#twsfeatures

Alec Majerus sealed his destiny at age nine when he chose flipskater63 as one of his first email addresses. Having held on to it for some 12 years since, he initially never actually believed he would one day be riding for the company—until it happened. After his childhood dream became a reality, Alec also learned the harsh realities of skating for one of the heaviest stair-jumping outfits in the industry: cleanly breaking his leg in 2014—not from any specific trick, but simply from the buildup of stress placed on the leg through repeated impact. If that weren’t enough, immediately after surgery for the broken leg, he underwent a second emergency surgery when the metal pins inserted set off a staph infection. Back on his board since March of 2015, Alec breaks down the upcoming adidas full-length Away Days, chooses his Minnesota greats, and chronicles his path from Flip fan boy to Flip poster child.—Mackenzie Eisenhour
Photos By Sem Rubio

We’re two months in right now. How’s the New Year been treating you?
It’s been good so far. Just a lot of trips. A lot of traveling.

How long have you guys been out in Miami?
Just since last Thursday.

Had you been out there before?
I was here for an adidas trip last year. But that was the only other time I had been here. I’m feeling it though. It’s nice.

How is Away Days looking?
Away Days is going good. We’ve done a lot of really good trips for it. 

How long has it been officially going? Like a year or so?
Maybe a little longer than that. People have been filming for maybe like two years or so. Even before it was announced.

“I FOUND OUT LATER THAT IT WAS ALREADY CRACKED OR FRACTURED, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW IT. THAT WAS WHAT THE PAIN WAS FROM.”

Do you know how your part is looking?
I’m pretty hyped on what I have so far for it. I broke my leg back in 2014, so I was out for almost a whole year. So that was sort of a major setback.

How did you break it?
I broke it on King Of The Road actually. It was one of those things that had sort of built up over time I guess. But it was towards the end of King Of The Road and my knee was hurting me really bad. It was kind of giving out and stuff. I knew I shouldn’t be skating, but there was a challenge that I thought I could do. It was a kickflip front noseblunt down a nine [stair]. I went for it one try, warming up, just kind of kickflipped over the rail and landed completely normal, but my leg just snapped. I found out later that it was already cracked or fractured, but I didn’t know it. That was what the pain was from. It just snapped right where your shinbone connects to the knee.

Oh, man. That’s gnarly.
Yeah. I had to get flown from where I was on the road back to the hospital in my town. They did the surgery there and put metal pins in it and then I got a staph infection. So then they had to do another emergency surgery to take the metal out. And they’re not supposed to take the metal out for a year usually, but it ended up being okay after that.

Such a nightmare.
Yeah. When I first broke it, I went in and the nurse, it was a male nurse, and he was like, “Oh wow, this is impressive. You’re obviously never skating again.” I was just sitting there tripping like, “What the fuck, don’t tell me that.” I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

When did you finally get back on it?
I think I started skating again like March of this past year. Its pretty much 100 percent now. It still gets a little sore after I skate, but it’s pretty much back to normal now. 

Was that pretty much your first big injury?
For sure. I had never had anything like that ever, where I had to sit out for that long and everything.

Did it change your approach at all?
Not really. It was just a weird occurrence. I don’t know how my leg had gotten cracked originally. But it basically started from that. It had built up over time. I didn’t even know your body could do that really.

“YOU KNOW HOW IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN YOU’RE HYPED, YOU SEEM TO GET LUCKIER.”

Four Minnesota greats?
Mine would probably be Chad Benson. I would see him at 3rd Lair [skatepark] all the time. Then also Cody Davis. When I was real little I would always see him there too. I know he’s maybe not viewed as a “legend” or anything, but he was so fucking good. Growing up, he was close to my age and I would just watch him skate and be like, “What the fuck?!” I knew he was sponsored and stuff too. Obviously Davis Torgerson too. Growing up he was always the older dude who was killing it and sponsored too. Then last, I’ll go with Clint Peterson. He’s beast.

How was it coming up there?
It was great. I mean, for a long time I never really saw other really good skateboarders. Before I got my license at 16, I never really went to the Minneapolis area. I always stayed in the Rochester area where I lived. Once we got old enough, we would drive up to the cities. But I moved to California when I turned 18, so there was really only a two-year window where I was doing that.

Best memories from the Tampa Am win [2012]?
I was so surprised that I even made it into the finals. And then, I don’t know, I guess I just got lucky and landed my whole run. I think, honestly, it was because I was so happy being in there—having such a good time with all the bros—that I got lucky. You know how it seems like when you’re hyped, you seem to get luckier.

Yeah, fully. Like if you’re bummed, it almost attracts the bad shit.
Yeah, exactly. I was just so hyped to be there. I think it all worked from there.

How did you wind up on Flip?
When I first started coming out to Cali I would stay with Louie [Lopez] through us both riding for Volcom. So I skated and lived with him for weeks at a time when Volcom would fly me out to Cali, and we were both doing online school together too. Finally Flip approached me like, “Hey, you’re always skating with Louie anyways, might as well ride for us.”

Were you a big Flip fan coming up?
It’s crazy, when I was really young, like eight or nine, I made my email address flipskater63. I kept that address forever. I still have it. Even when I was getting flow for Alien [Workshop] before I got on Flip they would say stuff like, “You need to change your email.” But I never did. Then I ended up actually getting on Flip and still had that email, and I was just thinking like, “Whoa, that kind of worked out.” My first board I ever had was a Flip board.

I saw your email and was wondering, it looks like a little kid’s email.
[Laughs] Yeah, well, that’s why. At first when I got on it tripped me out. I felt like I didn’t deserve to be on the team.

Thoughts on Geoff Rowley leaving?
I don’t really know too much about it. He told me recently he’s happier than he’s been in a long time, so I guess he did what he had to do. He’s just trying to skate and have fun. Obviously though it’s a bummer not to have him as a teammate.

How was your experience with Street League?
Not bad. I’m not in it right now, but I got to skate it a few years back as an alternate. Last year I got to skate some of them too. I was at the Chicago one and had a broken foot, but I wanted to skate so bad that I ended up skating anyways. I couldn’t even practice, but I waited for the contest to start and got my adrenaline going and tried some tricks.

“MEANING OF LIFE: DON’T STRESS. HAVE FUN. NOTHING REALLY MATTERS.”

Do you feel relaxed in there?
It’s cool. It’s nerve-racking at first. But once you’re out there skating with everyone, it’s actually pretty mellow after you shake off the jitters. It’s actually a very mellow contest format, because everybody goes in turns and you’re all talking between tries.

How many Cheech and Chong Tom Penny boards have you ridden?
Oh, the thing is I love that graphic and I love to ride them too, but they only make them on P2 boards now, so I don’t really ride those. I do have one hung up over my couch at home though. That graphic is legendary.

Most-used app on your phone?
I’ll say Maps, because I don’t know where shit is in California. I have to use my Maps to go everywhere.

First video you memorized?
Almost, Round 3 [’04]. I played that shit every single day. I didn’t really know about skate videos for a long time. I loved skating, but one day my homey asked me like, “Hey, do you like videos?” I was like, “What do you mean?” And he handed me Round 3 and was like, “Here, I got you this for Christmas.” I watched it and loved it. I was a huge [Ryan] Sheckler fan after that.

First board graphic you fell in love with?
Like I said, the first one I ever had was the classic Flip logo board with the red and black. It was right when they had the grooves in the board that were supposed to make you slide better or something.

The “New Wave” boards or something?
Yeah. That was my first board. I had that shit for at least a year. I loved it.

What is the meaning of life?
Meaning of life: Don’t stress. Have fun. Nothing really matters.

Skateboarders who are doing it right in 2016?
Miles Silvas, Louie Lopez, and Mason Silva. I think that those guys are fucking on it right now.