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If you checked out last month's Fingerboarder of the Month interview with Alex Tomescu, he talked a bit about being friends with Matty, and what it was like to compete against him at the Simi Valley qualifier. Little did we know at the time that Matty would win the Finals! In this interview, Matty talks about what it was like to win the big event, how fingerboarding compares to skateboarding, and what it's like to fingerboard with and compete against his good friend Alex.
OldSchoolPunk: What does it feel like to be the champion?
Matty Taylor: It feels very good! I’m very honored!
OSP: What was it like to fingerboard with that much on the line in front of such a huge crowd in NYC? How were you able to perform at such a high level with that kind of pressure?
MT: It was very nerve racking. I had no idea how big the contest was going to be!
OSP: What do you think separated your run from everyone else’s at the finals?
MT: I really don’t know. I just tried to go out there and have as much fun as I could!
Matty with Tony Hawk, the championship trophy and a $5,000 check!
OSP: What was the vibe like at the finals? Were the compet.itors friendly with each other, or was it all business?
MT: The vibe was great. It was so much fun being there with other fingerboarders who I've watched on the internet. A lot of us have seen each other's clips, so it was a great chance to meet everyone. The crowd was great too!
OSP: How did you practice for the event? Were you looking to hammer down specific runs or tricks?
MT: I didn't really "practice" for this event. I tried to treat it like I was just fingerboarding for a minute, hah! I just focused on doing fun tricks I was comfortable with.
OSP: When we featured Alex Tomescu last month, he talked a lot about how you've influenced his fingerboarding. What is it like to do fingerboarding with a friend, and does it make competing against each other difficult?
MT: Fingerboarding with Alex is crazy! He pulls off tricks first try like its nothing. It's really mind blowing when we film, he just like does these crazy combos and things you've never seen! Competing with Alex is really hard because he's so consistent, but it's also really fun because we're friends.
OSP: Alex had mentioned that he beat you twice in the finals of compet.itions, but it looks like you finally got one on him! I bet it's pretty sweet to finally get that win in the biggest compet.ition of the year.
MT: Yeah! Alex is always on his flat ground game - he has every single flatground trick there is, so it's really difficult to play him in S-K-A-T-E sometimes. But I guess I finally got him! It's not often that I can beat Alex, but I picked a good time to do it!
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