Brandon Turner has been through all the ups and downs. As a focal point of one of skateboarding’s greatest eras and teams, he’s one of a few skaters whose legacy you can reach out and touch through a single trick: switch hardflip. From the streets to the trap house, to substance abuse and mental health, he has become the giant’s shoulders upon which skaters stand. For nothing truly great is achieved in this life alone and we owe it to skateboarders like Brandon, who’ve taken it upon themselves to be a beacon of hope for substance abuse recovery for our fellow skaters.
Interview by Neftalie Williams
Photography by Seu Trinh
Published in April 2021
Hey Brandon, how are you feeling right now?
Thank you for asking. I’m feeling great. I’ve been working on myself for many years now just improving myself, my mental health, my physical health and my relationships on and off the board. I feel amazing.
What are some things you have been doing to make yourself feel better and take care of your mental health differently than in the past?
Now I have a program for myself that’s a 12-step basis program. What that looks like is, taking my own inventory, meditating, paying attention to what I eat, changing who I surround myself with and my overall energy with my life. That’s what the difference is.
You said you had to change who you surround yourself with: what led you to realize you had to change your circle so to speak?
It’s like what Einstein said, doing the same thing and expecting a different result is insanity. I found myself in a position to be loyal to a group of individuals who didn’t necessarily have their own best interest or my best interest, so I kept on getting into trouble. At first with drinking and drinking more and doing a lot of things that weren’t healthy for myself or my peers around me or my purpose.
Turning the table and speaking of good people around you: can you speak on your relationship with Kanton Russel and Oscar Jordan?
Absolutely, I’ve always looked up to the guys. Since I was little and moved back from Japan, I would always see Kanton and Oscar around Ocean Beach. I was blessed enough to have Katon Russel put me on his team, Voice Skateboards. I was really blessed for that. From then on, Katon was one of my first mentors. As far as Oscar Jordan, he’s always been a strong force, amazing skateboarder, especially when I was little and he was coming up. I’ve looked up to him since the H Street days and everything he’s been in. He’s got a lot of energy and a lot of excitement and a lot of passion, he loves skateboarding− that’s the first thing I’d seen from Oscar. With Katon, he’s mentored me since I was 13-years old and really taught me the skateboard industry, taught me the business side of how things work. Which unfortunately, I see with a lot of kids nowadays, they might have some idea of how things work but they don’t really know what goes into it or have any long term plans of longevity within it. Sometimes I see a lot of skaters get good and get hooked up and stuff then once stuff starts to slow down, it starts to get built off resentment and kind of have a bad taste for skateboarding in their mouth because things didn’t go how they saw it should go.
Is there a message you want kids to know about understanding the business side and getting prepared for the skate industry?
My message would be first off to remember why you started skateboarding in the first place. That was probably because it gave you a sense of connection and obviously that you like to ride a skateboard. I would say, no matter what happens after is to always remember that. To stick to that. Don’t let any company or anybody in the world to deter you from why you skate. As soon as it stops being fun, whether it’s a job for you or not, always keep other options open for other passions that might involve skating or art. There’s plenty of ways besides just physically riding the skateboard where you can still be a positive asset to skateboarding and possibly even bigger.
You said there were numerous ways you can help the skateboarding community and you’re working on a new business venture focussed on mental health and wellbeing. Can you tell us about this venture and what you’re trying to contribute to the world of skateboarding?
I can tell you a little bit but not everything because of proprietary reasons but essentially, I’ve seen a lot of people go through dozens of programs and have had setbacks or they don’t work and they can’t put together thirty-sixty-to-ninety days [of sobriety]. What we’ve seen from skating and the healthy release of endorphins is the outcome is amazing. People are staying sober and they’re working on themselves and first hand it’s just amazing. I can’t give up too much information but in the next 60-90 days we have something beautiful in the recovery community that involves skateboarding, well-being and the healthy release of endorphins. A lot of people have tried to do it in the past but were doing it differently. Stay tuned to my social media and stuff and I’ll be announcing it soon on all platforms.
Can you speak on the programs you’re referencing for those of us who might not be familiar?
Substance abuse and mental health programs and because of what we’re implementing, we’re seeing amazing results. Through skateboarding and the healthy release of endorphins and the realness of real life experiences, it’s authentic. It’s going to be amazing because of the authenticity of it.
Can you talk about what you’ve seen or what you know is going on in other mental health and substance abuse programs?
I have nothing to say against or what’s going wrong with counseling because they’re licensed professionals and they have clinical backgrounds and they definitely help play their part. But what I’ve seen is what’s missing is the relatability and actually being able to deal with someone. It’s helpful but it kind of goes in one ear and out the other because these people look at the counselor or the clinical staff as an authority and not somebody on the ground level with them who’s had these same experiences that they’ve had−that they can relate. Just like skateboarding, some people have gotten into it because they relate to people and they have that community, and they feel like they are on the same page and the same ground level−that’s the only thing that I see that’s missing.
Speaking on relatability, are you saying you’re bringing skateboarding into that healing process?
Yes, along with my own personal experiences and my track records. It makes me official and you could say, in the client’s eyes or someone who is struggling with mental health and substance abuse because I’ve struggled with both.
It’s important for people to be able to look up to someone and be excited about the concept of treatment: would you agree with that concept?
Yes, absolutely. That’s huge. I’ve been through it all the way. From the jail cells to the streets, to trapping and everything you can think of. What I offer with my experience is usually people who are going through mental health and substance abuse issues, I can relate first hand so they feel comfortable taking my suggestions.
Do you think there are enough variations of programs to help everyone who needs it?
I think the main thing with mental health and substance abuse is it needs to be more authentic. It has to be as authentic as possible in order for somebody to heal and better themselves. They have to feel comfortable and have to trust the person and we’re seeing that more and more through the healthy release of endorphins and reliability, with myself for example. People are more receptive.
Is there a connection between mental health issues and substance abuse?
Absolutely. There’s often a stigma on us as addicts or people suffering from mental health issues that we don’t want to admit it. The truth is, if you are an addict, 90-percent of the time a mental health issue is involved. There’s an underlying issue that’s causing the addiction and it’s usually an issue with PTSD, schizofrenia, ADD, ADHD, bipolar, borderline depression or anxiety. And we’re seeing that when people don’t get their mental health treated, then their self-medicating. They might think they like doing drugs but really, they don’t feel comfortable in their own skin and they don’t have the resources or the support to actually get to their real diagnosis. Substance abuse is self-medicating. That’s where it is.
Do you think you were self medicating or maybe the people around you in skateboarding and our community?
Yes, 100-percent and I am speaking from experience. That is exactly what I was doing because I didn’t have the tools, support or knowledge to deal with my underlying issues. I didn’t even know it was there, so I couldn’t even admit it. I had depression and I had things that happened in my personal family life that I didn’t deal with. And lucky for me I had skateboarding as an outlet. That’s why I was able to focus so hard on skateboarding because that was my medicine. That was my outlet so I was lucky enough to have that but it only held me over for so long until my real underlying issues came out and overcame skateboarding and starting to take me down.
Do you think people in black and brown communities are speaking enough on mental health issues or seeking enough therapy or counseling for mental health issues?
No way, absolutely not because a lot of older people think it’s wrong. Our elders think it’s wrong to seek help, they see stigma for mental health. But we’re starting to see a lot more people of color from the pandemic; we’re seeing more people starting to get help. But I think we still need more awareness. That it’s okay to have concerns. We can put it this way: You can look at it as a gift or a curse now. But if you actually get it treated it can turn into a gift. I basically want to let people know that it’s common. That it’s not a bad thing, it’s a stigma. Right now it’s a curse because it’s untreated but treat it the right way and it becomes a gift. There’s a lot of fortune 500 owners who struggled with bipolar or mania but they were able to use it as a gift. You can make it a blessing when used the right way.
If you’re able to go get treatment or seek help and get past the stigma then it turns the curse into the gift?
It’s really just all your perception and usually people not feeling really comfortable in their own skin. It’s usually because you have a gift or a power that you just don’t know how to harness yet.
How do you think we can bring up this conversation more in skateboarding culture and make ourselves more aware of mental health?
The whole message I would say we can put out there is to wash the stigma away. The stigma that something’s wrong with you if you seek mental health or substance abuse. The truth of the matter is, nobody can do anything in this world by themselves and everybody needs help in some form of one way or another. As soon as the stigma is washed away that you have a problem and that you’re different, it’s okay to be different, we’re all different. People need to know that there’s help and that there’s people just as cool or not as cool as them, that may know more than they know that can help them. It’s a really important message to just wash this lie away. Your problem can be turned into an asset.
Do you think the mental health conversation is something skateboarding and skateboarders can lead on?
Absolutely. Skateboarders, we’re a powerful force and we’re going to be reckoned with. We’re creators, we’re artists, we’re musicians, we’re mechanics, we’re teachers, we’re students, and I think we can relate to everybody and I think we can change the world.
Understanding you might have mental health issues or a substance abuse problem, do you think it’s something someone has to help someone else with or discover on their own?
I think it’s a combination of both. I’ve seen it help first hand with people wanting to get help because they know my experiences and everything I have been through. They can relate to it and to top it off, I skate. That’s why I am doing this now. The whole reason is to help people who thought and acted like me so they can have a short cut.
Is that where you see your role and responsibility now to skateboarding?
Absolutely. My role is to spread the message and revolutionize the treatment industry and to go down not only as a great skateboarder but a known advocate for people who have substance abuse problems and mental health disorders. Period.
What role do you think the Pandemic and 2020 played in our collective mental health?
It’s sad it took us getting into a pandemic for us to reconcile where we are in our mental health as a collective. It’s sad so many people had to die and so many people got hurt, but we are not who we thought we were and if the government took mental health more seriously, this could have been avoided. It’s huge.
When we have the freedom to express ourselves in skateboarding, it allows us to be the person we think we want to be but that might mean we go down the wrong path. Would you agree, although this lack of formality makes it special, it also prolongs skaters from seeking help or coming to that realization?
Absolutely, skateboarding we’re given the freedom to have our own self-expression without judgment.
What do you think is a good way to start the mental health or substance abuse conversation with our fellow skateboarders?
In just a loving and cool way. Just how us skaters do it. It’s a hard check and sometimes it’s tough and it might be uncomfortable but that’s where real love comes from. If you see your friend falling off or excessively drinking too much or using drugs, it’s your responsibility to love your friend, to reach out to them and make them not feel like they’re being judged or that they’re at a disadvantage for having substance abuse or mental health issues; to let them know you’re there for them and that they’re not going to be looked at any differently, that they have support and outlets to get help they need.
To lead with love?
And not to lead with judgement because we as skateboarders, especially when we’re younger, when we love somebody we can talk crap to point something out. We have to sit down and talk to somebody and let them know for real that they’re messing up; and if you’re messing up then I’m messing up, so we’re going to do this together and not make them feel isolated like: you have a problem. Instead it’s: we have a problem.
What would you like the non-skater community to understand about skateboarding when it comes to mental health and substance abuse?
Skateboarding is amazing and it is a sport. That it’s amazing for the healthy release of endorphins. It’s a community and we want to make it more accessible for everybody, even people struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. It’s about reaching out.
What role would you like to see big names/organizations in skateboarding play in dealing with these issues?
Just stop making people feel like they’re at a disadvantage for having mental health or substance abuse issues because when treated, you can actually use it to your advantage. To really put the conversation out there, to have a section or segment or a spokesperson to make it more accessible and more inviting and more loving by letting people know this is a real thing. Instead, it’s all of us together. What affects you affects me. It’s really important to make people feel welcome because we all know someone dealing with mental health or substance abuse problems. We’re all in this together. As a collective, and not even just in skateboarding, but it’s important to really reach out and make the individual or individuals feel as though they are not alone.
If you had a button that would change one thing, what would it be and would you push it?
It would be for everybody in this world and planet to come to the realization that we all are one and in this together as a collective on the same frequency.
It’s been real Brandon, anything you would like to add before I stop recording?
I just want to thank you, first and foremost for taking the time and showing the love and sharing my opinions, experiences and thoughts on this subject. Because I am in it for real. You and with everything you have done it’s a great honor to be able to talk to you. I remember there was one point in my life where I wouldn’t even pick up my phone or call you because I was so depressed and knew I was in a place where I couldn’t be myself. You would see me out in public wasted. I would see your eyes and I would see your energy and to be here at this point, it really is more than hope. It’s really exciting and I am just honored to be able to talk to a doctor, photographer, skateboarder, like yourself who is just a big influence in the World.
It’s an honor for me brother, thank you.
It’s an honor brother for real. Oh, and in case you didn’t know: It’s Healthy Life Recovery at the Mental Health Center in San Diego. That’s what I am operating under. I just wanted to put that out there. We’re behind everybody and want to help everybody dealing with these mental health and substance abuse issues. We’re on the front lines.
IG: @bturner_
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