On the heels of her epic Monster half, Ruby dishes deep on dwelling faculty, mood tantrums, ’80s methods and the time she kicked her mother’s automobile window out. RFL for Life!
Images by Tim Aguilar and Taylor Ballard
Ruby embarks on a campaign for curved concrete throughout the nation and returns in glory along with her first half. Do not miss it
You’ve performed interviews earlier than, proper?
Sure.
Dude, so many.
So many.
Do you are feeling such as you’re media skilled?
No.
Okay, good. Let’s perform a little little bit of background. The place are you from?
I’m from Ocean Metropolis, Maryland.
That’s the house of the Pabiches.
Yep. I grew up at Ocean Bowl skatepark. So the identical skatepark that they grew up at.
Crab legs and soccer…and big-ass again Smiths, that is what Maryland does
Had been you tight with them again then or have been you want ships within the evening?
What does that imply?
It means you simply handed one another, by no means noticed one another—ships within the evening.
I began skating after they have been making their approach to the West Coast after they have been blowing up.
Holy cow. How previous are you?
I’m 17.
And I perceive you may have a big household. What number of brothers and sisters do you may have?
I’ve 4 different sisters and three brothers. I grew up on a farm and we had goats, sheep, chickens and bunnies.
What are the chickens’ names? I imply, what are your brothers’ and sisters’ names? Are you able to title ‘em all?
Lee, Monica, Sophie, Summer season, David, Jonathan, Liberty.
Is your loved ones a part of a non secular group? Why are there so many youngsters?
I’ll keep out of that query, truthfully.
What’s it like at Christmas if you all get collectively?
Christmas is hectic. There’s so many individuals and my grandparents and everybody comes and it’s a number of presents.
So that you gotta get at the least seven Monster hats organized earlier than Christmas comes.
Yeah.
If skating does not work out, Ruby would possibly discover her calling at sea. Stale to tail
The place do you slot in the lineup?
I’m fortunate quantity seven.
You’re the youngest?
No.
Who’s the youngest? What number of are under you?
Simply my youthful sister Liberty.
And also you and your mother moved to California proper?
Properly, we traveled throughout in an RV. We had the identical RV because the Volcom group, the identical precise one.
That loopy ‘60s/‘70s factor?
Yep, it’s the identical one.
That factor’s at all times breaking for Volcom.
Us too. However we traveled from Ocean Metropolis, Maryland, went to Canada, Montreal, the Massive O. I obtained to do some kickturns on the Massive O after I was like ten. After which we went to Colorado for just a few months and virtually froze to dying. Our pipes and every part broke; it was hectic. After which went to Arizona. We didn’t keep there too lengthy. I don’t suppose we vibed as a lot. After which we went to California, ‘trigger in Arizona I obtained invited to the Women Combi Contest 2018. That was my first actual, large contest.
Lien catastrophe to hype up the pack. Ruby’s used to an enormous crew
So that you’re 11?
I used to be like 11 or 12, I feel. After which after that, we simply by no means left. I couldn’t go away. The underside 4 of us all traveled throughout—me, my sister and my two brothers. After which the older 4 are nonetheless on the East Coast.
Who’s out right here with you and your mother now?
Me, my sister, mother and pa and my two brothers.
Oh my gosh, I believed it was simply you and your mother.
No. My brothers are like operating round Prince park every single day.
Does all people skate?
My sister rollerskates and and my two brothers are actually good at skating. I don’t wanna admit this, however they’re possibly higher than me.
Yeah, she rides for Vans. How may you inform? Bottom seize off the wall
Do they skate transition or are they avenue canines?
They skate every part.
Dude, identical to you!
Oh yeah, .
I noticed that you simply’ve been working in your avenue. What are your streetstyle targets proper now?
Streetstyle targets? Most likely to ollie onto stuff with out consuming shit.
What’s your report to this point?
The opposite evening at San Clemente, I obtained to ollie onto a hubba and grind down. I feel that’s the primary time I’ve really received in a bit avenue battle, and it feels good. I obtained hooked on that feeling fairly fast.
Youngsters are infamous for breaking the foundations; they’re rule breakers. Each time I see you, you’re elsewhere on the planet ripping, having enjoyable skating. As a young person do you may have any guidelines?
My mother is at all times actually actually nervous and anxious. She needs me to be a superb particular person. That’s her principal strict rule—being a superb particular person, being tremendous good and type to everybody and never being a bitch. Generally she’s like, Take your bitchiness out on the coping! Simply grind longer. That’s what she tells me. Take all that bitchiness and teenage brat shit out on the coping. Oh yeah, and do good in class. That’s one other rule.
How are you doing in class? I didn’t suppose you went to highschool.
I’m homeschooled.
Some individuals would possibly suppose that’s not actual faculty. How onerous is dwelling faculty?
It’s fairly chill. I’ve been homeschooled my complete life.
No means. What’s 12 occasions 4?
Uhm, I don’t know.
We’re fucked! You at all times appear actual cheerful and nice after we’re out skating. Do you generally must put your finest face ahead, then if you get dwelling with your loved ones that is aware of you effectively you’ll be able to simply be an entire turd? Is that what occurs?
Not likely. More often than not I’m fairly hyped and stoked on life. It’s type of uncommon, however it’s dangerous after I’m bitchy and I’ll have temper swings and I simply get tremendous upset over random stuff.
It occurs to everybody.
Mhmm. However I undoubtedly like being hyped and in a superb temper and smiling and stuff. It simply makes me skate higher. It makes life rather a lot higher throughout, for everybody and your self.
Smilin’ and survivin’, Smith grind mild and dying
Do you may have any inside dialogues you undergo if you’re feeling not smiley and nice? Issues that you simply say to your self? Or any kind of techniques to present your self a tough reset so you’ll be able to transfer on in a constructive means?
I can’t speak to anybody. I gotta distance myself and simply not say something, not speak to anybody and kinda go do my very own factor. Then I’ll come again half-hour later like, Hey, I’m sorry. I simply needed to reset. However I can’t reset throughout a 30-person session. I gotta go skate the road or one thing, or go skate a bit curb exterior the park, then I really feel like a special particular person. However the objective is to simply flip the swap throughout the loopy, hectic session.
Dude, hectic periods, proper?
That’s the objective. For those who’re simply having a nasty session and also you’re like, Nah I’m performed doing this. I wanna have a superb angle. It’s simpler mentioned than performed.
Properly, that is the follow-up in your large video. Is that this your first video half? Or have you ever made extra video components than this?
That is my first one.
No means, congrats!
Thanks.
What have been a few of the extra enjoyable issues to movie and which issues have been a complete nightmare?
The methods that I really went to the spot for particularly, these have been the worst ones—those that I went to a spot with the objective, the concept and the plan. These have been probably the most irritating. However the ones the place you’re simply in a crew otherwise you’re with a bunch of individuals and you haven’t any expectations—you’re simply on for the trip—that’s in all probability the place I did the most effective methods. Yeah, it at all times simply occurs unexpectedly.
Yeah. What about that nosegrind at SOMA? Was that arduous or straightforward?
That didn’t take that lengthy. It took possibly a bit over an hour, possibly two hours on the most. I don’t know what occurred. That one was kinda deliberate. It was kinda dangerous. We went to Flower Store within the morning and we have been going there for one more homie to get this trick, however then I used to be like, Oh, I feel it could be kinda higher if we went to SOMA, ‘trigger then we’ll all have the ability to skate it. I don’t even know the place I used to be going with that story truthfully.
Nosegrind over the doorway to hell, AKA Wheatberry’s yard
I consider you as a bottom nosegrinder. Is frontside simply as straightforward for you?
No, it’s more durable.
Was Wheatberry there?
Who’s that?
He’s a man who talks about Slayer rather a lot and has a sprig paint can that he units on fireplace. You realize that man?
No, I don’t.
He seems like a good-looking model of Rocky Dennis from the film, Masks. He’s type of a neighborhood there. I’ll ship you some movies.
Oh my god. No, he wasn’t there.
Jake, my previous boss, when he was youthful, Wheatberry was just like the little child that they kinda tortured and had enjoyable with. He was their little buddy and mascot, however he’s nonetheless round.
That’s loopy.
I seen you do a number of methods to tail and catastrophe. For those who needed to decide one, which wouldn’t it be?
Catastrophe.
Dude. Have you ever ever hung that shit up?
No, I’ve hung up and rode away many occasions however I’ve by no means hung up and died. I simply knocked on wooden.
Sweeper, effectively inside on the ramp
It’s virtually extra harmful to land along with your wheels on the deck attempting to go to tail than it’s to do a catastrophe, proper? Have you ever ever performed that? Have you ever ever hung up a lien to tail?
Yeah.
That’s a killer. Sorry, I don’t imply to deliver up unfavourable stuff.
It’s okay.
So the place do you get this bag of methods? Truthfully, you do the identical methods that the older guys did after I was a child, with your personal fashionable twists, after all. You do the inventory methods from Summer season of ’84. The place did you get these methods? Who have been you round the place you picked up crail disasters as a substitute of hardflips or noseslide to crooked grinds?
That’s from skating mini vert ramps, I feel. The primary three years of me skating in California, I’d at all times skate mini vert ramps and there was at all times a number of forty-to-fifty-year-old guys who have been tremendous hyped on sweepers and issues like that. So I’d simply get tremendous motivated to be taught these methods by seeing how hyped they have been on them or how hyped they have been to see me do them. However I realized crail disasters ‘explanation for Sal. What’s his final title? He rides for Creature. No, no, no, Al.
Crail catastrophe at Burnside. No, no, no, Washington Avenue
Partanen?
Sure. He taught me crail disasters.
Yeah, he does these. That’s his trick.
Yeah, so I realized that at Lizzie’s mini vert ramp.
You and Lizzie have rather a lot in widespread ––you have been each surrounded by previous dudes if you have been first studying to skate. Who’s your favourite previous particular person to skate with and who’s your favourite particular person your age to skate with?
It’s onerous. I primarily skate with an in-between age. In order that’s so onerous. Outdated man skater? Umm, you?
Dude. That’s a fairly unhappy session.
No, no.
Terror under the lip.
Okay, I don’t skate with anyone my age.
You’ve got been just lately. I’ve seen you out with some teenage ladies.
Who?
You realize who. All of the opponents are your age and even youthful.
Yeah, Cocona’s actually enjoyable to skate with and she or he’s my age. Mami, Girl.
Seems to be like they’re solely lettin’ two wheels on the deck. Bottom catastrophe
I tripped out after I came upon her title was actually Girl.
I do know. It’s so sick although. It’s a cool title.
Did you journey out too? I believed it was like Girl Gaga or one thing. It feels like a rap title, like I’m “Girl Meek.” However that’s her precise title.
I believed she was joking at first when she advised me. I’m like, Oh, ha, that’s humorous. Then I heard them name her title within the contest and I’m like, Oh my god, that’s actually her title. It’s so sick.
Earlier than you went to Decrease Bobs this 12 months, you mentioned when you don’t win, you’re not gonna have cash for meals. How’d it go?
It went good. I had meals. I used to be hyped. Final place and nonetheless ate.
Final place and nonetheless obtained a burger. So that you take part in part of skating that’s fairly area of interest. Skating transition is just not tremendous standard, however you then’re on the world stage going to the Olympics due to what you do. For those who had a alternative would you continue to do all these contests or would you simply attempt to be on the market ripping for enjoyable?
If it’s like life or dying, when you needed to decide one or the opposite?
For those who didn’t must do the competition stuff to have sponsors and cash, would you simply do what Grant Taylor does and never do contests until they have been the enjoyable ones? Or do you just like the contests?
I like skating contests. It’s actually enjoyable and I feel it pushes me, being surrounded by ladies which are at such a excessive degree that you simply wouldn’t see at a yard pool or one thing like that. So it’s tremendous motivating for me, however it simply is determined by the competition. There’s undoubtedly just a few contests that I’m like, Okay, I may undoubtedly not do this one once more and I’d nonetheless be hyped. I imply, there’s ones the place it’s like, I wanna do this yearly.
What’s been your favourite one to this point?
The P-Stone Cup. That’s my favourite. That was so enjoyable.
Bottom nosegrind tailgrab with the Massive Canine watchin’ over
Do you get nervous? I used to virtually throw up or shit my pants earlier than contests. Do you ever get nervous or are you cool?
It is determined by the competition. However at my first large contest, I went to my mother and I’m like, I don’t wanna do it. And she or he’s like, No, you bought this, RFL—Ruby Fucking Lilley. ‘Trigger my center title is Religion so she says Ruby Fucking Lilley. That’s what the initials actually imply.
RFL! That’s so cool! The extent goes by means of the roof on ladies’s skating recently. They’re doing McTwists and swap McTwists and 720s and 900s. Are you feeling any stress to spin round?
I feel it makes me wanna—not go the other means, however…
What’s the other of spinning?
Not spinning. It makes me need to focus extra on having a extra distinctive bag of methods. That’s what sort of motivates me after I see all these ladies going all out, 900, swap McTwist. It’s tremendous insane and I’m like, Okay, I’ll strive a Sal flip catastrophe or finger flip catastrophe. I really feel like I can go away the 900s and swap McTwists to them.
Checkers and finger flips, yeah, she’s been to the Combi
However you’re nonetheless very younger and also you’re actually ripping. Do you need to strive a McTwist?
I do. I actually need to.
Dude, you must do it.
I’ve tried a 5 earlier than over a hip however I spun like flatspin. I’ve by no means tried a McTwist. I actually need to although. I simply don’t understand how you flip. It seems like a entrance flip or like a summersault.
I feel you simply look underneath your armpit.
You at all times inform me that, however there’s undoubtedly extra to it than simply trying underneath your armpit.
What’s your relationship with Mike Sinclair like?
He’s just like the loopy humorous uncle. I feel I’m actually good pals with Mike however I undoubtedly know he’s speaking shit about me 24/7.
What? No he’s not.
It’s okay.
What do you suppose he’s saying?
“Rattling, Ruby, she’s going to do extra Bronson commercials as a substitute of popping out and filming for Basis.”
I imply, Bronson commercials are fairly tight, too. When Yuto realized how you can communicate English, the very first thing he mentioned to Mike was? “Mike, you want eat vegetable.”
Oh my god. I inform him that, however I say it a bit extra fluently.
What’s his favourite snack?
Barbecue chips?
Mmm. These are for previous individuals.
He’s an previous particular person although. Wait, barbecue chips, Coke, or—no! The Nerds gummy clusters.
Yeah. What’s your favourite snack?
Reese’s.
Simply plain cups?
The massive cups.
Fast cease at Pink’s earlier than reserving a flight overseas. Crail physique varial catastrophe
Alright, so that you’re gonna go; you’re gonna win the Olympics, come again a gold medalist. After that, are you gonna movie one other video half or are you gonna go full Bufoni?
No, I’m gonna movie, hopefully, many extra video components and go on many extra journeys. I actually wanna movie in SF and Seattle. I’ve been to Europe, however I wanna do a skate journey to Europe. That’s what I actually wanna do too.
You’re gonna find it irresistible over there.
Yeah. I’ve solely been there for a contest.
Are there any tales we should always discuss from this Ruby Lilley Monster half? Something loopy or bizarre that occurred?
The again overcrook tailgrab at Decrease Bobs is a comic story. Two days earlier than we obtained to SF, I used to be at Woodward West for the mini ramp contest, the sport of SKATE. And so after I went to Woodward. I like Woodward, however each time I’ve gotten sick. I don’t know whether or not it’s meals from there or the meals they delivered, however any time I’ve eaten something at Woodward, it’s made me tremendous sick. So I used to be simply getting over that and I used to be okay, then that they had these wings they usually appeared so good. I used to be consuming these wings and loopy meals. And in order that day, we went on a visit to SF and we spent the evening. I get up at six within the morning and I used to be like, I’ve by no means thrown up extra in my total life and shit so gnarly. Like I went by means of two pairs of pants within the van. I’d go into the toilet, grow to be totally different pants, put that shit in a bag and simply throw it at the back of the van. I imply, we ultimately threw it out, however it smelled so dangerous.
So that you shit your pants?
Yeah, and I threw up within the van. I threw up out of the van. I used to be laying within the van. We have been at a spot and I used to be like, Taylor, be careful. He turns round and I’m like, Transfer! And I simply threw up. I virtually threw up throughout Taylor. I opened the van door, after which marked my territory, throwing up on the van seat. It was fairly hesh.
That’s okay. You wouldn’t be the primary particular person to shit your pants at Decrease Bobs.
No, we didn’t even get to Decrease Bobs. We have been nonetheless in Sacramento or wherever the hell we have been! Then we obtained to Decrease Bobs and I used to be in a special world. I used to be so pale. I used to be having a mood tantrum. Oh my god, Ruby mood tantrums. I’ve one other actually good story.
What did you do?
I stored throwing my board and it stored happening the steps at Decrease Bobs. I’m simply self-sabotaging by throwing my board into the mud down the steps. Why did I would like to do this? I’m simply attempting to make issues worse. So the filmer’s like, Cease throwing your board. And I used to be like, No! So, I simply maintain throwing it down the steps. 4 hours later, I obtained the clip.
Not simply anybody can put on that hyper-limited emblem hat. Ruby earns it with an distinctive slob to catastrophe
Properly, dude, you bought it.
My mother is gonna kill me for this story, however I’ve to inform you this. After I was studying again nosegrinds, it was a loopy battle. And someday, I couldn’t get them. I had simply realized them on a five-foot ramp. I used to be within the automobile. We have been about to take off, and I’m having a meltdown, type of crying about this trick. I actually needed to get it, and I’m like kicking the window. My mother’s like, You higher cease fucking kicking that window. And I’m like, No! Then I kicked the window out of the automobile.
Dude! RFL!
And we didn’t even go away the skatepark. We have been parked on the aspect of the road, so everybody simply hears this glass shattering and my foot goes by means of the door. The window comes out, and the following two days it rained. So I obtained grounded for that one—no skatepark, no cellphone, within the dungeon.
That’s RFL in motion.
That was after I was like 13 so I used to be at my peak bitchiness. My rebellious part. Oh my god.
That’s an important story. I find it irresistible. Is there anything you wanna discuss?
You’re like, No extra tales.
When do you graduate from faux faculty?
On the finish of this 12 months.
So that you’re about to graduate?
Yeah. I’m gonna be 18.
Ought to we make you a diploma?
Yeah, why not?
We are able to print one off the Web.
That’s excellent.
Rumor has it there was once a window in that doorway earlier than she got here to Channel Avenue for this again nosegrind. Congrats, Ruby. We won’t wait to see the following half
