For the second installment of Revisit, I had the pleasure of catching up with JB Gillet, a true OG. JB’s career has been made up of many video parts; so we picked a handful of them to go behind the scenes on, as well as catch up on his recent injury, Hôtel de Ville, and some of his favorite skaters at the moment!

🌀: What’s up JB, how are you?

Good, good! How are you?

🌀: I’m good, thanks for being down to do this! So the point of this series is to dive into video parts throughout someone’s career, and you’ve had a fair share of your own. Let’s start with your Rodney Mullen vs Daewon Song: Round 2 part. There are clips in Lyon, SF, LA, and more in here, was this around the time you started traveling to film?

Yeah, Round 2 was the first time I was in LA. I was filming with Socrates (Leal) in LA, and I filmed with French Fred when I was in Lyon.

🌀: Sick! Was that your first time meeting Socrates then, on your trip to LA to film?

Yeah, that was the first time. I got on World, so we started filming together. He used to come to pick me up, he’d show me spots and we’d skate. It wasn’t a big mission, we would just be skating and he’d pull the camera out to start filming. He makes you feel really comfortable, there’s no pressure, so I really like filming with him.

🌀: Is that what you generally prefer; just skating and pulling the camera out, versus more of a planned-out mission?

It depends, nowadays I need to focus on something, but back then it was better like this. We were young and it was a different time, we weren’t focused on a project. We were just skating every day, and if something happened it happened. It wasn’t calculated, at least for me and the people around me.

🌀: Yeah, for sure. Switch Front Heel’s have become synonymous with you over the years. There’s an amazing one in this part on a bump over pallet. Was that one of those spontaneous sessions?

Yeah, this was random. We had been skating all day and were about to go home, but we saw that bump and there was a pallet, so we started skating over it.

🌀: Yeah, I thought that was sick because it felt so relatable, as a kid I feel like you just look for random things to skate over.

That’s exactly what this was *laughs*.

🌀: A couple of years later you had your 411 Rookies part. The sand gaps pop up in here a couple times, was that a spot you were spending a lot of time at back then?

Yeah, during this time I was staying with Robbie McKinley and he lived in Santa Monica. After that, I was on a couch tour and I stayed at Pat Canale and Mackenzie Eisenhour’s place. I would take the bus and skate the sand gaps, it was the closest spot to us, so I would skate there a lot.

🌀: This Nollie Back Heel that you did on flat in this line is amazing. What do you remember about that session?

Oh yeah yeah, that line! At first I was trying Switch Pop Shuv It, then Switch Front Shuv (over the sand gaps). But, I was missing a lot of the Switch Front Shuv’s, so I was like “Fuck it, I’m going to do something easier. Switch Shuv then Switch 180.” It wasn’t too much of a battle, it felt good, it was fun. 

🌀: Sometimes the best lines are when it just looks like someone is cruising, not necessarily doing their hardest tricks. 

Sometimes you battle for a line and no one cares, then when a line comes easy everyone likes it. 

🌀: True! A couple of years later Cliche’s “Freedom Fries” video dropped, and you had another full part. Two of my favorite clips in this part come back to back; the Back Tail 3 Shuv and the Switch Flip Front Nose. Were you planning on filming a couple of tricks at that spot?

With the Back Tail 3 Shuv I had done one but I didn’t like it, so I went back and did it better, which is the one that they used. Then I tried the Switch Flip Front Nose, I had it good back then, so it was quicker to do that one. 

🌀: They both turned out dope! Was that spot good? It looked cool, but also really crusty…

Yeah, the landing sucks. If you fall, your hands get fucked up. The ledge is pretty good though, it’s still there too!

🌀: Oh wow, I didn’t know that spot was still around. 

You go there to film, it’s not that fun to skate.

🌀: In the BFFS it actually shows you land a handful of Back Tail 3 Shuv’s before you got the one that you wanted, have you always been picky about wanting to land your tricks a specific way?

Yeah, for sure. This time it worked good, because a lot of times I keep trying to do a trick better, and we end up using the first or second one, I’m like “Fuck, I could’ve just chilled.” But in this case, it worked out. On the one I did before I didn’t catch the board, it was bouncing.

🌀: Yeah, it definitely paid off! It’s funny how sometimes a trick doesn’t feel the way that you want it to, so you keep battling, and then a couple of hours later you look at the footage and realize it was fine.

Yeah, you have to look at the footage all the time, because sometimes your perception is different than the footage.

🌀: 100%. Another standout is the Back 3 Manny Back 180. Back 3 Manny is still a really rare trick to this day…

When I got on Cliche they were like “We’re coming out with a new video, we want you to have a part.” So I only had about 6 months to film this part. One day it was raining, and we went to that spot because it was under a bridge, so you can still skate it when it’s raining. I wanted to do Back 3 Nose Manual, that’s what I was trying at first, but then I was like “Fuck, it’s too hard. Manual is easier.” So I went for the easier one, the Manual.

🌀: It looks sick! When I think of Back 3 Manuals this comes to mind, and then of course Gino’s that eventually went down.

Yeah! I think Gino had already done it, that’s why I wanted to do Nose Manual because Gino had already done it to Manual. 

🌀: Ah got it, that makes sense! A few years later you were featured in the French Connection section of Fully Flared, one of the most celebrated skate videos ever. When you were working on that did you realize how big of an impact the video would have?

No, I didn’t. During the process of filming for this video, I opened a skate shop. Sometimes I was busy with my skate shop and I didn’t go on every trip, then Kelly Bird told me “You’re going to regret this!” I’m happy with what I got, but it’s true, I should’ve focused more. It was a game-changer video. It came out good though.

🌀: Definitely. We’re you skating with both Lucas (Puig) and J.J. (Rousseau) a lot while working on this?

Yeah! We were on Cliche too, and sometimes on Cliche trips, we’d save the best footage we got for Lakai. 

🌀: Oh sick! You’ve filmed with French Fred for years then…

Yeah, I started with him when I was 15! He made my first video part, it was one of the first European videos, it’s called Fireworks, it came out in ‘95.

🌀: That’s so sick! What’s it like working with him for so many years?

It’s easy, there’s a connection, and there’s not too much pressure. Sometimes when you’re with a filmer you don’t know too well you’re like “I don’t want to waste his time.” You know what I mean? In general, filmers in the U.S don’t make you feel this pressure. I remember some dudes in Europe that are like “Fuck, 2 more tries and then I’m leaving.”

🌀: Haha that’s crazy! He filmed this Back Tail 270, right?

Yeah, that was a Cliche tour actually. It was in Epernay, the city where they make champagne.

🌀: Did you find this spot, or how did you guys end up there?

I think a local dude showed it to us. Behind the spot was some kind of market, so there were a lot of people when you landed. Trucks and food…

🌀: I really like the fisheye angle of it. You slid really far, was skating fast something you’ve always done on purpose, or more so natural and you don’t even notice it?

I’ve always liked watching people skate fast, I think it looks better. I remember the first time I went to San Francisco, I was 16 and went with my friend Malik. His knee was hurt so he couldn’t skate. I was skating at Wallenburg and he told me “Compared to all the other dudes you skate super slow, you gotta skate fast in San Francisco.” Back then in San Francisco, the spots were pretty rough, you had to go fast, especially to go up the ledge at Pier 7 and slide the whole thing.

🌀: Wow, so SF really made you skate faster!

I think so, yeah. The first time I went to LA I was tripping on the plastic benches, and how people were skating them going slower because you didn’t need to go fast for them. I was kind of scared of those benches because they were empty, it was weird. 

🌀: It’s always weird when a bench doesn’t have a side to it, when it’s “floating”

Yeah, you feel like you’re going to put your leg under it or something

🌀: Yeah! I feel like it’s all mental, but it’s weird. Speaking of SF, you spent a lot of time skating up there, have you been there recently?

I went about 3 and a half years ago. Solo Skate Mag wanted to do a video article about me being in San Francisco, that’s the last time that I went.

🌀: Oh yeah, I’ve seen that. It’d be sick if you could go back now and skate the Pier!

Yeah, I wanted to go but I broke my ankle a year ago. But, I got surgery a month ago and they took out the bolt, and now my ankle feels good. I’m getting back to it. Maybe in February I’ll go to the U.S. I want to feel good skating.

🌀: Definitely. Let’s skip forward to your Welcome to Primitive part. I really like the way the VX footage, b-roll, and edit all went together in this. Did you feel any pressure knowing that this was your introduction to the team?

Kind of, but they made me feel like I should just skate and not feel pressure. But, I put pressure on myself because it’s Primitive, I had to do something. At first, I had 1 minute of footage from Lyon, then I went to LA to meet with them, and I got more footage over there. It was quick, within a few months.

🌀: Did you have any say in the b-roll and edit?

No, Alan told me that he wanted to use footage from a documentary on Netflix, I forgot the name, it was about the LA riot.  I was hyped on the music that they picked and everything. Alan is good at all of this, I trust him. I skate and those guys are better than me at editing and putting music to a video. 

🌀: Yeah, for sure. In the second line of that part you do a Tailslide Front Shuv and a Noseslide Shuv, two tricks that can be hard to make look good, but you did it. 

I didn’t want to film that line, but they were like “Film it, film it!” At first, we started filming it on the phone for Instagram, I was like “Nah it sucks!”  I tried this line for 3 hours because I wanted to keep going and do more flat ground tricks after the Noseslide Shuv, and then we used the first one that I did, fuck it. 

🌀: Hahaha! How did they convince you to film it on the VX instead of iPhone?

It was Eric (Iwakura), he was like “Let’s just film it!” I like to film with Eric because he’s kind of like Soc from back in the day, sometimes you start fucking around and you don’t want to film it, but he’s like “Yeah film it, it’s going to look dope!” He films super good too. 

🌀: Yeah! Especially with the VX, his filming looks amazing.

At my age and stage of my career, I just need to have fun. Back then I wanted to have some dope tricks and be on point. Now I’m just having fun. 

🌀: What is it about those Tailslide and Noseslide Shuv’s that you love to do? It seems like you rep those tricks hard. 

Yeah, I don’t know, it comes easy. Tiago and Eric love it, they call it Shovinho. Every time I see Tiago he’s like “Do a Noseslide Shovinho!” At first, I was like “Is he making fun of me?” But no, they really like it.

🌀: I think it’s sick because you don’t see it too often, especially done properly. You make it look dope.

You have to try to bring a little something to the table.

🌀: For sure! And your ender; Switch Front 3 Heel. Did you battle for that one?

I had done it before, with a blank board and filmed on an iPhone, and then I re-filmed it. I think I did it better the first time though, but fuck it *laughs*. The battle was just the speed. It’s hard to get the speed because you have to carve, but I just kept trying, and at one point got lucky. It wasn’t too bad. The next day though, I felt sore from the bank.

🌀: Just from jamming into it so many times?

Yeah, the impact, it’s almost like a wallride or something. There’s no transition. 

🌀: What made you hold onto the iPhone clip and not post it, did you know you’d come back to actually film it?

Vincent told me “Don’t post it, we’re going to film it with a real camera.”

🌀: Gotcha! Moving onto your most recent part, which is in DEFINE., you and Vincent Jugnet seemed to do your own thing with the 4×3 HD footage, how did that come about?

At first, Alan wanted me to film VX, but Vincent was so over filming VX. He found a way to set up the VX fisheye on his HD camera. We showed it to Alan and he was like “Perfect.” I like it because you get the best of both worlds.

🌀: Yeah, I’m a big fan of HD 4×3, I think it looks great.

Yeah, it looks different. Quicker and more dynamic.

🌀: Definitely!

I was kinda bummed because I just started filming for the video, and then I got hurt. I wanted to have a really good part in the video, because I had time to film, and potentially it could’ve been my last big part. I’d keep skating of course, but I just wanted to have a 3 minute part or something. So, fuck, now I have to finish the business *laughs*

🌀: Yeah, now you still gotta go film that 3 minute part!

Exactly. Next week I’m starting with a personal trainer to get back. 

🌀: Sick! Excited to see you back on your board at 100%

I need that. When you get old you need the training, if not, it gets too hard.

🌀: Yeah, for sure. Hôtel de Ville appears in this part, and just about all of your video parts. Do you still get the same feeling skating there now as you did back in the day? 

Yeah, for sure! It’s different because I used to get there at 1 pm and stay all night when I was a kid. Now I just go to skate for a couple of hours, then go back home. Back in the day it was skaters on one side, and thugish dudes on the other side, selling dope. We didn’t really click, but we knew each other. There was nobody else there, no regular people coming there to eat a sandwich or something. Now it’s more crowded with people hanging out, not really skating. It’s cool though. 

🌀: Do you have a preference between HDV before or after the remodel?

The ground was really fucked up before. I think I have a line in my welcome to Primitive part, you can see there are cracks everywhere. People were tripping when they used to come to skate. The best time was for sure in the 90’s and the beginning of the 2000’s.

🌀: Yeah, I’m assuming the ground was all good back then?

Yeah, but the ground is perfect now too. The ledges are a little bit lower than they used to be, but it’s still good. 

🌀: That’s sick. Switch Flip Noseslide Shuv (Shovinho) was a stand out from this part, was that a trick you had in mind for a while? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone do it…

Yeah, I don’t think I had ever done it before. At first, I was trying Switch Back 5-0 Shuv, and then this trick. But then I was like “Fuck it, I’ll just do a Front Tail, no push, then do it.” We got there at noon and I did it in a few tries. I did it and then did a Switch Bigspin (on the hip) and I took it. Usually, I keep going for hours trying to do it better, but this time I was like “Let’s learn from the mistakes from all of the years.” *laughs*

🌀: Haha yes! Just like that line you talked about earlier where you said you tried for hours but then ended up using the first one.

Yeah! But you know what, I didn’t learn because that’s how I got hurt. 

🌀: Oh really?

Yeah, I got hurt on Noseslide Nollie Heel. At first, I wanted to try something else on that ledge, but I was like “Let’s just get a Noseslide Nollie Heel first.” I did one but didn’t like it, and I ended up doing it three times. Then I was like “One more try on Noseslide Nollie Heel, if I do it I do it. If not, fuck it.” That’s the try that I broke my ankle, and Alan ended up using the first one I landed *laughs*

🌀: Wow! So you didn’t even need to keep redoing it! That’s so rough.

Yeah, the first one was good. I learned the hard way.

🌀: You really did. You were back skating recently right? Did you re-injure it or something? 

Yeah, I was skating with the screw in my ankle. It was kind of stiff, but I tried to make it work. One of the screws was moving inside and caused inflammation, so they made me stop skating, and did all kinds of tests. They ended up taking out the screw, so now I’m good. They want me to start really slow, so there’s no inflammation this time. I started skating 10 days ago, it’s good.

🌀: Sick! Were you watching a lot of skating during your time off the board?

Yeah, of course, Tiago footage always gets me hyped. Also, I like Yuto a lot, I don’t know why, he makes me want to skate, and he’s the Olympic champion at the same time. It’s dope, I like his video parts. Usually, some people who do contests are more focused on that, and they don’t really film video parts. 

🌀: Yeah, for sure

Kader is sick too, I like his footage.

🌀: Those are some good picks!

Dani Lebron too, he had a crazy part. He gave me hope too because he’s a little older than me. He came out with some crazy lines. The one they used in the video by Kevin (Perez), he starts with Fakie Crook, Switch Front Heel, and then Backside 5-0 Heelflip Shuv. You know that line?

🌀: Yep! He’s got a timeless style.

Also Flo Marfaing is killing it in Barcelona.

🌀: Yeah, everyone you just named has been killing it. Chico too, he’s been amazing to watch.

Yeah, Chico gets me hyped for sure! He’s been one of my favorite skaters since I was a kid, so it’s dope to see. 

🌀: Yeah, it’s so cool to see that generation of skaters staying busy, skating, and filming.

It’s amazing. When I started skating I thought that at 25 I would quit, that I would be too old.

🌀: You made it way past that! 

Crazy!

🌀: I know you said you just started skating again, but do you have any projects you want to work on once you’re back to 100% and feeling good?

Probably something with Primitive, because I feel like there’s unfinished business. I want to do it for me, but for Primitive too, to give them some good footage.

🌀: Yeah, looking forward to that! Thank you for taking the time to do this, it was amazing to hear about these parts of yours from over the years.

Yeah! Thanks for reaching out.