Washed Up Before We Were Has Beens is easily the most anticipated wakeskate release  this year.  Besides their web trailer full of hammers, little else has been heard about the project. I decided to call Dan and Aaron to get some insight on what is going on with the movie.   Aaron Reed and Danny Hampson have taken it upon themselves, much like everything with their Obscura brand, to make something that conveys how they want wakeskating to be seen.  It turns out Aaron was unavailable to talk this morning due to dealing with crazy floods and crazy house guests so Dan and I talked for about a half hour about the video.

B: Dan! You old vagabond, how are the Keys treating you?

D: Bear you old son of b****, life is good down here just fishing and hanging out with Ian who is down here right now.

B: I called to talk about the video, when will the public get to see this thing?

D: August 19th at Worlds we are going to do a premiere.  Not to sure where yet but we’ve got a couple places in mind. After that it’s safe to say we will have following premiere’s at Chip’s in Baton Rouge, San Marcos, and somewhere in California.  We may end up just rolling with it and have another premiere in Orlando at Surf Expo.  We are ready to just let this thing go where it wants to go.

B: What music are you guys using?

D: Just a couple of my favorite myspace artists. (laughs)  I can’t reveal too many specific songs but we are using a song by Young Brother, a band that features two Alliance employees.  Also Travis’ part is too a song called “Dope Love” (laughs) But seriously, I’ve spent the past two months researching music and talking to indie friends. We are taking some risks for sure with a few of the songs, definitely not your normal stuff.


B: What kind of cameras have you guys been using and who’s been doing most of the filming/editing?

D: We’ve filmed about 90% of the movie on these Canon mini HD Cameras that Aaron and I both have. They have really mindblowing quality for what they are. We also have some P2 footage from Bob Sichel and some of the Alliance guys.  Aaron and I have also been shooting some 16mm and super 8mm footage over the past couple of years that we are going to use.  Aaron and I also have been doing most of the editing. Oh by the way don’t you have some 16mm stuff you said we could use?

B: Yeah, I’ll get it over to you. Who do you think has the best part? Can you say a few hammers someone might have done that we don’t know about?

D: Everybody has an insane part.  Trav and Grant are blowing minds and the whole team has been working hard to make this video the best.  I will tell you that I do a few frontside big variations in my part if you didn’t see that coming. (laughs) I don’t think I can give away any of the hammers though, not with Aaron not being here, he’d shut me down on that.  Aaron does have his best part ever though in this film.

B: I know it’s a pretty winching heavy video and you guys have found a lot of spots that the public may have already seen due to other people’s web videos and whatnot, does that bother you?

D: Not really, I think we got bummed for a little bit about that but got over it real fast. Aaron has been finding a ton of spots out in Texas and a lot of people are hitting them now and putting stuff out. Maybe it’s our fault for being a year later than planned releasing the video. (laughs)  That being said I think more than half of the spots in the video no one has ever seen before. We got a couple gems that no one else has hit to this day.

B: I heard the friends part is pretty unreal, who all is in that?

D: I’m probably going to leave some people out by accident but we got Ben Horan, Andy P, Nick Taylor, Stu, and other Obscura extended family.

B: There has been quite a few rumors swirling around the rumor mill about this film, let’s get two out of the way, I heard there is a Girls section?

D: Yeah there is actually, all my ex-girlfriends are in a part, it’s not them riding though, it’s just me hanging out and talking with them. (laughs)

B: Hahaha, there would be some great dialogue in there, what’s this I heard about Thomas Horrell having a full riding part?

D: No he doesn’t, I wish though, he’s been super busy with his shop, he’s of course always a huge inspiration, when that guy puts a handle in his hand everything changes. Where are you hearing these rumors Bear?

B: Sorry I’m totally just making this stuff up, seriously though, what about this project is unique and what have you learned as it has gone on?

D: Well like I said, this movie was supposed to be out a year ago but so much has happened.  When you step back and look at everything you really get to see the progression in our riding and our lives.  Aaron and I have both had serious injuries during this movie, aaron got married, and we have both lived in three different houses. Grant goes from being a boy to a man in this movie.  Our team has pretty awesome camaraderie, everyone’s riding progresses as the movie goes on.  It’s definitely not the same tricks just going down at different gaps, everyone was doing their own thing everytime we went places. Also I think most people will dig the southern vibe, we’ve been all over the south these last few years filming for this. We all know the sweetest winds blow across the South. This really has been one of the most challenging and fun experiences though, I hope everyone gets psyched on where we are trying to take wakeskating.


B: Good stuff, I can’t wait to see it, one last question, how does photographer/friend come up on a pair of size 12 Obscura/DVS collabs?

D: I don’t know ask Letchworth! (laughs)  Sorry man had to do that, don’t worry we’ll get you a pair.