www.reneeruin.com: Oh, Boy!

It's been 5 years since Corey and I became friends. Time flies. I've always wanted to do a little something on Corey and now felt like the best time to do so. At 27 Corey has had a pretty rad life but one things for sure he hasn't lost sight of the things that matter most. Corey's charisma (whether he admits it or not) is always inviting and his awesome sense of humour and a good time is definately infectious. He's a little bit rock and little roll but that's Corey.

Skating has paved a fortunate yellow brick road for Corey and I'm sure his journey is very far from over. October 28th will see the premiere of Corey's latest skate parts in the film WTF! for Foundation Skateboards. Corey took some time out to get serious with me and answer a few questions. Enjoy!

Born & Raised? Age? What was life like growing up for you?

I was born in Sacramento, California on Wednesday, April 11, 1984. Wednesday’s child is full of woe. Being full of woe and all the weaknesses of being an Aries sure did show in my childhood and still does.

I had a normal childhood. I grew up on a cul-de-sac in a city called Walnut Creek, which is a suburb 20 miles east of San Francisco and 10 miles inland from Oakland.

I am the middle child so a lot of the time I found myself with out friends, because my brothers both had friends their age and there wasn’t a middle child, so I got left out on a lot of stuff they did. This gave me a lot of time to do other things independently. Drawing became my favourite pass time--I could sit and draw for hours. When I wasn’t working on my art I was watching gory/horror, and war movies. I would go on adventures in the hills near my house a lot or be playing sports. I was really into playing sports. I think I actually hated them, but I was good and had nothing else to do so I continued to play them. If I didn’t have to deal with coaches and some of the chumps on the team I’m sure I would have continued to pursue with sport teams.

When I was in elementary school my mom was gone a lot. She was working hard to become a Registered Nurse. For a few years she was busy with school and training. This left my older brother, Stephen, to watch over after my brother Kevin and I. Stephen was 8 or younger, I was 6 and Kevin was 4. During these times, my dad was on and off of the scene; he has some troublesome times. When my dad was around, it was the best. He’s the real McCoy: an awesome person to be around, charismatic and hilarious.  I got a skateboard for my tenth birthday, and for the next 17 years my life has been about the same. I’m 27 now.

Who is Corey Duffel?  

Quite frankly I don’t really know. One day I think I know myself well, and the next I want complete change.

What are some things you feel passionately about?

I have few passions but many loves. I am most passionate when it comes my Family and friends, music and skateboarding.

I utterly love so much more though; I just don’t have the same emotions towards these other things. My newest great love would be for motor bikes—scooters and motorcycles. This is becoming a passion though. It has become a way of life for me. When I got on a bike for the first time it became an instant life long love. I had not felt this way since the time I first started skateboarding.

Some fancies of mine are things of the supernatural, dark and macabre.

I don’t wanna bore you all with my fancies. I will just ramble on and on about stuff that gets me stoked.

When did you start skateboarding and was it something you always wanted to do as a career?  

I got a skateboard when I was 10. I didn’t know I could do it as a career until I hit my 20s. It was a way of life and I just wanted to ride.

What's the best thing about skateboarding?

I get frustrated with skateboarding now. It’s become something I just don’t love like it I once did. It is not the same scene that I once knew—it has gone in a direction I don’t much care for. I do love riding my skateboard still. Hauling ass down hills with friends is my favourite thing to do still. My love for being on a skateboard has never died and never will.

What do you consider one of your biggest skateboarding accomplishments?

Traveling the globe

When you're not skating what are you doing?

Right now as I type this I'm watching the Raiders football game and eating blueberry muffins with Rachel and Crashdog.

When I’m not on tour or skating the bay area, I am home, lounging around being a fat ass and taking care of stuff that I never wanted to do a few years back. Getting older just means more responsibilities. I spend a lot of time lurking in the garage with friends blasting music and talking about good times while tooling around with something.

I enjoy going on bike runs with my bros too.

From the first time you became very visual on the skateboarding scene to now, your outward image has definitely changed. From punk kid to tough biker guy...I'm assuming a lot more has changed than just your image?

 

My looks change quite a bit. A lot of it is just me getting older and being lazy or being influenced by new people and things. I may change my looks here and there, and truthfully I don’t care what people think. It annoys me when people are so worried about what I do. I’m still the same person inside with the same passions that I’ve always had. I’m a man who loves music and skateboarding.

Straight up—that is who I am. If you can’t dig that, then we wont get along.
I never was a punk and I’m not a tough guy either. Collecting punk and powerpop, Darkwave records and dressing like a rocker is what I’m about. Just some dude that loves rock and roll. Punk rock music is still a huge part of my life and fashion sense, but Ive never been into the punk way of life. I’m a mod, if anything: I believe in moving forward and being productive.

I’m almost 28; I can’t go around acting like a child my whole life. I never wanted to grow up, and then I realized that attitude doesn’t get you far. I’m not saying I’m an old cunt that doesn’t wanna have fun, I’ve just learned from so many mistakes in the past.

Some people that you aspire and look up to?

Oscar Wilde, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Mark Burgess, Simon Gallup, Billy Bragg, Tim Burton, Pete Townsend, western outlaws, 1% bikers from the old days, and the people of Japan.

Do you ever feel like you get pigeonholed as some kind of tattoo punk rebel type?

Only in skateboarding. People outside of skateboarding seem to be a lot more open-minded and don’t care how I look. Maybe they just mind their own business and have nothing to say. I’m sure when I'm not around people say stuff. But they aren’t on skate forums talking about it haha.

I don’t have visible tattoos beside one of snoopy riding a skateboard.
Normies might think I’m a chump or look at me like I am at times, but I never get shit from these people. But in skating I do anything there’s always stuff to be said. It is very annoying that skateboarders care so much what other skaters are doing.

And how do you feel about that?

I learned a long time ago you can’t please everyone or worry about what others think. I’d be pissing in the wind all day if I did.

Look out after yourself and the ones you care about.

If you don’t like me I don’t care, cause I probably don’t like you either.

Skateboarders & Ladies...is there time & how do you deal with female attention? 

I think its awesome when chicks skateboard. I can’t understand how chicks dig skaters. We always have sweaty balls and make ugly faces while skating. It's only teenyboppers who like skateboarding, and I’m way expired in that category. I now just look like a creep with a lemmy stasche. I don’t think young girls fancy that, unless they have a crush on their friend’s dad.

What’s your take on lust, love and love lost?

Its just a little lust, so what’s all the fuss.
I’m in love and it’s pretty groovy.
No love lost. Find some one better and move on.

What do you find the most attractive in the opposite sex?

A woman! A lady that takes care of her self. Works hard and doesn’t depend on a man. I like girls who are strong and have their own dreams and passions and make things happen. That is what gets me stoked.