Peter Raffin Online Roll Call

davechami

• August 05 2009
• 3,545 views
• 26 comments

I started shooting with Peter shortly before deadline for Black Labels new video God Save The Label. He was on a tear but unfortunately we didn’t have time to get his photos into the mag before the video dropped. So we’ve decided to put ‘em up here right now and he’ll just have to shoot some more photos for the mag, and you know what, that’s fine with him because the cheeky bugger is always on a tear! Pete is a solid dude on and off the board who isn’t afraid to spin a yarn, talk some shit, or take some ink for his favorite company, read on…. Dave Chami

Portrait. Chami

Q. If you were marooned on a deserted Island for the next 10 years with one of the Black Label team members who would you choose and why?

A.  Alf, because it would never be boring, kick back and see some shit happen. Actually maybe I’d go with Vince because he could probably build a house out there.

Q. If you were marooned on a deserted Island for the next 10 years with one of the Tiltmoders who would you choose and why?

A. The one and only Gjuan cuz that dude is the shit, he’s so fun to be around and does not give a f—k!

Q. If you were marooned on a deserted Island for the next 10 years with any female who would you choose and why?

A. Kim Kardashian, or some hot ass Mexican chick with a nice ass.

Backside 180. Chami

Q. You live with your Grandparents and I hear your Grandpa is quite a character, tell me a story about him.

A. Daryl Angel stayed the night at my house once when we were younger and we went out to eat. Daryl kept f—king around with my Grandpa at dinner so my Grandpa is all, “I’m going to get you Daryl.” Daryl’s like, “No you won’t.” Nothing happened the rest of the night and we pretty much forget about it. My Grandpa came in the room at 6 the next morning and grabbed Daryl by his throat and says, ”I got you didn’t I?” Scared the shit out of Daryl. Don’t mess around with Mr. Raffin.

Fakie flip, photos: Tonascia.

Q. I heard you used to work for a place called Happy Hound, tell me about that.

A. It’s a Hot Dog place and it sucks. My mom was a manager at Happy Hound so I got a job there when I was 14 through to 18 and all I did was mess around. I hate that place..

Nosegrind. Chami

Q. Why can’t you go to the Roosevelt Skatepark and why did you sit in Carson’s car there with your sunglasses on while everyone else skated?

A. I can skate there, the reason I didn’t that day is that some friends that I grew up with are “Vatos” and a couple of them f—ked up these rival members who hang out near the skatepark. So I’m pretty much guilty by association, I will skate there all day!

Frontside pop shove-it backside 50-50. Photos: Tonascia

Q. You rode for Powell back in the day, how did you go from there to Black Label?

A. I was at my first ASR, I was just walking around the place and I saw the Black Label booth where they were watching their promo video. John Lucero came up to me and we talked a bit. After that I went on a Powell trip and was over it, John had apparently been trying to get a hold of me, someone gave me John’s number and I was scared to call him for about a week. When I did it was the best thing in my life! I quit Powell and they put all my footage online, tried to f—k me over.

Ollie. Chami

Pete’s hands after a typical session. Chami

Q. How do Powell trips differ from Label trips?

A. On a Powell trip you have these assholes telling you how to skate and what to do, trying to turn you into a brainless robot on a skateboard, no creativity at all, that’s a Powell trip in a nutshell. Label trips are awesome ’cause everyone on the team has each others backs and are down for one another. We skate all day together, it’s a real team, and we actually have Fun!

Q. You have a Label tat, how did that come about?

A. They got my back and I got there’s.

Frontside Noseslide. Tonascia

Q. Why did you get arrested at Mardis Gras in San Jose?

A. Alright so I had some devil’s lettuce in my pocket, a cop came by and randomly stopped me, he checked my pockets and found the goods. So he gave me a ticket for that and told me to go home. I was walking home and took 2 steps off a curb when another cop grabbed me and said, “Come here you’re getting a J- walking ticket.” While he’s writing me up I told him I had just gotten a ticket, he looks at my first ticket and then looks at my second ticked and starts saying that I gave him false information. The first cop had written down my first and last names the wrong way around but there was no explaining that to him so they took me to the cells for 6 hours.

Q. One of your buddies told me you got kicked out of a bar and maced in your eyes, how did you manage that?

A. We had a thousand dollar bar tab, Vince Del Valle, Peter Watkins and I were raging hard and the bouncer in the bar we were at had just had enough. We had chicks boobs out in the bar and the bouncer came up to me and said, “You’re out!” I’m like “No!” then he threw me out, maced my face, and broke my phone.

Frontside bigspin. Photos: Chami.

Q. You just finished filming for the new Black Label vid, tell me about it.

A. Unfortunately I was hurt for most of the time, I just filmed at home in San Jose with my friends. I’m not satisfied with my part but that’s it.

Frontside 180. Chami

Getting towed into the Frontside 180 by Daryl Angel and Hyphy Joe. Chami

Q. Why live in San Jose?

A. Cause people in San Jo are real! Nobody is a wannabe rock star, plus we’re close to San Francisco and the East Bay.

Q. Where is Thai food from?

A. Fool I’m on a computer, that shits from Thailand!

Backside 360 ollie. Photos: Tonascia.