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Brandon DesJarlais (Moonshine MFG) will return to KebbeK KnK Longboard Camp this year and it will he his third time on the Bear’s Guts. We are stoked to have him around once again, simply because of his positive energy, rad skating, filming skills and his willingness to help.

Check out this quick interview with Brandon and read his blog here.

You will return to Europe this year and we’re stoked about having you at KnK again. What else will you be up to on the Euro tour?

Super stoked to be back at KnK – and for two weeks instead of one! I’ll be flying into Berlin to get situated and spend some quality time with my lovely girlfriend. After that, I’ll be hitting the Transylvania events for sure, maybe Camp Woodwings, and others yet to be determined. I’ll definitely be spending some time in Mallorca, Alicante, and Paris, but other than that I made myself quite available to take on whatever opportunities and experiences that present themselves.

You’re doing a great job with your social accounts (@desgnarlais) and you sure know how to take advantage of the events you skate at in order to produce media and get the exposure. You were featured on Red Bull videos and the last one got over 40 million views. Other riders and brands seem to be missing out on that. What’s your secret?

At the end of the day, it all comes down to hard work and perseverance. There’s a quote from Whitney M. Young that goes, “It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.” That being said, I work hard every day to prepare myself for the opportunities I want. Some examples include practicing certain tricks, refining my photographic abilities, acquiring my commercial drone license, and reading up on entrepreneurial articles. On top of that, I focus on strategically placing myself in situations of value.

Consistency is, above all, the one thing that so many people lack on. In today’s society people are impatient and give up too easy. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour. Jah feel?

How would you compare KnK Longboard Camp to other events you got to skate around the world?

KnK is really comfortable. The fact that it’s not at all a competition until the last day really gives you a chance to settle in and relax. At many other events you show up and start practicing the hill and then you race and then you’re gone. For me, the most alluring part is the diversity of friendly riders. Some great. Some learning. Some just stoked to hang out, watch the carnage, and drink way too much Slivovitz! The point is that you really get to know a wide variety of the longboard scene. I consider it a cultural event.

Some beginner longboarders find the Bear’s Guts intimidating. What would you say to them in order to encourage them to try it out?

It’s only really fast for the fastest riders. If you can comfortably ride at 40km/h and know how to shut down slide, you’ll be fine. If you air brake and cruise down you’ll probably be averaging 30km/h with big, open, flat corners and lots of protection. KnK is a perfect opportunity to hone in your skills on a safe course. Odds are once you leave the event you’ll probably be twice as good at skating and have twice as many friends from around the world.

Which part of the Bear’s Guts is your favourite and why?

Personally I really love the second half of the run. It’s much more dynamic and holds it’s pace better. I mean corner 8 is badass and all but it’s only frontside for me so it’s not that gnarly. Guess I’ll have to step it up and hit it switch this year!

Some people say that racing wheels are not performing well on the Bear’s Guts, others would disagree. What kind of wheels would you recommend?

In my experience, high rebound wheels such as Venom Mach 1, Seismic Hotspots, and Abec 11 Centrax tend to be a bit choppy. I’m not exactly sure why this is but my guess it that it’s because the surface of the Bear’s Guts is just too smooth for a stiff wheel like that to break apart and slide smoothly. Most wheels with a thane made for sliding work great. I’ll be riding a variety of Powell Peralta DH wheels – mostly Snakes. Kevin Reimer has really done a great job at developing what I think is the best all-around downhill skateboarding wheel. It’s soft, durable, and predictable.

Stinkbugs used to be something that we all tried to avoid doing but you seam to have made it cool again. How come you started doing that?

I’m always looking for something I can do to mix things up whether it be goofy photos, flashy socks, weird tricks, or whatever. The stinkbug in specific came from me learning different grab slides. I found that it was not only the most awkward looking, but also one of the most difficult. You could say it was love at first grab <3 And honestly, I smile so big every time I see someone do it. Makes me feel like a skinny little long-haired grom again.

In the beginning of last year you started vlogging and did it for a month straight. How come you stopped doing that? Are we going to see more of your vlogs?

SO MUCH TIME haha Basically I started telling everyone I was going to vlog the entire month of January 2017 and I woke up one day like “fuck, it’s January 1st. How do I do this?” In short, I spent the whole month coming up with lame ideas, and forcing myself to execute on a deadline. If I would’ve planned ahead, it would’ve been so much easier. I just felt like I was playing catch up the whole time. At this time I was couch surfing around California which on one hand made it interesting, but on the other it really complicated things. My goal was to force myself to refine my creative process, optimize my workflow, and be less picky about what I produce. In reality I just got burned out. All the blood, sweat, and tears aside, it was a great learning experience.

So will I be doing vlogs again? I’d like to! Definitely not daily, but I plan to produce more short fun videos throughout the year.

What is your favourite piece of filming gear…or one thing that you couldn’t do without and why?

My drone is by far my favorite piece of filming gear I own and will probably ever own. It’s crazy to think that even 10 years ago the shots I captured in 25min with my $1000 DJI Mavic Pro would’ve cost $20,000 and taken a whole crew. I just love how I can really play with the framing as if it were a video game or animation.

Thank you for making an awesome video and for having fun with us on the Bear’s Guts. Any shoutouts?

Shoutout to my awesome friends and family for always supporting me to pursue my passion – no matter how crazy it may seem. To my sponsors for believing in me as a person and for giving me the opportunity to skate as much as I do. Especially Moonshine MFG. Without them, the past few years wouldn’t have been possible. Much love guys!

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If you’re interested to join the #KNK2018, you can still signup here.