Intro & Interview by Daniel Nodzak
Photography by Gino Gotelli
Product Images provided by Hayden Ball
Hayden Ball recently released an edit to promote his newest blading venture, Dusty Denim. While clothing companies are a dime a dozen few move into producing high quality pants as it’s an often expensive market to break into but Hayden believes he’s got the ability to provide high quality jeans for bladers at an affordable cost. So check out Hayden’s latest edit and join us as we discuss filming during COVID-19, pants, and more.
Hey Hayden thanks for taking the time to chat with us about your new edit. Let’s get things started by getting anyone out of the loop up to speed. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your skating history?
Im 35 years old and I've been skating for 25 years.
I started skating around my neighborhood in 1995 in Reno Nevada. The city built a cement skatepark where I met many of my friends at the time an my hometown heroes, who were some of the best street skaters in the world, Mike Choley, Erik Burke and Mike Burke. When I was 17 Pat Lennen and Erik Bailey moved to reno to live with Mike Choley. During the time they were filming for Pats video Them Apples.
After a little over a year Pat, Erik, and Choley had all moved from Reno and I was skating alone mostly. I was a senior in high school and worked at a Chinese restaurant in a casino. When I graduated I moved to San Diego to live with my cousins who had a job for me working as a bathroom attendant at the DEJA VU strip club.
Living in San Diego completely changed my life because there have always been so many skaters living here. Many people have come and gone but there has always been an amazing scene for rollerblading.
You absolutely killed it in this edit. The first time I saw it I was floored by how good it was. How long did you spend filming and what was the process like for you?
Thank you! I started filming for this edit in November 2020. The process was really organized compared to other video parts I've filmed for such as with Sean Cullen for his video RIP SF and the SHOCK VIDEO. This time I was filming with guys who lived in my town and we all had places to stay and schedules, well not me really because Ive been unemployed. I wanted this part to have certain tricks in it and I was dead set in getting those tricks. Mostly the switch and natural tricks on rails.
In the past filming for videos it was always so random just getting any clips I could whenever we were out filming, which works and is a natural way to do it but having the plan for this part helped me to stay focused.
Were there any unique challenges you faced while filming during the COVID-19 pandemic that you wouldn’t normally have to consider?
The only challenge I faced while filming during the pandemic was having to wear a mask when going into a store. Which is hardly a challenge. The pandemic actually made everything easier in every way. Less people out and about, businesses were closed, less traffic, I had no work and my buddies who were filming me were all more freed up than usual.
As a follow up was there anything you’d have liked to include that wasn’t possible due to COVID-19 restrictions?
No can't think of anything.
So you’ve been working on this piece for a while now and I understand it’s intended to help promote a venture of yours called Dusty Denim. What’s can you tell us about the company?
Dusty Denim was an idea I had during the pandemic after losing my job teaching art at the high School. Our school district was in a budget crisis and they were planning on letting go of around 250 teachers and then the pandemic hit and after finishing that year teaching online they cut everyone they could. So I got on unemployment around mid June and really started to think about what I could do with this time given to me. Nobody has been making jeans for rollerbladers in years and we need it.
If you're buying Dickies, Levis, Carhartt, and Nike you're giving your money to skateboarding. I have nothing against skateboarding, I love it, but they would NEVER give us a dime and those companies want nothing to do with us.
I would like to grow the company and produce more clothing and support rollerblading in any way that I can. Of course I'm running a business and would like to make a buck but this is a passion project and I want to create something cool for rollerbladers.
I understand the price point isn't for everyone and there are cheaper options. I only would buy my clothing at thrift stores or Walmart. But I think there's enough demand by bladers for a quality product that costs a little more and does care about rollerblading.
Do you have a background in fashion design or anything like that?
No background in fashion design. I have a studio art degree from San Diego State University paid for with government grants!
Speaking in general here, but when you’re dealing with t-shirts, hoodies, hats, etc you’ll have a limited range of sizes to account for. But with pants there’s a lot more variables to assuring proper fit that it can be a daunting area for independent skate brands to move into particularly when off-the rack jeans are generally good enough. What do you think separates Dusty Denim from the rest of the market?
What separates Dusty Denim from the rest of the market is that the jeans the same or better quality than jeans selling for over $200 and the brand is completely owned by a rollerblader and Im giving jeans out to my favorite skaters. I've done my research and the weight of the fabric is more than some brands which are selling for over $200.
Well I appreciate you’re time Hayden, before I let you go do you have any shout outs?
Shout outs to my fiancé Cat for supporting me and letting me go skate every weekend, our dogs Dusty and Kenya, and my boys for filming me and helping me to motivate so much, Steve Steinmetz, Jon Fromm and Gino Gotelli. And Cavin Le Macon for editing this part.
