Interview: Jamie Lynn

Interview with Jamie Lynn By Izzy Lalive

Izzy: I totally googled your name and you know what site came up? The National Vegetarian’s Association Site. It had a famous vegetarians section and it listed you. So what made you decide to be a vegetarian?

JL: I’m not. (Laughs)

Izzy: Oh will you’re in the National Vegetarian websites.

JL: Well that’s cool.

Izzy: So if some activist saw you at Burger King…

JL: That’s cool, add it to the list.

Izzy: Ok, Scratch That. Are you born and bred in Washington?

JL: Yeah. I was born in Vancouver and then I moved to the Islands right off of Seattle. My parents grew up off of sprouts for 25 years and I was brought up as a Hippie. Teepees and shit.

Izzy: So did your parents listen the Dead and Allman Brothers?

JL: It was more like Allman brother and Credence. I went off on my own and had to experience the Dead for myself.

Izzy: You are all about expression in your snowboarding, your skating, and your music. Are you conscience of what you are conveying? Do have a theme that’s like your motto or statement?

JL: Nah, when I started snowboarding I was really into skateboarding. And the skateboarders that I looked up to were Mark Gonzales, Chris Miller, Neil Blender, guys that not only used their skateboarding as a vehicle for self expression but also used that skateboard and the graphics that they put on that skateboard as a vehicle for self expression. So when I started snowboarding I figured out that I might have an opportunity to do the same. So again I used that snowboard as a vehicle for self expression not only in my riding ability but also in the opportunity to put my graphics on it. And from there it gave me the opportunity to learn how to paint.

Izzy: And were you always an artist?

JL: I grew up watching my Mom paint. My Mom was a painter. She really planted the seed. And then like 6th or 7th grade I started doing it on my own. And then it was really through snowboarding and the opportunity to do it through a board graphic that helped me develop my sense of art and develop my style.

Izzy: What’s your favorite number?

JL: Three

Izzy: Why?

JL: Cause three’s the magic number. The power of three, those triads.

Izzy: Tres. Tres bien. I’m into it. Do you have any brothers or sisters?

JL: I have two brothers. I’m the middle son of three brothers.

Izzy: How’s being the middle kid?

JL: It’s fighting for dominant superiority of the alpha male status. I fought my brother like tooth and nail trying to develop that. There came a point in time after many fist fights and broken bones and busted noses that finally he let go. And he’s never been the same since.

Izzy: Poor guy.

JL: He’s married with a wife and kid and off doing his own thing.

Izzy: In terms of nature, what’s your favorite place in the world?

JL: Ohh, um, the Nepali coast on Kuai. I’ve had some magical times in Kuai. It’s beautiful. Just the feeling, the spirit, the energy and power that you feel over there it’s incredible. It’s yet to matched anywhere that I’ve traveled and experienced. And then just the woods at my backyard at home in Seattle. There’s nothing like just walking in the woods and getting lost.

Izzy: Have you ever been broken off terribly?

JL: I did have an ACL, meniscus injury about 5 or 6 years ago.

Izzy: Can we move into the dream section? What’s your dream guitar?

JL: A 1987 white Gibson SG. I once possessed such an item. I lived in San Francisco with these tattoo artists. My roommate goes ‘I need $300.00, can I give this guitar to you and you give me 300?’ I thought no sweat. It’s a beautiful white guitar. Played it for 3 months. Fell in love with this guitar. It’s a magical guitar. You didn’t even have to plug it in. It had its own amp-age. So then I go on a trip and come back, guitar was gone and 300 bucks was on my pillow and I never saw the guy again. I got the money back but the guitar was gone. So ever since then I’ve been like ‘I need to find this guitar again!’ So if anyone knows where I can find a 1987 white Gibson SG, give me a call!

Izzy: Dream Car?

JL: 1930 Model A Pickup. Or 1970 Plymoth Roadrunner

Izzy: Dream Motorcycle?

JL: 1949 Panhead

Izzy: Do you work out?

JL: No I don’t need too. My lifestyle keeps me in shape.

Izzy: S.O.S. What’s that?

JL: It’s a good group. Snowboard Outreach Society. It’s a group of guys that bring inner city kids up to the mountain and allow them to experience the mountains and snowboarding. Something that they would never of had an opportunity to experience. And you have these kids who have been into this program for 4 or 5 years and are now the instructors. The guy who puts this together came to me in Vegas this year. It was something that I had talked to my team manager at Volcom about because I wanted to get involved. And then the guy came out of nowhere and asked if I wanted to be involved so it was perfect. So he asked me to be kind of a spokes person or role model for these kids that are less fortunate. I also do a lot of work with Zumiez out of Seattle. I’ve been doing a T-shirt and a Poster that sold in Zumiez stores. And over the last 3 years we’ve raised over $70,000 from selling the posters and t-shirts that has gone to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is up in the north slope of Alaska and what we’re trying to save but the t-shirts are sold in all the Zumiez stores across the nation.

Izzy: This is my last question, so it’s got to be a banger. Everyone knows you as a Snowboarder, Artist, Skateboarder and Musician. What is a secret identity that you have that not many people know about you?

JL: I’m also a tattoo artist. So since ‘97 I’ve been kind of secretly doing tattoos on friends and victims that are willing to donate their skin.

Izzy: Have you ever worked on yourself?

JL: Yes. (See picture of Jamie’s calf)