To the masses, the concept of skateboarding invokes images of urban streets, concrete, metal fixtures and graffiti art. In stark contrast, skateboarder JS Lapierre began his venture in the simplistic farmland setting of a small Canadian village. No handrails and no jumps, just hard work, passion, and creativity.

JS Lapierre has made a commitment to focusing on mental and physical health as he continues to pursue his journey in skateboarding. He makes conscious decisions every day to better himself, which is something that can arguably be seen as counterintuitive to the traditional skateboarding lifestyle. Now, as a skateboarder riding for Zero Skateboards, he continues to add knowledge and skills to his repertoire, a lot of which is motivated by his new passion for CBD.

We spoke exclusively to JS Lapierre about his skateboarding history, future and the role CBD plays in his health and fitness regimen.

Cannabis Aficionado: What was your first memory of skateboarding?

JS Lapierre: The first time that skateboarding was introduced to me was when one of my friends got a mini ramp in his backyard. I think I used his older brother’s skateboard and I was instantly obsessed. That friend and I keep in touch. I don’t know if his older brother ever found out I was using his board, but I know his parents were proud when they found out I was doing so well skateboarding.

What is it about skateboarding that is so appealing to you?

When I was a kid I did it because I loved it so much. There was no reason, I just thought it was really fun. Now, as I grow older and learn more about spirituality I realize that extreme sports give a moment of clarity. Nothing else is going on. There is no voice in my head, no ego. It is a pure form of meditation for me. Everything it has given me has been amazing. I’ve been crazy places and met all kinds of people. I’m very grateful.

 

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Thanks @jackalopefest for having me again this year ❤️📷: @danmathieu

A post shared by JS Lapierre (@jslapierre) on Aug 20, 2018 at 12:48pm PDT

When did you make the decision to pursue skateboarding as a career?

I think deep down in my heart I knew that I wanted to pursue skateboarding as a goal. I believe there was a decisive moment when I finished high school. My parents wanted me to keep going to school, so I applied to go to college.

I was supposed to start the next month, but there was a big contest in Montreal. I decided to go out there and try. I got first place and won like eight thousand dollars. That was the perfect opportunity to set aside regular life and pursue skateboarding. My mom was super supportive and I had a little money to live on, which I think made her more ok with it. It has been such a blessing.

You grew up in a small town on a farm. Skateboarding is often associated with urban lifestyle. How do you combine those two worlds?

I’ve been really lucky. When I was young my parents were really supportive. We lived in a small village that only had about 400 people. I loved it so much that I wanted to skate every day. I would skate in front of my house, practicing ground tricks. They would bring me out to the nearest skatepark whenever they could, which was 15 minutes away. In the winter there was an indoor skate park 45 minutes away by Montreal. I was really lucky they did that for me.

How much time do you spend skating a week?

I think I skate probably once every two days, depending on a lot of things. You can’t really film at skate parks. You have to find handrails and sets of stairs. It takes some time to drive around trying to find skate spots and then try not to get kicked out. Most of the time I skate 5-10 hours during the week. That’s one of the reasons it’s good to have other things around that you like to do. I read, stretch a lot and do yoga.

Finding a great place to skate and film can be difficult. Skateboarders are often stereotyped as youngsters with no regard for others’ space or property. In reality, most have no intention of disturbing the peace.

I’ve been really lucky. Some people go to jail for trespassing or ridiculous fines. When I was young, I got a $600 fine for skating. I believe I was under 18 so the fine was significantly reduced. We are just trying to have fun and skate. Some people don’t see it that way.

 

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Thanks @williamcristofaro93 🎥💖

A post shared by JS Lapierre (@jslapierre) on Nov 24, 2017 at 7:54pm PST

How do you know when it is time to stop skating for the day?

That is what’s cool; you are never going to know everything in skateboarding. There are so many tricks that you are never going to master more than yourself. I skate as much as I can without being too sore the next day. I listen to my body.

Some skateboarders prefer to skate alone, while others like to travel in groups. I like to have friends around, but if we are in a city it can be kind of annoying to have a big group. But I like a good communal session. Talk some shit and do some skating.

If you could ride with anyone, who would it be?

Laird Hamilton. He’s actually a surfer, not a skateboarder but the reasons for that is that he’s got so many insights about how to maintain a healthy body through cold exposure and breathing exercises. He’s got these underwater exercises that a bunch of people come to his house to try out and it looks so epic.

How has your decision to adopt a meat-free lifestyle affected your body?

It started off as an ethical decision. I saw videos of what goes on in slaughterhouses and I wanted to do something about that. If I’m consuming those products I’m supporting the industry. So, I started as a vegetarian. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was really a healthy option. There is a lot of misinformation about how you lose important nutrients and protein. As I got older, I began to read about the nutrition side of things. I also watched a lot of documentaries, which prompted me to become a vegan.

I try to be as healthy as possible. Since skateboarding is my career, I have some extra time on my hands to learn and use my knowledge efficiently. I want to be able to skate as long as possible. I want to be able to use all the tools I can outside of skateboarding to do what I love the most.

A vegan lifestyle takes a lot of dedication. How do you make it work?

Honestly, I used to eat for taste. I love eating food still, but I try to center my diet on the healthiest things. I cook a lot. I don’t eat out much. I make a lot of smoothies with superfoods so I am full of energy throughout the day. I love Indian food. That’s probably my favorite.

My parents are starting to realize more about healthy eating. Whenever I go home I try and tell them what I know without being too annoying. I can see an improvement and I want to see my parents stay healthy and energetic.

What do you do to stay mentally focused?

I do yoga and try to meditate daily, which is a difficult thing to do. I also do Wim Hoff breathing exercises and cold showers, which help to restore balance and maintain energy. It’s amazing.

I’ve been super into health and self-improvement for a few years now and I was always jealous of my friends who would be able to benefit from the cannabis plant. I wished I would be able to smoke a joint after a long day of skating so I could recuperate faster and just relax. I personally always had a hard time getting high though, I would be super paranoid and it ended up just being a turn off so I haven’t smoked weed in years now.

What made you decide to start incorporating CBD oil into your healthy routine?

I think it was from seeing other friends posting about it and I kept seeing CBD oil in some of the health stores and hearing about it. I knew cannabis had a lot of benefits, but I don’t smoke. I get too much in my head. I knew there were good things in cannabis but I didn’t want to smoke. Then I looked up the benefits of CBD. I think it is the perfect tool to skate and recuperate. And mentally it makes me feel really calm.

I take Receptra CBD oil every day, in the morning and at night. In the long run, the tincture makes a difference in overall health. The topical is good for short-term pain.

For me, being sore is the issue rather than bruising. You jump the same set 40-50 times and you are going to be sore. Receptra helps with that. It is super effective and really easy just to use the liquid every day as part of my routine.