Alex Moul

... Pure skateboarder.

Well, I just like to have a skate and a laugh with me mates.

Last of the dying breed.

Clifford: What's the worst aspect of skateboarding?

I suppose the slams and the injuries and stuff like that. Sometimes the traveling can be a bit gnarly when you fly to another country and you get off the plane and you have to do a demo right away and you've had no sleep. It can be a bit disappointing to the kids sometimes.

You're from Oxford, England, home of Tom Penny. Any good, nostalgic stories about the young Torn Penny and Alex Moul combination?

That's a classic question! This is shout me, and every time I do an interview they always want to know about Tom.

Then tell us a good story about you. Tell us about Moul, something nobody knows. Ever stole anything?

Yes. I stole a Topic chocolate bar from a shop once, and I drought I got seen so when I got out I lobbed it down the alleyway and ran away.

Alex would have liked to have said: "A thousand girl's hearts." Let's get to the bones of the Moul.

Go ahead. I think we've covered a vast majority of the goodness.

I remember a young Moul, you were in a van driving around Europe, age 16, smoking and drinking.

No I weren't.

You weren't smoking and drinking?

No.

When did you stop drinking?

Fourteen. Didn't start smoking 'til I was 15. If it weren't for skateboarding there's no way I probably would have survived in this life, because skateboarding makes you very independent at a young age when you're basically thrown out there into the world. You have to travel on your own ...

Tell us a story from the old Death Box days ... Death Box was originally a company from Europe. The Death Box company around right now didn't exist back then. They stole the name, basically; revamped it with a lot of old hags, but the original Death Box was owned by, basically, the owner of Flip that Alex rode for and was probably the most widely known professional skateboarder in Europe in the late '80s/ early '90s and so on.

After that, what was the question again?

Tell us a story about dirty Death Box days.

The first time I ever got drunk was with Wurzle. No one will ever know that name apart from maybe some old schoolers in England, maybe Germany, I'm not sure. We went to Eindhoven, Holland, for a contest and he gave me one can of elephant beer and it tasted like shit. I drank it and the next thing I know I was blasted. Then I was found at the end of the night dancing on the table with two birds in Holland somewhere. I had to come and get rescued by the older skaters.

There are so many stories from back then but right now I can't think off the top of me head. Basically driving Europe in a white Ford van labeled the Kit-Kat Floor. We'd just drive for hours and hours, do demos everywhere.

Jake Phelps has been known to be a bit of a bastard as he goes slightly off the chain. How do you think he would see you?

Well, I have no idea. With them massive glasses, probably quite large. I don't know if he likes me or if he doesn't. But if you do, cheers, if you don't, fuck you then.