Daniel Policelli and I first met in person in the Fall of 2016 in LA. But, I had known of Dan through his YouTube for years. I had come across one of his edits, thought it was sick, and subscribed. We ended up following each other on Instagram, then Dan hit me up when he was out in LA for the first time. We instantly clicked. From then on, we’ve skated together whenever we have the chance and constantly nerd out on skateboarding, even when I’m here in LA, and he’s in Canada. 

Last year Chocolate released “Bunny Hop”, an instant classic that seemingly everyone in skateboarding was stoked on. I gave Dan a call to chat about the role that he played in this video, and talk through some of his favorite clips that he filmed. Enjoy! – 

🌀: Let’s get into the action. So how did you originally get connected with the Crailtap camp?

It was the remixes I was doing in 2017, right before “The Flare” came out. I was just super hyped for the video, so I thought it would be sick to get all their throwaway footage and make parts out of it. I was doing those weekly from February to June, and just before the video premiered Federico (Vitetta) messaged me on Instagram and said “Hey, if you want to come out to the premiere I have a ticket for you” and there was obviously no way I would pass that up. I went out there and got to meet some of the dudes, but I was pretty much just saying “What’s up” to them. It was cool that they recognized me, and put a face to my name. I guess they had all been watching the remixes.

🌀: That’s super cool you were able to make it out to the premiere. You stayed in contact with Federico from that point on, right?

Yeah, I got his number and tried to stay in touch. I just kept going back out there (LA), trying to show face, go to the warehouse to say what’s up, and do what I could. Over time that connection just kept growing. It wasn’t until the end of 2019 that I went on my first couple of trips. There was a Lakai trip to Montreal, and a month after there was a Chocolate trip to Toronto and New York. Those were my first trips, it was really cool, they just hit me up and asked if I was down to come help film. It helped that they were doing trips to Canada, you know?

🌀: For sure, they were in your hood!

I obviously tried to do my best on those trips and make a good impression, and kept it going from there. I went out to LA that next Winter and there was a Chocolate trip to Texas and New Mexico. I was invited to that since I was in LA and in the mix. Then Covid happened, and I missed out on a lot of filming. Once I got the vaccine, I was able to go on a bunch of trips right before the video came out. That’s kind of the timeline of it.

🌀: That’s dope. To quickly go back, that DM that Federico sent to you saying he had a ticket to the Flare premiere for you, was that the first time you had ever talked to him?

Yeah, pretty much. There was a Lakai Canada Tour in 2014, called the Stupor Tour. They did a stop in Toronto, and Federico was on that trip filming. I remember being super stoked that he was there, and got a photo with him.

🌀: Wow, that’s crazy! It’s kind of like you met him as a fan in 2014, and then as friends in 2017.

Yeah, it’s insane. It’s really crazy to think about.

🌀: Definitely. So let’s get into “Bunny Hop”, when did filming really begin for the video?

It was before I started helping them. I think the first trip was in Vancouver in September 2018, which was right when “Doll” came out. I know they did a trip to Vegas in early 2019, then the next trip after that was the Toronto trip.

🌀: Oh ok, got it. That Toronto trip was the T.O.N.Y Tour right, which you went on?

Yeah. I was in LA at the beginning of 2019 and we were at Frogtown, and I was like “John, it’d be sick to do a trip to Toronto, you guys should come”, and he actually seemed pretty interested in it. I remember going home like “Damn, I hope that happens” and it did.

🌀: That’s so sick! So I know Bunny Hop was John’s video, but what would you consider your role? 

Just to help film. John was really busy editing the video towards the end, so for him there was probably some weight lifted off his shoulders having me and Canaan (Hernandez) help out with filming and be on some trips.

🌀: Yeah. Is there a standout from those trips that was your favorite? Whether it was the most productive, or just the most fun…

My favorite was probably Boston, I’ve always wanted to go there. I think the architecture and everything is really cool there. I was stoked to be on that trip, it was a road trip through the North East. We went in the beginning of October, so it was Fall weather, which I’ve always really liked, that was definitely my favorite. 

🌀: I’ve never been to Boston, but I feel like there’s so many cool looking spots, with all the brick, and then Eggs being right on the water. Did you guys skate Eggs?

We did skate there, but it wasn’t in Bunny Hop, I think it’ll be in another Tour edit we’re going to do from that trip. It was the very first spot we went to in Boston. 

🌀: Obviously you’ve built relationships with everyone on the team, is there any one person you really like to film with the most?

Yeah, everyone is obviously cool to film with. I haven’t really thought about that. I really like filming with Capps or Erik. They’re some of my favorite skaters, so maybe that’s why it’s fun to film with them.

🌀: I feel like James Capps does cool looking tricks, it’s classic good skating, it has a timeless feeling to it.

Yeah, and I feel like Erik skates like that as well, what you just described.

🌀: Is there anything about those trips that was different than what you expected a pro skate trip would be like?

Yeah, in your head you have these crazy ideas of what a trip could be like, but really, it’s just like a homie trip. All the trips I’ve been on with my close friends have felt the exact same way as being on those Chocolate trips. Being on the road, in the hotel rooms, or Airbnb’s, it’s just a family vibe.

🌀: That’s probably what every brand wants to have, that family feeling. That translates through videos, you can feel when a team is friends and they like being together, and you can tell when you watch a video and it feels forced. Like when a video looks like a bunch of people just sent footage in instead of working on it together.

Yeah, obviously people got footage on their own time, but a lot of the footage in the video is from being together. On the trips everyone is always hanging out, even at night, we’re always together. That was really cool to me, you always knew that Girl and Chocolate was a big family, but to be a part of it and see it in person is really special.

🌀: Yeah, for sure. So you pulled a handful of your favorite clips that you filmed for Bunny Hop for us to dive into. Let’s kick it off with Carl’s Switch Back 180, which I remember you telling me was one of your favorite tricks from the T.O.N.Y Tour…

Yeah, I had never skated that spot before. James Morley (Photographer) brought us there, it was a really cool spot. I picked this clip because it was my first Chocolate trip. It was cool to get the main angle because I figured that I’d be kind of a B camera for the whole trip, but it was cool that John was like “Go fisheye, go for it”, you know?

🌀: Yeah, that’s dope you got in there with the fish! Didn’t James Capps or someone also get a trick at this spot?

Capps skated it, he did Front Shuv, which I was also really hyped on. I remember they put it in the T.O.N.Y Tour video, and I was like “Damn, that would’ve been sick to see that in his part”. But yeah, I think that clip (Carl’s Switch Back 180) is the only clip from Toronto (in Bunny Hop). I love Toronto, so it’s sick to have a clip from my hometown in there.

🌀: Yeah, your first trip and it’s your hometown, that’s pretty sick! Alright, number 2, Erik’s Back Noseblunt at Jarmers. This seemed like one of the most popular clips from the video, so many people were posting it.

He was just doing those for fun, I remember he was filming it on his phone and I was like “Damn, we should just film that in a line or something” and I think he was kind of whatever about it. Even Hjalte was there and he was tripping on it too. I just took my camera out and was like “Dude, let’s do something” and I’m not sure who brought up the Backside Flip Nosegrind, but he just put it together. He did that line maybe 3 times, so I have a bunch of attempts of him doing the Backside Noseblunt the whole way. 

🌀: You’ve watched so many skate videos, and are so knowledgeable, that I think you have a good eye for what should really be filmed instead of filmed on a phone. If that Back Noseblunt was filmed solely for Instagram, I don’t think it would’ve had the same effect as it did being in his part.

Yeah, if he posted it on Instagram it would’ve gotten a lot of love, for sure. But, it’s cool that we did film it, and it’s in the video. To see the reaction to it makes me happy, because again, it’s something that maybe wouldn’t have been filmed.

🌀: Totally. Moving on, Jesus’ Hardflip on this asphalt bump, is this in CPH too?

Yeah, that was funny. It was one of the last days of the trip, we were trying to find a spot to skate. We took a train there, it was a bit out of the way, but it was a really cool spot. Jesus is just the greatest person ever, just the most love-able dude, and so unintentionally funny. It was nice to finally get to meet him, and he’s good friends with Federico, they’ve spent so much time together filming over the years. 

🌀: He seems like the best dude, I’ve never met him, but in interviews he’s so fun to listen to. It’s almost relaxing (laughs), he just seems so happy and chill.

He really is. He helped us out a lot when we were out in Copenhagen. It was great to have him out on the sessions, and to film a clip with him. That Hardflip was in the credits, and we filmed a line at Jarmers that’s in the video, but I really like the Hardflip, I wanted to give it a little more shine.

🌀: For sure, it’s a sick looking spot. Was he the tour guide for you guys, since he lives in Copenhagen?

Yeah, he’s been living in Copenhagen for 3 years now, so he knew where a lot of the spots were. We also had the dudes at Plaza skate shop showing us around, Aske, Jonas and Rasmus. Shoutout to all those guys, they really made the trip worthwhile.

🌀: Sick! Next we got this Kenny Anderson clip, one of skateboardings favorites. Where’s this spot?

That was at Harvard University, in Boston. Kenny scoped that one but then we got kicked out. We were heading to the other spot, and Kenny saw the security guard leave, so he called me and said “Yo, if you want to come back, I’m trying this trick”, so I went back and we hacked away at it. It’s a sick looking trick and was a lot of fun to film.

🌀: The way he did it made it look so easy for him

He did it a few times, but on a lot of his attempts it wouldn’t grind. That one just worked, and he took it all the way to the top.

🌀: Yeah! It really stood out to me how long he grinded, he was just waiting for the bank to end, and then come in.

He said “As soon as I get that grind, I’ll know” and then he did it.

🌀: Haha, amazing. Alright, so Erik’s Half Cab Flip down the set in NY. When Bunny Hop first dropped, I looped this clip. The way he did it, the lights on the ceiling, and how he’s flicking towards the fisheye, it all looks amazing. 

Dude, when he landed that I was shocked. I remember him riding away and I was like “Oh my God, that was incredible”. That was in September 2020, which was before Erik was even fully on Chocolate. It was cool that I was able to save that clip, and it got used. The janitor wasn’t stoked on us skating, and there was this other dude there filming the whole time, who I guess knew about Crailtap. He was like “They’re hating on Crailtap”, so I started filming him. It’s cool because his shirt said “Shit Happens”, which is the name of the first skate video I ever made. I didn’t notice his shirt said that until way later.

🌀: Wow, what a weird full circle moment…

It was weird. It was cool that it was a back to back clip too (with Carl). I remember watching a rough cut of the video a few months before it dropped, and when that clip came up I was like “Oh shit!”, cause I didn’t know it was going to get used. Also, the Big Flip that was the animation, was another clip we got. 

🌀: That’s super rad! The last clip we have here is C-Rob at the beach. I feel like Chris is always saying how he just wants to skate and have fun, and isn’t concerned with filming. What was it like getting this clip with him?

He just goes out to skate, and if someone wants to film, cool, if not, cool. I just took out the camera one session and he got that pretty quick. We were going to film more, but it just didn’t work out timing wise. But, he really is skating there all the time, it’s cool to see that he found a new joy in skating. I really wanted to make sure the OG’s were in the video; Chris, Eldy, Jeron.

🌀: It was cool to see those dudes in the mix. You’ve mentioned to me before that the credits are one of the best parts of a video, keeping that in mind, how did you feel editing the credits?

John made a backup drive, and I got to just find those special moments from trips and sessions. I think credits are a super important part of a skate video, because you get to see the behind the scenes stuff. Growing up, Girl and Chocolate always had my favorite credits sections. Yeah Right, Fully Flared, Pretty Sweet, all had such amazing credits where you get to see that family vibe I was talking about.

🌀: 100%, and you ended up sneaking in a clip of yourself skating Flushing Meadows! 

Yeah, that was funny. I wasn’t going to put that in there, but it was actually Rick who suggested using it, which I thought was rad. I’ve always wanted to skate Flushing too.

🌀: Yeah, such a cool looking spot! Did you have anything to do with the skits from the video?

I was pretty much filming behind the scenes of the skits, Colin (Kennedy) was filming with a RED Camera, and John was directing. I was there for all of the shoots, which was the month of November. One of my favorite skaters is Richard Mulder, so to get to meet him was really cool, he’s such a nice dude. It was rad to get some people that were involved with Chocolate in the past, they were stoked to be a part of it.

🌀: It turned out so good, I love skits in skate videos. What’s the story behind the name “Bunny Hop”? I know it’s something Keenan used to say, but what was the context of him saying that?

I’m not entirely sure, but I think I remember someone saying it has to do with someone having a lot of pop, don’t quote me on that, or I guess you are quoting me on that (laughs). 

🌀: That makes sense. Do you know how that became the title?

I wasn’t really involved in picking the name, when I came in it was already decided that it was going to be called “Bunny Hop”. Roger was telling me that it was actually a potential name for what was “Pretty Sweet”.

🌀: I like it. What about the premiere, how were you feeling that night; nervous, excited? After all the hard work, I’m sure you were full of emotions…

I wasn’t really nervous at all, I was pretty excited. I love skate premieres, and it had been a while since I had been to one, because of Covid. I was really stoked to just have fun, watch the video, be in a theater with everyone and have that vibe. I remember being at The Flare premiere, and that was really special. It was cool to be at this premiere and actually be involved in the video. 

🌀: Yeah, that had to be a great feeling. You went up on the stage with the team, right?

I did. To come this whole way has been a trip. It’s always crazy to think about, I’m super grateful to be a part of it, for sure. 

🌀: To wrap up the night, Carl got his highly anticipated pro board. How did that all go down? 

There was a plan of turning him pro, but they weren’t sure when to do it. I think we were just talking one time and were like “Maybe it would make the most sense to turn him pro at the premiere” , since everyone would be together. We thought it would be sick to do it at the after party, with Carl dancing, and just shock him with his board coming out. I think it’d be more of a surprise that way than if he got it before or after the video, you know? 

🌀: Yeah, agreed! Did you guys catch him by surprise with the boards?

I think he knew he was going to turn pro, I just don’t think he knew when. He hadn’t seen the graphic, obviously. So yeah, there was a lot of surprise there. I’m sure he had a feeling that it would maybe happen that night, but everything else was a surprise. He had so many of his friends from his hometown there, so I know it was really special for him.

🌀: That’s perfect, that’s the most ideal way it could happen. Once the video was released, it got a round of applause from all of skateboarding it felt like. Everyone was talking about it and posting clips from it. How did you feel seeing the video get such a great response?

I had seen the video so many times by that point, so I had become a bit desensitized to it. When it came out and I saw the response, it was really cool. Not just the industry response, but from people in the streets and stuff. It just makes it that much more special to be a part of it. Like, damn, we really did something cool, and made a video that people will hopefully remember, you know?

🌀: Totally. You’re right, as much as industry praise is appreciated, but to know that people from your hometown got a good feeling from the video is huge. That really shows how much power a skate video has, and how important Bunny Hop is.

Yeah, for sure. It makes me really proud, and grateful to be a part of that history. To be a part of that timeline is really special to me.

🌀: Yeah, Girl and Chocolate videos are classics. To keep that legacy going is amazing, especially in a day and age where people consume videos differently than in the past.

Yeah, definitely, it’s a trip.

🌀: What’s next? Either for you personally, or for the brand…

I think the Girl dudes are fired up to do something, now that the Chocolate video has wrapped up. I think they’re inspired by the video.

🌀: I’m sure people were hoping to hear that. That’s the beauty of having two board brands tied together, they can feed off of each other. Anything coming up for you individually?

Yeah, actually, I’ve been working on a video. I started filming for it at the beginning of 2021, I wanted to put it out at the end of 2021, but I got caught up going on all of those trips and helping out with Bunny Hop. I’m trying to put it out at the end of this year. Just a video of me and my homies in Toronto, a fun homie video.

🌀: Sick! Those are always fun to watch! 

We have a really strong crew here, we’re all really good friends. It’d be sick to put something together, so that’s the goal.

🌀: Can we expect a part of your own in there, or what’s the deal?

I’m trying! I got a few clips. Maybe not a full part, I want to keep the parts pretty short. But I do want to have something.

🌀: The more skate videos I watch, which is a lot, the more shorter parts grow on me. I like it being short and sweet.

The vibe of this video is exactly that; short and sweet, have fun, nothing serious. I don’t want to have 5 minute parts or anything crazy. I just want it to be a video you can put on in the morning before you go skate. 20ish minutes.

🌀: Yup! That’s the best. It’s just easy to watch that way. I’ll be keeping an eye out!

Sick, I hope this isn’t a hassle to edit…

🌀: No, it was perfect. Thanks for all the stories!