Skate for life

The words lifestyle brand usually conjure images of a Martha Stewart-esque empire built on fussy table settings and condescending tutorials on how to properly fluff a pillow. Two Sacramento entrepreneurs, Marc Melin and Billy Miller, are turning their longtime passion for skateboarding into a brand that is the antithesis of that overwrought sensibility. Launched in 2009, HA Critical blends video, fashion and art. The creators are looking to start a skate movement that’s not just about making a quick buck, but about giving back to the community.

What’s your opinion of the current state of the Sacramento skate scene?

Miller: It’s time for Sacramento to kind of step up and build its own little bit of industry. There’s no skate industry here. There’re so many skateboarders here, and there’s such a rich history, that it’s time. This is probably a bit controversial, but [the scene] stifles itself. I feel like it holds itself down. I feel it gets to a point where people are like, “Well, we’ve taken it as far as we can take it.” Well, you can take it as far as you want. The sky’s really the limit.

Melin: It’s time for something to be done here to what I feel is our level. Because I think there are a lot people that do stuff here. There are guys that do skateboards here [like] Lurk Hard and Blood Wizard. I think Sacramento is ready for a brand that will just be a different look than what they’re used to. I know a lot of people look at what we’re doing and say, “Wow, here’s a board company that doesn’t have blood and guts and a guy killing himself on [its designs].”

You both have been skating for about 20 years. Where’s the best spot to skate in Sac?

Miller: Wherever anybody isn’t. The older I get, the more I just like skating with my buddies. Not the skate park. The best place to skate is wherever the crew is. I don’t really care. I could go out and skate the parking lot at Bank of America and be happy. I like to call it DIY skating.

Melin: Definitely not the skate park. The streets. There are spots that come up all the time. There are guys out there building spots in the streets. That’s the beauty of being older now and skating. Now we have a team and they’ll call Billy and be like, “Hey man, we just built this spot, we spent all night,” and we’re like, “Awesome!” So we don’t have to do any work. We go skate it, and they call us the next day and say, “Ah, it got broken down.” And we’re like, “Oh well, we’ll wait for the next one to be built.”

Describe the HA design aesthetic.

Miller: Quality over quantity.

Melin: We may just do two or three different colors of a shirt with the black logo. Very simple, very clean. “Less is more” is definitely our design philosophy.

You guys put out T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and outerwear. What’s next for the brand?

Miller: We’re launching the Project Grey skateboard company sometime in the first quarter of 2012. We would probably already have boards out there, and even be a season or two in it, if I wasn’t so particular. I just feel like Grey is about, for me, in my heart, it’s about giving back to skateboarding. I want to give back because [without it] I’d probably be a lot more introverted, and I would definitely be fat, and I’d probably watch a lot more football.

Melin: On every run and on every season of boards we do, [we’ll make] a collector’s board. A shape board, if you will. Maybe a retro shape or whatnot, but there will be a limited number of boards where behind each board will be a cause. The first one is Shriners. I’m an active liaison for Shriners Hospital [for Children] here in Sacramento, because I was born with a severe foot condition. I wasn’t quite pigeon-toed, but my feet were pointed toward each other. After a year with Shriners, they straightened out my feet. Shriners second-handedly made me mobile. All of the sudden, I’m 9 years old and I’m on a skateboard. I’m not even supposed to be able to walk, and then I’m on a skateboard, and I’m doing it pretty damn good.

Tell me your idea of success.

Miller: It’s not a matter of raising both arms in the air. It’s raising one arm in the air to high-five the person who you attained that [success] with. It’s never saying, “Yes, I did it,” but “Yes, we did it!” To me, that is success. It’s not about being big: It’s about being great.

Melin: I’m just not content with being still. I want to constantly be evolving, and that’s it. I definitely know that whatever it is, I have to have my loved ones with me. I don’t feel like I’ve been successful unless my boys are with me. I think we’re going to see a lot of success with Grey.