Chicago shredder and Ohio native Tri Tri-Rudolf took some time to chat with Blader Union about his new free VOD the Waste of Time Variety Show. Last week I had the chance to view an unfinished cut and I've got to say this isn't your typical skate video but then again Tri has always been something of an iconoclast in the blading scene, he's pushed the boundaries of what's possible on wheelie-boots with joints made of rubber and a style all his own. This video captures that spirit well. So check it out and enjoy the interview.
Alright let’s kick this off with some background info: Can I get your name, location, and Social Security number?
Tri Tri-Rudolf/33/Chi
13/F/Cali
I feel like it's not catfishing if you give me your real info first.
Well, just poor cat fishing practice. I wonder how many times catfishers meet other catfishers?
I can't say I've put much thought into that scenario. The video is called the Waste of Time Variety Show so let’s get this out of the way. Why should people watch this video?
Well as the title would suggest, it's just gonna be a waste of time. Seriously though, I just wanted to make a skate video that's just a bunch of silly concepts that I thought about. But if there is one real reason to watch it, it's for Wallyfighter 3.
The homage to Marvel vs. Capcom was a pretty neat way to present a box battle. Do you consider yourself a gamer?
Ye, I love games. I waste way too much time playing vidja games.
Alright, can you give us a quick top 5 games of all time?
Dang, going with the tough ones already. I'd say my top 5: Binding of Isaac, Team Fortress 2, Xenogears, Persona 4, Gran Turismo 3. I could list way more, but those stick out the most atm.
I'm deducting 10 points for not including Aggressive Inline.
You said top. It's a fun game, but nowhere near the top.
Ha, fair enough. This video is hilarious and seems to play around with a lot of blading memes, youtube blogger tropes, and general wackiness. What if any impact do you think internet culture has had on rollerblading?
I think internet culture has effected blading much less than most other activities, which is why things seem wacky in the video context. Lately I've been quite the media consumer whore. In general, blade media is mostly just blading. I'm cool with that, but have also been enjoying the rise in vlogs and more mainstream style videos in skating.
What vlogs have you been following?
I've just been skimming through them recently, but the ones I try to keep tabs on are the Burston blogs, Pinto Pony, Ricardo Lino, Kyle Jordan's, and there's a freeskater vlog I follow but his name escapes me.
I noticed you’re riding a mix of Aeon’s and Flying Eagle throughout this video. How are you liking life at 110mm above sea level? (That fishy on a ledge in 110’s was crazy)
I've been having a surprising amount of fun on the 110 3-wheels. They are way more nimble than I thought they would be and I feel like I'm more engaged in skating on them. Since I gotta figure out how to do things on them, it feels less like I'm running on autopilot during a session.
Yeah, big wheels seem to have sparked a newfound level of creativity in a lot of us rollerbladers who have sort of been going through the motions as we've grown older. Your video has a healthy balance between big wheeling and more traditional grinderblading. Are there any standout tricks viewers should be on the look out for?
Ye, I had never really given wheel size much thought until the last decade. I like the direction things are heading as far as wheel setups. Man, I've been editing so much it all kinda blends together at the moment. Reed did a real trick. Pyle did a lot of cool Pyle stuff. No tabernacles unfortunately.
Blade Skillson A.K.A. @Project_Shredpool A.K.A. ShreddiePie (no one calls him that) has a mini-section. Can you tell us a little about how he got involved with the WOT Variety Show?
I had the comic book idea for a while. So I DM'd him on instagram and said I wanted to use some of his clips for a project. He said that's cool. I wish I wouldn't have saved his part for last. I just finished the first draft two days ago and wanted to clean it up and add a lot more things. I just ran out of steam and told myself it's time to cut the project and be happy with where it's at. So there could be more to that section for sure, but I just needed a break. Maybe next time.
Alright well thanks for taking the time to talk about the Waste of Time Variety Show with us. I think I'm going to go watch it again!
Click here to watch the Waste of Time Variety Show
And check out the Southern Ohio Bladers on Facebook.
If you'd like to donate a few bucks to Tri for his effort you can do so via Paypal.
