MK: Give us some history on the company, take us back to the beginning how did you get started?

MS: Red Army started as an idea about three years ago but we really launched into full business mode last spring with our first full line coming out late summer of 2004. We had been a custom screen printing shop prior to focusing 100% on Red Army. That transition was pretty tough but we started the screen printing business in order to launch Red Army and got bogged down in the day-to-day part of running the screen shop. From there we’ve just focused on making good, quality apparel that is affordable and having fun doing it. We are just getting started and are adding new designs and products all the time. The tie-in to skateboarding was just based on our backgrounds and love for skating.

MK: Where/When was Red Army Surplus Co started?

MS: Red Army was officially born in the spring of 2004 in Austin, Texas. We’ve only been at it for about a year so we’re really happy with how far we have come in such a short time. It’s been a big surprise for sure and we still have a long way to go.

MK: The designs are striking and bold what is the fascination with the vintage Russian motif?

MS: I started skating in the mid 80’s in Germany and we saw a lot of that stuff around us in the media. Of course there was always someone wearing a hammer and sickle shirt in Thrasher which made it even cooler and more of a rebellious thing. It just kind of evolved from there and didn’t seem to be too overdone like some of the blood and guts stuff. I always just liked the strong lines that many of the propaganda posters had and at its roots it was all an underground movement of the people against the establishment. That just seemed to be a good fit with skateboarding.

MK: Who does the designs? How many designers do you have?

MS: Right now all of our stuff is done in house. I do most of the creative and we are always tossing around random ideas. We are looking for a few good designers to work with just to add some new ideas and perspective to the mix.

MK: Apparel company promoting grass roots skating or is it a grass roots skating group promoting apparel?

MS: Hmmm… both? I think right now since we are still pretty small and have a lot of freedom to do whatever we want it’s more of a group of guys that happen to have an apparel line. As we grow it will be a challenge to maintain that connection to grass roots skating but I think that’s what makes it fun and keeps it interesting. We are already starting to deal with a lot more of the business side of things and I think that’s a pretty normal progression for a small start-up that is growing.

MK: It seems your promotion activities are growing can you tell me a bit of what you are currently working on (ditch series) maybe a bit of what you have been involved with in the past and what you are working on in the future?

MS: The ditch series is a blast! Our marketing manager Bosco came up with and is running the whole thing and it’s been great so far. Of course it’s good for Red Army but it’s really cool to see kids come up and ask “how much is it to enter?” and then find out its free. We’ve only done one so far in Houston but it was a great time and the longboard division was just out of this world, so many good skaters. The Dallas event coming up is a mix of banked slalom and traditional ditch skating, something totally unconventional. I think just doing something different is what makes it even more fun. In the past we’ve just sponsored other events and skatepark fundraisers and will continue to do that. But we are also going to focus on events that take skateboarding out of the skatepark environment and try to get more exposure for some of the other styles of skating. We have a slalom race planned for the fall here in Austin and are working on some other hybrid events for next year that should be really interesting.

MK: Can you extrapolate on your current involvement with Skaters for Public Skateparks?

MS: It’s pretty basic at this point. We just support what those guys are all about and want to help however we can. We sent over some gear for the big summit they just had and are hoping to do more with them in the future. I just think they are on the right path to growing skateboarding and trying to make it something everyone can enjoy.

MK: The basic trend of many skate shops to carry cookie cutter decks and ill inspired soft goods seems to be increasing. You seem to carry an anti establishment vibe through your site. You have any comment on the current skateboard retail market?

MS: Yeah, it’s a viscous cycle. We started out looking at a lot of different apparel and other soft goods to figure out what not to do. It’s tough though, all of the designs look similar, materials are going more high-end and a lot of the apparel companies that started with their roots in skating are really going high fashion which means high prices. We wanted to stay away from that but you also want to be successful and sell your products. The good news is that kids always want to be different so if the mall skateshop has 100 of the same t-shirt at some point that is not going to be cool anymore. I think that’s one of the reasons we do the majority of our business now online. We didn’t want to sacrifice the vibe we have just to sell a few things and make a few bucks. We are trying to take a longer term approach and make our company mean something. Hopefully that will pay off over time.

MK: What do you look for in your team riders, are the members of your team as involved in the promotion of grass roots skating?

MS: Yeah, that’s something we want to focus on. The team is an ever evolving thing but we really are looking for guys that not only kill-it on a skateboard but also are involved in the skate community. Jason Espeseth runs the PUSH group that is working for new and better parks in Houston, John Armstrong is our DIY concrete guru and built his own bowl and Mike Niemann is really helping get slalom skating on the map here in Texas. All of those guys bring something different to the team and are just great people to be associated with. We've recently added some of the Gravity team skaters to the Red Army family. Brad Edwards, Dustin Taylor, Ryan Connerly, Jesse Parker. Those guys really rip on longboards and are really approachable, cool people. We are excitied to be working with them.

MK: Do you have any favorite sessions that come to mind?

MS: Lately just skating all of the local ditches. We’ve found a few new places to ride so it’s just good to learn stuff on new terrain and see what you do. We’re pretty lucky here to have some local experts as far as longboarding goes, the Texaslongboarder.com guys and Bonelessone crew are like having human encyclopedias on hand, those guys have been around since the invention of the wheel I think and there’s no ego involved, everyone just loves to skate and have a good time.

MK: What is the scene like in Austin?

MS: The scene here is really starting to explode. It’s amazing. Austin just signed Grindline to build a new park that will be done in September and there is so much going on. You have this blend of new and old styles, people, ideas, it’s just cool to be skating right now and see all of this happen. It’s really the start of something in my mind. Not sure exactly where its all going but its great for skateboarding and even better for the skaters to have so many options. We are even seeing some of the DIY underground concrete projects starting to surface like out West. And I didn’t even mention the hills, man, there are some crazy hills that are a blast to skate and you can really scare yourself! Austin is a great town already so that makes it even more fun to be here.

MK: Who do you see as one of the greatest proponents in skating right now?

MS: Man, that’s a tough one. I think from a marketing hype standpoint Stacy Peralta and the ‘Empire’ of Dogtown that he has created is pretty amazing. Looking back 2-3 years ago no one had any idea of who or what that was all about and now MTV is doing specials with Stacy and Alva and its just strange seeing all of that in the mainstream media. But it’s arguable if in the long run that will be good for skateboarding or just a marketing frenzy that comes and goes without leaving much of a lasting legacy. Will be interesting to see that unfold for sure. I also think Michael Brooke and the guys over at Concrete Wave are doing some good work. It’s really cool to see longboarding, slalom, downhill and other styles get some coverage and I think that as the first ever generation of skaters gets older that it is helping make it less of a trend and something more permanent. And you have to mention the local guys that really work hard for the right things. We have people like Carter Dennis and Seth Johnson, guys I don’t really even know that well, that are in the trenches and making things happen. Those guys are attending city council meetings, working with local governments and traveling all over the state just because they love skating and want good, quality skateparks for all the young guys coming up. Just this week the Austin paper did an article on getting more local parks and even compared concrete vs. modular setups. That doesn’t happen without those guys. It’s that kind of selflessness that will really keep skateboarding growing.

MK: What do you want to see in the future of skating?

MS: I’d just like to see people enjoy skating in a larger scope and not be so narrow in their view of the sport. You are starting to see it now with a lot of the younger skaters that realize different skateboards do different things better and you can have fun with more than just one style of skating. I think it will be around a lot longer this time and not just drop off like it has in the past. Just in Texas we are going from 0 to 11 concrete parks in less than 3 years I think. That says something. I also think longboarding is going to keep growing. There is a different vibe there and the surfing tie-ins are pretty strong. People that would never touch a ‘skateboard’ will jump right on a longboard and just go. It has a different cool-factor that people enjoy.

MK: What does the future have in store for Red Army Surplus?

MS: Well, we are really working hard to expand our line of apparel for this fall and just add more styles, colors, designs, etc. Our goal is to move into more custom stuff and really start designing some apparel that is geared towards skating. We are also going to add more events, contests and promotions that should really be cool. One thing we want to do is make sure all of the events we run in the future have a real tie-in to the local and/or national groups that are working to make things better for all skaters. We are a business for sure but it’s important to never lose sight of what we are all in this for and how much skating means to everyone involved.

MK: Any closing thoughts?

MS: Man, I think that covers it. Just that we are really excited about where things are going and love hearing feedback from people that wear our clothing or have ideas/suggestion about what we are doing. Silverfish is a pretty amazing community so we are always happy to share what we are up to with you guys.