Quit Your Job: Glenn Wignall Skates and Makes Beer for a Living

This article is supported by Nike SB, who are launching their new film 'Cumberland County' on May 6 at Martin Place Amphitheatre, 5pm.__ Ahead of its release, Dan Bicker—co-founder of U.P.S. Skate Shop—interviewed three generations of Sydney skaters to find out about the resurgence of the city's scene

Glenn Wignall has been skating the streets of Sydney for almost 12 years now. Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, Glenn came over on a skate trip with friends and ended up staying for the long haul.

Glenn has a particular eye for skate spots, seeking out untouched and hard to skate areas all over Sydney as well as enjoying skating spots like Chifley Plaza and Cannon ball.

We had a beer with Glenn at the Grifter Brewery in Marrickville (which he co-owns) and chatted to him about how he seamlessly balances skating, family life, and owning a business.

VICE Sports: What made you make the move over to Sydney?
Glenn Wignall: I got some friends together for a skate trip to Sydney and as soon as we got here we all decided we wanted to stay here for a while. I ended up loving it so much that I stayed for a couple of months. My girlfriend moved over and we've been here ever since.

What do you think separates the Sydney skate scene from other cities?
I would say it's a lot more relaxed in comparison to other cities. It's not as competitive and spots aren't as rinsed out. Sydney's more of an untapped resource for finding spots. It's good going to a spot that everyone hasn't done something on. You can go for a drive here find a spot and get something on it and for the most part it will be left alone for a while. That's what I like about skating: finding something that's never been skated.

Do you have a favourite spot in Sydney?
These days it's harder for me to get out and skate for a full day so I'll normally go warm up at a skate park then go to some weird spot on the side of the road.

Back when I first moved out here and I was out skating every day; the Red Bull spot in Alexandria was my go to while it lasted. The ledges were really good at that spot, but it was pretty short lived. Otherwise you would find me at Cook and Phillip, and Cannon Ball most weekends.

How has the scene changed over the last few years?
It's hard to say because I've been a bit removed from the scene over the last few years with work and family stuff taking over. But in saying that it's good going out and seeing a lot of new faces skating and killing it.

There's a whole new generation of Sydney skaters coming through. They're the ones that are out there these days finding the spots and filming. I do feel a little disconnected, but it's a good feeling knowing these dudes are out there doing exactly what I was doing at that age.

Yeah it's good to see that younger generation come up, there are a lot of good kids coming out of Sydney at the moment.
I've been skating more lately so I'm getting to know some of the new dudes, which is cool.

Is there anyone you particularly admire in the Sydney skate community?
I guess first of all Trent Evans for coming to Sydney and being as passionate about skateboarding and the local scene as he is. Seeing him run a successful skate company is pretty inspiring to me and it has helped me a lot with my brewing.

Also Faz (Daniel Farrell), who runs U.P.S. with you, for all of the effort and passion he's put in to the Sydney skate scene over the last few years with the shop, which I'm sure isn't easy. I don't really hang out at skate shops anymore but I know how important they are for the skate community.

Also all of the older dudes that are still skating. It's good seeing the younger guys but I get hyped seeing the older guys I use to skate with back in the day that are still killing it. That's what gets me stoked.

Trent and those guys have done a lot with the Sydney Skateboard Association over the last few years.
Yeah, their hard work has given a bit more of a voice to the skaters. We never really had anything like that in the past.

What does a typical day out skating involve?
I have to be pretty organised these days with work and having a family. Sometimes I just go out and go with the flow for the most part. I'll go skating to go skating because it's fun, but I usually have some spots in mind if someone comes along to film.

How has it been filming for this new Nike SB 'Cumberland County' clip?
It's been alright. It's kinda funny because me, Bernie, and Pete are the older dudes. I've been involved with Nike SB for a while now but didn't really see this coming. So when Middsy called and told me about it I thought it was a good idea and was stoked to be a part of it.

Was it hard trying balance filming with brewing?
It worked out well. At first they just asked for two tricks and I was pretty positive I could get that. Then it went from there—not that I have a huge chunk of footage, but I definitely surprised myself with the amount of stuff I got.

There's such a good mix in this video with you and Bernie, and then the younger guys like Noah and Charles.
Yeah, there's the older dudes, then guys like Josh and Juan, and then there's the even younger dudes coming up. The thing that I get stoked on is that I didn't even know there was a Sydney Nike SB team until I was thrown into this group. That's what motivated me to pull my finger out a little bit and start filming.

I think Sydney's been quietly killing it.
This is also the first time they have put us up there, it's always been pretty Melbourne heavy, so it's good to see Sydney in there as well. I think part of the reason it's been kind of dormant in the past is because guys like Chami and Choi moved away for a while and they are real passionate about documenting skateboarding. Not that there hasn't been anyone to film with, but it definitely helps having those guys around.

This article is supported by Nike SB