Mud Smith aka @angxxiety is a park rat. So, of course, their first edit for Chuffed Skates is filmed in a skatepark. Watch the former gymnast throw the cleanest flips, gnarly grinds and rail slides in Denver; and read our interview where they give some insights into the making of the project.
Mud, congrats to Park Rat. In what timespan did you film the video?
Thanks so much! Me and my roommate Esty actually started filming on my 18th birthday, so around 4.5 months.
Your bag of tricks is amazing but your clean flips stand out. You are a former gymnast; do you practice your flips off-skates before you take them to the transition?
Absolutely, yes I do. All of the flips I do on skates I’ve been doing for years in gymnastics. I think that a safe learning environment like a gym can be truly invaluable for improvement. A local gym or similar resource is something I always want to encourage skaters to find, when accessible!
Did you dream up any tricks you wanted to do for this edit?
There was definitely a mixture of coming up with ideas on the spot and planned tricks. A lot of them came from getting to explore the parks here in Denver and see what was cool. I think the first trick I went in to a park knowing I wanted to do that day was the spine death drop. I had seen pictures of that bowl and immediately thought about how cool a trick like that would be on a vert spine, I think that one is eight or nine feet.
Best and worst moments while filming?
The lowest moments filming were definitely the injuries. The biggest one, breaking my teeth, was really difficult for me mentally. It happened at a hard time for me, and since birth I’ve had a hard time staying still. I like to be constantly in movement, figuratively and literally. Injuries always get to me, but that one really shook me up. On the other hand, an amazing moment that sticks out to me was filming the ending trick. I remember texting the friend group chat like “Imagine how cool it would be if I did this trick.” At that point it was essentially hypothetical. But then a week or so later I landed it, and I always feel proud thinking about that. To know that I’ve been able to do things I never thought I could; it means a lot.
What’s next for you?
I honestly don’t know! I absolutely want to work on more skating projects. I’d love to make more long form and artistic creations, really push what I can do with skating as an expression of self. Making PARK RAT was a really amazing introduction into the process. I hope the future is bright… and maybe a little scary.