SLASHER INTERVIEW

Hes unique, a complete individual, and walks to the beat of his own drum. I'm talking about Bobby Vaughn. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of you don't know who I'm talking about. Bobby tends to keep a low profile. He doesn't feel the need to sit on SR and post all day long just so he can see his post count go up. Instead you can find Bobby out in the streets riding his scooter..and riding it in his own unique original way. Bobby has been known for doing such tricks as the "Poserslide", "Turntap", and the "Sarantap". These are but a few of his original tricks that Bobby does with his own style, that separates him from every other rider today. However don't be mistaken at his unrecognizable name, Bobby has been scootering for over 8 years, and will actually be 9 years come April, and he has no plans of stopping anytime soon. In the middle of 2007 Bobby dropped his first real mini video, and it turned quite a lot of heads. With his originality and style he got a lot of peoples attentions. He is a true individual in the sport of Scootering, something that we have always been lacking, and the fact that he is completely underrated or unknown to most will never bother Bobby. He rides for himself, and for the love of Scootering. That, is Bobby Vaughn.

- Steven Tongson


Interview done by Jordan Jasa.

So how long exactly have you been riding? What was the scene like back then?

well, ive been riding for about 8 and 1/2 years..my first skooter i bought for like 3 dollars off some dude i know..it had no handlegrips, the deck was half missing and it had a rollerblade front wheel....there weren't any good skooters around then except for the original old a1, micros, if you wanted to ride a longneck. no one in town rode skooters and anyone who was older and seriously into another sport would just look at you like you were a goon! haha...i kinda miss those days...without the original skooter riders of those days...like Steven Tongson, Matt Andrus, Ryan Whetstone, Bobby Vaughn (me)....man.....

Was it hard getting motivation to ride after the scooter boom, like in 2002? The scene was almost nonexistent back then...

ehhh..i knew what i liked and i thought skootering could really go somewhere if people just stayed with it..so i stayed with it...doing bigger gaps than al lampton back in the day...but didnt have enough money to buy a camera or enough comp skills to post anything back then....i woulda had al lampton on his knees beggin me not to post my clips that never were posted...

anyways...there was the old razor team, which wouldn't be anywhere without Jarret Reid, The Flying Squirrel.....while they were riding ramps and stuff..i was off riding street ...i don't know...street just makes me feel more alive..more free..instead of being contained....OH, but about the 2002 scene..there was Raptor skooters then...Kat Larios..she was the shit...hittin up those no footer 1 handers like they were nothing back then.

I've heard of Raptor before. Can you tell me more about them?

they were a rip-off of razor... but they had a couple good riders...and they made your skooter a custom color..thats all i can say really...

You made some threads on SR back in the day about riding with "marijuana enhancement". Did being under the influence of drugs really help out your riding?


hehe...i used to think it did...i know that i used to enjoy it alot...i woudnt recommend anyone doing it tho....i dont do illegal drugs anymore and i dont even drink really...i used to do alot of psychadelics....went to rehab for one in particular twice...some of the best and worst days-o-my life......but, i will say they opened my mind and made me think about things i wouldnt normally think..

..overall, they arent worth it in the end, you will lose what REALLY matters to you in life....friends, a fiancee, and lose peoples trust..... i do like the naturally produced drugs adrenalin, endorphens, and things like that that are made in the body and brain.

Love and Art (skootering is an art) are WAY better than any drug could ever be.

What would you say, what advice would you give to a kid who's just about to the age where people start going to parties and drinking, smoking, etc?

dont give in under peer pressure..alo-o-kids these days want to look cool and about the age of 14, they wanna fit into a certain crowd..giving into substances is not the way to fit in, in my book.....myeh, wait til your about 50 then youll be cool pretty much to do whatever you want! heh! cops like to mess with teenagers, so id say...chill... dowhatever you want, but that's just my advice...

I thought your video was one of the most original videos of 2007. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

skateboarding! hands down...thats all i have had to ride with....props to Mckeen for drawing the same influence!


BMX style has been more popular the past few years, do you think McKeen's video will start a shift to skate style?

Hah! Yes i do! i hope that his, mine, and other street riders will be more influential in skootering, i see all these people riding nothing but park that have no originality.....its crazy! Street is where it's at....Yes, we need more skateboard influenced riders....with them, comes original skooter names instead of mocking names that have already been made up.

Do you think of yourself as a tech rider, style rider, or something else altogether?

on SR i voted for Style...i dont know if id consider myself much else besides a skateboarder who didnt make it and couldnt afford it...then i became addicted to skootering..I love tech riders tho man...Kasson! Wernicke was sick back in the day...never got into Josh Toy! i know this may make him mad...but i think he gets too much credit! Kasson, Andrus, Mcnaughton, and Mckeen would woop riders like mr. toy anyday!

With that said, do like doing big, gutsy stuff drops and gaps more, or things like combos that take more time?

I used to like gaps alot...back when al lampton was "the king of gaps" i was doing bigger gaps...just had no way to post my vids cuz we had no idea how to upload or anything like that back then....I Love doing tailtap combos, man...they are my favorite tricks....i like some tech stuff too like noseblunt slides and overkrook combos that Martin Kimbell stole from me....i talked to him on msn about my new overkrrok combos and like the next day he is posting the same tricks i told him i just landed...he took the credit for em but he deserves it i guess, he's done alot for the Art of Skootering!

Yeah, he has. I don't really notice you posting much on SR, at least on videos and pictures. Do you try to keep up with the latest videos or is that not important to you?

its not that important man...when you keep up with them too much you lose originality......because you care too much about what other people are doing instead of focusing on things that really progress the sport....im so tired of seeing skooterflip after skooterflip and flairs get annoying....RIDE MORE STREET!

I think its safe to say that you, Matt Andrus, Dylan Kasson, Matt Ogle and even myself have unique riding styles. Why do you think Midwest riders tend to be more original than most others?

because there arent as many large cities packed together and not as many riders living close together so you have to think of your own stuff.

Do you think you would be more well known if you lived in Cali instead of Illinois? Would your riding be different?

yes and yes. im glad i live in metropolis illinois..i cant really say why except for being able to say everything happens for a reason. My riding would be so different if i had skooter riders to ride with back in the day instead of skateboarders. Again, street Skaooting is where its at.

Barack Obama was just inaugurated today. What do you think of him?

i dont really care too much for politics...i havent seen a straight politic in my life. But, i love the fact that peoples are are going to be opened up for new things. i havent done any research on him. id rather be skootering or doing something more productive like infiltrating the Illuminati! heh, jk kinda. He SEEMS like a nice fella....we'll just have to see..people fear hes going to be assassinated by The Skull and Bones/Illuminati/Bilderberg Group or one of their affiliates...if this happens, they better be moving their devil worshipping asses to Mars or hide in Mt.Weather cuz there will be a Very Strong Retaliation.

Illuminati? Are you serious? They're really around?

theyve been around.....way longer than i can say.Bush, cheyney, bush sr. the whole bush family, clintons, and a HUGE majority of politicians are part of at least one secretive, genocidal group of blooddrinkers.

A genocidal group of blooddrinkers. Well, that certainly sounds interesting, but I'm gonna stop the interview here. Any last words?

haha! Last words! why, are you planning my death or something?! jk...Umm id like to say thank you for this opportunity...thanks for being open minded. and to anyone else, if anyone, whos going to read this, Ride More Steet! Hit More Ledges! Quit the Frontside and backside flippin..aka, skooter flips. Peace, Unity! -Slasher