Felix interviews Raihan

Finally, an interview with Raihan. Felix is lucky to have interviewed me cuz I remember turning down an interview by Linus because of my busy schedule.
Here it is.

Interview with Rai on #sigma on 18/09/2003

Introduce yourself
Felix: okay first up your full name?
Rai: oh hmm ppl know me as Rai, just Raihan will do

How old are you?
Felix: okay, how old are you now?
Rai: 20, old enough to get married =D

What you doing now?
Felix: so what are you currently doing/occupation
Rai: Right now I’m working on my portfolio as we speak. i intend to work as a freelancer graphic or web designer. Although right now the economy is putting many people in the dumps. So all I have right now is just to update myself with the design scene and software that are essential to me
I am also putting my skating on hold. Planning to come back when the time is ripe

How did you start skating?
Felix: I see we'll be missing you, so exactly, how did you get started in rolling?
Rai: heheh its funny. It just so happens that i was one of those who initially wanted to start skateboarding but my uncle discouraged me, he told me skateboarders fall a lot.
Felix: so rolling it was?
Rai: hmm i dont know. Just decided to take my uncle's old rollerblade lightning trs,
added cds detroits grindplates (don’t know if they still exist) and cds detroits soulplates
1 month later, my friend zainuldin, got into aggressive too not till 4 months after i started skating, i met this indian fella by the name of mancharan, ppl called him 'munch'
Felix: so i guessed you all pushed each other to improve?
Rai: ah well we did, but it was pretty much on a level where only us were doing tricks that only we can think of only when i met mancharan, then he showed me a whole lot of possibilities

How long have you been skating?
Felix: so how long have you been skating?
Rai: lets see * Rai takes out a calculator
Felix: haha, must have been long
Rai: I started skating in June 1997so I guess by now its like 6 years I’m feeling old now
Felix: haha, you're only 20 long way ahead

Favorite trick
Felix: What you consider your favorite trick?
Rai: hmm I don’t know about that, there are a lot of tricks that I want to try and there's some that are my favorites. Truespin mizu, yea thats the one, I like how it turns out I prefer it better than alleyoop, don’t ask me why, maybe the answer lies deep down inside.

Old school VS new school
Felix: you've been around relatively long
Rai: I have?
Felix: what you think old the old school scene compared to new school, at least from when you started
Rai: haha don’t know about that, there's other ppl in the scene whoz been around longer than me what do I think about the old school compared to the new school? Its sad that the new skoolers didn’t experience what we went through. Back when there wasn’t any UFS system. When u broke your frame was a time that u had to buy new skates. Where modifying a skate was essential to its survival in the long run
. Also I do find more competition in the new school than in the old school. I’m not saying everyone is competitive. It’s just how I feel about the new school now. But most of them are pretty nice kids, just like you Felix.
Felix: hehe. Thanks
Rai: In fact I prefer to skate with new skoolers. they just get me all juiced don’t know why
, people may say that I showoff to them. I would think of it as more of a get-together interaction is key between new-old school. Yeah

Anyone whom you started with still skates now?
Felix: so have anyone who started with you still skate?
Rai: let’s see, my brother, haha in fact a lot. Faz still skates although not as much as he is in the army.
I did not start with faz, although I met him when I started quite early, he still skates it’s just not that much, only on weekends I think.

Future plans?
Felix: any goals for skating or life?
Rai: life, get married with my loving girlfriend, Nina, move to a nice country with a very nice home, have 2 kids, be an established designer. Skating, get to know more kids, try to learn more tricks, get better skates! My skates are crap

Any ways to contribute to the scene?
Felix: What do you think we can do to contribute more to the skating industry?
Rai: well I can say that we should try to be less ignorant towards others, although some people deserved to be stayed away from. I wont tell who.

Shout out?
Felix: well that’s about it, any last words? Shout outs?
Rai: If you have the opportunity to do something, do it. Don’t laze around till the opportunity runs away from you. That’s what I learnt and that’s what I regretted. Shout outs to: NINA! Cause I love her so much. To all the rollers, keep on skating. To the guys of sigma, cant wait till we get together to discuss the whole sigma thing. And to my mom & my brother zai, love u guys.
Felix: okay, thanks for your time Rai
Rai: visit sigma at #sigma on GalaxyNet