[ JAPANESE / ENGLISH ]

Interview by VHSMAG, Photo courtesy of Bronze 56K, Special thanks: Reebok

VHSMAG (V)：　Who is behind Bronze 56K?

Peter Sidlauskas (P)：　Bronze 56K was started by me and Patrick Murray. Billy Mcfeely helps with production and sales. Kevin Tierney also helps with design work. Jp Blair helps out a lot with filming as well.

V：　When and how did you start Bronze 56K?

P：　We started Bronze 56K back in 2011 as a skateboard hardware brand. We didn't have any money so we just spray painted regular hardware bronze and focused on having a strong Internet presence in order to seem like a real company.

V：　Tell us what Bronze 56K is all about.

P：　Bronze 56K is all about rolling up switch to the Carlsbad gap after just barely falling off pushing on your skateboard and popping the most brolic switch hardflip. Bronze 56K is all about that last set of hardware on the rack that was never given a chance. Bronze 56K is all about that kid in high school who wasn't necessarily picked last to be on a basketball team, but was picked third to last. Bronze 56K is all about that fresh smell of paint in the morning.

V：　Who is on the team?

P：　There isn't really an official team, more of a group of friends. If you're on then you'll know you're on.

V：　Bronze 56K is known for lo-fi design and video. Who is responsible for the design and where do all the inspiration come from?

P：　Me and Pat focus a lot on the aesthetic of the company when it comes to the lo-fi designs in the videos. A lot of the inspiration comes from listening to 18 Carat Affair while watching old commercials. Or listening to binaural beats while watching a 6 hour loop of rain fall. Or listening to Ruff Ryders while watching birth videos. All the old skate videos we grew up on inspired us as well.

V：　Anything you keep in mind when designing?

P：　I'll usually ask myself "does this slap?"

V：　What is the brand image that Bronze 56K is conveying?

P：　We try to convey that you don't have to be in first place, third place is really fucking great too. You don't have to wake up at 5am, waking up at 10 or 11 will still get you a whole day. The best footage is sometimes the worst footage. We might do a TED talk and expand more on this.

V：　You have done collabs with various brands like HUF and Palace. What are some of the most memorable thing from them?

P：　The memorable thing about HUF was we got to throw a big party that got shut down 'cause some dude smacked the bouncer over the head with a skateboard and then the cops showed up and then Chachi ollied onto the cop car and we ran to Max Fish and partied. Palace collab was really fun too, those guys came out to NY and we skated everyday for like 10 days straight, got drunk every night.

V：　Most memorable project with Bronze 56K?

P：　Prolly the one we're working on now. Set to premiere mid October.

V：　How did the collab with Reebok CLASSIC come about?

P：　My friend Shawn Powers was getting shoes from Reebok through Leo Gamboa who had just got a job at Reebok. Shawn put me in contact with Leo 'cause he wanted to work with more skate brands out of NY. I was really hyped, I've loved seeing people skate in the Club C's and I wanted to work with Reebok for a long time so it was perfect. Leo was hyped as well and got us in and made everything happen. Thanks Leo!

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V：　Tell us about the collab shoe. How much were you involved with the process and what are the special features?

P：　We were 100% involved in it and got to design the whole thing. We wanted to keep it pretty simple, I believe less is more. I really like the color of it, I think the main part is the lime green translucent sole and it fits perfect with the white and navy. The Rubin vase is also a key graphic we've used in our skate videos so I thought putting it on the tongue of the shoe really gave a nod to our aesthetic.

V：　Skating is going in many different directions, super corporate, the Olympics, or keeping it underground, etc. Where do you stand and in which direction do you want to take Bronze 56K to?

P：　Super corporate seems like a headache, I don't think I'd ever want it to be that big. But I also don't want to keep it TOO underground because I like making money and taking the boys to Paris and having big Christmas dinners, so somewhere in the middle would be nice. It would be dope if one of the homies went to the Olympics and won a bronze medal, feel like that was meant to happen, I don't think anyone could pass a drug test though.

V：　What is next for Bronze 56K? Anything you want to make happen in the near future?

P：　New video in the works. Another Reebok shoe in the future. I'm just trying to maintain the progression in the evolution of skate hardware for as long as I can.

Bronze 56K
bronze56k.com

New York based hardware brand known for its lo-fi visual presentation. Bronze 56K has released 56K, Solo Jazz, Enron, Trust, A1 to name a few.