Meet: Working for the City
By Josh Parker • Feb 2nd, 2011 • Category: Features, Just Teasers, Latest, Meet
Who the fuck is Jon Stark? What’s your background?
I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. I moved out when I was 18 years old to Colorado straight hustling since. I was an intern at Ashbury last year and things have been rolling ever since.
How’d you get the internship at Ashbury?
Last year I had dropped out of CU and moved up to Summit County. I was just snowboarding every day and working at Breck. Then in December I slipped and fell on a handrail and lacerated my kidney. I nearly died and spent 13 days in the hospital. They said my season was over and I was trying to find something to do with the rest of my time. I thought it would be fucking rad to intern at Ashbury so I sent them the best email I have ever written. They were stoked on it and invited me to come down and work in Southern California.
How was working for Ashbury, Southern California in general, and why aren’t you there anymore?
The Ashbury experience was short but sweet. I got 10 years of snowboard industry experience crammed into 4 and a half months. I definitely learned a lot. Southern California was sunny all the time, there were no seasons, and a lot of traffic. It sucked. I moved because I like being were I’m comfortable. I wasn’t comfortable in LA because it’s not my scene. Pretentiousness is pretty intense there. I like the feeling of a small community more than the shit storm that is LA.
So how did you go from being an intern to wanting to make a movie?
I made a lot of friends when I was interning at Ashbury who I wanted to work with. I love making movies. I took a loan out and I’m making it happen.
You love making movies? What other movies have you made?
(Laughing) House of 1817 Goes to Hood. Holler at your boy Jake OE.
So you made one web edit and now you think you’re a pro?
I like a challenge. I can figure it out.
Who is filming with you and how did you pick the riders?
Some friends I met in Bear, some from Minnesota, some kids from California, and a few I met in Utah. I liked their styles and personalities.
But you live in Colorado, how are you going to make it work?
I love traveling, I love being on the road. The loan helped a lot. I can go anywhere.
How you plan on paying back the loan? Are you going to be selling the movie?
Hopefully I can get a real job doing this one day and pay it off. As Justin Meyer once told me, “You have to lose money to make money.” I don’t know yet if it will be a free movie or something you pay for.
How did you come up with the name Working for the City?
I did a small trip in the fall to visit Jonas Michilot and Brandon Larson in Minneapolis over Labor Day weekend. We started drinking one night and got my first tattoo. Jonas put on a record of Living in the City by Stevie Wonder and as I got drunker through out the night, the lyrics changed from “living in the city” to “working for the city” and it applied to everything I wanted to do.
You are an interesting character and your prone to freak outs or as we call it, “Starking out.” How do you deal with the stress of making a movie?
I smoke a lot of weed.
How much is a lot?
Never enough.
Are you making the whole movie by yourself?
No, I brought on John Cywinski. He’s an amazing filmer, a great friend, and an awesome eater. He previously has been involved with Magic Hair Productions and helped a little with Back to the Boneyard. He is a keefy editor.
What the fuck does keefy mean?
It means Dank. It’s like good. It’s like heady bro.
What riders are you the most stoked on? Who has been stacking?
Kent Leng has been killing it. Danimals is the dude. Blake Rhodes Reid has been doing awesome. Fucking Connor Southerd has been doing amazing things out there.
What influences you as a filmer/editor and what can people expect from the movie?
I’m influenced by Videograss, Baker 3, Kidsnow, and anything with a good vibe in snowboarding. You can expect…fuck I don’t know, hopefully a good movie. Something people will remember.
Who is backing you on this? Any sponsors?
YoBeat, Ashbury, and Hobo Shredwear so far.
Any last words?
I don’t know. I’m retarded and stoned.
Ok, just give me the rider list.
Kent Leng, Connor Southard, Colin Ofloy, Richie Conklin, Pat Garvin, Ian Dodds, Dan Liedahl, Colton Morgan, Josh Parker, Justin Fronius, Blake Rhodes-Reid, Jordan Michilot, Brandon Larson, Cole Linzmeyer, Jordan Daniels, Jayell White, Kyle Fischer, Alex Cato, Headwrap, Torrey Lyons, Durell Williams, Jordan Emerson, Austin Leonard, and Cole Atencio. I also want to thank all the filmers out there that have submitted footage: Jake Durham, Rob Millon, Marty, and many more. Oh and I wanna give a special thanks To Lance, Mike, Nima and High Def Jeff.
And now, the official first teaser for Working for the City.
HELL YES STARK!!!
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holy fuck the last shot is when cole got the head injury right? hope your doing better mang
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nutty last shot, nutty
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Nice JStarks. Point it.
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das a gooooood boy!
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glad you’re doing better cole
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i love dis hoood shit!
DAM! that endda was nasty! crazy nigga!
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Hell yeah Stark!
Miss you man. Holdin it down in the cold.
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so many people almost died in that there minute and a half. i saw a board brake down the center!
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cole atencio slam of the century! gonna be a good movie
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Heady
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YEZZURRRRR!
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That teaser is way sick Dood!
Sicker than chimp frogging!
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I love the feel of this movie!
Please post edits or something.
Hungry for more WFTC!
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Whoever this cole person might be I say he is truly the champ of the century and hope he is alright. scary
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Jon starks ur a beast kid…
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i can’t tell what happened in the last clip. did he clip the beginning of the rail while gaping?
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Gonna be soo sick.
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Dave is hyped on this shit!
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Oh Jon I miss you!
Your interview is so great! I have been watching all of your videos & loving your blog every morning. LOLOL when I drink some coffee. Stokes me out so much in the morning. But anyways hope to see you soon starky!
LOL BBye
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Yeah Jon!
That was sicker than so much stuff, FUCK!
That was awesome! That was Soo Soo sick!!!
Post more stuff, we all want more!
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Dope as fuck
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I am really down for this teaser. The vibe I got from it just made me super excited to go film. Keep inspiring us!
Good work
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Who was that kid at the end?
Is that kid okay?
Sweet teaser
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That was cole atencio & he is making a recovery.
Never heard of working for the city till that hyland edit & I must say I’m backing it
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Wow, this is going to crush all my movies.
Nice job.
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Hey FUCK YOU EDWARD SCISSOR HANDS!
if your going to pretend to be me in a made fun of name way the go have sex with a goat off a waterfall you idiot stump!
Uhhhh, so lame.
Teaser is awesome though
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Where we are going we don’t need roads.
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Hey man I like you. But get the FUCK BACK IN THE STUDIO!
I aint tryin to make a broke ass platinum remix album.
So get yo white ass ova here and make some beats!
I’m ready
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House of 1817!
Fo lyfe!
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Doods props to both johns making this & riders too
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So many crazy tricks! Can’t wait for this video
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The quality of this is nice and I really liked the song.
Front three to that green down flat down was mean!
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Can I get one of these sent to my house?
What’s the song?
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I think I’ve watched this like 200 times already. Its so rad!
The riding is so next level
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Rawhide – Blues Brothers
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I want to go to these spot. Anyone know where they are?
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The under dogs telling everybody what’s up. Love that.
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This video is going to fuck shit up!!
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If my money situation wasn’t tight right now I’d love to sponsor this movie.
I would like to see the outcome of it all. I think it’ll be well.
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This is a neat little project you’re making. I have used IMovie a couple times so I understand how hard this is. But I was been making music for a couple years now & would live to maybe talk about working together in terms of music so hit me up on FB.
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@ richie conklin
why did you comment under my name your weird.
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dan liedahl is a fucking thug. among many others in this move
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Sooo many up and coming heavy hitters in this! I’d buy it
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boom goes the dynamite
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that was fucking awesome!
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im expecting some next lever bonus features
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jenky
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