Big Booty Footy Review

Street skating is fairly new, so street skating videos are even newer. And since your mom doesn’t know how to film your first street skating video, and your dad thinks it’s a fucking stupid idea (yeah, why don’t you grow up and get a goddamn job?), how do you figure out how to film your first street skating video? Who do you talk to, who do you ask for advice? The answer is: nobody. You figure that shit out all by yourself. Just like Elise Koch did. We talked to her recently about the trials and tribulations that she went through whilst trying to film her first video part.

First of all, what started the whole “big booty Elise” bit?

Oh my god. So, I was working at Dairy Queen and I had a week that I would bend over and rip my pants—I ripped my pants three times in one week. Three different pairs of pants. I don’t know how because I don’t have a big butt at all, but three times in one week? Then I thought @EliseOnWheels on Instagram is so unoriginal.

When you think of that you’re like, “Oh I am so creative!” Then you realize there is @EveryoneFuckingOnWheels and it is so not original.

Yeah. Then I was hanging out with my sister and she was like, “It would be so funny if you were @bigb00tysk8rgrl because you have a pancake butt.

I am so glad I asked this question.

Then I was like, “Oh I’ll just do it for fun,” but now I am in too deep and can never change my name.

So I wanted to ask about your experience filming your first part because you did a street part with Kooky, right?

Yeah, so me and Kooky made a road trip out of it. We went to Vegas, LA, and Long Beach. I had just gotten my new camera, a VX, and I wanted to play around with it, so we decided to make a street part in a week and a half.

Was there a certain video that came out or something that made you want to start filming a part?

I don’t think there was a specific video, it was more of an absence of a street part in New York. Everybody goes to New York to film at the spots, but there haven‘t been any roller skaters that have put out a part.

Sick. Do you have a title yet? Or a song? I think those are the hardest parts.

No, I don’t have a title. Or a song. All my friends are like, “Oh you have that song you play in your head before you hit a spot, right?” I was like, “No, nothing plays in my head.” I am completely blacked out and I hope I don’t die.

Do you listen to headphones when you skate? I can’t do it. I’m too scared I will run into someone.

Exactly. I can’t do headphones, but I will do a speaker. I need the vibe, I cannot skate solo. I need a lot of people to pressure me to actually do it. If it is just me and my filmer, I would be like, “Ehhh, I don’t know. I’m going to break my neck.” Then walk away from it. Kooky and I always joke about it because I perform so well under pressure. I think that is why I enjoy competitions so much because I like attention. However, I don’t like attention when I am not skating. When I am just standing down the street I am like, “Don’t look at me.” When I have my shoes on, I’m a different person.

So how did you find the filmers that you were comfortable with?

So when I decided to start filming I just posted on my Instagram that I don’t know any filmers. Michelle [Steilen] recommended some people to me, but I was like, “Eh, I don’t know,” because I felt they were too high up for me. I wanted someone that was chill and down to hang. Very low pressure. There was a group of rollerbladers that put out a video last December and they were adamant about wanting us in their video, but it just didn’t work out. But I reached out to one of the bladers and he was so stoked. His name is Ollie and he was very excited I wanted him to help film me. He said he had been waiting for someone to ask him to help film a roller skate part.

Aw, that is so cute.

Yeah, he is so sweet. He said he is honored to film my first street part. They are also filming their winter video right now and has a spreadsheet of all of the spots they are going to hit—he is so organized. I sent him my list of spots and he has been super down to go out every single day he is off work. It is so perfect.

Have you faced any challenges from skating street spots versus the street section at the park? I feel like sometimes people might be unaware of how much of a difference it is.

Yeah, honestly it is so difficult to get your brain to be able to do tricks in the street that you are very confident with at the park. Like, we pulled up to a ledge and I was like, “I can’t do anything on this ledge,” but it was absolutely identical to the one I skate at the park. It is also so weird being in a public space. You have to worry about getting kicked out of spots or you show up and the spot is capped. You have to worry about the creeps in the street, especially in New York—you run into everybody.

What is the biggest mental block that you have had to get past?

Just jumping up on tall things. I don’t think it has ever been a mental block so much as trying to convince myself that I can jump on something. I’m 5’1”, so I pull up anywhere and I feel so little and think I can’t jump on things. Like, “It’s for tall people,” which is not true at all.

DUDE! At fucking Blading Cup you were jumping on the tallest ledge.

Yeah, I know. I don’t get it. I don’t know, I don’t have specific mental blocks. It’s more like I fall a million times and then I start crying in the street.

So do you have a vision for your ender yet?

I want to do the courthouse drop, which is an iconic skate spot. It is a ride on ledge and then a 6’ bank down to an 8’ drop over a bunch of barriers. I have been walking around telling everyone in New York I am going to hit it. It is not a secret. Now it’s like, “Oh shit I have to do it.”

Who is going to edit it?

I am going to have Kooky edit my part. She has a strong background in video and editing, she can do it very fast.

Plus being your best friend, she knows how you would want it to look.

Yeah, exactly, and she is also a roller skater. I wouldn’t want a skateboarder or blader to edit it because they don’t understand some tricks. She is also there with me filming all of the spots so she knows the clips I feel most proud of.

I don’t have specific mental blocks. It’s more like I fall a million times and then I start crying in the street.

Anything else you want to share about your new part?

Just that filming a street part is exciting, and stressful, and overwhelming all at once. I don’t think I realized that until I started getting panic attacks. I was wondering where they were coming from, but probably because when I am not skating I stay up at night thinking about spots I can skate. Then I film all day, go to a skatepark and practice, and do it all over again the next day.

When I can’t sleep, I’m just like, “Oh that is a good new switch.” I just think of new switch ups in my head.

Yeah, I stay up and watch skate videos and figure out what I like and don’t like in other people's parts.

So you watched all the videos that came out this year and judged all of them?

Yeah, pretty much. No, it’s more of a style that I like to watch. I just feel like I am still developing my style as a skater. When we came out with Kooky and I’s dual part, we both were like, “This is so embarrassing. Why did we film this? Why did we put this out?”

But that’s the fun part. And that’s how it always is. In the last independent part I put out there were so many clips I thought could be better, but that’s for the next one.

Exactly. It’s like you have to recognize you are not putting it out to brag about your skating, or show how good you are, you are putting it out to contribute to the culture and grow the sport. Roller skating is so new that we’re actually developing the sport.

It also becomes very addictive and you become obsessive. At least for me. Doing an actual premiere is insane.

Yeah, I’m kinda dreading that part. Maybe I’ll just leave during it.

No way, just take a shot and make sure you're with your best friends.

Yeah, I don’t really care what other people think of me and I don’t need validation, but I also don’t not want validation. I don’t want people to walk out and be like, “Oh that part sucked.” 

A video part is an accomplishment in itself, so you will be proud of it even if some clips you’re like, “I could have done better.”

Yeah, you’re right, I am looking forward to finishing it. Thank you so much for calling me to chat about this. I am truly honored you thought of me.

Yeah, bitch, of course I did. Thank YOU for doing this interview.