long.

The house comes first?
C: That’s up to him.
T: Yeah, I guess that’s up to me.
C: There’s one thing we fight about.
T: Now you put pressure on me.
C: Our anniversary is Wednesday.

Oh, happy anniversary.
T: Thank you.

How did you two meet?
Nora: We met because we both signed with JuneShine which is a hard kombucha that some of Albee’s friends started. It would have been December of 2018, I think?
Albee: I thought it was the summer.
N: Oh, you’re right. No, it would have been earlier. It was the fall.
A: It was like September. It was before Halloween.
N: Oh shit, okay. So I met him probably October of ’18.

Did you two know each other from looking at your phones before you even met?
N: I knew of Albee years and years before. I had a photo of him on my wall when I was like 15. It’s kind of funny because I was a super surf nerd and I would make these crazy collages for my wall, like anybody does, and it would just be surf and skate and I remember having a photo of Albee, probably one of his first ads with Nike. So he was like 15 or 16 and I was probably 14 or 15.

Wow.
A: Yeah, that’s creepy.
N: Albee just knows I’m a stalker.

Albee, did you know who Nora was before you met her?
A: Yeah, kind of through our mutual friend Lily.
N: But not the extent of my creepy love.
A: You said there was like 50 people on your wall. It’s not like I was the only one.

You could just as easily be dating Daewon Song right now.
N: Probably not. But you never know, man.

He’ll watch cat videos, but will Nora dip Copenhagen? A relationship is all about give and take. Nora flips to tail while Albee flies frontal. Love wins!  /  Photo: Chambers

So what was the connection? Was it love at first sight?
A: Our first night hanging out we laughed the whole night watching some shit on Chive TV at one of the bars and we were making fun of one of the longboard skateboarders on Chive.
N: We were just laughing watching it and I think there was definitely something happening. It took like six months and then I made the first move and the rest is history.

Had either of you dated a fellow skater or surfer before?
N: Yeah, I’ve dated skaters and people who surf but I haven’t dated anyone who is at Albee’s level of fame and fortune. Let’s put it that way.
A: But you dated skaters.
N: Yeah, I dated a skater.
A: Yeah, a dude who rips.
N: Albee is a D Vargs fan.

What about you, Albee?
A: I dated Carissa Moore for like two months one time.
N: Yeah, that’s so cute.
A: When I was like 17 or 18, though. Seventeen probably.
N: But Albee was growing pot so there was a condition to her—
A: She dumped me because I was growing weed.

Did either of you have any reservations about getting involved with a fellow skater or surfer?
N: No, because I had reservations for other reasons. I had reservations with just dating somebody that I genuinely really cared about. It’s just crazy because you don’t want to potentially ruin that friendship or something. But I think the fact that we love to do the same things was just such a given. Like it’s such a huge plus that we both love surfing and skating the way that we do. I mean, I guess it’s more of a reservation about maybe being a coworker. I don’t know. Not really, though.

What about you, Albee? Because for dudes there’s this old idea like, Dude I don’t ever wanna date a girl who skates.
A: Oh, no, I’m not worried about that. I’m pretty secure with myself. And I don’t know, it’s cool. I don’t have to explain myself when I go surf for eight hours trying a trick. ’Cause to other people that’s just crazy. It is crazy, but when you don’t have to explain it it’s nice.

When do you like to surf and skate together and when do you not like the other person to be there?
A: Nora never likes skating with me.
N: That’s not true.
A: She likes it when I’m filming her.
N: I always like to surf and skate with Albee.
A: No you don’t.
N: What are you talking about? When do I not like to skate with you?
A: A lot.
N: What do you mean?
A: You come to the park sometimes and you’re like, I’m not feeling it and you leave when I’m skating with my friends.
N: Yeah, that’s my own thing. That’s not me not wanting to skate with you. That’s my own shit. Most of the time I think Albee wants to go skate and I wanna go surf.
A: No, the waves have just been bad and the skateparks have been closed.


What about when you’re filming a trick or the waves are gigantic and dangerous. Are there ever times when you don’t want the other person to be around?
N: No, but I kind of want Albee to come out on a mission and try to see me film because he would just be another person who knows me and probably would know how to be around me in that time. He would probably offer good advice. Since last year when I was trying to film my last trick for Seance, I had gone to this spot like five times and I had just put so much time into it and I felt like it was just—it was fully up to me whether or not I wanted to land it. I thought of Albee doing some of the stuff he’s done and how in surfing you have this wave that you might get like twice a year and you have only a handful of tries and you end up pulling it and I think about how much of a bitch I am to not be able to land my trick when I have this stationary thing to try it on. That pushes me. But I don’t know, I think I would like for him to see me really battle something. What do you think, Albee?
A: I don’t even remember the question.

Is there ever a time, Albee, when you’d rather Nora not be there watching you or around when you’re surfing?
A: No, I’m always down for her to watch me when it’s bigger. One day I had to kind of help her get in while the waves were kinda good and I almost wished I was not doing that. But that was one time. We had good waves before that. They just kind of picked up out of nowhere and she got smoked.
N: Yeah. And it was only a couple minutes out of your time. That was like 20 minutes.
A: It was 30 at least.

Well, that brings me to another question: Most couples don’t get to experience this very often, but what’s it like to see a loved one eat shit?
A: It’s funny.
N: It’s scary.
A: I’m not worried about her.
N: He’s not worried about me but I saw him almost die at Jaws this year.
A: Oh yeah, that’s right. I haven’t seen her take that bad of a slam yet. I’ve seen her take some solid ones, but not one where you’re really worried. I’ve seen her get more smoked surfing than skating.

Yeah, I think surfing’s more dangerous.
N: It’s give or take.
A: I think skating’s more like you might get sore. Surfing’s more like you might die.
N: Albee had a really bad slam this year at Jaws. Like the second wave during the big event that they do there. I’d never seen Jaws break, I’d never seen anyone surf it in person and he basically just got on a really weird wave and the whole thing just fell on him and he got a really severe concussion. Watching that was pretty nuts. I just knew it was bad from the get go. Even with my lack of experience watching the guys surf it I knew right away it was bad. Seeing him being pulled up on the ski and throwing up it was just like, Dude, this guy is not okay. Yeah, it was like, I just saw him die. That was nuts. But I don’t know, I think luckily that was such a freak accident in terms of the waves he catches and stuff. I just hope that that was the worst I’ll ever see of it and next time I’ll get to see him pull out a sick barrel or something at Jaws. But yeah, it’s just part of the game.
A: Yeah, it comes with it because if you’re gonna share those moments of seeing someone pull something or make a crazy wave you have to deal with the wipeouts, too. But it’s worth it.

Couples only on the downhill  /  Photo: Chambers

Albee, what do you do to really get on Nora’s nerves?
N: He’s really good at burping.
A: Yeah. And when I clean fish, I just leave it on my hands for a couple hours after.
N: Yeah, that’s a good smell.

What about you, Nora? What do you do to bug the shit out of him?
N: I’m super needy and I crawl on him like a cat. I’m just like having a puppy. It’s like when you have a dog that thinks it’s a lapdog.
A: No, she shows me too many cat videos.
N: I show him way too much TikTok and cat videos.
A: The rest is minor. I don’t care when you crawl on me.
N: The rest is minor but the TikTok videos have got to stop.

Have you two had a fight?
N: Not like a blowout, no. I’ll say snarky shit.
A: No, we get bitchy at each other ’cause, I mean, we’re living in a tiny little space under my parents in Maui and we can’t really socialize as much and she hasn’t been able to skate and the surf’s been pretty bad for the most part. Not horrible, actually. For you it’s great. I don’t know, we just get annoyed with each other but we never get in actual fights.

Does dealing with social media ever mess with your relationship, especially one where both people are semi-public figures?
A: I don’t pay attention to my phone stuff. I feel bad for Nora ’cause she gets it way worse than me. No one’s sending me any pictures.
N: I’m one of those people where if I want to I can create a narrative in my head that’s super detrimental. Like I can go down a rabbit hole if I’m feeling bummed out or insecure. But generally, nothing happens because I wouldn’t be with Albee if I didn’t trust him. And he has to deal with probably way more shit than I would have to deal with. Guys are so weird, especially with girl skaters. I mean, you know the silly shit I get, so—
A: I don’t care ’cause I don’t believe in Instagram. It’s not the real world; it’s not real people. It’s just an online persona, so it’s better to ignore it.

Do you have cute names for each other?
A: No. We say babe way too much. It sucks.

Is that an ironic babe that became a real babe?
A: No, it’s real. I don’t like saying it but—
N: You started babe.
A: I know.
N: He loves saying it.
A: No, but we could do better. It’s so basic.
N: It’s too basic for Albee Layer.
A: Babes, you gotta add an s. Babes.
N: Babes is cute.
A: Babes sounds better.


Do you two have a song?
A: Yeah. It’s so cute. It’s like the cutest thing ever. What is it—”In Spite of Ourselves.”
N: It’s—who sings it?
A: I don’t know. It’s like this old country song.

Albee, what’s your favorite thing about Nora?
A: Her passion for what she does. I really admire how she takes the time to really give people her full attention.

What about you, Nora, what’s your favorite thing about Albee?
A: His huge cock!
N: His perfectly-average body type. No, I would agree with his passion.
A: You can’t say what I said.
N: Relax.
A: Such a cop out.
N: It’s not a cop out. His personality—I love how he has a demeanor about him and he’s not like anybody I’ve ever met. He’s very genuinely himself and he doesn’t make anything up for anybody. He just is really authentic and I feel really lucky because I know him so well and I love him. I don’t fuckin’ know. I think he’s super genuine.
A: That was acceptable.
N: And I don’t feel like he’s ever trying to be something that he’s not. That’s a really special thing.

Do you ever talk about future plans?
A: Kinda.
N: Pretty much. I mean, I’ve been in Maui for like a year.
A: It would be sick to have a house with a skatepark.
N: Yeah, we want a house with a skatepark and a bike trail and goats and kittens.
A: That’s our tentative plan.

I got you, babe  /  Photo: Chambers

What do you like to do together besides skating and surfing?
N: A lot of things. I like to—
A: Watch TV. Be honest. And we’ve been crushing the garden and cooking.
N: We’ve been gardening. He’s teaching me to cook. I’m pretty useless, so Albee’s teaching me to fish and cook. We always kind of find shit. We’re definitely like—I feel like we don’t have things that we just specifically do together, it’s kind of like—
A: Oh, longboarding. Like we were about to do.
N: Yeah, we’re about to longboard. Getting Albee to longboard is really fun. I like getting him to surf waves he doesn’t want to surf, like little shitty perfect waves that are crowded. That’s such a reward for me ’cause I know he’s probably doing it for me. But it’s cool when you get to that point where you’re with somebody that when you do your own thing and you need your own time you don’t have to tell each other about it. Like I’ll go and do my artwork and work on my own projects.
A: I’ll go to the forest and bike.
N: He goes to the forest and bike and watches his TV and dips and it’s all good.

You dip?
N: He dips, bro. He’s a country boy.

Have you tried it?
N: Me? No, I’m good.
A: I’d be so hyped. That would turn me on.
N: Really?
A: I dunno.

What else should I ask you about? What am I missing?
A: This is like couple’s therapy, but free.
N: Burnett’s couples therapy.