MikeSchneiderinterviewenglish

Hi Mike, Greetings from fingerboardingblog.es.tl thank you very much for accepting the interview.
Can you make your own tab for the few who do not know? (Hobbies, age, name ...) (can you describe yourself?)

Hi, my name is Mike Schneider and I'm 19 years old. I've been fingerboarding for about ten years now. I live in andover, massachusetts, usa. East coast! I enjoy skateboarding, fingerboarding, filming, editing, photography, hanging with friends etc.

Tell (us) Mike ... What was the first fingerboard that you had in your hands?

The first fingerboard I ever had was a techdeck and they were the first I used before I had my own.

Why did you decide to enter our hobby?

Kids in my class in school, 4th grade, everyone played around with techdecks and it was just when I was getting into skateboarding so I really fell in love with it.

When, how, why, where and when you decided to create Flatface?

I started flatface around the same time or within the first year that I fingerboarded, but I didnt plan for it to get so big and serious, it was always just fun, making stuff for fun and kids would ask to buy them so sometimes I would sell boards in school or camp.


Can you tell us the little history of Flatface over the years?

Since then it slowly evolved, I had a web page and nobody really liked my stuff much but I kept going with it cause it was fun for me and no reason to stop. I noticed all the good companies only lasted a bit and then stopped, which was sad because so many had a lot of potential. I guess it just worked out cause I continued on even when it was slow, cause it didnt matter and was just fun, and slowly I got better at making stuff and it got to a point where it was something other people really wanted.

Are you proud of your brand?

Now FlatFace is the best thing that could have happened in so many ways. I'm really happy about it, I still step back and have a hard time beleiving how awesome it is!

And on your Youtube channel, one of the most visited in the world of fb ... do you think you have so many views thanks to Flatface or have them because of the channel?

I think people saw my videos a lot which got more exposure for flatface too. I had youtube since before it was even popular (wooo hipster!!! jk haha) so I guess my channel had a head start. Its funny watching my first videos on it! I actually uploaded videos to other sites before youtube but most are gone now.

What set-up are you using now?

I'm using a berlinwood I made custom with timo when I was in BRR-city for fast fingers! With brr wide trucks, flatface wheels, extra smooth, and tky bushings!

Do you think in  let the fingerboard some day or you devote your life to it?

I will continue to fingerboard untill my fingers dont move anymore! I'd like to skate as long as I'm physically able to... I hope when I'm like 80 I'll be this old dude pushing down the street on a skateboard with a huge smile on my face while kids laugh their heads off... that's my dream! ahaha


What is your favorite brand apart from Flatface? ...

My favorite brand is easily blackriver! From my beginning they have been the biggest inspiration towards me, and what they do for fingerboarding is infinitely amazing!

How much money do you think you've spent on the fingerboarding?

I dont know how much I've spent on it.

Is there any material that you've tried and like to try?


My favorite material to fb on is granite, its so solid and poppy, but smooth too.

What do you think of our blog? (FBLOG, www.fingerboardingblog.es.tl)

I think your blog is great, I have a lot of respect for anyone who does blogs and positive things in fingerboarding on the internet and in "real life", as long as its positivity and not some forum-arguement stuff or ripoffs then it gets a thumbs up from me!

What country do you think is better for fb?

Countries... Germany, USA are the big ones, but there is a lot of growing potential and awesome stuff coming from the philippines, spain, portugal, italy! Seriously cool to see nice development in these places too.

Do you think that without all the publicity you have with Blackriver, Berlinwood etc ... You could move on?

All the publicitity will blackriver and berlinwood grew slowly as flatface grew slowly, like my youtube channel, so its really all connected. I really appreciate it all, its amazing!


Do you think the prices are excessive or Flatface fit well with its quality?
All the prices are fair because I do my best to make the highest quality products, all hand made, in the usa with my designs and specifications. Nothing premade, it is all specific for fingerboarding, and I keep the prices as low as possible while using the best quality materials that I can and keeping the company alive so everyone has a chance in the future to get the stuff too. If the prices were too low then I would not be able to continue or I would have to make the products not as nice, but quality is most important to me. I want to make something special, something really good that everyone will enjoy.

Are you planning an upcoming tour with Flatface?

Not really a tour, because the US is too large to easily do that, but sometimes I travel around to different events and bring flatface team riders and promotional stuff, so kind of mini tours sometimes

How is a day with you ...?

A day in the life... I don't know! It's always different. I try to skate every day and do some flatface stuff, hang out with friends later on, stuff like that. But today I spent 5 hours on a train in Germany and now I'm on a plane from Germany to the US, when I get home it will be about 13+ hours of travelling, so that's my day today! Fun fun... all 'cause of fingerboarding!

Your brand ... What is your favorite product?

My favorite product of my own has to be my wheels, because they are a product of years of improvements and really something unique in my opinion, I made them exactly how I like and I'm glad that so many other people enjoy them too

Well Mike, thank you very much for accepting the interview, I know It took you a long time , but thank you very much ... Would you like to add something or greet someone etc? ...

Thank you so much for the interview, I hope a lot of people read it! I want to thank everyone who fingerboards for FUN and you all know who you are! Last words to go along with that are really fingerboard for FUN and anything else will follow, don't try too hard!

Best Greetings
Mike