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ERIk JENSeN Steadyhands: An Erik Jensen Spotlight By: adam dorobiala adam@slugmag.com Erik Jensen is a hard person to get <strong>in</strong> touch with, whether it’s because he’s out skat<strong>in</strong>g or film<strong>in</strong>g, or because his phone is turned off because he lives a humble life; but when you go film<strong>in</strong>g with him, it’s def<strong>in</strong>itely an experience. Erik, more commonly known as E.J., has the steady hands that make his film<strong>in</strong>g look top notch, while still hav<strong>in</strong>g the cool, calm personality that makes him easy to film with. I met up with him <strong>in</strong> his “studio” and we chatted about his beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> filmmak<strong>in</strong>g, his plans for the future and the current projects he has <strong>in</strong> the works. “I’ve been skat<strong>in</strong>g for 12 years and film<strong>in</strong>g for about 10,” E.J. mentions after I storm <strong>in</strong>to his basement early <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g, wak<strong>in</strong>g him up for the <strong>in</strong>terview. He said that he realized he could film while others skated what he didn’t want to skate and that way he helped get someth<strong>in</strong>g accomplished <strong>in</strong>stead of just sitt<strong>in</strong>g there watch<strong>in</strong>g. “We started film<strong>in</strong>g and produc<strong>in</strong>g movies because we had seen the Dirty Hessian movies and felt like they <strong>in</strong>fluenced the whole SLC skate scene; film<strong>in</strong>g, produc<strong>in</strong>g and releas<strong>in</strong>g films of local people on the come up,” he says. He has produced a total of six movies, rang<strong>in</strong>g from his early days where he and Rory Bruggeman would film and edit whole movies just of friends, and then all the way to his last cut, Weast, a classic movie featur<strong>in</strong>g all of the pros of the SLC skateboard<strong>in</strong>g realm. On remember<strong>in</strong>g his first camera, he said, “We didn’t have a camera really; it’s more like we stole our parents’ cameras and put them to good use.” In 2005, E.J. upgraded to his current camera, the VX-1000, and that made him even more stoked to film friends and local skaters. “It def<strong>in</strong>itely made me more psyched to film and help friends get their ‘sponsor me’ tapes to the people they needed to get them to.” He has had footage <strong>in</strong> the almost video, Random Lurkerz, and has helped out on some of the Filmbot videos as well. “I filmed Tyrone Olson’s whole part [the almost video] and edited it, too,” he says. “I actually had to look <strong>in</strong> his phone to get the number of the guy I had to call to get paid for do<strong>in</strong>g his part for the video.” He also helped film for the B<strong>in</strong>ary video and had some footage <strong>in</strong> the first Technique video as well. Pretty impressive for a local skate bum, at the young age of 24, the future def<strong>in</strong>itely looks bright for E.J. His current project, Salty Peaks’ Mak<strong>in</strong>’ Moves, should be mak<strong>in</strong>g its way <strong>in</strong>to theatres and peoples’ bra<strong>in</strong>s early April. Expect great parts from the whole Salty team and get ready for his next movie, Weast Infection, to hit shops soon after that. blaster of a kick-flip Not only does he film, but he also has some of the smoothest moves on a skateboard. All of his footage is super-unexpected tricks landed with style; he is def<strong>in</strong>itely one of the chillest motherfuckers around. Liv<strong>in</strong>g it up at night at X-Wives Place to wait out the security guards and police before head<strong>in</strong>g to a spot, he is always down to get shit done. So if you see him on the streets with a camera <strong>in</strong> hand or be<strong>in</strong>g filmed, know that he is putt<strong>in</strong>g down some quality shit for the ages. Erik would like to thank (<strong>in</strong> no particular order) Niels Jensen, his parents, Andy Pitts, Mike Murdock, Dirty, Snuggles, D-bell, Isaiah, Mark White, Rob Peterson and Andrew Wilson for all their support and motivation. (27) <strong>SLUG</strong>