Next up from our CPH Open interviews is Oregon legend Pat Moran. He sipped some cold ones with us at the Levi’s Skateboarding event at Mikkeller Baghaven. Pat shared some of his favourite things about Copenhagen Open.
Photography: Reece Leung
Interview: Heywood Ward
Heywood: So Pat, when in Copenhagen, and we just so happen to be at one of the best breweries out here, what’s your beer of choice?
Pat: Absolutely. I’m drinking the lagers tonight.
Heywood: You’re on the lagers mate?
Pat: Yeah we get a lot of really good IPA’s where I’m from so I like to enjoy a good lager when I can!
Heywood: Where are you and these good IPA’s from?
Pat: I’m from Eugene, Oregon. Oregon is pretty famous for the IPA’s though.
Heywood: What’re some of the best breweries out there?
Pat: Deschutes, Rouge – Dead Guy, Ninkasi and all that stuff. We got a lot of good beer there, mostly micro breweries that make strong IPA’s. We grow hops in the North West, like around Willamette Valley where I’m from. It’s where all the hops grow what they sell for most of the beer in the US. So they just make some really potent IPA’s out there so I like to go lager when I can.
Group: (Chuckles)
Heywood: Amazing! So what sort of lager you on, the Mikkeller one?
Pat: Yeah, yeah, the Mikkeller one, its called ‘Stereotypical lager’.
Heywood: It can be really deceiving though with the IPA, sometimes you don’t realise its 7% plus.
Pat: Yeah, well I mean the IPA’s where I’m from are fucking 10% sometimes, so yeah they’re kinda sketchy, can’t really have too many of em!
Group: (Chuckles)
Pat: You can’t drink them when you’re out skating that’s for sure!
Heywood: They’ll creep up on you.
Pat: Yeah!
Heywood: So what’s been your best experience out here in Copenhagen?
Pat: Well this is my third year coming out with Levi’s and honestly, like everyday is just a good, new experience. My favourite part I think is that everybody is just having a good time, everybody’s on the same page. It’s not just the skateboarders that are coming and having a good time, Danish people are really accepting of the whole event. People are just kind and friendly and kinda relaxed and that goes really well with skateboarding. It’s like you go somewhere and people aren’t tripping out about what you’re doing so much. They’re more excited that you’re here to have a good time. Everybody’s happy the sun is out finally.
Heywood: Except for today!
Group: (Chuckles)
Pat: Oh yeah! Oh shit, my favourite experience today though was getting on the boat with everybody, that was awesome. We almost didn’t make it!
Heywood: Oh really?
Pat: Yeah, yeah, it started pouring with rain and we had our boards and we were like ah we’re not gonna be able to skate today and we’ve been skating a bunch, and we were like “Ah we gotta go catch the boat” and we thought we’d missed it cos we were having some Bibimbap at some Korean spot and we got there 10 minutes just before you guys, we thought we’d missed it! But we made the boat! So the best experience today was making the boat for sure!
Heywood: And what about your worst experiences out here?
Pat: I haven’t had a bad experience out here man.
Heywood: That’s good to hear! Not even the weather today?
Pat: I love the rain man, I’m from the North West!
Heywood: Ah I suppose you’re from Oregon so your used to it, it’s a good reason to have a few beers isn’t it?
Pat: Absolutely yeah. Just a little rest between the sessions!
Group: (Chuckles)
Heywood: What’s the gnarliest thing you’ve seen go down here?
Pat: Okay, gimmie a second here. There’s so many, everyday is fucking gnarly! Well the last few years I’ve been able to see the contest, but like this year when we’ve shown up, there’s just a fucking wall of people and it’s just the back of people’s heads, I can’t even see in. So not only that but the gnarliest thing I’ve seen this trip was we set up a bike on this concrete boob at a school and Dan (Plunkett) kickflipped over it.
Heywood: Oh I saw that!
Pat: It was fucking sick yeah! He was all ninja’d out. That was the sickest thing I’ve seen – Dan Plunkett kickflipping a bike for sure.
Heywood: Any recommendations for anyone coming out to Copenhagen?
Pat: I’d say hang out with the crowds but don’t be afraid to drift away a little bit because there’s good times everywhere, it’s not just the skate contest. The city of Copenhagen itself is a good time and you can get lost and separated from your friends but there’s friends everywhere, so it’s not like you’re missing out if you get separated from the group, so just don’t worry about it and keep having a good time!
