Welcome to the Team - Parker Schmidt

May 05, 2016

Parker Schmidt has been working his way onto the Omen Team for a couple of years now, by showing up to events, being stoked, and always finding time to get out and skate. So we caught up with him in between the school grind and living in a Winter Desert to see what he had been up to and talk to him about his long road to getting on OMEN, and the struggles of collecting good media, dodging hill billies, and apple juice filled super soakers!


Parker fully engaged in skate face while younglings stand by, jaws agape...

(nate) Hey Parker, stoked that we got to meet up at the Maryhill Ratz Spring Freeride! How has life been treating you? What have you been stoking on recently?

(parker) Hey Nate! The Spring Freeride was a blast as all the Freerides are. I've just been trying to keep the vibes flowing here in Boise. I'd say that I'm mostly psyched for the summer break to begin as my first IDF racing season and be able to travel with the Omen fam once again.

 

(nate) Tell the people a lil, about your self, age, style, and such?

(parker) I'm Parker Schmidt, currently a 16 year old high school student, currently living in Boise, Idaho. My favorite style of riding would be fast freeride but ensuring a flowy style. My favorite food is a toss up between cereal and burritos. I'd say my favorite place to skate would be Seattle due to the people I get to skate with there.

(nate) Yeah, Seattle has all the homies for sure. How long have you been riding for OMEN Longboards? Was it all handed to you, or did you have to work for it?

(parker) There wasn't ever an official "Welcome to the Omen Team" greeting until now. Over the past two years it was just getting to know the current Omen riders and befriending them, as well as, skating as a team at local events, then eventually just making a name for myself in the local community. Then one day, a few months later, ended up sleeping in your greasy garage for the week in Seattle skating.

Mr. Schmidt slips gracefully through a corner on some cool wheels.

(nate) Yeah, my garage is a real hunk a shit, but at least the hills were cool. How often are you skating and collecting media? About how much of the media that you collect ends up getting used?

(parker) Every time I'm out skating, I ask one of the locals to take a photo so that you don't eat me for lack of bangers. I'm pretty critical and always wanting a better photo. Seems I'm always saying, "just one more" and get an eye roll from my photographer. It's always so satisfying to get that ONE shot, confident that I might have just killed it. I'll say the bar has been set for the quality of photos that I have to submit each time. It drives me to send it harder and know that it's only the most prime photos that make it.
(Parker on Instagram)

 

(nate) You have been working on your welcome to the team video for quite some time now. How has it been gathering up all the shots that you want, and editing the clips down?

(parker) Oh yeah this video....it's been a real-somethin. You'll notice that I had gone through two sets of pucks and into my third set by the end of the video. It was definitely a process going up every week to film follow-runs, taking 15+ tries to get the one. An incredible process for sure, but I don't want to put out sub-par skating.

Nwest Media photo as P-Schmidt rages the Maryhill Curves. 

(nate) How likely are you to attack me based on the amount of times I made you re-edit the video? (close to 10 times)

(parker) Oh, I'll for sure be getting you back next time I see you. And making sure to document it for something to hold against you...

 

(nate) What is the scene like out in Boise? How many people are skating out there? Are there any good hills? Is there a cool local shop helping you out?

(parker) The local shop here "The Boardroom" always has supported us with whatever events we throw, especially with the annual Bogus Basin Gravity Games. Scene here is small but the hills are not. You can definitely attest to that, being here a handful of times to hit my butter smooth, 9 mile long, "drive way." Going 30-minutes outside of Boise, in any direction, you'll find yourself in the deep potato-filled wilderness surrounded by hills, not saying that they're always the most forgiving, but they are fun.

A screen capture from the "Driveway" video that helped put Parker on the map.

 

(nate) How has skating in Boise shaped your style of riding?

(parker) A large majority of the hills here are chip sealed over but just too awesome not to hit. So I have learned to embody the "jesus that the wheel" mentality, and be able to mob down technical neighborhood hills with all sorts of pavement. As far as the deep mountain hills go, I’ve grown accustomed to only getting one run before getting kicked out by the hillbillies who don’t want us to touch their home brewed potato moonshine.

 

(nate) We met up about two years ago at the Maryhill Festival of Speed, and I believe I was spraying you with a super soaker filled with Apple Juice in triple digit heat. Has our relationship gotten better since then?

(parker) Hahaha, I had totally forgot about that time. I'd say that for sure our relationship has developed over these last two years. From some random unknown-kooky Boise kid to one of your kooky team riders, now to someone who you'll certainly be hazing during our trips I would say it has gotten better, now I know you attack with love.

 

(nate) You used to be a skinny little stick who I could push all the way down Maryhill without trying, and recently you have put on some weight and gotten some leathers, and are way harder to keep up with. Are you going to be racing this year?

(parker) Yeah Zumba class at the YMCA has really been paying off. And you bet your buckets I'm going to be crushing it this year up north with the Omen boys!

Putting those Zumba classes to good use in front of a pack at Maryhill. Nwest Media Photo.

(nate) What types of events and trips have you been to / are going to with the #mobileruckus? Any Tours?

(parker) For the most part I've been keeping it Northwest, going to Freeride events in Portland, Seattle and Boise of course. And of course,  I'm going to be tagging along with them on the #omenbackdoortour to Canada! Couldn't be anymore excited to be racing at Whistler and Maryhill, as well as, riding at Sun Peaks, Giants Head, and Saltspring Slasher.

 

(nate) What is the event / events you enjoy the most? How come?

(parker) So far you could name any Maryhill Freeride and I could tell you a crazy story from each one. From what I've heard, Giants Head is very...very lit, so I guess that is the one I want to go to most.

 

(nate) What is your current setup that you are riding?

(parker) My current freeride set up is the 2016 Omen Airship, choice pick of wheels would be the Free Willies and trucks would be 47* PNL Strummers.

For downhill I alter between the Omen Griffon and Riot, with the fast roll speed of the Free Loaders and my split Precision Ronins set at 45*/30*.

Death from Above as a picture of Parker is snapped as his glides into an apex on his Griffon.

(nate) You were sent out some of the Proto Gold Standard Wheels, how have those been?

(parker) Amazing, a great improvement from the OG formula. The new gold standards feel much more controllable and I can feel a distinct hook up without sacrificing the possibility for long slides. As well as twice the thane lines as the original formula.  

Gold Standard Proto's getting tested in the Boise back woods.

(nate) Any shout outs, call outs, or thanks you wanna give before we end?

(parker)Of course I'd love to shout out my beautiful mother / trapqueen and my motivation father. As well as my teammates aka "the thicc Omen Bois," Martinellis, Ben Nilson and Jackson Centeno for helping me on the video, and of course you Nate for helping me out and supporting me in every way. #ridehard Peace!

Parker Schmidt

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